Doggone it! (The Malay Mail)

THE FA of Malaysia sometimes are quite bewildering. They chase it here,
they chase it there and, ultimately, get nowhere.
While their sincerity is not in question, the topsy-turvy manner in
which they go about it is often puzzling. And self-defeating.
The announcement that the former World Youth squad will be the new
national team is one such decision which flies in the face of good sense.
What happens to the rest of the players in the League if the national
team is pre-ordained?
The highpoint of a player's career is being selected for the national
team. And FAM have, in one fell swoop, done away with that.
So what do the players in the M-League look forward to now?
They just have to resign themselves to the fact that the M-League is the
highest level of soccer they will play.
Under the circumstances, what good would improving the League be if only
players below 23 years old are eligible to play for the national team for
the next three years at least.
Isn't this such a waste of talents like Idris Karim, B. Rajinkandh, Azmi
Mohamed, Azmim Azram, Azizul Kamaluddin, Yap Wai Loon, K. Sanbagamaran,
Domi Che Non, V. Thinakaran, Mohamad Amaran Omar, Zulfatah Dzulkarnanin,
Cik Zambil Ahmad, S. Ragesh, S. Nathakumar, Abdul Ghaffar Hoosen, Ng Kok
Heng, Khairul Anuar Baharum, Mat Zahir Mat Wahab, L. Suresh, M. Nagarajan,
Azman Adnan, Sharil Arsat, Paidiya Rau, Liew Kim Tu, K. Ramachandran,
Ching Hong Aik, Faizal Zainal, Zami Mohamad Noor, Shahrulnizam Sahat.
Burhan Ajui, Gapor Mohamad, Nazri Yunos, Ibrahim Mantali and Ahmad Fairuz
Yunus - all young players of potential.
The decision is tantamount to taking one step forward and several
backwards. It defeats the purpose of having a successful League and a
national team commensurate with it.
There are no qualms about the 2000 Olympic team being named the new
national squad. But given the heavy demands of international soccer today,
another national team, without age restrictions, should be maintained.
This will give the players a raison d'etre. A reason to play better
soccer.
The other team could represent the nation in lesser tournaments, like
invitationals. Options must be kept open instead of implementing an
inflexible ruling.
The idea to groom a national team over a long term is noble, but the
other players should not be left out of the picture.
This will only lead to complacency and lack of ambition, resulting in a
poorer League and a poorer national team.
There is no guarantee that the Olympic squad will be the answer to our
soccer woes. And results will not be forthcoming overnight.
There is a need to be patient as our world ranking would have dropped
further before we rise again. The climb back is going to be tedious and
arduous.
It is thus better to have several options than to put all the eggs in
one basket only to be disappointed in the end.
Doggone it. The matter needs a rethink. Otherwise this will be just
another futile ball chasing exercise, leading to nowhere.
                             (END)