KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah expressed his dream to unite the people through sports, the New Sunday Times reported today.
Sultan Abdullah said the country needs a quality programme for all its athletes, and that this must begin at the grassroots level.
“There must be an ongoing sports development programme. I don’t know how many years it would take to see success, but it has to start,” he was quoted as saying in an exclusive with the English daily.
He suggested sports development programmes could start at the primary school level, between the ages of nine and 12, with a focus on unearthing talent and inculcating a winning attitude.
“We have for so long concentrated on academic programmes at school. This is one area that we probably need to review or revisit.”
Inspired by his late father, Al-Marhum Paduka Ayahanda, Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah — who was himself known as the ‘King of Sports’ and the number one fan of Malaysian football — Sultan Abdullah said he wants to see local athletes be successful in their respective sports, especially football.
Through this, they can not only elevate the country’s name, but also unite the people.
“It cannot be denied that sports can be a unifying factor for all races. We will all cheer for Malaysia. The athletes should know that they are the hope for every Malaysian.
“They should also know the importance of winning. When they win, either individually or as a team, their win can unite the entire country.”
He cited the likes of China and South Korea as countries that boast superior sports programmes.
“We don’t even have to look far. Even Vietnam is seeing some success.”
Sultan Abdullah said football is close to his heart, having spent ‘half of his life’ in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Asian Football Confederation.
He served as a FAM president between 2014 and 2017 and was a council member of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) and executive committee member of Federation Internationale de Football Association (Fifa).
A staunch Arsenal fan, Sultan Abdullah said it was his idea back in the day for Malaysia, as part of Asean, to host the World Cup in 2034.
“It was my idea back then. I remember then foreign affairs minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and I were in FAM, and we did the calculations. Our target was to qualify for the World Cup, not in the final round, but the next level.
“I hope with the new Fifa format, where there will be 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup, Malaysia can qualify in 2030. That’s another 11 years. I will be 71 years old,” he said.
Asked if it this was realistic, Sultan Abdullah said: “Everything is possible if we go all out and put our minds to it. It boils down to our grassroots programmes today.
“There’s no point hosting (the World Cup) without a good team. It would be a waste of money,” he said.
He added that harping on old success stories like the glory days of the Merdeka Cup “will never get us very far.’’
