KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — All sports events and league tournaments in Johor must obtain advice and approval from the relevant governing bodies before they are held, said the state executive councillor for youth and sports.
Johor Youth and Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said many leagues organised in the state were actually unauthorised because they had not obtained the necessary advice and approval, Harian Metro reported.
“I urge every sport to refer to the highest governing body of that sport at the Malaysian or state level. We cannot organise leagues without any advice from the relevant associations.
“There are many illegal leagues being held in this state without sanction from the Johor Football Association (PBNJ) or district associations chaired by district officers,” he said.
He said this when met after attending the clock-in ceremony at the Johor Sports Council office in Kota Iskandar today.
Mohd Hairi was responding to questions about the death of a 12-year-old boy who reportedly collapsed while taking part in an Under-12 football tournament at a sports centre in Ekoflora here two days ago.
He said checks found that the tournament involving the victim had not gone through the proper process and was held without the knowledge of PBNJ or the Johor Bahru Football Association (JBFA).
The Larkin assemblyman also reminded parents and guardians to ensure that tournaments involving children and teenagers had obtained the necessary approvals before allowing them to participate.
“Going forward, I hope aspects such as safety and medical arrangements will be reviewed.
“I also urge PBNJ to take this matter seriously and take action or call the organiser to provide justification on what happened,” he said.
Mohd Hairi said officially sanctioned tournaments should carry approval from the relevant governing bodies, adding that parents could use such indicators to determine whether competitions were legitimate.
Meanwhile, PBNJ said it would take proactive steps to tighten requirements for football tournaments organised by third parties in Johor through the implementation of mandatory competition safety standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The state football body said the incident served as a reminder to the football community that the safety of players, officials and spectators must be prioritised, especially in tournaments involving children and teenagers.
Among the measures to be enforced are requiring organisers to obtain tournament approval from district football associations before seeking sanction from PBNJ.
Facility owners and managers will also not be allowed to rent out or permit the use of football fields for tournaments without official PBNJ approval letters, particularly competitions involving players aged seven to 17.
PBNJ added that organisers must also ensure the presence of qualified medical officers or paramedics throughout matches, while ambulances or emergency vehicles must be available at tournament venues.
