KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 – Former national coach B. Satianathan has embarked on a new journey which he terms as “challenging” but ready to deliver what Sarawak expects of him – to make the East Malaysian state a footballing powerhouse in Malaysian football.
Satianathan is the Technical Director of Sarawak United FC which will ply its football trade in the second-tier Premier League in the Malaysian Football League after finishing 10th in last season’s pandemic-curtailed season and was decided over one round instead of the normal home and away matches.
The straight-talking Satianathan’s journey to Sarawak began with a 14-day quarantine after arriving in Kuching with his family- wife Krishna Priya and son Dorshen Prisat Nair, 7, on Tuesday (Feb 2).
His family includes his dog Leya, a German Shepherd, also serving quarantine at the Veterinary Department.
Last year was one of ups and downs as the head coach of Super League outfit Selangor. From day one Satianathan fought a losing battle, both on and off the field before he was unceremoniously given the boot by the Red Giants management.
The sack came on Sept 21- two days after Selangor was beaten 6-1 by seven-time Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on September 19, 2020. (Two weeks before the Selangor match, the Southern Tigers had whipped Perak 7-0 at the same venue also in a league match).
The big defeat was just an excuse to remove Satianathan and the “hidden hands” won the battle. It was a known fact that the management was ungracious to Satianathan.
During his short stay with the Red Giants, Satianathan was often the target of racial abuse in the stands and also the social media. Satianathan even made a ‘journey’ to a police station to file a report when his family became a target of hate with race and religion becoming an issue. One of the instigators was a player.
Even before last year’s season got underway Satianathan ran into a stonewall when his request for another player to beef up the squad was shot down with a blunt ”Selangor has no funds” as an excuse – something hard to swallow.
For the record, Selangor has gone on a spending spree this season – hiring a German coach who has brought in his own team of assistants plus new foreign players to beef up the squad.
The Sarawak journey is a new beginning and Satianathan has vowed to fulfill the trust placed in him as the Technical Director. It is a known fact that Satianathan prefers to be in the thick of things on the field coaching but has taken it upon himself to deliver. in his new post.
”The Sarawak Government has been very helpful and providing all the help to ensure that the game is taken to new heights at all levels. The government is also building new infrastructure in the state,” said Satianathan from Kuching.
”It is not just producing new coaches or upgrading those who are already coaching at various levels in all corners of the state. As for players, there is plenty of football talent in Sarawak in the interiors.
”They will come under scrutiny so that Sarawak football will be in the forefront of national competitions. We tap such talent at the grassroots. I am confident that in time to come Sarawak will have a fair share of national players.”
Satianathan brings with him a wealth of experience, having coached the National Under-23 and National teams. His football journeys saw the widely traveled Satianathan, 62, taking Kelantan to win the prestigious Malaysia Cup in 2010 -a first for the East Coast giants. His other stints took him to the Armed Forces, Felda United, Negri Sembilan, MPPJ FC with a fair share of success.
Sarawak United FC will be coached by E. Elavarasan who was also the coach last season.
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