Focus on development of youths in sports, says Chief Minister
KOTA KINABALU: Efforts must be intensified to unearth young football talents as well as to encourage more youths in Sabah to take up the sports, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
He said to become a good player, one must start from a young age.
“I want to see emphasis be given to the development of youths in sports, particularly in football.
“Sabah FC is in the best position to provide this platform and ensure our young players are being trained by the best coaches,” he said at the launching of Sabah FC team kit for the Malaysia Super League new season at Imago here on Saturday.
Hajiji also said that he is confident that Sabah FC will do well under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Moktar Radin as president of Sabah Football Association (SAFA) together with his management team.
“I believe with commitment and hard work, Sabah FC will be able to rise once again.
“Move onwards with the right formula and our football standards will soar to a new heights,” he said.
Hajiji also described the inaugural Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Cup that was held at Likas Stadium from February 12 to 18 involving Kedah Darul Aman FC, Kelantan TRW, Sarawak United and the home team as a good initiative.
Besides helping in Sabah FC’s preparation for the new season, the tournament had also provided local football fans the opportunity to see good quality matches as well as enabling players to improve their skills, he said.
Sabah FC under the stewardship of head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee will be featuring foreign imports from Brazil, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia in their campaign this season.
Also in Sabah FC’s line-up are four current national players - Khairul Fahmi, Dominic Tan, Mohd Rizal Mohd Ghazali and Baddrol Bakhtiar - as well as three ex-Harimau Malaya players Amri Yahyah, Irfan Fazail and Nazirul Naim Che Hashim.
Dr Jeffrey added that he welcomed views from everyone, including community and political leaders, as the problem was everyone’s not the only the Government’s.
“Everyone has their own opinions but, at the end of the day, why don’t we sit down and put them together so we can see which combination is viable and then we come up with the best solution,” he said.
“It is also a problem for the foreigners because we do not want them to be victims of exploitation,” he stressed.
Dr Jeffrey added that there is also a lack of data compilation on the presence of the illegal immigrants in Sabah.
“Currently the data is here and there and whatever little data there is is not shared, that is our problem, we need the data,” he said