Bahan rasuah di dalam bola sepak negara kita telahpun menyebabkan Malaysia kehilangan beberapa generasi muda yang sepatutnya telahpun membawa negara kita ke tahap yang lebih membanggakan...Namun sebenarnya dalam diam, bookie yang jahat ini mulai memancing pemain-pemain bola sepak negara ini sejak usia remaja lagi; supaya senang dijadikan alat apabila mereka mulai layak menyarung jersi senior...
Petikan Malay Mail 14 April 2009:
Bookies taking online bets
Why? For one, the lavish lifestyles of some players, mostly 18 and 19 years old. And the erratic performances of the President’s Cup teams had aroused suspicion of some coaches.
They are worried that their young charges are being approached by bookies to throw away matches for cash incentives.
MORE INNOCENT DAYS: Terengganu captain Ahmad Shahril Zakaria hoists the President's Cup after his team won in 2006
The Malay Mail probe started when we learnt that some coaches were baffled by the “fancy gadgets and souped-up cars” some players have.
And they are not being paid that much; or on time for that matter. Furthermore , several online betting websites and forums are showing interest in the minor league that hardly gets local media attention due to the lack of following.
Our probe revealed that forums such as AsianBookie.com regularly monitor the results of President’s Cup matches.
Websites such as Soccer Punter , SoccerWay, BetStudy and BetSquare also provide real time results and betting odds.
Sources said this would mean that there were “agents” monitoring the matches. “At the very least, there would have to be people on the ground to file match results as these are hardly covered by the local media.”
While the link between these betting sites and the President’s Cup could not be established, it was enough reason to set alarm bells ringing at the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). Malay Mail learnt that a top official had raised his suspicions that bookies had infiltrated the junior level during a competitions committee meeting last Thursday.
This was, however, denied by FAM. Federal Criminal Investigation principal assistant director SAC II Datuk Ahmad Sofian Mohd Yasin, when told of these findings by Malay Mail, confirmed that they were monitoring players in the President’s Cup as well as those in the senior leagues.
“Any form of betting is illegal and we have been monitoring the situation including our footballers.” Sources told Malay Mail that several senior players were being “closely watched”.
Two Perlis players were booked in last year’s crackdown against the senior squad. Sarawak players were also questioned last year to answer charges of match fixing, but were let off due to “insufficient evidence”.
Starting young to secure future connections
WHY would bookies be interested in the President’s Cup?
One simple way to answer this is to ask the question: Do you really need a reason to gamble on anything for that matter? There are, however, “logical” explanations why bookies would be interested in the junior league.
Some team officials believe that the Under-20 players could be targeted specifically to “secure them for future connections” that promise a bigger payoff.
“The possibility is there and I am not surprised,” said a club official who decline to be named. “There has been talk. It is cheaper to pay off a President’s Cup player as these boys will be a reliable ‘connection’ once they graduate into the senior squads.”
Another team official alleged that the lifestyle of some of these youngsters had raised red flags. “Look at the phones they use and the vehicles they own. It is a known fact that President’s Cup players are always underpaid or not paid on time, but still, they can afford a lot of things.
“The President’s Cup is not closely monitored, especially by the media, compared with the Super and Premier Leagues. That makes it hard to zoom in on any irregularities,” he added.
It’s cheap, easy to manipulate
WHAT makes the President’s Cup players special?
For starters, it is cheap and easy to be manipulated. Most of the players are about 18 to 19 years old and do not possess sound education or permanent jobs.
It is a well-known fact that President’s Cup players are not well paid. Some of them receive their wages months later. Yet, some of the players head to the training ground with souped-up cars and fancy gadgets.
Although it is presumed that there is no market for the President’s Cup teams, these youngsters could earn huge sums of money if and when they graduate into the senior squads.
It will also allow the bookies to penetrate into the “major league” easily. Former national coach Chow Kwai Lam said he would not be surprised if the younger players are involved in such activities.
“If there is demand, there will always be supply,” he said. While officials and coaches are not ruling out the possibility of these matches being fixed, the evidence — or rather, the lack of — has hindered the authorities from acting against these individuals.
The last major crackdown in 1993, followed by another episode last year, failed to stop bookies and players from fixing matches.
MACC unaware of claims
MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission Investigation Division head Commissioner Datuk Shukri Abdul said he was unaware of match-fixing claims.
“We’ve not heard of anything and there has been no complaint lodged.As for the earlier crackdown, we’ve only charged the two Perlis players. The others were released as we didn’t have enough evidence against them,” added Shukri.
In 1993, the nation was rocked by a massive matchfixing scandal, which saw almost a hundred players being charged and banned from playing football. Insiders and investigators fear that the repercussions this time around could be just as bad.
Even FAM deputy president Khairy Jamaluddin was quoted by an online news portal in February as saying: “There is still some element of graft in the game, which still affects the top level personnel throwing games and things like that (away).”
FAM in the dark
THE FA of Malaysia is in the dark over suspicion that several President’s Cup players could be on the take.
“This is news to me. We’ve not heard of such practices involving the President’s Cup (Under-20) players,” said FAM general secretary Datuk Azzudin Ahmad. “We will look into this once we get any lead or if there is a complaint lodged.”
Cheating among the President’s Cup teams is nothing new. FAM last week ruled in favour of MyTeam after SDM Kepala Batas fielded 23-yearold Nik Shalihin Nik Rahim, who had used the licence of 17-year-old Fitri Muhd Rosidi, when both teams played in a match in Penang two weeks ago.
MyTeam lost 3-2 in that match. MyTeam were handed a 3-0 win and three points by the competitions committee.
Piala Presiden Malaysia
Dari Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, ensiklopedia bebas.
| Negara | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Konfederasi | AFC |
| Divisyen | Belia |
| Jumlah pasukan | 28 |
| Juara semasa | Selangor (2007-08) |
| Kelab paling berjaya | Selangor |
| Laman web | http://www.fam.org.my/ |
 Musim 2009 | |
Piala Presiden Malaysia merupakan pertandingan bola sepak yang diadakan untuk pemain berumur bawah 20 tahun. Sebelum ini, Piala Presiden dikhaskan untuk pemain berumur bawah 23 dan 21 tahun sebelum ditukar kepada 20 tahun. Selangor merupakan juara bertahan pada musim 2008 apabila menewaskan Perak 1-0.
Petikan Malay Mail 14 April 2009 tentang Piala Pressiden):
FOOTBALL HERO: The great Mokhtar Dahari (right) in action
ORIGINALLY known as the Burnley Cup, the President’s Cup was first played in 1988 after the FA of Malaysia got into the semi-professional business.
The FA of Malaysia decided that every team competing in domestic leagues was also required to field a President’s Cup side, in the name of development. It started off as an Under-23 tournament but was later reverted to Under-21.
FAM abolished the Youth Cup and changed the President’s Cup to an Under-20 affair this season. Selangor won last season’s President’s Cup after they edged Perak 1-0 in the final.
Almost all of our past legends, including Mokhtar Dahari and R. Arumugam, as well as our current stars such as Amirulhadi Zainal and Safee Sali, have played in the President’s Cup.
A total of 28 teams are taking part in this year’s edition.
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