logo
Tupong assemblyman wins FAS president's post unopposed

Tupong assemblyman wins FAS president's post unopposed

KUCHING: Tupong assemblyman Datuk Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman was today elected unopposed as the new president of the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) for the 2025-2027 term after sports consultant Dr Mohammed Syafiq Abdullah withdrew from contesting at the FAS annual general meeting (AGM) here.
Fazzrudin, who is also Kuching City FA president, took over from Abang Zulkarnain Abang Abdul Rahman, who declined to seek re-election at the AGM today.
Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim was also elected deputy president unopposed.
The posts of five vice-presidents went to Sophie Shariee with 25 votes, Khairulddin Qalam Daud (24 votes), Khairul Anuar Adeni (23 votes), Hailcal Abdullah (17 votes) and Nichol Agoi (16 votes).
Speaking to reporters later, Fazzrudin said his main task was to promote the Sarawak Premier League as his first major initiative to reignite the local football scene.
He explained that the premier league was scheduled to kick off by September at the latest, explaining that the competition would adopt a 'home' and 'away' format, and feature teams from across all Sarawak divisions.
He said the aim was to strengthen grassroots football by focusing on the development of players, coaches, referees and infrastructure.
"In the long term, as our league grows stronger, we will be able to produce more high-calibre players with the potential to be absorbed into teams in the Malaysian League, or even Indonesia's Liga 1.
"That is my dream—to see Sarawakian players competing on bigger stages.
"It's not an impossible dream, but one that requires a clear strategy, proper planning and phased implementation. God-willing, with consistent effort, we can achieve this goal," he said.
He said among the key priorities outlined by the new FAS leadership was the continued enhancement of coaching quality through courses initiated in the past
.
He added refereeing standards would also be improved through regular training and certification, while attention would be given to field facilities and infrastructure to ensure that every team had access to adequate and high-quality training venues.
Fazzrudin said the state's premier league would be held annually and be limited to local players for now.
"Although there are international students at higher learning institutions in Sarawak who are interested in taking part, their inclusion has not been considered at this stage.
"That said, the possibility of involving them in the future remains open, depending on the needs and development of the league," he added.
The age limit for players was still under discussion, but for the inaugural edition, there would be no age restriction to encourage wider participation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Selangor athletics dispute heads to court after officials' lifetime bans
Selangor athletics dispute heads to court after officials' lifetime bans

New Straits Times

time3 days ago

  • New Straits Times

Selangor athletics dispute heads to court after officials' lifetime bans

KUALA LUMPUR: Six disgruntled district presidents slapped with lifetime bans are taking Selangor Athletics Association (SAA) president Nurhayati Karim and her deputy A. Varughese to court. SAA vice-president and disciplinary committee chairman Varughese confirmed the suspensions of the six — Datuk S.M. Muthu (Petaling), K. Pregash (Kuala Langat), R. Murugan (Hulu Langat), G. Mohan (Klang), Fauzi Nanivanan Abdullah (Hulu Selangor), and S. Gunaseelan (Sepang) — over alleged breaches of the constitution on June 17. The officials were given two weeks to appeal the decision, but none did. However, Muthu, speaking at a press conference on Sunday, insisted the lifetime bans were unlawful. "We did nothing wrong. We are volunteers and abided by the constitution," said Muthu. "It is Nurhayati who violated the rules." He questioned Nurhayati's claim that RM15,000 was spent to send 47 athletes to the Perlis Open last October, allegedly funded by both the SAA and the Hulu Selangor district. "Fauzi, the Hulu Selangor president, denies contributing a single sen. The financial statement is questionable," said Muthu. "Nurhayati also failed to distribute the SAA accounts to district representatives as required under Clause 14.4 of the constitution. "Treasurer Wan Noraina Asyiqeen Ariffin missed three consecutive meetings and should have been removed from her post." Muthu also alleged that both Nurhayati and the treasurer submitted the accounts to the Sports Commissioner's Office without signing the required forms, and that the appointed auditor was not given time to scrutinise the documents. "We raised these issues at the AGM on April 26, but Nurhayati walked out midway. She promised to respond within two weeks but never did. "This is a clear breach of the constitution," he added. "We've now decided to take the matter to court. We will appoint a lawyer within the week. Let the court resolve this." He revealed they had written twice to Sports Commissioner Suhardi Alias, who advised them to settle the matter internally. "But this has affected athlete training and threatens the future of athletics in the state," Muthu said. "We're left with no choice."

Gymnastics federation bans Kedah president for life
Gymnastics federation bans Kedah president for life

New Straits Times

time4 days ago

  • New Straits Times

Gymnastics federation bans Kedah president for life

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) has slapped Kedah Gymnastics Association (KGA) president Eddy Shuhairie Shukor with a lifetime ban and suspended the state body for three years. MGF president Kau Git Kaur said the decision was finalised after the Sessions Court rejected Eddy's bid to overturn the ban via an injunction on June 10. The punishment follows accusations that Eddy and KGA allowed the Malaysian Aesthetic Group Gymnastics Association to use an MGF-issued sanctioning letter to host an event — allegedly without the national body's consent. Tensions escalated when KGA and Eddy were barred from attending the MGF annual general meeting on June 14. "The Sessions Court dismissed his injunction on June 13, so we had no choice but to act," said Git Kaur at a press conference at the National Sports Council on Thursday. "We recommended a life ban because they tried to exploit the timing — right before the AGM — to use their voting rights for political manoeuvring. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable and damages the sport's integrity." Git Kaur stressed that MGF remains open to reconciliation but said no appeal has been submitted. "They still have the right to appeal. We're willing to support them if they want to come back, but so far, nothing has come through," he said. "This issue could've been resolved easily. If they had acknowledged the mistake and apologised, we would've given them another chance. "While KGA is suspended, gymnasts from Kedah are still allowed to compete at the Malaysia Games (Sukma), but not in any MGF-sanctioned competitions." Eddy, meanwhile, said the legal battle is far from over.

Painful pro start for Mirabel in France
Painful pro start for Mirabel in France

The Star

time12-07-2025

  • The Star

Painful pro start for Mirabel in France

Miserable: Sarawakian golfer Mirabel Ting misses the cut in first tournament as pro in France. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Malaysian golfer Mirabel Ting's professional debut ended in misery after she missed the cut in the Amundi Evian Championship in France. The 19-year-old Mirabel made a quadruple and a double bogey in the opening round at Evian-les-Bains on Thursday, crushing any hopes of surviving the weekend cut. Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Full access to Web and App. RM 13.90/month RM 9.73 /month Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter. RM 12.39/month RM 8.63 /month Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store