Courtesy: Khabar South East Asia


Futsal provides hopeful prospects for Deep South youth

A tourney in Malaysia gave talents from the Deep South to shine, while also providing an opportunity for discussions about the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community.

by Maluding Tido in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
December 19, 2012

Two teams of talented young athletes from Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat enjoyed a special trip to the Malaysian capital late last month to take part in a series of friendly futsal matches. The first-of-its-kind tourney helped promote positive alternatives for young people growing up in the Deep South region, which has been scarred by the drug trade and insurgent violence.

The trip, organised by the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) in conjunction with the Tomyukung Thai Traders Club (TTTC), saw two teams of male futsal players make the bus journey to Kuala Lumpur for five days of futsal action held at the Sport Planet Ampang complex.

Futsal, five-a-side football played in indoor arenas, is one of the fastest-growing sports in Southeast Asia. This is particularly true in football-mad Thailand, which now boasts a popular professional futsal league, and which hosted the FIFA Futsal World Cup from November 1st to 18th of this year.

Among those taking part in the youth games was 16-year-old Muhummad Kamin Arbu, representing the Kanarad Bumroong School in Muang district, Yala.

"I would like to say thank you to SBPAC Secretary-General Tawee Sodsong for making it possible for us to travel to Malaysia and take on some of the best futsal talent there," he told Khabar Southeast Asia. "I have many friends there, and I have learned some new techniques that they use, even thought the style of play is not that much different."

"I am glad to take part in this project, which is intended to keep youths away from drugs and develop sports abilities among youths in our region," he added.

He said he would like to see the same kind of infrastructure development for the game that has taken place in other parts of the Thai South over the past year. "I would like to ask for a good futsal field complex that we could use both for practice and competitions," he told Khabar.


Strong ties across the border
Representing the Pattana Wittaya School, also in Yala's Muang District, was 16-year-old Aubdulloh Hamimading.

"I think this trip shows the strong relationship between both countries and gives us a chance not only to improve our sports skills, but also learn about our languages and cultures," he said.

Aubdulloh also wants to see a new government-built futsal complex in the Deep South region.

"If we could have one, it would keep the youth in the three southern border provinces away from drugs and benefit all of our families, communities, the region as well as the nation," he said.


Preparing for AEC
The event also provided an opportunity for discussions among Thai and Malaysian government representatives and the TTTC, an association of Thais operating restaurants and other food service establishments in Malaysia. The organisation has come under scrutiny amid allegations that some members are linked to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Co-ordinate militant group and its suspected leader, Masae Useng.

The association, however, says it is not connected with the militants and that its members are simply restaurant workers who have gone to Malaysia in order to eke out a living.

The futsal matches drew large cheers from the many TTTC families whose sons took part. At a dinner held in conjunction with the tourney, the TTTC leaders and government officials discussed ways for restaurant operators to make the most of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), set to be launched in late 2015.

Krit Kraijitti, the Thai ambassador to Malaysia, told Khabar that diplomats are working hard to prepare businesses for success in the AEC.

"At the moment we are co-operating with TTTC members in order to market Thai food in Malaysia [and] promote items produced under the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) programme, and Thai tourism and cuisine," he said.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com