Screams the Blurb at the Myanmar News Agency
And the Saga Continues…the plot thickens with twists and turns.
The headlines read:
IT’S MYANMAR BY A WHISKER
LAOS DESPERATELY UNLUCKY TO LOSE
Setting the stage for the final confrontation – Myanmar vs Malaysia
STEADY MYAMAR FAVOURED OVER BRITTLE MALAYSIA
Or so the headlines say…
Now at the risk of being a flame-bait I am going to venture forth and stick my neck out and comment on this. We do pretty well in these Under-20 and Under-18 matches but fail to deliver on the big ones like the SEA Games. Our last best shot was at the S’pore SEA Games back in the early 90s – managing to perform brilliantly but passed muster only by the efforts of 30-something players – players that represented the last vestige of talent from our sports/soccer program.
No doubt we are progressing somewhat but some serious gaps remain. I harbor a gnawing suspicion – one that is shared by quite a few in the know – that we field older more experienced players and thus do better in these underage tourneys. If true this is utterly shortsighted – we gamble our future by fielding our past. No wonder then that we end up short in the main events.
For what its worth – I hope we win in the finals. But unless we have a cohesive forward-looking comprehensive strategy it will be an empty win. There is strong interest in soccer in mm – one rivaling Brazil in its pervasiveness and fervor. This needs to be matched by real support from the Sports Authorities as well as sponsors. It takes an army of specialists, from physiotherapists, coaches and specialized trainers to counselors and psychologists to build a winning team. Both the physical and the mental wellbeing of the athlete have to be considered. Question is – do we have the will to succeed? Do we have what it takes to be winners? I’d like to believe we do.