Five-Year Plan To Produce Calibre Players

BY JEREMY VENO, Easterntimes

KUCHING: The five-year football development plan run by the Sarawak State Sports Council is seen to be the “saviour” to get Sarawak football to produce top quality players in five years.

Right from the start of the project which is first mooted by an individual ( a former FAS official) the project had seen glitches and delays.

The Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) which is under the Ministry and tasked with implementing the project is the operating arm and the agency to implement the five-year development programme.

According to an observer of Sarawak football of several decades, the project has many loopholes and non-cost effective which will drain dry the annual RM 1.5 million allocation in a jiffy.

“It is a known fact that the Education Department have their own football programmes, which is based on formality rather than for development. 

How can they possibly streamline the programmes with the Education Department’s?” he asked in response to a statement made in a local daily that the five-year programme will work closely with the State Education Department.

For a proper development, he said that each school is supposed to play in 20 to 25 matches a year to be rendered development effective compared to the one or two days of football competitions such as the interschool event.

“I am all out for such carnivals, but bear in mind, they are only playing in one or two days, playing from 3 to 4 matches a day! That is not development, it’s rediculous” he explained.

“It is also a better move if they should hire scouts during such events who will in turn recommend their names to SMK Tabuan Jaya for enrollment. The move is more cost effective rather than overseeing 30 schools throughout the State,” he added.

He said the allocation should be directly channeled to Tabuan Jaya which will then finance the best coaches to prepare players for the President’s Cup squad and ensure the continuity of quality local players.

After receiving the allocation MSNS is presently re-enacting the Under-16 School Development League mooted by a former FAS official who pioneered the five-year development plan.

In that programme which spans for almost a year, the league saw selected schools playing in competitve matches during the weekends keeping their weekdays free for training. 

This according to the observer, is to ensure that an ongoing training schedule for the players are maintained while keeping them on the right track for development.

The reason is that only selected schools were involved in the development programme is justified as the implication of overseeing all schools throughout the state is possible but not without biting a huge hole in their wallets.

“This is not cost effective! Flights, accommodation, allowance and miscellaneous spendings are already a big part of the allocation,” he said reminding that the allocation is not only for the development programmes but also for the current President’s Cup squad.