Rajagopal and Norizan do us proud (The Malay Mail)

MALAYSIA coaches K. Rajagopal and Norizan Bakar emerged tops in a one-
month course in Hennef, Germany last month while attaining their
International `A' Licence.
 Selangor's Rajagopal and Norizan of Perlis scored almost 100 per cent to
finish as the top coaches out of 27 from 17 countries.
 FA of Malaysia (FAM) Youth Director Holger Obermann received the good
news from Gerog Behlau of the Education Department of the German Football
Association (DFB) yesterday.
 It is also the first time in the history of the course, which is fully
sponsored by the German government, that two coaches from the same country
have been adjudged the best candidates.
 Obermann said he was not told who the top candidate was as both
Rajagopal and Norizan scored near perfect marks.
 The course was conducted by Erich Rutemoller, a member of the DFB
coaching staff. He was assisted by Horsrt Kriete.
 Rajagopal and Norizan, both FAM `A' Licence holders, were said to have
been exemplary in the classroom and the outdoor sessions.
 They were put through exercises in training methodology, basic technical
skills, planning, physical training, game evaluation, sports medicine,
youth development, administration and management.
 The two also watched Bundesliga and international matches.
 They enjoyed a short stay with Bundesliga teams Leverkusen and Schalke
04 where they were exposed to the teams' training and match preparations.
 "This is an honour for Malaysian coaches. Rajagopal and Norizan should
be commended for doing Malaysia proud," said Obermann, who has been with
FAM under a German government programme the last three years.
 "Norizan worked under me while I was coaching the Malaysian Under-14
team that won the Asia-Pacific Cup for the first time in 1995," said
Obermann.
 "He showed tremendous potential and I am not surprised by what he
achieved in Germany," said Obermann, who was in Heneff for a week while
the two coaches were attending the course.
 "Rajagopal is also a calibre coach having worked with the Selangor
senior and President's Cup teams.
 "I strongly believe Rajagopal and Norizan are capable of handling M-
League teams and should be given the opportunity to do so," said Obermann.
 Obermann said German Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Norbert H. Holl, will
host a reception next week in honour of Rajagopal and Norizan.
 Also to be honoured at the reception is Aminuddin Hussein, who is
attached to the FAM Youth Department.
 Aminuddin, who hails from Negri Sembilan, emerged among the top 10
coaches in a six-month Sports Diploma course in Leipzig from January to
July this year. The course was also sponsored by the German government.
                              (END)