Kim Swee keeping options open for Asiad squad

PETALING JAYA: The Indonesian Asian Games is only four months away and national Under-23 coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee is leaving no stone unturned in a bid to strengthen the team.

Kim Swee is planning a 10-day centralised camp ahead of the Asiad from Aug 18-Sept 2.

“Most probably we’ll have a centralised training camp of 10 days before flying to Indonesia,” said the former international.

He’s also keeping his options open in naming the best team for the Games.

Kim Swee can form a strong squad by choosing the best players from the team who reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Under-23 championship in China in January or opt for an experimental side with Under-21 players.

He may also toy with the idea of including three senior players in the squad.

“It will be easier to work with the Under-23 team who played in China because of the familiarity,” he said.

“We need a strong team if we want to have a successful campaign in Indonesia.

“All the teams in the M-League have agreed to release their players for the Asiad, so it’s all good but we won’t know which players will be available.

“I heard that South Korea will have Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min for the Games, so it will be a tough tournament.

Kim Swee, who returned from a one-month attachment with La Liga side Atletico Madrid on March 25, said he had a fruitful stint but admitted that it would be tough to apply the knowledge gained in Spain.

“Atletico are playing in the Spanish top flight and I learnt plenty of things from them but applying the same method they use may not work for us,” he said.

“A national team coach only have a short period to work with the team compared to a club side.

“Besides, the quality of Atletico players and the ones we have here is totally different.

“We’ll have to adapt and tinker with the knowledge gained there to suit our players here,” he added.