Suhaimi (second right) presenting a document on Safa football development proposals to Asneh at the meeting while others including Azman (right) and David (far left) look on.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Football Association (Safa) is planning to establish a junior football academy in an effort to further develop the sport in the state.
To be called the Bung Moktar Radin Academy, the junior football talent hub named after the current Safa president Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin will be the first to be established in the state.
Vice president of Safa, Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, said the plan to have the academy was made possible after close cooperation between the State FA and the Sabah Sports Council (SSC) and the State Education Department.
In view of that, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which the three parties have basically agreed on will be signed soon, said Suhaimi.
“We will set a date for the launching of the Bung Moktar Radin Academy after the MoU signing has been completed.
“As of now, we are in the process to discuss and fix a date for the MoU signing because it needs all three parties to concur,” he said in a statement to the press on Wednesday.
Suhaimi said this after a meeting with SSC director Mohd Asneh Mohd Noor here on Wednesday
Safa assistant secretary general Azman Mansur and executive secretary David Wisom were also present.
Suhaimi, who is also an appointed state assemblyman, said the academy is expected to house the best football talents between 12 to 18 years old from around the state.
Meanwhile, Azman said Safa as well as SSC and the Education Department had conducted meetings on three occasions to discuss the matter.
He said Safa has made various proposals on football development that the SSC could assist on as the council has experience in the National Football Development Programme (NFDP).
“They (SSC) have facilities such as football fields apart from experience in organising football tournaments of various age groups.
“As such we (Safa) would also want to propose that the state junior head coach and assistant be included in the association development committee,” he added.
Having said that, Azman said Safa would organise junior football tournaments for under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18 where the funds to organise the competition will come from Safa apart from support from the SSC.
Towards this end, Azman said Safa too was committed to strengthen the coaching programmes while at the same time provide training equipment such as cones, nets and footballs to the academy.