LETTER | Malaysia has talents, look for them

LETTER | At the recently concluded AFC Asia Cup tournament in Doha, Qatar, Malaysia did reasonably well.

Malaysia lost 4-0 to Jordan, then lost to a late goal to Bahrain, and did well to draw 3-3 with the mighty South Koreans.

However, if we were to take a closer look at the composition of the team, there were many naturalised players competing for Malaysia.

Of course, they gave a good account of themselves but the Malaysian identity was starkly lacking, just like a nasi lemak without the sambal.

Witnessing the fans going into a frenzy when Malaysia performs well is great but if it is because of the presence of many naturalised players, it might hollow to a certain extent.

When Malaysia was a footballing powerhouse during the 1960s and 1970s, it had a truly Malaysian flavour.

It should have been more of the same from the 1970s onwards. Sadly, after more than 50 years, the Malaysian flavour is conspicuously lacking.

Scout for talents

Frankly, we should just go into the kampungs and estates to discover the raw, untapped, rough and tough talent present, waiting to be nurtured.

If everyone is placed on a level playing field, the team will naturally be of a great mix and will go places, without the need to have naturalised players from different places.

I want to draw an analogy with the Indian cricket team. The composition of the Indian cricket team in the past was made up of players of some standings.

The whole concept of the Indian Cricket Board has taken an upheaval mode, whereby players from remote and distant areas got picked to play for the state, T20s and even the national team.

Thanks to cricket, many from a poor background had the opportunity to play for the country and improve their lives.

There is, in fact, an abundance of talent in the youth of today. We don't have to reach far away for players to be given naturalised status to help improve the standard of the national team.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.