THE FOOTBALL STRUGGLE
Football has always been my passion, I still remember the days when sarawak was playing at the jubilee ground. I watched with awe the mesmeric skills of aini kem, morshidi awet just to name a few. My student days in UK deepens my obsession with the beautiful game with saturdays spent watching aston villa strutting their stuff. Thus when approached by fas to join the management committee this season to help out Sarawak's football somehow my heart made the decision and not my usual cool head dictating the appropriate move. All my well meaning friends advised me against such a move. True to human nature when your true love comes acoming, my foray into FAS and sarawak football has indeed been an emotional roller coaster. I remembered my first introduction on the depths of trouble FAS was in, mired with huge debts, owing salaries to players last season , no infrastructure at all on development of football at youth and grassroots level. As someone remarks, only fools will wander in such a web of despair that engulfs sarawakian football. The irony of football management is that success is only measured on a team's performance on the field. Fans either paying or non paying(can bet you aplenty of them) expect a sarawak football team that can play with the sublime skills of the Argies,the physical prowess of the Brits and the precise discipline of the Germans. Enough said! How can you ever conjure such a blend of football players if the "ingredients" were limited to the unavailability of funds and a total lack of youth development programme. Admittedly the season started with optimism(despite the obvious) with a motley crew of local players that were not even selected from the best available in Sarawak. Who wants to play for an employer that cannot pay your salary dues? A move though was also made to acquire some foreign imports hoping as a management member said,to be the nucleus for the team.The first game against PDRM started with full fanfare literally with my former school St. Joseph schoolband playing splendidly a full repetoire of musical formations. Alas a dream start was never to be, with PDRM trouncing us 4-1. I made a promise to be there for the first 4 games irrespective of my busy schedule. The next game was an eye-opener to a novice like me. We were totally whitewashed by Trengganu, a true lesson in football. Trenggganu was vastly superior,the 4-0 scoreline was actually flattering to Sarawak,it could easily be a 10-0 drubbing. That was the first realisation of the enormity of the task at hand,all the bravados and hype during the pre-season was just a denial syndrome for reality was that Sarawak football was at its lowest ebb even before last season. I had sleepless nights thinking of what was the best move for Sarawak. I started to ask questions, I started to have a good hard look at my beloved Sarawak football(read..FAS) ,I started to question some trusted wisdom of ways we do things but most of all I started to have doubts of my own ability to contribute effectively to FAS. Next opponents acoming are the regal team of Malaysian football,Selangor. I have never encountered such "charitable" opponents.Selangor played badly yet we lose 2-0. The next away trip was to Brunei Darusallam. As promised I was there with the team. A different kind of opponents, it was a one man show by a particular Brunei import player from the Maldives island(say it again?). A lesson on how much influence can an import player has on a team performance was there for me to see, a bitter lesson indeed. The bus ride from Brunei to Miri was one long dreary and depressed journey. I realised football cannot be managed based on sentiments and mere words. I realised football cannot be managed in its present "voluntary, now you see me,now you don't" kind of management that is symptomatic of present set up. Football has to be viewed with the same clinical brutality and goals orientated approach as in business. For football in Sarawak to thrive,FAS for a start must be managed in the most professional manner, behaving as a centre of excellence for all others to flourish notwithstanding the senior team. It was on that long, dreary journey that I decided to play a more prominent role in the affairs of Sarawak football. It was then that I decided for all and sundry I will sink and swim with the team , I cannot abandon the ship so to speak when others are already talking of throwing the towel after such a dismal start to the season. For better or for worse I took the plunge of revamping the team and to an extent FAS. My deal with the higher echelons of FAS is that I will do it for this season and hope that by season end,the revival will be on an upswing trend. I take full responsibility for the success and failure for this season,the bucks stop with me.I realise mistakes and oversights will happen on this roller coaster journey but I will not shirk away from my accountability . That was when I also decided to think of one particular man who I believe can revive our fortunes.That man is now a household name in Sarawak,that man is now a very good friend of mine who shares the same passion for football. That man is none other than Jamaluddin Kunju. Let the roller coaster of the expected ups and downs begin but one thing for sure will happen: we will never compromise playing, winning or losing matches with the true spirit of the game.A game that must be played with discipline, honesty and above all sportsmanship. Good luck to you my beloved Sarawak.(to be continued)
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