ESPN...MALAYSIAN VERSION

Picked up this article from the internet, guess it never made it to our sports pages as it was available online on January 16.

If what our Sports Minister says is true, then I guess that puts paid to the aspirations of having a Sports Channel, something that OCM President Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar has been fighting for all this time.

Still it interests me on the stand of KBS, they support the Sportscentre but have poured cold water on the KL 5's Futsal event. But then again KBS does not care for futsal as it is even left out of the 2010 Sukma, something that irked FAM, for a few days as no effort was made to fight the case.

SportsCenter Malaysia, the localised version of ESPN's renowned, award-winning news programme SportsCenter, is fast becoming the must-watch sports news show in Malaysia with more than half of all Pay TV viewers having tuned in.

As ESPN STAR Sports' (ESS) flagship news programme, SportsCenter Malaysia was launched in April 2007and has been watched by an audience of 4.1 million, of which nearly half a million have watched this edition exclusively. Within that, a large number are young Malaysians aged 15-24, pointing to the possibility of a group of passionate Malaysians that are very keen on following the progress of local sports.

SportsCenter Malaysia is produced in Malaysia and more than 30% of its daily news coverage is focused on local sports icons, events and sports news. Viewers have tuned in for exclusive stories and features on top local players such as Nicol David and her 2008 season on the Women's International Squash Players Association (WISPA) tour; Lee Chong Wei's heroics at the Beijing Olympic Games as well as in-depth coverage of the Malaysian national soccer team in the AFF Suzuki Cup.

In addition to covering international sports like Barclays Premier League football, Formula One and Grand Slam tennis, SportsCenter Malaysia also caters to Malaysian preferences for local and regional sports, delivering extensive coverage on tournaments such as sailing's Monsoon Cup, the Thomas Cup and Badminton Super Series and football's Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Premier League and the Malaysia Cup.

Said Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, "One of the things we are most proud of is bringing to local sports fans SportsCenter Malaysia, a programme that is produced in Malaysia, with a focus on the latest news from the Malaysian sporting scene, and most importantly, presented by Malaysia's very own talents. As our flagship news programme, we've watched SportsCenter Malaysia grow from strength to strength in the past two years to become essential viewing for the Malaysians wanting to catch up on the latest happenings in local and international sports."

Added Dato' Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Minister of Youth and Sports, "The aim of our partnership with ESS has always been to raise interest in sport in Malaysia and we are pleased to see that SportsCenter Malaysia has had such a positive impact on the sports-loving Malaysian public. We are confident that SportsCenter Malaysia will continue to promote even greater interest in local sports in 2009."

Datuk Dr. Norraesah Mohamad, Executive Chairman, MyEG, presenting sponsor of SportsCenter Malaysia, said, "We are delighted to be the presenting sponsor of SportsCenter Malaysia. Just as SportsCenter Malaysia has become synonymous for sports news in Malaysia, MyEG has become synonymous with efficient online transactional services. This sponsorship is a natural fit for our brand and is also part of our commitment to help get more youths actively involved in sport."

SportsCenter Malaysia is fronted by its four vibrant presenters of Rashid Salleh, Jeevan Selvanathan, Lisa Wong and Edleen Ismail, all of whom are familiar faces to Malaysian television. SportsCenter Malaysia is broadcast LIVE at 7pm, Mondays to Fridays, with repeats at 9.30pm.

ESS, Asia's No.1 sports broadcaster, produces five localized editions of SportsCenter (Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India and Malaysia) in three languages of English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Launched in 2001, SportsCenter has become an institution among viewers in Asia, offering the best round-up of sporting action around the region and the globe.

SIXTH IN ASEAN....

Having gone through the FIFA rankings for January 09, I was not the least surprised to note that our international ranking has slipped to 158. That was only to be expected given our early exit in the AFF in December.

However what shocked me, and I am truly surprised that no one picked this up, was the fact that we are now sixth in Asean, whereas our position was fourth in the November rankings, when we were placed in the 151st position, ahead of both Vietnam (159) and Myanmar (158) at that time. Now both Vietnam and Myanmar have overtaken us with Vietnam at 138 and Myanmar at 156.

Having done a study of the rankings from the time it was first introduced by FIFA in August 1993, I believe that this is the first time that we have slipped to the sixth position in Asean. Below is the summary of rankings for the six top teams from the Asean region.

Malaysia

Highest : August 1993 - 75th position

Lowest : April 2008 - 170th position

Thailand

Highest : September 1998 - 43rd position

Lowest : December 2006 - 137th position

Indonesia

Highest: September 1998 - 76th position

Lowest: December 2006 - 153rd position

Singapore

Highest: August 1993 - 73rd position

Lowest: October 2007 - 140th position

Vietnam

Highest: September 1998 - 134th position

Lowest: December 2006 - 172nd position

Myanmar

Highest: April 1996 - 97th position

Lowest: June 2008 - 165th position

Our concern should be not slipping further in the Asean rakings as it will affect our image in the region, let alone thinking about FIFA. We have to hit the alarm right away and not wait. Some may tend to argue that it is just rankings, but isn't that what the KPI that Tuanku President set out for FAM. Perhaps excuses will be offered but Sathia is not to be blamed as he had a plan that no one listened to, and he is always the scapegoat.

In the ROADMAP by former FAM Technical Director Robert Alberts, the plan was to improve the rankings, but today Robert seems to be history, along with the roadmap.

ALL BRAZILIAN WORLD CUP SOME DAY

If FIFA president Sepp Blatter is to be believed, it's the biggest issue that faces football. No, not diving, or Premiership hegemony or even the tackle from behind but rather the naturalization of players from other countries, especially Brazil, becoming common currency in the international game.

"If we don't take care about the invaders from Brazil," Blatter controversially said at the draw for the 2010 World Cup. "Then at the next World Cups... we will have 16 [teams] full of Brazilian players. It's a danger, a real, real danger."

Players born outside of their country of citizenship have always played for their newly adopted countries. Alfredo Di Stefano started life with an Argentine passport and played for Colombia and Spain. Ferenc Puskas also represented Spain after making his name for Hungary.

But two things have changed. The first is the globalized nature of the sport, which has allowed Brazil to sell arguably its greatest export -- talented footballers -- to every corner of the world.
The second is the emerging power and wealth of smaller states willing to use their financial muscle to attract better players to their national team.

FIFA has been extremely critical of countries that have handed passports--some after playing in their new country for less than two years-- to talented footballers.
The problem

FIFA has found is separating the naturalization of a player who has genuinely put down roots in their new country -- as with Eduardo who moved to Croatia when he was 15 -- and those whose allegiances are bought and sold in a rudimentary international transfer system.

One country that has stretched the rules to breaking point is Qatar, who has used its vast gas wealth to attract and naturalize a host of players from Uruguay and Brazil. The Qatari FA even offered to pay Brazilian striker Ailton, then the top scorer in the German Bundesliga, $1million to come and play for Qatar in 2004, even though he had never set foot in the country.

The move led to FIFA introducing emergency legislation banning naturalizations from taking place if there was no connection between the player and their prospective country. FIFA has tried to tighten up the rules. Last May FIFA agreed a rule change which stated that a player must live in their new country for five years before they can play for the national team.

But for a country the size of Qatar, which has a population of fewer than one million, there are few other options. "The only way Qatar or Bahrain are ever going to be competitive is to import players and naturalize them," explains Jesse Fink, an Australian writer on Asian football and author of "15 Days in June: How Australia Became a Football Nation."

Yet ultimately Qatar's experiment in footballing naturalization looks to have paid off. They currently sit third in their Asian World Cup qualifying group and are on course for a play-off spot for South Africa 2010 thanks, in no small part, to the goals of their Uruguayan-born striker Sebastian Soria. If they qualify they will be the smallest country to ever make it to the finals.

Even more established footballing nations -- like Spain with Marcos Senna and Turkey with Mehmet Aurelio -- have looked at naturalization to fill problem positions in their team.

While English-born John Wilkinson swapped the vagaries of lower league football in the UK for Singapore after being released by non-league Exeter City. Five years later he married his Singaporean girlfriend after some gentle persuasion from the national team coach and now anchors the team's midfield. "I didn't even know where Singapore was!" he told The UK's Guardian newspaper last year.

Arsene Wenger suggested that his Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, who qualifies for a British passport after living in the UK for five years, is the answer to England's goalkeeping problems.

So will Brazilian imports really takeover the international game? Many are skeptical. "Blatter is fearful that World Cups will be overrun with naturalized Brazilians and has proposed strict rules for naturalizing players, but these are just scare tactics," concludes Fink.

"At the end of the day people want to see the majority of the players in their national team 'represent' them."

from cnn

INDON FA, A STEP AHEAD, OR MANY STEPS AHEAD

Last Friday I received a phone call from a friend of mine at the Indonesian FA in Jakarta requesting my assistance. He wanted me to pick up some passports of the Indonesian Under 17 football team from the Uruguay Embassy in KL. That got me thinking, why were the Indon's going to Uruguay and what tournament were they preparing for.

I was then told that the Indon FA had a 4 year development program for this team, that they were Under 16 as of 2008 and were sent to Uruguay in March last year where they played in the league for the Under 17. The team were there for some 10 months and played in a 24 team league, across Uruguay and finished in the 18th spot. They then played another tournament for the bottom 12 teams and finished 4th. Effectively these players had some 65 tough matches over the year. This process is being repeated this year and the squad comprising of 27 players/officials will depart Jakarta tonight for another 11 months there.

Having got the basic info, I got down to do some checking on the internet and this is what I found out about the Indonesian FA program:

Indonesia Football Association has decided to hire Cesar Payovich Perez as the new coach for Indonesia U-16 under four years contract. Cesar will start the selection round for the new U-16 team in this month until the end of this year. He will select at least 25 players out of 160 players in 4 major cities of Indonesia. All 25 players of U-16 team will be trained in Uruguay starting January 2008 and will take part in local U-16 tournament by March 2008.

Cesar Payovich Perez is a well known figure in Asia after he successfully developed youth Japan national team between 1991 and 1994. He was qualified coach certified by FIFA. His target is to improve the skill of youth Indonesian players, so they have standard close to international players in Europe or South America.

This is the fifth program made by the Indonesia Football Association after they designed the first youth development program in 1992/1993. They sent 25 U-19 players to Italy and took part in Primavera competition for two consecutive years. Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto was one of players trained by the program. The second program was in 1994/1995, the Association sent U-17 team to compete in Baretti competition. The third program was in 2006 when the Association sent U-23 team to Holland. Irfan Bachdim was one of Indonesia descendant discovered by coach team there and joint the training for a short time. The last program was in 2007 when the Association sent U-23 team to Argentina for a month training.

I did ask as to the education requirements of the players. The answer was that the Indon FA worked together with the Education Ministry and sent a host of teaching aids and two tutors with the squad, with the exams being conducted regularly as if they were in Indonesia.

Dare we hope that a similiar program will be undertaken by our FA? Well one can suggest but then again the manner in which sports is being administrated in the country, the most I will get out of this is it being confined to this blog. Idea's are never welcomed in this country for if someone cannot make a quick buck, then it's not a good idea.

But do not despair though for I am told that efforts are being made by an interested party to do something similiar with a London club, not as elaborate as the Indons, but it will help.

BACK TO NSTP?

Word has it that Malay Mail could well return to the NSTP stable in the near future. The afternoon tabloid was sold for RM3 million less then a year ago and it seems that a top gun is not too happy with its frankness in reporting the political situation in the country. So the order is out that NSTP should take Malay Mail back under its wings and the stage is set for "re-admission" (read buy back) of the paper within the next few weeks.

SHOULD WE WELCOME UNITED?

After two years, we will once again see Manchester United, finally, making it to Malaysian shores. I have no personal interest in the Red Devils but am somewhat surprised at the release of the story a day before the official announcement was made, and we do not have to be a smart "Alex" to figure out that it was a Fat Boy who leaked the info out.

The funny thing though is while the whole nation is asking to boycott American products, such as Coke, Starbucks and so forth because of the Gaza situation, here we have the Fat Boy elated that Man United, effectively owned by Americans, even the shirt sponsor is an American company, is being given a red carpet welcome. Two years ago AFC did not allow Man. United to come and at that time even Pak Lah could not change the situation. How things are different now.

Still I support the visit of United as it will be good for their fans, but lets try bring in another foreign team for them to play against as it will prove to be an entertaining match. No disrespect to Sathia and his team as our boys get too hooked up on playing such teams.

I am a firm believer that sports and politics should not mix, and thus Fat Boy should not speak about the forthcoming Umno Youth elections for word has it that Fat Boy is campaigning against a candidate and looking forward to his defeat.

FAM nak lawan kuasa Tuhan?

Update: Thanks to a friendly Jounalist who was at Wisma FAM. Some 70 odd Kelantan fans turned up and after saying their piece handed over a memorandum to a FAM official. The same official then held a press conference saying that even though Kelantan FA were to appeal, it will do no good. So I guess we should disband all FAM committees as well, since decisions can be made without them meeting. And he said football is alive and kkicking in Malaysia as the demo showed fans are still interested in Malaysian football, rather the correct word is disgusted...

That is what was displayed on the banner at a demo held by Kelantan fans at Kota Baru yesterday. And the fireworks are expected at Wisma FAM at Kelana Jaya at 3.00pm today (read www.kelate.net).

So what brought about the wrath of the Kelantan fans? Well it has to do with the opening day of the Malaysian Super League. Rather then it being a night of celebration for the Kelantanese, for making the Super League after years in the Premier League, it was not meant to be.

Word has it that a meeting was held after the inspection of the pitch at the Stadium and the conclusion was the pitch was not fit for the match, hence the match was deemed postponed and will be played another day. Or at least this was what Kelantan were told.

Suddenly a different outcome was reached at a meeting of FAM Competitions Committee (or as some put it as FAM Technical Committee of the Competition Committee - first time I heard of such a committee). Kelantan was deemed to have not prepared the pitch and hence a win was awarded by the Committee based on the Match Commissioner and Referee Assesors reports.

This is where it becomes a bit murky as the power to call of a match lies in the hands of the match officials, i.e the referees and not the Match Commissioner and Referee Assesor. So who called of the match at 1.00pm? Rightfully if pitch was not up to standards then match should be called of at 7.00pm.

Then there comes the question of appeal. Who do Kelantan FA appeal to? The same committee who punished them in the first place without calling for their defence. That my friends is ultra vires as you cannot appeal to the same court that meted out the punishment but to a higher court, or somebody out there do not know what they are talking about when it comes to appeals.

So who is the jester in this case? It is Tuanku President who will have to intervene once again as he did when Selangor were docked three points. But Selangor appealed to the Council, so Kelantan FA, go higher if you want justice.

HOCKEY RULE CHANGES

At meetings towards the end of 2008, the FIH Executive Board agreed proposals from the Hockey Rules Board for rules changes in 2009.

One of the changes focuses on a “self-pass” from a free hit. In essence, this enables the player taking the free hit to play the ball again after taking the free hit. This will encourage free-flowing hockey. An associated rule change will stop attacking free hits taken inside the 23 metres area from being played directly and potentially dangerously into the circle. Both changes will be introduced as mandatory experimental rules with effect from 1 May 2009 for international hockey.

The detailed text for these rules is currently being drafted and will be published as soon as possible. To ensure that application of these new rules is consistent and accurate, no more information about these rules will be published until the final rules text is available.

GOODBYE JONATHAN

As I received the SMS from Eric Samuel of The Star, my first reaction was I cannot believe this was happening.

Though a birth can be uncertain, death is unavoidable. When and how it will happen, no body can predict. The important factor is "what you have done during your life".

Johary Shawal aka Jonathan has shown the path of true friendship during his short life. Never once did I see him angry or upset with anyone and he will be missed in the sports world. My last meeting with him was during the protest outside the Bar Council a few months ago, I was having chicken rice in the restaurant opposite and Johary walked in. We had lunch together, as he tucked into his rojak, we recalled the "rojak" state of sports in the country. Though he no longer covered sports, we had a mutual interest, that one day we will hear Negaraku at the Olympics. Sadly he did not live to fullfil his dream.

My deepest condolences to members of the family and his colleagues and friends in Utusan Malaysia.

HOW GOOD IS "HAWGOOD"

This was the headline in The Malay Mail today, Wednesday January 7th 2009.

Australian Hawgood likely to replace Sarjit
By Ghaz Ramli
January 07, 2009
Categories: Hockey

Australian Neil Hawgood is likely to be Malaysian Hockey Federation's (MHF) choice as the new national coach.

So "how good" is he really? Can he chart Malaysian hockey fortunes when the likes of fellow Australian Terry Walsh failed and left in a huff? Can he avoid be Malaysia-nised as how German Paul Lissek ended up to be? Will he survive the politics of the MHF and NSC?

This is some of his background that I managed to source from the internet today and I am sure the newspapers tomorrow will have more details, if not just copy what I wrote here.

Neil Hawgood admits to being in the right place at the right time. When he joined WAIS as head of the Men’s Hockey Program about 18 months ago, his arrival coincided with resurgence in WA hockey. A new wave of talent was coming through and Hawgood’s job was to manage it well. This he has done. WA rules Australian men’s hockey, having completed a clean sweep of national under- 18, under-20 and senior titles in 2002.

But, then, Hawgood has always set high standards. He was a member of the 1986 World Cup Champion team, which remains the greatest achievement in the sport by an Australian team. His considerable international experience enables him to understand first hand what it takes to reach the very top – and, after all, producing internationals is what his job is all about.

WAIS works closely with the national and State body to ensure the 20 players in the WAIS squad have the best chance to make the grade. At the moment the national senior squad includes five WAIS scholarship holders in Captain Paul Gaudoin, Bevan George, Aaron Hopkins, Scott Webster and Goal Keeper Leon Martin.

With the Commonwealth Games and World Cup over, Hawgood is switching the focus of the program to the 2005 Junior World Cup.

“In two years we need to have the next group of emerging players ready,” he said. “The competition is for under-21s, so we’re targeting the 16 to 18 year olds. We’ve picked a group who will play the Hockeyroos in the build-up to their World Cup held in Perth this spring. That’s good for me because I can see how players react in match situations."

Neil Hawgood has two World Cups and an Olympic Games under his belt. His sport is hockey. His nationality is Australian, and Australia's men and women are once again at the top of the world tree as a result of the Champions' Trophy competitions in Sydney over the past two weeks. An Olympian at Seoul, when Australia finished fourth and Great Britain won hockey gold, his pedigree is built round eight years with men's and women's league sides down under, a tough school with high standards.