How about it?

Manchester United defeated Wigan 1-0 and Manager Alex Ferguson feels his team is ready to win the league for the 20th time. Good for them.

While watching the match I noticed that technology has become an important part of football. The referee and his officials use gadgets to communicate, hopefully with themselves, and the team officials are also wired for some reason. Good for them and also the company the manufactures them.

How about moving a few steps ahead? Maybe a microphone (with a stand) be placed at the technical box for both the coaches to shout instructions to their players and this can be connected to the sound system at the stadium for that the fans can hear!

Then football will have great entertainment value, possibly drawing sponsors from wrestling. How about it? No.....  The coaches also will be to go some special courses on how to say the things to attract the crowd. How about it?

In some parts of the world, astonishing scores leave fans wondering who actually won the match which they just saw - the pool, the runner, the team of someone else.

Thank God in Malaysia we do not have problems like this because we have bloggers who would expose such happenings.

A few months before I left the newspaper scene, a top local athletics coach said this to me: "Athletes are already jumping, running and throwing at their best. Maybe in future steroids, should be allowed and we can measure achievements by how well an athlete combines this ability with proper usage of steroids"

Well, maybe in athletics, the tournament director can be give a mike for running, jumping and throwing commentary to entertain the crowd. Maybe the the crowd will come and tickets sales will be tremendous. But, please be careful, some might have extra entertainment by selling old tickets!

How about it? Just some thoughts this April morning. I have good friend who was actively involved in athletics, cycling and some other sports. He always says: "If not, why not."

Folks, will start posting actively again...in this blog. Time to laugh..

Philippines on the move

The Philippines are the biggest mover in ASEAN where they have improved to148th in the latest rankings released by FIFA yesterday. Coming in third at the AFC Challenge Cup finals recently gave the Philippines eight points to better their previous placing. Vietnam are still the best ranked team in ASEAN at 97 in the world moving up a rung from 98 where they have replaced Thailand as the finest team in the region. Current ASEAN champions Malaysia slipped to 156 as former champions Singapore also moved down to 158.
CURRENT FIFA RANKINGS FOR ASEAN TEAMS
 97 - Vietnam ; 141 - Thailand ; 148 - Philippines; 151 - Indonesia; 156 - Malaysia; 158 - Singapore; 173 - Cambodia; 173 - Myanmar; 175 - Laos; 202 - Brunei; 204 - Timor Leste

Malaysia vs Arsenal again

Arsenal FC is returning to Kuala Lumpur this summer to play against the Malaysian XI on July 24^that the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

The announcement follows Arsenal’s visit to Malaysia last summer after a gap of 12 years when they received a rapturous reception from enthusiastic Malaysian fans.

The game against the Malaysian XI will kick-off a three match tour of Asia which will include games in Beijing and Hong Kong.

“Malaysia is truly privileged to have Arsenal here two years in a row,” said Tengku Abdullah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, FAM Deputy President in Subang, Tuesday (10/4/12). “Arsenal is a big club and they have a world class manager who believes in their players and their football and that’s why they are one of the top teams in the English Premier League.

“Last year 55,000 fans turned up to watch the Gunners in action and everyone enjoyed it so much. I am sure Arsenal will draw another bumper crowd this time around.

"Our appreciation also goes out to ProEvents for making this happen. They are a trusted partner of FAM and they have been working hard to promote Malaysia as the No. 1 football hub in Asia,” added Tengku Abdullah

Arsenal’s Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis said: “Everyone associated with Arsenal is very excited to be visiting Malaysia again.

“We had a fantastic reception in Malaysia last year and we are all looking forward to visiting this great country and meeting its wonderful people again in July.”

Details of the match were announced at a press conference attended by Arsenal’s Marketing Director, Angus Kinnear, Communications Director, Mark Gonnella and Julian Kam, CEO of ProEvents Group, the sole and exclusive tour organiser of the Arsenal Asia Tour 2012 - Malaysia.

“What better way to celebrate our 20 years in the football business than by bringing Arsenal to Malaysia again?” said Julian Kam. “It’s been such a pleasure and honour to have been able to work closely with Tengku Abdullah and FAM and make Malaysia a popular place to be for all the top teams in the world.

“Arsenal needs no introduction here. This will be our 3^rd tour with them. They will be showcasing their full 1^st team squad for the new season so it will be a fantastic opportunity for all the fans to watch them live in action, not only in Malaysia but also from neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and Vietnam.” Said Julian Kam, CEO of ProEvents Group.

Further details about the match and ticketing details will be announced at a later date.

War against bookies

Malaysian police Thursday (5 /04/12) busted what is believed to be one of the world's largest football betting syndicates and arrested more than 100 foreigners in an upscale residential resort in Kajang, 30 km south of Kuala Lumpur.

Police raided six bungalows the online syndicate had rented as betting dens following a tip-off for suspected drug production at the houses, Xinhua reported.

Police seized several landline phones, although they found no illicit drugs at the bungalows.

Police said the arrested suspects, aged between 20 and 40 were foreigners from several Asian countries hired as bookies by the syndicate.

Police said Malaysians may be involved in the racket.

Myanmar U22 trains in Korea

The Myanmar national Under-22 side will be heading to South Korea later this month for training in preparation for the AFC U22 Asian Cup qualifiers that will be played in June this year.

For the qualifiers Myanmar, who recently signed Park Seong Hwa as the new chief coach, have been placed in Group G where they will be up against South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines .

While in South Korea, the 26-member strong squad has arranged to play five friendly matches against club sides.

In the meantime, Stefan Hansson has been re-appointed as the Technical Director of the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) following a closed door meeting with U  Zaw Zaw, the president of the MFF.

Hansson, who had led Myanmar to the bronze at the SEA Games 2011 in Jakarta last year, had earlier resigned from his post as MFF Technical Director due to some misunderstanding.

Ramlan admitted to hospital

National Sports Institute (NSI) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz was admitted to Serdang Hospital yesterday for stomach ulcer.

An NSI spokesperson said Dr Ramlan was in stable condition.

Dr Ramlan was treated at the same hospital for the illness last year.

My first boss

Veteran journalist Tan Sri Mazlan Nordin who died yesterday (22/03/12), has been described as a true journalist who remained non-political throughout his life. He was my first boss - Group Chief Editor -  when I began my career at Utusan Melayu/Malaysia in 1982.

My second boss, former Information minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin said Mazlan was a real journalist, who was sociable in nature despite his hearing difficulties. Zainuddin or Zam, took over a Group Chief Editor when Mazlan became the Group Executive Chairman.

 

Zainuddin who had served under Mazlan as the Utusan Melayu editor and chief group editor, said Mazlan was patriotic and nationalist who keep himself updated and well-informed with reading.

 

“Even National Journalism Laureate Tan Sri A. Samad Ismail who was his 'sifu', recognised him as a nationalist,” he said.

 

Zainuddin said Mazlan’s non-partisan policy and patriotism can be seen clearly in the way he ran the Utusan Melayu and the editorial policy during his time.

 

Describing him as a hard worker, he said when the paper was operating in Singapore, Mazlan used to sleep in the office with the printing workers, using newspapers as a mat.

 

“He was also a very up to date person, whom I’ve never seen without reading something at the office. It was under him that we enjoyed our highest circulation in the country,” he said.

 

Zainuddin said he had known Mazlan since the 1960s, whom he said had idolised Pak Samad and learned the ropes of journalism from him when he was asked to translate foreign news.

 

“I lost a great friend, who was my source of knowledge. I never went to an university but Mazlan educated and made me an intellectual, if I can call myself that,” he said with a smile.

 

Mazlan who was also the former chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama),  died at 4.15 pm yesterday. He was 86.

 

His son, Yuri Azhar, 38, said Mazlan was admitted to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre on Wednesday (21/3/12) after a fall in the bathroom at home. He leaves behind four sons and a daughter and four grandchildren.

Mazlan loved football. He was the only one I knew who wanted to watch all matches at the Stadium Merdeka - including age group matches.