Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)
General-Secretary Dato’ Hamidin Mohd Amin paid glowing tribute to Frenz United
Football Club for organising this second edition of the FAM-Frenz Asia
Champions Trophy (ACT) U-16 2014 which has been a perfect springboard for
Harimau Muda 'D' who emerged champions on Sunday.
“You have to give full credit to Frenz United
Football Club for their vision and mission. They certainly deserve all the
accolades. Participation in the FAM-Frenz Asia Champions Trophy has been a fantastic
platform for all the teams from 12 nations, especially Harimau Muda ‘D’ and
Frenz United Malaysia,” said Dato’ Hamidin.
He added that this is just the beginning of
better things to come and hopes ACT 2015 will be further expanded to include
more teams from the Asian region.
“Honestly, without the ACT 2014, I don’t
think Harimau Muda ‘D’ would have played enough good quality matches in
preparation for this week’s Asian Football Confederation Under-16
Championships. The team has gained so much exposure and confidence and must continue
to build on this momentum heading to Bangkok for the AFC Under-16 tournament,”
he added.
Harimau Muda ‘D’ squad which was assembled in
January 2013 after a nationwide selection a year earlier and most of the other
competing nations and clubs had benefitted tremendously from the ACT 2014 which
augurs well in the development of youth football in the region.
Dato’ Hamidin also heralded the determination
of Harimau Muda ‘D’ in staging a late fight back against PVF Vietnam to lift
the FAM-Frenz Asia Champions Trophy U-16 2014 at Frenz Stadium in Janda Baik,
Pahang on Sunday night.
“I am extremely excited and happy for the
team. They showed great character, fighting spirit, mental strength and true
grit to overcome a very determined Vietnamese side that was bent on playing
their best game in the final,” said Dato’ Hamidin who was among top FAM and
Frenz United FC officials to witness the final in front of an estimated 3,000
fans.
Harimau Muda ‘D’ defeated PVF Vietnam 2-1 in
the first-leg final in Ho Chi Minh City last week but the Malaysians won 5-4 on
aggregate over the Vietnamese following a 3-3 draw in the second leg of the
final in Janda Baik. Harimau Muda ‘D’ received US$50,000 (RM165,000) for their effort
and PVF Vietnam took home US$25,000 (RM82,500).
Frenz United Malaysia finished third
following a 3-1 win over defending champions Chonburi FC in the third-fourth
playoff match. The Black Dragons pocketed US$15,000 (RM49,500) and Chonburi FC
US$7,500 (RM24,750).
Dato’ Hamidin added that winning the ACT 2014
will provide the ideal morale booster platform for coach S. Balachandran’s Harimau
Muda ‘D’ squad who will travel to Bangkok on Thursday for the AFC Under-16
Championship Final round.
The Malaysians are drawn in Group A of the
tournament held from September 6-20 with the company of Thailand, Korea and
Oman. They open their campaign against the hosts on Saturday. The top four
teams will qualify for the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile.
The ACT 2014 has also unveiled a number of
players who are of senior national team material in the future. Chonburi FC’s
Sittichok Paso scored a total of 16 goals to win the Top Scorer award for the
second consecutive year and will certainly lead the Thai firepower up front in
the AFC Under-16 championships while more will be heard of PVF Vietnam’s Nguyen
Vu Tin in the coming years.
On the home front, the ACT 2014 has developed
the skills and confidence level of Harimau Muda ‘D’ strikers Kogisleswaran Raj
(15 goals) and Najmuddin Samat, midfielder and skipper Shahrul Akmal Adnan who
won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, defender Dinesh Rajasingam and Amirul
Ashraf to name a few while Frenz United Malaysia players have also benefited tremendously
from this experience.
Meanwhile, an ecstatic Harimau Muda ‘D’ coach
Balachandran said his players are on Cloud Nine after Sunday’s
come-from-behind-victory and is confident they are ready for the tough battle ahead
in the AFC Under-16 Championships.
“It was clearly a fantastic performance from
my players. The team could have scored early in the first half but we improved
as the match progressed,” said Balachandran. “They will take a two-day rest
before heading for Bangkok for the AFC Under-16 Championships on Thursday.”
“Our recipe for success is in the players’
determination to win. They are a much disciplined side and we must continue
this form in the AFC Under-16 championships. All the teams are very strong and
we are also of equal strength. We have to play to our strength to stay in the
front,” added the head coach.
Balachandran has set a semi-finals target for
Harimau Muda ‘D’ in the AFC U-16 championships which would qualify the team for
the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile. Should the team meet his
expectations, it will be the first time that a Malaysian youth team would have
qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup based on merit.
Malaysia gained automatic qualification as
host of the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship held in six venues around the
country.
#ACT2014 #HarimauMuda #FrenzUnited
Venu Ramadass, Chief Operating Officer of Asia Sports Ventures
(ASV), sees it as a welcome step in ASV and ISTAF’s continued efforts to
further enhance and develop the sport of sepaktakraw internationally.