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RED EAGLES PROMISED FINANCIAL FLIGHT

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KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Aug – Last year’s FA Cup champions, Kedah can breathe easy now after new Kedah FA president, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor (pic) assured the Red Eagles’ to resolve the team’s financial mess on a ”win-win” situation.
It is probably a birthday present to the Red Eagles who have not been paid their salaries for the past five months from Sanusi who celebrated his 46th birthday on Tuesday (Aug 4).
After months of uncertainty over the non-payment of salaries for five months, the team is finally seeing light at the end of the runner with the FA supremo gave the assurance that the long-overdue March salary for players and team officials will be paid by August 15.
The salary arrears from April to July will be worked out through negotiations between the players, officials, and the KFA management.
Sanusi, who is also the Kedah Menteri Besar, also revealed that the outstanding Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Inland Revenue Board (IRB) stands at RM3.8 million will have to be settled fast.
A Special Finance Committee will be formed soon to tackle the financial mess that rocked Kedah football – sending shock waves in the football fraternity as the northern state had no previous case of salary arrears.
”It will be a win-win situation for all the parties concerned and the best method will be worked out through negotiations with the KFA management,” said Sanusi in a statement released on Tuesday after the eighth KFA Executive meeting for 2018-2022 season in Alor Setar on Monday.
It was also revealed that the Kedah’s bloated squad of 48 individuals, including players and team officials, contributed towards the financial constraints.
For the remainder of the 2020 season, Kedah needs a minimum of RM25 million for the team that is currently seventh in the Super League with four points after four matches before the league was suspended on March 16 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, former international and Kedah player, Radhi Mat Din, who was recently elected as KFA vice-president, was named the team’s management chairman.
Kedah has lined up a number of friendlies matches against Selangor and Perak before the team resumes its Super League campaign with an away match against Police at the KL Football Stadium in Cheras on Aug 27.
The Red Eagles will be at home to Petaling Jaya City FC on Sept 2 before traveling to the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium for the match against Felda United (Sept 6) and it will be another home match when they play Sabah on Sept 9.

FAM PUTS KELANTAN FOOTBALL IN A REAL MESS

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KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Aug – The latest developments leave a big question mark on Kelantan football and the once powerhouse of the game in the country is not getting any mercy from the powers in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
The national football governing body handed Kelantan a three-point deduction from the league which sent the Red Warriors plunging to 10th position in the 12-team Premier League with only one point for failing to settle their third installment of salary arrears.
Kelantan missed paying their third installment that was due on July 30 and the FAM has come down hard on the Red Warriors who paid the first two installments on January 31 and February 27.
In another development, the FAM club licensing First Instance Body (FIB) also took a hard stand that Kelantan will have to settle their outstanding salary arrears of players and team officials by August 31 to compete in next year’s M-League.
If the Red warriors fail to do that, it will not get the license to compete in next year’s M-League as it continues to grapple with financial issues apart from players abandoning the team due to non-payment of salaries running into five months.
Korean import Kang Seun-jo (pic) has already left the team to join Gyeongnam FC in the Korean League.
On the local front two defenders, Wan Afiq Kasbi and Afiq Azwan have also thrown in their quit letters over the non-payment of salaries. It could be the demise of the East Coast state on the local football front.
If there is any consolation Kelantan has a game in hand when the league resumes on Aug 26.
The least Kelantan can do now is to submit a settlement plan which is agreeable by the players and officials.
The same goes for arrears with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) plus Social Security Organisation (Socso).

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR MALAYSIA IN THOMAS & UBER CUP FINALS DRAW

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KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Aug – It was mixed fortunes for Malaysia when the Badminton World Federation released the draw for the TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals on Aug 3 (Monday).
The men’s team got themselves a favorable draw in the Thomas Cup Finals.
Malaysia, winners of the Thomas Cup five times in 1949, 1952, 1955, 1967 and 1992 – was drawn in Group A together with perennial foes Indonesia for a company together European hopefuls England and Holland.
However, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage, Malaysia should battle Indonesia for a place to stay alive but at the same time should not underrate the English and the Dutch in the group stage.
Indonesia has stamped its supremacy over the Malaysians in recent times and as recent as February this year, won the Asian Team title with a 3-1 win at the final in Manila.
Indonesia also won the SEA Games men’s team gold also in Manila in December last year.
In the Uber Cup Finals draw Malaysia have a tough, tough draw in Group B with three-time champions Indonesia, and two-time runners-up South Korea standing in the way for a top-two place. The other team in the group is minnows Australia.
Malaysian women have never won the women’s team event and it is another tough road in the Finals which will be held in the Danish city of Aarhus from Oct 3-11. The finals were postponed from May due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“We have a favorable draw in the Thomas Cup…but the same cannot be said for the Uber Cup,” said Badminton of Malaysia (BAM) coaching director Wong Choong Hann.
“Still, we will not write off our chances in the Uber Cup although we have a better chance in the Thomas Cup. Anything can happen in the Uber Cup and if we play our cards right our chances are as good as others but we will have to be at our best.”
THOMAS CUP
GROUP A
Indonesia, Malaysia, Holland, England
GROUP B
China, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Australia, France
GROUP C
Denmark, India, Germany, Algeria
GROUP D
Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Canada
UBER CUP
GROUP A
Japan, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Egypt, Spain
GROUP B
South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia
GROUP C
Thailand, Denmark, Scotland, Canada
GROUP D
China, India, France, Germany

SHELL MALAYSIA MotoGP 2020 CANCELLED

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SEPANG, 31 July – Sepang International Circuit (SIC) regret to announce the cancellation of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2020.

This is due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has resulted in the decision of the cancellation.

Originally, the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2020 was scheduled to take place on 30 October to 1 November 2020.

The outbreak has led to Dorna Sports, the organizer for MotoGP to release a revised 13-rounds calendar with back-to-back races in Europe.

Malaysia is the latest addition to the cancellation of the flyaway rounds which includes America, Argentina and Thailand.

Malaysia has been the longest serving venue for the Grand Prix in South East Asia since 1991.

SIC has been a permanent fixture on the calendar for the Malaysian Grand Prix after taking over from Shah Alam Circuit and Johor Circuit in 1999.

Since then, MotoGP is the biggest two-wheels International sporting event in Malaysia pulling crowd from all over the world gathered at SIC for the 3-day event.

SIC is one of the longest and most challenging circuit of the season and no doubt it is one of the favourite among the riders and team.

The 5.543 kilometer (km) track has staged some all-time classic races and provides fans with a unique experience on and off track.

Commenting on the cancellation of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIC, Azhan Shafriman Hanif (pic) said: “We are truly disappointed on this cancellation and actually, we are looking forward to watch the actions on home ground especially from our local boys, Kasma Daniel, Khairul Idham Pawi, Hafizh Syahrin and PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team who have had a great start to the season.

“But with the ongoing Covid-19, the safety of all is the main priority, we can’t afford to risk the health of others.”

He added: “I’m sure this is a sad news for MotoGP fans in Malaysia and all over the world who have made the event what it is today. We have seen increasing number of spectators for the Malaysian Grand Prix year-on-year and we thank all fans and partners for their continuous support.

“The best thing to do right now, is to keep supporting our local boys and team who are still competing in the championship. We hope to come back bigger and better for Malaysian Grand Prix 2021.”

This is the first time Malaysian Grand Prix will not be hosted in Malaysia after more than 20 years of this prestigious event continously held in SIC.

SIC would like to thank Dorna Sports, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Finance, Shell Malaysia and all partners for the enormous supports given to SIC each year and making it possible for us to host the Malaysian Grand Prix to a greater level.

 

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL ADHA

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HUBMEDIA.MY mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha kepada semua pembaca setia kami, di mana juga kalian berada.

Salah silap harap dimaafkan.

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2020 TO BE POSTPONED UNTIL 2021

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KUALA LUMPUR, 30 July – The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) today announced that the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 will be postponed until 2021 in view of the rapidly deteriorating Coronavirus (Covid-19) situation, regionally and globally.

For AFF, the health and safety of the players, coaches, partners, fans and the public are of the highest priority, and the decision to postpone the tournament to 2021 will safeguard the well-being of everyone involved in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020.

The AFF Suzuki Cup Task Force Committee held extensive discussions before reaching this decision.

“Since the onset of COVID-19, the AFF has been closely monitoring guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Ministries, government agencies, FIFA and AFC,” said AFF President, Major General Khiev Sameth (pic above).

“As you are aware, this pandemic continues to pose enormous health, societal and economic challenges to us all. AFF’s top priority continues to be the health and safety of our football family and mitigating the impact of this pandemic. With the risk of the spread of COVID-19 remaining high, the AFF finds itself in a situation where we cannot proceed safely with the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020.”

“While these are unprecedented times for the whole world including our football family and communities, we are confident that we will get through it together with the support of all our stakeholders including our fans, Member Associations, players, coaches, official, media and partners and we would like to thank them for standing united with us in the fight against COVID-19,” Major General Sameth said.

Adrian Staiti, President APAC at SPORTFIVE, the exclusive commercial partner of the AFF Suzuki Cup, said, “SPORTFIVE supports the decision by the AFF to postpone the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 to ensure the safety and well-being of all players, partners, staff and fans. While we are disappointed that we are unable to hold the tournament this year, we will work closely with the AFF to monitor the situation and look forward to working with our partners to deliver a great tournament for the fans of ASEAN next year.”

The AFF Suzuki Cup is the largest and most prestigious football tournament in South East Asia and was set to see the national ‘A’ teams of the region competing for the Championship title, played on a home and away format.

Drawing a fan attendance of more than 750,000 for the 2018 edition, the risks and challenges in organising a mass event of this scale would be considerable in the current climate.

The AFF will continue to work closely with the various member associations and partners to monitor the situation and will provide further updates on the 2021 tournament dates and other details as soon as available.

About the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF)

The ASEAN Football Federation comprises 12 Member Associations. The main objectives of the ASEAN Football Federation are to develop football in ASEAN through its activities, courses and competitions, to continue to nurture the AFF Suzuki Cup as the premier Football Tournament in Asia and to foster closer relationships between Member Associations in ASEAN and the Regional Federations across Asia. http://www.aseanfootball.org

About SPORTFIVE

SPORTFIVE utilises the unique emotional power of sports to create and enable pioneering partnerships in sports. By delivering responsible commercialisation, full-service-solutions and long-term value for all stakeholders in sports, SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rightsholders, media platforms and fans by leveraging a global network paired with decades of experience and innovative spirit. As a market leader and with customer centricity and vast data intelligence at its core, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through its innovative digital solutions and thereby always aims to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports. SPORTFIVE operates as an international sports business agency with a global mindset and a network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in Football, Golf, Esports, Motorsport, Handball, Tennis, American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Multi Sport Events and many more. For more information, please visit our website or follow our LinkedIn channel.

 

THE MALAYSIAN ROAD TO F1

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PETALING JAYA, 30 July –  The dream of Formula 1, explored by a generation of Malaysian racers since the 1990s, remains elusive, despite the facilities and support available on our own doorstep.
Not such a far-fetched dream when we already have a world-class circuit with proven F1 management, a motivated Federation, passionate players, a supportive government, complimented by a highly-experienced race team which has a track record of consistently launching racing drivers on their way to the top.

We have all the ingredients for success right here in Malaysia, yet we are not maximising our motorsport industry like the UK which employs over 300,000, and exports billions of dollars of UK-manufactured race cars and motorsport services annually.

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) Chief Executive Officer, Azhan Shafriman Hanif stated on July 21 that Malaysia would require 15 to 20 years to develop a driver for Formula 1.

Malaysia’s Meritus.GP, a team deeply rooted in driver development for almost 40 years, is fully focused on creating international motorsport heroes.

A winner in all the FIA F1 feeder series, the company was awarded the FIA licence to run the F4 South East Asia Championship in 2016.

The FIA-recommended ladder to F1, which allows drivers to collect F1 Super License points on each step, is already established in Malaysia but requires a cohesive effort to achieve the Formula 1 dream.

Key stakeholders for the development of motorsport talent in Malaysia are of course the Sepang International Circuit, the Ministry of Youth and Sport (KBS), MAM (Malaysia ASN), and the Meritus.GP team.

In order to produce a sustainable motorsport industry, government bodies and corporate Malaysia need to invest in the youth and in the support structures that will allow sporting interests to develop and flourish.

Meritus.GP urges the SIC and other stakeholders to form a united, cohesive front towards achieving the dream of having a Malaysian driver on the F1 starting grid in the not too distant future.

The missing link is a national formula car training Academy to develop talent, like those in France and Japan who share resources and swap drivers, fast forwarding skills and creating diversity.

The ultimate goal for our national Academy graduates would be to enter the annual Ferrari Motorsport Australia Academy where the winner receives a 50% funded F4 budget to kick-start his career.

Meritus.GP’s heritage dates from Formula Opel Lotus, F3 and F3000 in Europe in the ‘80s, to winning 36 FIA titles in Formula BMW, Formula Renault, FV6, Formula Masters and Lamborghini Trofeo in the Asia Pacific region, and taking the 2010 GP2 Asia Vice Championship.

Ten of the team’s graduates moved up the ranks to race or test in Formula 1, including Ricardo Rosset, Vincenzo Sospiri, Takuma Sato, Narain Karthikeyan, Ho Pin Tung, Alexander Rossi, Luca Filippi, Rio Haryanto, and Malaysians Alex Yoong and Jazeman Jaafar.

Takuma Sato and Alexander Rossi went on to win the 100th and 103rd Indy 500 event – the ‘greatest race on earth,’ while Earl Bamber and Ho Pin Tung won the world’s premier endurance event, the 24H Le Mans in LMP1 and LMP2.

Other young graduates have won in F3 Japan, Indylight, Indycar, Formula Renault, Porsche and the Lamborghini World Championship.

The team was instrumental in placing their 2018 and 2019 winners with the Sauber and Renault F1 Junior Driver development programmes.

The youngest ever Formula BMW champion aged 14 in 2007, Malaysia’s super-talented Jazeman Jaafar moved on to British F3 where he finished second in the 2012 championship.

In 2013 saw him win the World Series by Renault race in Monaco and complete a test drive with the MercedesAMG-Petronas Formula 1 team.

Despite a seat being offered to him by a Mercedes-powered F1 team, the Malaysian’s dream did not come true.

This goes to show that Malaysia is not lacking the facilities, engineering and the skilled drivers capable of reaching Formula1, however, talent and track record must be matched by financial backing.

Meritus.GP maintains that racers need to adhere to the 90:10 rule for success: 90% of effort is required off-track to promote the sporting image and generate a fair return on sponsors’ investments, and 10 percent is the hard work and dedication on the race track.

The team – who employ European motorsport professionals in on-going Malaysian training programmes – frequently have to remind their young drivers to acknowledge and thank their sponsors at every opportunity!

FIA President, Jean Todt acknowledged the significance of the FIA Formula 4 Southeast Asia Championship and the success of the Meritus brand over the past 20 years in his address during the Meritus Awards Gala satellite broadcast:

“Formula 4 is one of the new success stories in motorsport, with competitions organised all over the world, which are recognised as the perfect stepping stone for drivers moving from karting into cars. Every year, we see growth and interest in this category, especially in regions where motorsport is rapidly developing, such as Southeast Asia.

“The organiser here, Meritus, has over the past 20 years helped many Asian drivers to race in international championships. And I am sure this will continue to be the case with the graduates of Formula 4.”

This endorsement by the FIA of the Malaysia-based F4 SEA Championship shows the importance for young drivers of following the FIA-recommended step-by-step progression, allowing them to collect precious Super Licence points at each stage via F4, F3 and F2 to F1.

The future of F1 motorsport is bright for Malaysians; we just need to work together.

THE BYZANTINE OF SPORTS POLITICS AND STEVE DARBY

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KUALA LUMPUR, 30 July – Englishman, Steve Darby had a pleasant stay in Johor when he set foot in Malaysia in 1998 and had a headstart when he led the Scorpions to the FA Cup title the same year and the League title the following season.
Things were made very much easier for Darby as he had a wonderful team manager in Ahamad Mohamad who was the Kulim Malaysia Berhad managing director. Ahamad knew the roles each had to play to ensure success for Johor.
Ahamad told Darby: ”You are the CEO on the pitch and I will be the CEO off the pitch.”
The chemistry worked very well, especially with Darby’s honesty on and off the pitch – something which could land the Englishman in trouble.
“He (Ahamad) knew my like of honesty but he taught me to be like a ‘bamboo’, in that I had to learn how to bend but not snap.
However, the bamboo “snapped” – not in Johor but in Perak in 2008 and it was due to none other than late salaries for the players and the coaching staff.
He joined Perak in 2005 after stints in Vietnam as the national women’s head coach and with Home United (Singapore League).
”I made an appointment to see the new MB (Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin after a change in the state government). I was told I wouldn’t get an appointment…but I did. The players and other staff had not been paid their salaries.
”He basically told me footballers should be playing for the honor of representing the state (Perak). I was quick to reply ‘so you (Nizar) will also be MB for the honor’?
“I knew (my) contract renewal had gone out of the window. At the same time, I told him to pay the players their contractual dues and replace them with players who would play for honor,” said Darby, adding that the fans are also voters.
There were more to come for Darby and his team after the change in the FA’s office-bearers due to the change in the state government and the most bitter blow was that Perak had an AFC quarter-final fixture in Lebanon.
”I had a separate AFC grant account to pay for the travel but it was running low. I rang the AFC and asked for help. All I got was ‘you will be fined if you don’t complete the fixtures. I thought how do you fine someone with no money.”
With his back against the wall, Darby worked out the cheapest way to Beirut and reduced the squad to 14 players plus three subs and took only three staff. By then, Perak also lost two foreign players who left as they were not getting paid.
However, there was another shock when Darby and the team reached KLIA. There were seven of the new committee members who traveled on business class.
”The good thing is that we never saw them as they went shopping in Beirut and the next day to Damascus. They only turned up for the official training and sat in the coaches’ box by the pitch.
“By the time I left Perak, the players and I had not been paid. I was eventually paid after 18 months of going through FIFA. I think the players are still owed. How could lads who couldn’t speak English and had no access to laptops and faxes possibly claim their contractual dues?,” he added.

COVID-19 KNOCKS OUT 4 BWF WORLD TOUR TOURNAMENTS

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KUALA LUMPUR, 30 July – The deadly Coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to wreak havoc which saw Badminton World Federation (BWF) forced to cancel four of its World Tour events scheduled to be held in September.
The four includes the prestigious Super 1000 Victor China Open which offers USD1,100,000 in prize money. The China Open was scheduled for Sept 15-20 in Changzhou.
The three other tournaments canceled are the Super 300 Yonex Taipei Open in Taipei (Sept 1-6)  with prize money of USD500,000; the Super 500 Korea Open in Gwangju (Sept 8-13); AND the Super 750 Daihatsu Yonex Japan Open in Yokohama from Sept 22-27 which offered USD750,000 in prize money.
BWF secretary-general, Thomas Lund in a statement said: “These decisions to cancel tournaments are made in the best interests of the health of the players, spectators, volunteers, and Member Associations.
“We are deeply disappointed to have to cancel the tournaments but feel that the well-being of everyone involved is most important at this time. We share the disappointment of many around the world who were looking forward to the return of badminton and appreciate all the continued support from our fans and partners as were continue to navigate the remainder of the 2020 season.”
The Total BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2020 have been rescheduled to Oct 3-11. The venue is Aarhus, Denmark. The Finals were postponed from May.

KEDAH SHAKEN UP WITH NEARLY RM11 MILLION DEBTS

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KUALA LUMPUR, 28 July – Kedah football is in a total financial mess and things do not look good for the reigning FA Cup champions when Kedah FA President, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor revealed that the association’s debts stood at a massive RM10.6 million.
In the same breath, Sanusi, who is also the Menteri Besar, drove a strong message – that is more political – that state funds will not be used to settle the dues for the players and coaches who have not been paid their salaries for five months this year.
The players have taken to the social media to vent their frustrations and one foreign player went to the extent of asking his agent to report the matter to FIFA, the world football governing body. This is nothing new to FIFA which has practically been dealing with such cases in Malaysia every other year.
It is a shame that when we talk so much about professionalism in the game and take the sport to a higher level on the international front Malaysian football is hogging the limelight for wrong reasons.
Sanusi, who is the new KFA president after the change of leadership in the state government, has made it clear that he will not use state funds to pay the late salaries. At the same time, he has frozen RM1.5 million that was allocated by former Menteri Besar and KFA president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
It is a shame that Kedah – a powerhouse in Malaysian football – has fallen from grace. It is a disgrace that when politics rules in sports there is no respect and dignity given to the players who have brought glory to the state in winning titles in the M-League.
These players and coaches should be accorded what is due to them. They have made sacrifices and football is their livelihood. They too, like any other human being, have families and their welfare cannot be ignored due to the shortcomings of the management.
If there are any signs of mismanagement a report should be lodged with the proper authorities so that the culprits can be brought to justice and banned from holding any position in the association.
Learn from past mistakes and things are being screwed up once too often. Kedah and others need to get through such deep-seated problems. What Kedah is undergoing now is not inspiring and those with power should pull the curtain back on another hard truth.
Malaysian football needs to wake up from its slumber and take stock of the situation. Kedah is not alone in not having paid salaries and they have found a ready-made excuse in the Covid-19 pandemic for the financial mess. Melaka and Kelantan are the other teams.
Another point to be noted is that those who have positions in their state FAs should not be allowed to hold a post in the FA of Malaysia if their state FA runs foul with such matters as overdue salaries.
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