LANGKAWI, Jan 15 — Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has expressed support for a proposal to have the Harimau Muda A football squad participate in the National Premier League Queensland in Australia.  

He said it was one way of giving greater exposure to the squad, and was seen as an investment for the development of Malaysian football.

“We are confident coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee has the right plan to help in the development of the squad by giving them the exposure in the Queensland league.  Give them the opportunity to gain experience first,” he told reporters after the 2014 Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) dinner, here, last night.

Khairy said Australia (Queensland) was not known as a football nation, but Harimau Muda A would be gaining also from the physical aspect as well.

He also said that Harimau Muda B and Harimau Muda C would be sent to gain exposure in Singapore and Slovakia, respectively, as part of the football development and exposure programme.

The Youth and Sports Ministry also planned to implement the Malaysian Football Development Programme next month to entice youths to take up the Number One sport.

“The ministry will also have a special programme on the development of football for women keen to venture into the sport,” he said.

Khairy also said that the ministry was striving to boost sailing as youths seemed to be less responsive to the sport compared to other sports.

The ministry would meet the Malaysian Yachting Association soon to discuss programmes which could be conducted to further popularise the sport, he added. — Bernama