Squad players and their families with Ting (standing, ninth right) upon arrival at Miri Airport yesterday.
MIRI: The Miri FA squad will take a brief rest following the road crash they endured in Sabah on Sunday.
All the squad officials and players involved are safe.
Miri Football Association deputy president Nazri Datuk Ahmad Lai reported that the accident did not affect their spirit to fight on.
“All the players are only slightly injured and they are given a rest period for two to three days before starting their training as usual,” he said. The team won their final group match 3-1 against Keningau on Saturday to qualify for the last eight of the Liga Bolasepak Rakyat (LBR) national stage.
The LBR is a nation-wide league for amateur football teams.
Nazri added that the main focus now is to prepare for the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Rantau Panjang (Kelantan) on March 24.
The squad arrived at Miri Airport yesterday and was greeted by Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, Miri district officer Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, Miri FA president Mohd Saif Jubaidi and family members.
A simple prayer was also held at the arrival hall as a sign of gratitude for their safe return.
In a brief speech, Ting thanked Sabah police, Papar Hospital and members of the public who assisted the accident victims.
“I was shocked to hear the news of the accident on Sunday and kept in touch with the management of Miri FA and was informed that they were all safe,” he said.
The bus carrying 20 Miri FA players and eight officials skidded at Kilometre 34, Jalan Keningau-Papar around 9am on Sunday but all passengers including the driver were reported as safe.
It was learned that the bus driver lost control while going downhill and had to avoid another vehicle in front of it.