WAY FORWARD FOR EX-SPORTMEN TO GIVE BACK TO SPORTS

Tony Mariadass

 Ex-internationals can make a difference to sports standards in the country

 

Sportsmen from the tiny settlement of Setapak Hot Spring who went on to become national heroes via their football team – Hotspurs – in the 60s, can continue their legacy by giving back to the game despite their ripe age.

Hot Spring New Village from the 1960s to the 1990s and their field, was at the heart and soul of many youths from the B40 group (as they are classified now).

These youths like all others had just one desire – to excel in their lives. But opportunities were few and far between. One thing that changed the lives of many was the field, literally at the centre of the settlement. Houses ringed the field, which was the focal point of all sporting activities, like a concentric circle, and football was the most popular and not surprisingly attracted many youths to participate and to learn to enjoy the game. 

The settlement’s sports committee must surely belong in the annals of local sporting history for their achievements in producing national football players, coaches, referees, hockey players, government servants and professionals.

Hotspurs famous football sons include national players Santokh Singh, K. Ragagobal, R. Subramaniam, national youth players N. Nallathamby (also national referee) and S. Supramaniam, while in hockey, internationals Avtar Singh Gill, Updesh Singh and Balbir Singh Gill a former hockey coaching director with the national body, were also all products of Hot Spring.

Several others like late K. Gengarajoo (Rajagobal’s older brother) played for Malacca in the 70s, while others from the 80s era like late Ramachandran (Subramaniam’s brother), A. N. Chandrasegar, N. Suresh (Nallathamby’s son), Ishak Kunju (now Police FC coach) played for Kuala Lumpur youth and senior team.

Our playing field from left Supramaniam, Steven, Tommy, Rajagobal, Thomas, Pathimanathan, Santokh, Rajasooria and front row Subramaniam, Nallathamby and Ishak

Today, the group which is still together and meet regularly to reminisce their sporting heyday, believe they can still contribute towards and help the younger generation of sportsmen especially the less fortunate who are in dire need of assistance.

Fittingly, on Sept 16 which is Malaysia Day, seven members of the Hotspurs football squad made their way to the MySkills Foundation Campus in Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor.

The brainchild of lawyer S. Pasupathi, the Foundation was created for children (boys and girls) from broken homes, the less fortunate, those involved in gangs and school dropouts who have very limited opportunities and regarded "At-Risk Youths", to get a crack at mainstream life.

The Foundation’s goal was to give these youths another chance at life. Founded about 10 years ago, its main aim is to move these children from a vulnerable environment to a secure homely atmosphere which could alter their lives.

The general idea is to teach them a set of skills and link it with Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM.) These youths join the Foundation when they 13 years and remain till they are 19 and are thought living as well as vocational skills. At the end of their stay before they leave the campus, they are presented with a skill certificate which hopefully will help them meet life's challenges. 

The 35-acre campus at Kalumpang was bought partly with Government assistance in 2014 and took in the first batch of students in early 2018.

Still being developed in phases, it is currently home to about 60 boys between the ages of 13 and 19 years. The first batch of girls are expected to move in early next year as soon as their dormitory is ready.

About 1,000 youths have so far graduated from MySkills since its inception. 

Hotspurs FC members saw an opportunity to give back to the game through sports, mainly football which is a main element of character building which could benefit the children of Myskills.

 Group photo with all players of Myskills, their directors and Hotspurs players at the end coaching session at their campus in Kalumpang.

“We have been looking for an opportunity where we can share our experience with a young group with similar interest and MySkills fitted the bill. Besides, they have excellent sporting facilities in Kalumpang and we saw an opportunity where this centre can become a hub to produce players for the future, just like what Hot Springs did,” said Supramaniam who, besides playing for Malaysia in the Asian football tournament, also did Setapak proud by graduating as a lawyer from University of Malaya and is now the president of the Malaysian Evaluation Society.

And it was indeed a treat for the boys of the Foundation when the Hotspurs team who visited them included Santokh Singh, Nallathamby, Rajagobal, Surpramaniam, Lt Col (Rtd) Tommy Pereira (one of the founder members of Hotspurs), Steven Puung (president of the veteran Hotspurs FC) and S. Logarajah (former Hotspurs player and chef who held a demonstration at the campus).

The visiting Hotspurs, after a briefing by the CEO of MySkills Campus, Devasharma Gangadaran and a tour of the campus, interacted with the 25 players who are part of the football programme at the campus, before giving motivational talks.

Pereira spoke of his life in Hotspring and his stint at Sanders UK (where he did his army training), Santokh elicited much enthusiasm with his witty remarks and Rajagobal talked of the exploits of the Malaysian team, especially the winning teams under his care in Asean Football Federation tournament and SEA Games. A short video clip was shown to impress the young minds on what is possible.

 

The action then moved to the field where all Hotspurs players – Rajagopal, Santokh, Nallathamby - took them through proper techniques of warm-ups. The boys were then divided into two teams to play a game and after observing them play for a while, Rajagobal and Santokh stopped the game to point out the good and bad points of their game and mistakes they should avoid. 

The MySkills team were presented with two sets of jerseys and training balls by Hotspurs officials. 

Presentation of training balls and jerseys by Rajagobal to director of MySkills, Pasupathi with others from left Nallathamby, Santokh, Raghavan Annamala, Pasupathi Sithamparam (Myskills directors) Devasharm

Supramaniam said Hotspurs intend to continue to assist the team by holding coaching clinics from time to time and to find a permanent coach for them.

 “We also intend to send one or two volunteer officials who work in the campus to attend a basic coaching course so that they can coach the team more regularly and monitor their progress. There are also plans to enter the team in a local league or even organise a youth league for teams in the Hulu Selangor area.

“We hope our efforts will see a few raw talents move up the ranks and become future stars.”

Rajagobal conducting a training session assisted by Santokh and Nallathamby

Indeed, it was a noble gesture by the Hotspurs veterans and if only other ex-international and state associations of various sports can emulate them, sports will certainly benefit a great deal, especially those who are deprived of the opportunity of proper training and avenues.

Sometimes, it is not all about money, but what one can give back from the benefits they have reaped and were lucky to have had opportunities available to them.

Ends.