SEPANG, Jan 11 — Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin believes that an investment to develop local football is more profitable than spending big money to hire a worldclass coach for the national team.

He made this comment, following a media report that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was understood to be shortlisting several big names for the post of national team chief coach.

They were former Japan coach for the 2002 World Cup, Philippe Troussier, former AS Roma manager, Zdenak Zeman and former French and Chelsea international Marcel Desailly.

Khairy, however, said FAM was free to pick anyone to coach the Harimau squad to boost the quality of Malaysian football.

“I personally think FAM is free to choose anyone. If we have reached a stage where we (the national team) qualify for the Olympics or World Cup, to me the need for a worldclass coach will be pressing.

“However, if our talent pool is limited, I feel it is better that we spend the money to develop football, rather than hire a worldclass coach. That is my personal view,” he said.

The minister was speaking to reporters after riding a motorcycle with 30 participants of the 2014 Endurance KBS-MAM-SIC Championship at the Sepang Circuit here today.

Khairy also flagged off 271 racers from 110 teams taking part in the third edition of the race.

In another development, he said the ministry agreed to channel RM2 million to the Harimau Muda A team to play in the league in Queensland, Australia.

“(Harimau Muda A coach) Datuk Ong Kim Swee and I have discussed sending the Harimau Muda A squad to play at the Queensland League. We agreed to bear half of the entire cost of RM4 million.

Meanwhile, he said more motorcycle racing circuits needed to be set up nationwide for the long term need of the national motoring sport.

“There are financial constraints, but the circuits need not be as terrific as the Sepang Circuit, only simple facilities for training and racing,” he reasoned.

Khairy said the ongoing championship must be continued to turn out more worldclass talents like Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman. — Bernama