Khairy: National team must come before state and club
KUALA LUMPUR: States and clubs must give priority to national interest by releasing their players for centralised training and preparations for the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games and AFC Under-23 Championship in Bangkok.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said since preparations for the SEA Games has entered the final stretch, states and clubs should release players who have been called up for national duty.
Khairy said he was aware of the dilemma faced by states and clubs playing in the M-League since the league has entered a crucial stage but priority must be given to national interest.
He said National Under-22 squad coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee has less than two months to prepare a National squad that can mount a serious challenge for the SEA Games gold medal in front of the home fans.
This is a request from me and fans from the entire nat ion. Our aim is to win the gold medal in the SEA Games and reward the fans for their unwavering support. I therefore, hope the states and clubs will give their cooperation to the coach, he said after launching the sales of tickets for the 29th SEA Games in Bukit Jalil, here yesterday. Local dailies had highlighted the concern of Kim Swee whose hopes of fielding a formidable side in Bangkok had vanished when states and clubs refused to release their players because the M- League schedule was tight. Reports sa id almost half t he squad called up for centralised training from July 5, have not received the green light from their respective teams although the initial plan was to see all players called up by Kim Swee attending the training camp which starts tomorrow.
The AFC Cup Und e r - 2 3 qual i fying championships featuring 40 countries divided into 10 groups, kicks off from July 19-23, with the 10 group winners and six best placed runner- up moving into the final round that will be hosted by China from Feb 9-17, next year.
Meanwhile, the Kedah Football Associat ion has requested added time from the Football Association of Malaysia ( FAM) to release five players called up for National duty.
Kedah FA honorary secretary Datuk Aminuddin Omar said since the five players make up the core of the starting 11, the team would be handicapped without their presence, especially so when the team is at a crucial stage in the league. We have appealed for a delay in sending them for centralised training, he said at the launch of the Road To Sukma Perak 2018 at the Sultan Abdul Hal im Stadium, here yeterday. — Bernama