KEMAMAN: State football associations were urged not to neglect the development of young players in favour of buying well-known players to fill their respective lineups next season.
Youth and Sports minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the state football associations must emulate foreign football clubs which also functioned as factories to turn out world famous players.
“Recruiting world famous players (as done by state football associations now) is not alien because they also do the same in the major leagues in England and Spain.
“But at the same time, I ask state football associations not to neglect player development programmes,” he said commenting on the scenario of state football associations actively buying players to face the league competition for the coming season.
He said this to reporters after a function in Kemasik, yesterday.
But, he said, in the current situation, there were state football associations which placed more importance on buying rather than developing players.
Following this, the country was currently dependent on the development of footballers at the central level through the Bukit Jalil Sports School.
“In this situation, we eventually circulate the same players. Today they play for this state, tomorrow for that state and the next day for this state again.
“If I am not mistaken, 15 players at the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup were products of the Bukit Jalil Sports School,” he added. — Bernama