YOUTH development is essential to ensure the continuity of a sport. In football, youth development is key to strengthening a side in the near future.
Take current European champions Bayern Munchen for example. Some of the first-team squad like Thomas Mueller, Diego Contento, Toni Kroos and David Alaba came from the famed Bayern Munchen youth academy and helped the German club to win three trophies.
Behind these players, there will always be a coach who supports and trains them. Is it surprising to see that a Malaysian contributed greatly to the success?
Former Malaysian international Lim Teong Kim used to be the assistant coach of the Bayern Munchen U-19 youth side and trained these players when they were young.
Now, Teong Kim has just been appointed as the Project Director of National Football Development Programme (NFDP) by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.