KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — Several veteran footballers who played for the country way back in the 1970’s took part in the one-day veterans competition organised by the International Football Club (IFC) which celebrated its 40th anniversary at Club Aman in Ampang, here today.
The veterans included Santokh Singh and Ho Hon Seong who had represented Malaysia in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and K.Kannan who played for Singapore between 1980 and 1988.
Santokh, 59, a former defender who played alongside the late Mokhtar Dahari in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, also helped Malaysia to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The boycott of the Moscow Olympics following the Soviet Union’s war on Afghanistan meant the players did not get the chance to go to Moscow.
The current players should have pride, passion and the right attitude towards the game so that Malaysia could again be one the top football teams in Asia, he told Bernama after the veterans competition.
“During my time, we didn’t have proper sport facilities such as what the current footballers are enjoying. The worst part was that we were not paid for kicking the ball around.
“Instead, we relied on deep pride and passion for football and the country, which was the deciding factor that propelled the Malaysian team to be one of the top football powerhouses in Asia,” he said.
Meanwhile, another veteran, Ho Hon Seong who donned the national jersey from 1978 till 1984, said: “The right attitude in playing football is important. During the old days, we had the right attitude which made us different.”
“Whenever, we were selected for the national team, we devoted more than 100 per cent commitment to football and the country. The commitment came out of deep pride and passion for the game, not money or whatsoever.
“Despite the hardship of juggling between representing the country and at the same time working for a living, we managed to bring glory to the country,” he added.
Another veteran, K.Kannan, a former Singapore player from the era of 1980-1988, commented that Singaporean players too lacked pride and passion because they were “chasing big money”.
The one-day veterans competition was organised especially for players who were playing from 1969 onwards with 10 teams competing, namely, IFC, Royal Selangor Club, Kilat Club, Malaysian Grasshoppers, Sagga FC, Maxis Sport and Recreation Club, Wednesday FC, Jolli Lads, Club Aman, and Kwong Yik. – Bernama
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