FAM declines comment on Cklamovski's interference claim
30 Jun 2025 04:02pm
FAM president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub said that the Australian-born coach's remarks about external interference in the national team should be addressed directly by the coach himself to avoid unnecessary speculation. - Photo for illustration purpose only (Photo courtesy of FAM)
SUBANG JAYA - The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has refused to be drawn into head coach Peter Cklamovski's claims of interference in national team management, saying he should clarify the matter.
FAM president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub said that the Australian-born coach's remarks about external interference in the national team should be addressed directly by the coach himself to avoid unnecessary speculation. It was reported that Cklamovski had alleged internal issues, including political elements and certain obstacles faced by the national team under his leadership, in their efforts to advance on the international stage. - Bernama file photo
"We don't know what Peter meant. I think it's best to ask him directly,' he said during a press conference after the 2025 FAM First Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) here today.
Earlier, the media reported that Cklamovski had alleged internal issues, including political elements and certain obstacles faced by the national team under his leadership, in their efforts to advance on the international stage.
He made the allegations following Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 10.
"Let Peter explain it himself. Sometimes, when statements are translated or relayed, the context can get lost. So honestly, it's best to ask him directly,' he said.
At the same time, he stressed that FAM's support for the Harimau Malaya coaching staff remains strong and has not wavered since Cklamovski's appointment.
"As the FAM president, I can assure you that we give 100 per cent, even 150 per cent, support to the coach and the players. We are always behind them,' he said. - BERNAMA
More Like This
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Rugby-Wallaby Ikitau looking forward to midfield connection with 'natural' Suaalii
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Wales v Australia - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 17, 2024 Australia's Len Ikitau in action before scoring a try Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Joseph Suaalii will have no trouble slotting back into the Wallabies midfield for the British & Irish Lions series after spending most of the Super Rugby season playing at fullback, according to Australia centre Len Ikitau. Ikitau and rugby league convert Suaalii are expected to be coach Joe Schmidt's preferred centres for the three-match Lions series starting in Brisbane on July 19, having first combined on Suaalii's test debut against England last November. "He's a natural footballer. He knows how to play whatever position he's put in," Ikitau told reporters of the New South Wales Waratahs back. "He's smart in defence, in attack. So I think he'll come back to it when he's in training." Rugby Australia and the Waratahs lavished a reported A$5 million ($3.28 million) to lure Suaalii away from the National Rugby League, and the hulking 21-year-old has impressed in his four-test career to date. Suaalii's first Super Rugby season was less successful, suffering a complex toe injury early on and then a broken jaw that ended his campaign early for the struggling Waratahs. Suaalii will likely return to action against Fiji on Sunday in Newcastle, the Wallabies' last warmup before facing the Lions. Home fans are eager to see whether Suaalii can deliver in the pressure cooker of a Lions series. "What I learnt from him last year is he's a harsh critic, he's pretty harsh on the way he plays," said Ikitau. "If he makes a mistake he's really harsh on himself. But in terms of his football, we saw on the spring tour just the kind of plays that he comes up with. They're special." ($1 = 1.5244 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Rugby-Fiji look to soften up Wallabies before Lions series
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Pool C - Australia v Fiji - Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, France - September 17, 2023 Fiji's Albert Tuisue celebrates at the end of the match REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo MELBOURNE (Reuters) -All but forgotten in the hype of a British and Irish Lions tour, Fiji have gathered in a rain-soaked corner of eastern Australia to plot a confidence-killing defeat of Joe Schmidt's Wallabies. Fiji's Australian coach Mick Byrne has brought a strong squad for Sunday's test in Newcastle, the hosts' last warmup before the Lions' series-opener on July 19. The stakes are high for the Wallabies, who lost seven out of 13 tests last season and can ill-afford to stumble against opponents that stunned them at the 2023 World Cup. However, the season-opener is also important for the Pacific Islanders, who insist they now rank among the elite "Tier One" nations that once ignored them between World Cups. Times have changed. Since humbling the Wallabies 22-15 in Saint-Etienne at the World Cup in France, a defeat ranked among Australia's darkest days in rugby, Fiji have had no shortage of top tier competition. Scotland, Wales and Ireland all hosted them last autumn, while New Zealand played them in the United States. Fiji will face Scotland at home a week after taking on the Wallabies, with glamour matches to come in November against England, at Twickenham, and France. Byrne, who took over from Simon Raiwalui after the World Cup, will want concrete gains in his second season in charge ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship next year, which Fiji are expected to be a part of. While dominating Japan and other Pacific rivals, Fiji's sole win against the top tier sides last season was a 24-19 win against struggling Wales in Cardiff. Fiji's thrilling running game has otherwise been no match for the big dogs' forward power and set-piece discipline. Not that Fiji will ditch their natural style, said Byrne. "We need to grow our game. We need to continue to grow without losing what our players do naturally," he told reporters on Tuesday. "Sixty-percent of the game is played quite clinically and 40% of the game is played quite open. "When it comes to the 40%, we're some of the best players in the world when the game opens up through turnovers and kick-returns, etc. "The other 60% of the game, we're working really hard in maintaining good, strong discipline. "There's a lot of people talk about whether we're going to lose our Fijian way. We never lose our Fijian way." If anything, the bonds are only growing stronger due to Fijian Drua, the nation's first professional team who just completed their fourth season in Super Rugby with Australian and New Zealand opponents. More than a third of Byrne's 32-man squad are Drua players, making integration and combination-building easier. Australia's squad includes only one overseas-based player in lock Will Skelton, and the hosts have had more time to prepare than the Fijians, whose last win in Australia was in 1954. The Wallabies reviewed footage of the Saint-Etienne debacle as part of their preparations for Sunday. Both teams have moved on since then with different coaches but the Fijians believe they can produce a sequel to the Wallabies' World Cup horror show. "I told the boys, we've done it once, so surely we can do it again," said loose forward Bill Mata. "To get a win over Australia, in Australia, that'd be a message for the whole team." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Daily Express
5 hours ago
- Daily Express
Malaysia athletics ends Robert Ballard's contract due to funding issues
Published on: Wednesday, July 02, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 02, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: Ballard, 60, first served as technical director in February 2014 under a two-year contract but left the association early on December 8, 2015. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Athletics (MA) has announced that it will not extend the contract of technical director Robert Ballard, which expires on July 31. The decision comes as the national athletics body faces financial constraints, with insufficient government funding and private sponsorship. In a statement today, MA acknowledged Ballard's contributions since his return in 2023. 'Ballard has been instrumental in enhancing the performance and development of national athletes over the past two years. MA expresses its gratitude for his dedication and wishes him success in his future endeavours,' the statement read. Ballard, 60, first served as technical director in February 2014 under a two-year contract but left the association early on December 8, 2015. He rejoined MA in August 2023 on another two-year term. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
