paradigm shift for sarawak football

FOOTBALL SARAWAK: A NEED FOR A PARDIGM SHIFT

1.0 Background Information

Football management has always been under the purview and responsibility of Football Association Sarawak(FAS). FAS responsibility is immense encompassing the management of the Senior Team that competes in the Malaysia Super League(MSL), developing young players through the President Cup and Belia Squads and most importantly to ensure there is a vibrant grassroot football at all levels taking place. FAS though due to possibly poor management and non-capacity to shoulder such heavy responsibilities has been mired with all manners of problems notwithstanding its deep financial debts.

This Season(2007/2008); some attempts have been made to put FAS in the right direction and footings notwithstanding the following:-

· No issue of players salary not being paid as sufficient fund raised at least to sustain the season.

· Strict, transparent and IT based financial system incorporated.

· Engagement of a foreign coach, Singaporean Jamaluddin Kunju who was expected to inculcate a new culture and disciplined approach in the set-up.

All these good intentions can only “prop up” FAS temporarily as the heavy burdens of previous years issues are too insurmountable to make FAS a vibrant, healthy and professional set-up. It may take a number of years for this to happen and the biggest losers will be definitely SARAWAK FOOTBALL. The recent issue of bookies scandal in an ironic way, FAS should be applauded for having the courage and resolve to report to ACA on the improprieties. This augers well for a new paradigm in management of Sarawak football.

2.0 Proposal for a Paradigm Shift in Management of Sarawak Football

The most obvious obstacle in efforts to revitalize Sarawak Football is the “sick state” of FAS and it will take a long period to rehabilitate FAS. Thus if the present structure is still maintained, football Sarawak will further slump into oblivion. The apex or yardstick for football success is the success of its Senior Team. Fans and aspiring young players will thus have a right “role model” to idolize or aspire for. The new paradigm shift is based on the following concepts:-

(i) The Senor Team will be managed separately from FAS i.e. run as a club based structure with its respective organization set-up.

(ii) The Stadium Sarawak and the Senior Team will be managed as one entity so that right alignment of priorities can take place. The club organization will thus have its own ground management personnel.

(iii) The new set-up will initially be under purview of the Ministry of Social Development as Ministry will design and implement a professional-driven structure thus starting afresh without the burdens of bailing out the debt-ridden FAS.

(iv) FAS will concentrate in football development utilizing grant from FAM as it focus on the right priority in the nurturing and development of young and promising football talents. FAS responsibility will encompass the President Cup and Belia Squads and grassroot football management.

(v) A big breakthrough has been the agreement by Hartlepoole United, a first division football club in England to collaborate with Sarawak in guiding the new entity to the proper management for a club based entity. Two coaches from Hartlepoole will arrive end May, 2008 to assess the football squad and reviewing the training programmes. Hartlepoole United has also agreed in principle to “assign” their players as Sarawak’s foreign imports if required and vice-versa to bring Sarawakian players to Hartlepoole for training stint or even for football trials with possibility of playing in the English League.

(vi) As part of the agreement with FAS on the independent running of the Senior Team, FAS will have its President and Secretary General sitting in the Board and mandatory obligation of senior team to have at least five(5) players in the Squad from FAS football academy(President Cup and Belia Squads).

3.0 Conclusion

Sarawakians, like most Malaysians always regard football as the No. 1 sport. After the successful hey days of the late 80s, Sarawakian fans are starved of success. The main stumbling block towards achieving this success has been the acute problems, particularly financial problem besetting FAS. To rehabilitate FAS may require pumping of millions of ringgit and thus Sarawak football will not be able to flourish as long as its Senior Team is managed by the debt-ridden association.

A paradigm shift in football management is thus required. The Senior Team must be ‘separated’ from FAS management as a clean slate of a club based structure Sarawak FC under the responsibility of Ministry will be formed. This will enable Sarawak football to start ANEW and the collaboration with Hartlepoole United will be a good starting reference point to formulate the right structure and processes for Sarawak football management including its stadium management.