Abang Zulkarnain (seated, centre) with the participants of the 2023 FAM License Football Coaching Course on Wednesday night.
MIRI (Feb 3): The Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) will focus on three main aspects – Governance, Development and Competition – in its bid to revive the flagging fortunes of Sarawak football.
According to its president Abang Zulkarnain Abang Abdul Rahman, the process may prove complex and time consuming.
“However, efforts must be made to revive Sarawak football from the fundamental stage and it is not easy,” he said while inaugurating the 2023 FAM License Football Coaching Course on Wednesday night.
The three pillars are seen as the key factors for a sustained revival of the FAS.
Abang Zulkarnain said this would require active and integrated involvement from FAS members, especially the Divisional Football Associations (FAs) affiliated to the state governing body.
For governance, he said that it would be administered through leadership that fully grasps FAS’s planning and principles.
Divisional FAs must also be equipped with knowledge through continuous education programmes and ensuring that their constitution and practices are aligned with FAS, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and world football’s governing body FIFA.
On development aspect, FAS will design and provides technical development programmes that cover aspects of coaching, players, referees and administrators.
“FAS will introduce a grassroots programme either through a new model or by using the existing FAM Grassroots programme as well as forming collaborations with schools and the Malaysian Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education,” he said.
Abang Zulkarnain said that FAS also looked forward to creating a systematic and competitive competition at the division and state level.
It will target the group of players from the age group of 12 to 18 years, draws up a competition calendar for all and expands the base that will complement the principles of the football pyramid.
“FAS will also provide a sufficient number of competitive matches for the development of players, coaches and referees,” he added.
Meanwhile, the course in Miri was attended by about 40 participants consisting of primary and secondary school teachers as well as individuals.
Also present were FAS vice president Kharuddin Qalam Daud, Course Coordinator Mohd Saif Jubaidi and Chief Course Instructor Wan Jamak Wan Hassan.