Aug 28, 2010

Malaysian Legend Returns to GOD

Football legend Isa Bakar passed away at the Penang Hospital at about 10.15am Saturday. He was 58.

His cousin Roslan Meah Mohd Meah said Isa was admitted to the hospital on Friday after coughing blood.

“He was okay and was talking to his brother Osman after being admitted. But he died suddenly this morning,” he said.

Isa leaves behind widow Mazlina Ismail, three daughters and a son.

His remains are expected to be taken to his house in Sungai Ara for prayers.

He is expected to be buried at the Perak Road cemetery in the evening.


Isa and his late elder brother Ali represented the country while their brother Omar represented Penang.

Isa, who was a striker, partnered the legendary Mokhtar Dahari when they played for the country together.

Together with goalkeeper R. Arumugam, defenders Santokh Singh and Soh Chin Aun, and midfielders Reduan Abdullah and Shukor Salleh, the team was a powerful force in the 1970s.
Isa rose to fame while playing for Malayawata in his teenage years.

He later joined the Penang Port Commission and subsequently Northern Telecoms

Aug 25, 2010

FRESH START FOR FAM

Newly-elected FA of Malaysia (FAM) deputy presidents Tengku Abdullah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah has been appointed as the Chairman of Youth and Technical Committee while Tan Sri Annuar Musa has been appointed as the Malaysian Super League (MSL) chairman.

Annuar, the president of Kelantan FA (Kafa), replaces Khairy Jamaluddin, who did not seek re-election at the FA of Malaysia (FAM) congress last month.

Besides heading the marketing arm (MSL) of the FAM, Annuar will also assume the post of chairman of women’s football.

The various appointments of the sub-committees were announced by FAM president Sultan Ahmad Shah at the first seating of the exco at the Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya yesterday.

Sultan Ahmad will be in charge of the national team committee and also chairs the finance and management committees.

Chairmen of sub-committees (2010-2014):

Finance and management: Sultan Ahmad Shah.
National team: Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Technical and youth: Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
International competitions: Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Malaysian Super League (MSL): Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
Women’s football: Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
Local competitions: Datuk Mohd Hamidin Amin.
Rules and regulations: Datuk Afandi Hamzah.
Referees: Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz.
Beach football and futsal: Datuk Seri Abdullah Hishan.
Disciplinary: Datuk Taufik Tan Sri Razak.
Medical: Dr Hamdan Mohd Khalib.
Players status: Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan.
Media and public relations: Datuk Subahan Kamal.
Gates and tickets: S. Sivasundaram.
Internal audit: Datuk Sri Mohd Sulaiman.
Security: Datuk Hussin Ismail.
Vetting: Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat.
Appeals: Ganarajah Ayathurai.

Aug 17, 2010

ZIFA: Malaysia match was 'fixed'

ZIMBABWEAN football was thrown into turmoil last night after the Zimbabwe Football Association admitted the national team “played a fixed match under the auspices of a Malaysian betting syndicate” in December last year.
Zimbabwe, playing a second string team, lost to Malaysia 3-0 on December 28, 2009.

Suspended ZIFA CEO Henrietta Rushwaya has been summoned to a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday morning after a probe committee led by ZIFA deputy president Ndumiso Gumede accused her of corruption, financial mismanagement and match fixing in a damning report.

In its findings, Gumede’s committee said Rushwaya “facilitated (and) or allowed the Zimbabwe national soccer team to travel to Malaysia on a trip that had not been approved by either the ZIFA board or the Sport and Recreation Commission.”

Rushwaya will be asked to respond to charges that she “arranged a trip by the national team to Malaysia where the team played a fixed match under the auspices of a Malaysian betting syndicate.”

The charge sheet adds: “The team was paid to lose the match, to the previous prejudice to the reputation of Zimbabwe as a soccer playing nation and to the FIFA ranking of the national team.”

Rushwaya is also accused of facilitating another trip by Premier League club Monomotapa to Malaysia in July 2009 where they passed themselves off as the national team. They played two friendlies losing 4-0 and 1-0. Gumede’s probe team believes the match was also organised by a Malaysian betting syndicate.

After New Zimbabwe.com blew the lead on the deception, the Malaysian FA accused ZIFA of "disgraceful conduct". Malaysian FA general secretary Datuk Azzudin showed reporters a letter from Rushwaya which said Monomotapa -- who played in the national colours -- were the national soccer team.

Further, Rushwaya is accused of applying for a loan of US$103,000 from the Sport and Recreation Commission on ZIFA's behalf “without the authority of the board”.

“... to date, you have not accounted for the same money, neither have you repaid it. The SRC has demanded this money from ZIFA,” ZIFA says in a letter to Rushwaya, detailing the charges against her.

ZIFA also accused Rushwaya of prejudicing it of large amounts of money after signing a contract with a Swiss-based sports marketing agency, Kentaro, giving it rights to all the proceeds from Zimbabwe’s match against Brazil on June 2 this year.

Zimbabwe lost the match played at the National Sports Stadium 3-0, and Kentaro – who manage Brazil’s international television rights – have now demanded US$650,000 from ZIFA. The association says the money is NOT in its coffers.

The ZIFA charge sheet says: "On or about May 26, 2010, you on behalf of ZIFA, signed a contract with Kentaro A.G in terms of which ZIFA literally gave everything away including rights as defined by Article 45 of the ZIFA constitution and got nothing out of a soccer match that was eventually played between the Zimbabwe national team and the Brazilian national team at the National Sports Stadium.

"As a result of your action in binding the national association to this one-sided agreement, Kentaro A.G is demanding from ZIFA, payment equivalent to all the gate takings realised from the said match, money which the national association did not receive in the first place.”

Rushwaya has denied wrongdoing even as Malawian sports consultant Felix Sapao claimed that she had attempted to engineer a meeting between him and Wilson Raj Perumal, who works for a Singapore sports agency, to help fix matches involving Malawi. Perumal has previously served a jail term for match fixing.

Aug 6, 2010

SUZUKI RENEWS ITS TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF AFF SUZUKI CUP

ASEAN football received a further boost today as Japanese car giant Suzuki Motor Corporation renewed its title sponsorship of the AFF Suzuki Cup for 2010.

The AFF Suzuki Cup is Southeast Asia’s biggest football event and ratings leader. This year’s competition, featuring the region’s top eight teams, will be co-hosted by Indonesia and Vietnam from December 1st to 29th. Suzuki has been a title-sponsor of the AFF Cup since 2008.

“It is an honor for us, Suzuki Motor Corporation, to support the AFF Cup, an event which we have proudly title-sponsored since 2008. The AFF Suzuki Cup is the biggest, most exciting event in ASEAN, uniting its people through a common passion - football. We believe that through our sponsorship of this event, fans will have the opportunity to feel and experience a unique connection with Suzuki automobiles, motorcycles and outboards; products which are very much part of households in the region,” said, Mr. Toshihiro Suzuki, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, and Chief Director of Overseas Sales.

“ASEAN is a key market for our stylish and reliable cars and motorcycles, and we believe that our sponsorship of the AFF Suzuki Cup will continue to reinforce our brand values and provide an important platform to generate tremendous visibility and exposure for our brand and its products across this region. We also wish to thank the AFF for continuing to grow this event from strength to strength,” added Suzuki.

“We are delighted that the ASEAN Football Federation will be continuing to work together with Suzuki as our title sponsor for the AFF Cup 2010. We welcome Suzuki’s continued commitment to ASEAN’s best national team football competition and with their support we can continue to develop the beautiful game in the region,” said HE Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithaudeen, President of the ASEAN Football Federation

“The popularity and strength of the AFF Suzuki Cup has continued to grow since its conception and we will be making sure that this edition of the tournament will be the best yet,” he added.

The agreement was sealed by the Singapore-based World Sport Group, the exclusive marketing partners of the ASEAN Football Federation and organizers of the AFF Suzuki Cup.

“Suzuki’s partnership will be a key driving force behind the continued growth and success of this competition. We are also confident that in turn, this event will deliver the brand’s broader marketing and sponsorship goals in the region,” said Ian Mathie, Senior Vice-President, Football – South Asia, ASEAN and Australia.

The top two teams from a qualifying round to be held from October 22nd to 30th this year in Vientiane, Laos will join the top six seeded ASEAN nations – Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - to make up the final field of eight nations.

The official draw will be held in Hanoi on September 15th. The semi-final and final matches will be played on a home and away format. All games will be broadcast on ESPN Star Sports and on terrestrial stations across the region.