Fitting tribute (The Malay Mail)

SABAH'S Kelly Tham must be the longest-serving soccer coach with a State
team, apart from Terengganu's Abdullah Mohamad, and as such, winning the
FA Cup will definitely be a fitting tribute to him.
 Tham, 46, is indeed looking forward to winning the FA Cup on his third
consecutive attempt.
 "It is not so much for me, but for the people of Sabah who have stood
behind me all this while," said Tham, who earned his FAM advanced coaching
certificate in 1978 under Karl Weigang.
 "Steering the team to their third straight final is an achievement by
itself but nothing will be sweeter than winning.
 "Besides, I feel this year is my best chance to win it because we have
improved over the last two years and learnt from our mistakes.
 "We also have a strengthened team with the acquisition of some calibre
players such as goalkeeper Khairul Azman Mohamad and midfielders Ong Kim
Swee and Yap Wai Loon.
 "This squad are much more balanced and have depth."
 Tham started his association with the Sabah team in 1989 as an assistant
coach to Englishman Frank Upton.
 Since then, he has been assistant to another Englishman, Roy Lorrenson,
in 1990 and to Oldrich Sedlacek for two seasons (1991 and 1992)
 It was in 1993 that he took over as chief coach and steered Sabah to
their first FA Cup final - in fact their first ever final in a tournament.
 That year Kuala Lumpur beat them 2-1 and last year, Sabah were again at
Merdeka Stadium for their second final but only to lose 3-1 to KL in
extratime.
 Asked about his formula of success, Tham said it was a joint effort of
everyone in the Sabah FA.
 "It is a team effort. All of us play our roles - from the officials,
coaches, players to the kitman."
 On his team's chances tomorrow, Tham said with due respect to Pahang,
Sabah badly want the Cup this time.
 "We have worked very hard for it and feel we have qualified for the
final this time around playing tougher matches against teams like Kelantan
and Selangor," said Tham.
 "The first year, we qualified for the FA Cup final, we were
inexperienced. The second time, we had the misfortune of playing three
extra matches to break the deadlock and when the final went into
extratime, we were a spent force.
 "But this time around, everything is looking well for us, including
having a full squad.
 "It is a case of now or never for us when we step onto the field on
Saturday."
 Tham added that despite his players glowing with confidence, they are
also all fired up to make up for the disappointment of not being able to
play the final in Kota Kinabalu.
 "The players are quite upset that the final could not be staged in Kota
Kinabalu because we would be playing our third consecutive final.
 "Even more so, they wanted to play a final in front of their home crowd.
 "Unlike other States, except for Sarawak, we cannot get our fans in full
force to Merdeka Stadium because of distance and cost.
 "However, the players are all fired up to win this Cup for the people."
 Another reason for Tham's success is his great relationship with his
players.
 He is like a big brother to all the players and Tham - who hails from
Kota Belud - speaks Kadazan and Bajau (local dialects), Chinese, English
and Bahasa Malaysia.
 Besides his multi-lingual ability, Tham also understands the players
well and this close relationship has certainly played a big role in his
able running of the team.
 Tham fondly remembers his appointment as chief coach of Sabah two years
ago by having 93 as his Proton Saga car registration number.
 Maybe after tomorrow night's final, he might consider changing it to 95!
                              (END)

Fitting tribute

SABAH'S Kelly Tham must be the longest-serving soccer coach with a State
team, apart from Terengganu's Abdullah Mohamad, and as such, winning the
FA Cup will definitely be a fitting tribute to him.
  Tham, 46, is indeed looking forward to winning the FA Cup on his third
consecutive attempt.
  "It is not so much for me, but for the people of Sabah who have stood
behind me all this while," said Tham, who earned his FAM advanced coaching
certificate in 1978 under Karl Weigang.
  "Steering the team to their third straight final is an achievement by
itself but nothing will be sweeter than winning.
  "Besides, I feel this year is my best chance to win it because we have
improved over the last two years and learnt from our mistakes.
  "We also have a strengthened team with the acquisition of some calibre
players such as goalkeeper Khairul Azman Mohamad and midfielders Ong Kim
Swee and Yap Wai Loon.
  "This squad are much more balanced and have depth."
  Tham started his association with the Sabah team in 1989 as an assistant
coach to Englishman Frank Upton.
  Since then, he has been assistant to another Englishman, Roy Lorrenson,
in 1990 and to Oldrich Sedlacek for two seasons (1991 and 1992)
  It was in 1993 that he took over as chief coach and steered Sabah to
their first FA Cup final - in fact their first ever final in a tournament.
  That year Kuala Lumpur beat them 2-1 and last year, Sabah were again at
Merdeka Stadium for their second final but only to lose 3-1 to KL in
extratime.
  Asked about his formula of success, Tham said it was a joint effort of
everyone in the Sabah FA.
  "It is a team effort. All of us play our roles - from the officials,
coaches, players to the kitman."
  On his team's chances tomorrow, Tham said with due respect to Pahang,
Sabah badly want the Cup this time.
  "We have worked very hard for it and feel we have qualified for the
final this time around playing tougher matches against teams like Kelantan
and Selangor," said Tham.
  "The first year, we qualified for the FA Cup final, we were
inexperienced. The second time, we had the misfortune of playing three
extra matches to break the deadlock and when the final went into
extratime, we were a spent force.
  "But this time around, everything is looking well for us, including
having a full squad.
  "It is a case of now or never for us when we step onto the field on
Saturday."
  Tham added that despite his players glowing with confidence, they are
also all fired up to make up for the disappointment of not being able to
play the final in Kota Kinabalu.
  "The players are quite upset that the final could not be staged in Kota
Kinabalu because we would be playing our third consecutive final.
  "Even more so, they wanted to play a final in front of their home crowd.
  "Unlike other States, except for Sarawak, we cannot get our fans in full
force to Merdeka Stadium because of distance and cost.
  "However, the players are all fired up to win this Cup for the people."
  Another reason for Tham's success is his great relationship with his
players.
  He is like a big brother to all the players and Tham - who hails from
Kota Belud - speaks Kadazan and Bajau (local dialects), Chinese, English
and Bahasa Malaysia.
  Besides his multi-lingual ability, Tham also understands the players
well and this close relationship has certainly played a big role in his
able running of the team.
  Tham fondly remembers his appointment as chief coach of Sabah two years
ago by having 93 as his Proton Saga car registration number.
 Maybe after tomorrow night's final, he might consider changing it to 95!

Chow on a chase

HOLDERS Kuala Lumpur can create a record of sorts if they were to win the
FA Cup for a third consecutive season under a third coach.
  The ubiquitous Chow Kwai Lam, who steered KL to the unsuccessful 1992
final, is back at the helm of the team this season after two years in the
cold.
  KL won their first FA Cup trophy under S. Subramaniam in 1993 and
retained it last year under Englishman Ken Shellito.
  Kwai Lam, obviously, intends to prolong KL's monopoly of the trophy.
Moreover, it would make up for the disappointment of seeing KL lose 1-0 to
Sarawak in the 1992 final.
  Already, Kwai Lam is no stranger to statistics, having coached KL to
three consecutive Malaysia Cup victories from 1987 to 1989 as well as the
League and Charity Shield.
  Only the FA Cup has eluded him and it would be the perfect icing to his
cake if KL go on to take the FA Cup again this year.
  But Kwai Lam is a realistic man. He knows the scenario does not always
turn out the way you want it to.
  "It would be great for KL to win the FA Cup for a record third
consecutive year. But it's easier said than done," said Kwai Lam.
  "One factor against KL is that we are a much younger and inexperienced
side compared to the other teams.
  "However, that won't deter us from going all out. If we can reach the
final, it would be a tremendous bonus for the team."
  KL are drawn in Group E with hosts Selangor, Johor and Armed Forces.
They face Johor in their opening match at Shah Alam Stadium tonight.
  Kwai Lam appears to have more respect for Johor than crosstown rivals
Selangor.
  "We intend to give Johor a run for their money. A draw would be a good
start for us," said Kwai Lam.
COACHES OF FA CUP CHAMPIONS
             1990
M. Karathu             (Pk)
             1991
K Worden               (Sgor)
             1992
A Vest                 (Swk)
             1993
S Subramaniam          (KL)
             1994
K Shellito             (KL)
                          

Varathan best bet

KUALA LUMPUR'S youth coach P. Varathan is one of the candidates to assist
coach Chow Kwai Lam for the new season.
  Varathan 47, who has been actively involved at the youth level since
1985, has a string of success behind him.
  Many at KLFA feel it is time Varathan got a break at the senior level.
  The others being considered for the job are former KL players Rashid
Hassan and Mat Zan Mat Aris.
  While Rashid and Mat Zan will be an assest because of their wide
experience as players, they have yet to be actively involved in coaching.
  Kwai Lam has a high opinion of the hardworking Varathan who is a always
willing to learn and gets along well with the players and his peers.
  Indications are Varathan would be Kwai Lam's pick.
  The KLFA management committee on Monday deferred their decision to name
the assistant coach because they felt Kwai Lam should have a say in the
matter.
  Kwai Lam said he will make his recommendation to the management
committee in the next few days.
  Last season's assistant coach, Lim Kim Lian, has officially informed
KLFA he wants to be involved in youth-level coaching again.
  Varathan, when told he is one of the candidates for the assistant
coach's job, said: "If Kwai Lam and the management committee want me, I am
ever willing to serve them. It is an opportunity for me to coach at a
higher level.
  "Besides, Kwai Lam is an experienced coach and there is a great deal I
can learn from him," said Varathan an employee of City Hall's Health
Department.
  Varathan earned an FA of Malaysia advance coaching certificate in 1984.
He attended a one-month coaching course in England in 1990 and attained
the international preliminary coaching certificate.
  He could be the right choice because KL are opting for a team of
youngsters for the new season.
  Varathan coached the KL Razak Cup team to three consecutive victories
from 1990 to 1992.
  He was the assistant coach to Yunus Tasman with the 1993 President's Cup
team.
  Last season, Varathan assisted Rerserve League team coach Kim Lian.
  He also assisted former KL coach S. Subramaniam to three FAM Cup
victories with City Hall FC.
  Varathan is coaching the KL Indians in the Dunhill Bardhan Cup
tournament. KL are unbeaten after two matches.

High hopes for a honest season (25/01/1995 - The Malay Mail)

Publication: MM
Date : 25/01/1995
Headline : High hopes for a honest season


THERE is a good chance soccer will be played honestly in Malaysia in the
new season.
The FA of Malaysia, the State FAs and the Police have gone all out to
clean up the game.
The outcome of investigations, which included the arrest of more than 80
players, will be known by the end of the month.
Most of the players who have admitted to accepting bribes to fix matches
would have seen the last of their playing days.
Some of them will undergo rehabilitation programmes and a handful, who
had helped in investigations but did not take bribes, will return to play
again.
While fans would get a proper deal for their money, the overall standard
of the tournaments could suffer a little as some of the better players
will not be playing.
But it will be a price worth paying because it is only a matter of time
before the youngsters mature and standards rise again.
However, we should not tolerate amateurish State FAs.
It is time the FA of Malaysia ensured State FAs acted professionally.
Surprisingly, some State FAs still have the word `amatuer' in their
association's name.
While players have made soccer their career, we still have many
volunteers or part-time officials running State FAs.
With nothing at stake, many of them take things for granted and just
make up the numbers in the set-up.
Professionals should be running the game at all levels and there should
be accountability from all quarters.
State FAs should start the season right by appointing their coaches as
managers.
Managers, especially those with hardly any knowledge of the game, only
get in the way of progress.
There is no need for a council member to be the team manager as is often
the case.
A fulltime coach will be fully answerable to the FA. If he does not
produce results or provide satisfactory reasons for his team not doing
well, he gets fired.
That brings us to the next step.
Coaches too should be fulltime.
Most local coaches, who have been handling M-League teams, hold other
jobs.
This is a `safe' situation as even if the are fired as coaches they can
return to their normal jobs.
To get the best out of a coach it is only logical to have him on a
fulltime basis.
He must have a full say in the selection of players, training methods,
naming of players for matches and the day to day running of the team.
Sarawak and Negri Sembilan have done so and they should be commended for
it.
If State FAs insist they should have someone on the team, it should be
purely for administration purposes.
State FAs, in signing up players, should keep their end of the bargain.
Some players under Police investigations have cited that one of the
reasons for accepting bribes is because they are not paid on time.
Some State FAs do not work within their budget and sign on expensive
players.
It all boils down to professionalism - or the lack of it. What's the
point in calling it a professional league when everything else about it is
amateurish!

Munich squad duo seek coaching jobs

TWO members of the 1972 Munich Olympics soccer squad - Hamzah Hussein and
Bhawandi Hiralal - are looking for coaching opportunities either at the
State or club level for the new season, writes Tony Mariadass.
  The duo, who were among the squad of 19 players who were a fortnight ago
honoured at the Sportwriters of Malaysia/Glamoir World of Sports Soccer
Awards night for their outstanding performance in 1972, are based in Kuala
Lumpur.
  Hamzah is an officer with Prisons in the city, while Bhawandi is a
police officer.
  Last season, Hamzah was one of the assistant coaches to Milous Kvacek
with the Kelantan team.
  But when Kvacek left for home during the Malaysia Cup competition,
Hamzah was in charge, together with his Munich teammate, Wan Zawawi.
  However, Hamzah has returned to KL because he is unable to obtain leave.
  Hamzah, before going to Kelantan last season, was coaching the KLFA
youth teams. He had also assisted Chow Kwai Lam with the senior team.
  Bhawandi, on the other hand, is currently coaching the Police team in
the KLFA Dunhill League.
  Three seasons ago, he was among the coaches handling the Police team in
the Second Division Semi-Pro League.
  In fact, several players from the Munich squad have tasted coaching at
the State level.
  They include M. Chandran, Rahim Abdullah, Mohamad Bakar, Wan Zazawi and
Soh Chin Aun.
  Chandran and Mohamad have even coached the national team.
  Another player, Khoo Luan Khen, who left to play in Hong Kong in the
1970s, was the Hong Kong national coach for the Hiroshima Asian Games last
year.
  Namat Abdullah, another member of the Munich team, is now linked with
Perak for the new season and is expected to be one of the coaches.

You blew it, Seela (12/12/1994 - The Malay Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 12/12/1994
Headline : You blew it, Seela


THE sacking of Pahang's Alan Davidson and Kedah's Norazam Ishak in the
second leg Malaysia Cup semifinals on Saturday was too harsh, to say the
least.
The two players, in attempting to get back on their feet after a
collision in the 80th minute, appeared to kick each other.
It was nothing serious, just a heat of the moment reaction. But referee
S. Seelarajen saw it as a capital offence.
The decision was very much a reflection of Seelarajen's attitude towards
the players.
He showed no diplomacy and probably saw the players as his enemies.
Perhaps he should be reminded that a referee should use his power
judiciously to ensure the game is played according to the rules.
However, his aggressive nature on the field shows either he insecure or
feels he should punish the players.
Seelarajen, in sacking the players on Saturday, certainly did not take
into consideration that they had slogged the entire season to play in the
final.
The two players did not throw punches at each other, abuse the referee
or were violent in their conduct.
There is no question about an infringement, but did it warrant a red
card?
Seelarajen could have just warned them verbally or at worst flashed a
yellow card.
Norazam had only come on as a substitute eight minutes earlier and had
not committed any offence during that period. Did he not deserve a warning
first?
Norazam, who has not played for almost three months because of a back
injury, only returned to play on Saturday. He was in tears immediately
after the sacking.
Davidson was in the thick of action but was never warned by the referee.
Instead, Davidson appealed to Seelarajen to be more stern as both teams
were getting carried away in the heat of the game.
It is reliably learnt Seelarajan told Davidson to shut his mouth
because he had a big mouth.
Is that any way to treat a player?
And to make matters worse, there were several incidents which warranted
a caution but Seelarajen either missed it or allowed play to go on.
One such incident was the deliberate elbowing of Pahang's Azamat
Abdouraimov by Kedah's Farouk Ismail but Seelarajen waved play on while
linesman Amir Shariffuddin also did not make his stand.
Perhaps Seelarajan should take a cue from his senior peer, V.K.S.
Sinniyah, who officiated the first leg in Kuantan on Tuesday.
Despite the muddy and slippery ground conditions, Sinniyah had full
control of the game.
He told the players to calm down and get on with the game.
His diplomacy worked and Sinniyah saw no reason to flash any cards
during the entire game.
He did not disrupt play unnecessarily and blew for only 21 infringements
throughout the match.
Match officials should have a better rapport with players instead of
adopting an antagonistic attitude.
Punish them if necessary but do not abuse your powers!
The FA of Malaysia referees committee could have been more sensitive in
appointing match officials.
Although they are all considered national referees regardless of the
state they are from, referees are only human and sometimes allow their
emotions to get in the way.
Seelarajen is from Selangor and with Selangor battling for a Cup final
berth too, it was unwise to appoint him as the referee.
He was also the centre of attention in the last Group A match when Perak
entertained Singapore.
Seelarajen flashed the red card at Singapore's Malek Awab for a sliding
tackle on a wet pitch.
It so happened Selangor were playing Singapore in the first leg
semifinals at the National Stadium in their next match.
Coincidence? Maybe, but why give room for such speculations or put the
match officials under such pressure.
On Saturday, it was surprising that Malaysia's top referee, Nazri
Abdullah was at Darulaman Stadium, but as a reserve referee.
Initially it was felt Nazri had taken ill before the match and
Seelarajen had deputised.
However, match inspector Zainal Abidin said after the match he had
insisted Seelarajen be the referee.
Seelarajen is an up and coming match official but if he does not change
his attitude, he will not be going very far.
Where the players are concerned the damage has been done and Davidson
will have to bear the pain of missing the Malaysia Cup final.