TheBorneoPost
KUCHING: Sarawak for the first time will send in two teams to compete in the 2010 Borneo Football Cup which will kick off in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 30 to Oct 6.Flying the state colours will be Kickalob Sports Academy, a private football academy in Kuching, who will send in their under 12-year-old (20 players) and the under 14-year-old (20 players) squads.
Pitting themselves against teams from Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and hosts Sabah, it is expected to be a high level of football marking a huge benchmark for the development of young footballers.
“This is a good opportunity for the players to be exposed to high level of competition,” said Daud Aba, technical director of the academy after receiving financial aid from Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation (KPSU) presented by Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom at his office yesterday.
Regarding the end result, Daud is rather optimistic of their campaign saying that teams, especially the football academy from Australia have boasted of producing national players.
“It will not be so much of the playing skills that set us apart from the Australians due to the age group. What will set us apart is the physical built of our players compared to them,” said Daud.
He also said that their participation in the decade old tournament will compliment the state’s five years football development programme spearheaded by KPSU and the Sarawak State Sports Counci (MSNS).