PJ City aim to groom local champions via programme

PETALING JAYA: Having taken the bold step of fielding an all-local lineup in this season’s Super League, Petaling Jaya City are embarking on another initiative – to groom more local footballers through their Jaguh RF programme.

PJ City president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said through collaborations with Rhythm Foundation (RF), MySkills Foundation and MyPJ (a Petaling Jaya-based community group), the club would scout for talented teenage players, aged 13-14, from low-income families to excel in the sport.

“Football is not only about skills, but encompasses coaching and grooming the child to be a better person,” he said after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RF, MySkills Foundation and MyPJ on Thursday.

Meanwhile, national football legend Datuk Santokh Singh, who was also present at the signing ceremony, said the initiative would help the boys to gradually progress in life and become successful because “football requires discipline”.

The former national defender also offered his services to coach the teenagers.

The three-year Jaguh RF programme would kick off this month through the scouting of 40 boys from B40 families in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.