Government-backed team aim to qualify for Under-17 World Cup

Let’s work together: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin speaking at the signing ceremony between Bina Darulaman Berhad Land and the National Sports Council yesterday. — Kamarul Ariffin/The Star

PUTRAJAYA: It could be a year of defining moment for the government-backed National Football Development Programme (NFDP).

All eyes are on the NFDP’s first generation of players to qualify for next year’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

And to accomplish the feat, the team, headed by former international Lim Teong Kim, must reach the semi-finals of the AFC Under-16 Championship in Malaysia from Sept 20-Oct 7.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the goal was to qualify but the grassroots initiatives would go on regardless of the outcome.

“It’s a long-term programme,” said Khairy after witnessing a sponsorship signing ceremony between Bina Darulaman Berhad (BDB) Land managing director Datuk Izham Yusof and National Sports Council director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail yesterday.

“The KPI (key performance index) is to qualify for the Under-17 World Cup next year. We’re looking at it as an important milestone.

“But we can’t judge the programme just based on the AFC Championship. Our target is to qualify, for sure. But the NFDP is longer-term.

“We want to get there this year, we work hard to get there but the programme must continue because there are a total of four generations under NFDP.

“There will be the fifth generation joining this year, so there must be a continuation to the programme.”

The NFDP, aimed at turning around the fortunes of Malaysian football to greater heights, has grown from strength to strength since it was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in April 2014.

There are 23,000 players, aged between 7 and 17, training under watchful eyes of 1,000 coaches in 126 training centres nationwide.

Khairy said RM120,000 was needed to run each training centre annually. He wanted more private sectors to back the NFDP financially.

Kedah-based developer BDB Land handed NFDP a massive boost yesterday by becoming the sponsor of nine NFDP centres in the state.

“I hope more companies will step forward like BDB Land to ensure the sustainability of the programme,” added Khairy.