First Touch Assumption’s persistence and commitment to game was rewarded after having to wait for seven years to taste success again at the 15th Royal Selangor Club (RSC)-Milo Under-12 International Football 7s held at the RSC Bukit Kiara Sports Annex which ended on Sunday.
The football academy from Butterworth who are also known as the Bintang Baru Assumption Football Academy last won the tournament back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.
The academy which was founded 40 years ago have been competing in the RSC-Milo Under-12 tournament since it was inaugurated 15 years ago.
On Sunday, 1st Touch Assumption defeated Titan United from Subang Jaya 2-1 in the final after having disposed another football academy – Harimau Mega FC from Johor Baru – 1-0 in the semifinals.
1st Touch Assumption also bagged the Man-of-the-match award which went to Mohd Danish Hazran who scored both goals in the final. They also won awards for the Best Goalkeeper – Mohd Fakhur – and Tournament’s Best Player – Mond Zamir Zain.
The man at the helm of Bintang Baru Assumption Football Academy, S. Sundram, was on Cloud Nine.
“This is sweet reward for all the work that has been done by the coaches in the academy. We are probably the oldest football academy in the country and have been doing our bit for the development of the game in the country,” said Santana, a former school administrator at SK Assumption in Butterworth.
“I am very passionate of football and used to coach the school team. It was then I decided to start the academy to coach these children on a long term basis,” said the 65-year-old.
“What started off as a small group of boys training on weekends, today we have more than 200 players ranging from 6 to 18 years old.”
The academy has ten coaches including two goalkeeper coaches headed by Rozhan Ishak and train four times a week at the SRK St Mark in Butterworth who have graciously allowed them to use the field.
“We manage and maintain the field and we are grateful to the school and council to allow us to use the ground.”
Sundram is also proud that three players who were members of his victorious team in 2008 and 2009 are in the 2017 Sea Games squad – strikers Jafri Firdaus Chew, S. Kumaahran and defender Syafiq Ahmad.
“We also have seven players from our academy in the Penang M-League team,” said the former FA of Penang Council member and currently a member of the FAP technical and development committee.
Sundram also paid tribute to ex-students the SK Assumption primary school who sponsor the academy.
“That is why we use Assumption as part of the name of the academy.”
Sundram said the academy charges a very affordable RM30 per player each month to assist in managing the academy.
On Sunday, 1st Touch Assumption Under-12 coach Roslan Aziz and the academy’s secretary Zainal Fitri paid tribute to their team saying they worked very hard for the victory.
“We were not favourites in the tournament as there were many other formidable academies, past champions and international teams. But the players were determined to wrest the title after having won it the last time seven years ago,” said Roslan.
“This victory will certainly spur the other players in the academy to accumulate this success and have higher goals in the game,” said Zainal.
Indeed it was an exciting two-days of competition with quality matches including the performance of two all-girls teams from Singapore and Malaysia – Girls Dream Team Circuit FC and Super Girls Subang Jaya.
The veterans categories – Masters and Grand Masters – too saw some vintage football which inspired the young players who watched them in action which saw several ex-internationals and state players playing.
RSC who have their own football development programme – RSS Junior Soccer Development Programme (JSDP) – had to be contended with the runner-up Plate title when their RSC Eagles team lost to Junior Soccer School League (JSSL) from Singapore 2-0.
Former international Datuk Santokh Singh, former Asian Football Confederation secretary-general Datuk Peter Velappan, Heineken’s Area Manager A. Jeevan, RSC president Eapen Thomas and RSC Soccer Convenor Datuk Kevin Christopher gave away the prizes.
RESULTS:
RSC-Milo Under-12
Champion: 1st Assumption FC (bt Titan 2-1)
Runner-up: Titan United
Plate:
Champion: JSSL Singapore
Runner-up: RSC Eagles
Special awards:
Tournament Best Player: Mohd Zamir Zain (1st Touch Assumption FC)
Top Scorer: Amir Syawan (HMFC)
Best Goalkeeper: Mohd Fakhrur (1st Touch Assumption FC)
Man-of-the match final: Mohd Danish Hazran
Masters:
Champion: Penang Sports Club (bt Maldives Soccer Mates 2-1)
Runner-up: Maldives Soccer Mates
Special awards:
Top scorer: Ali Shameen – 4 goals (Maldives Soccer Mates)
Grand Masters:
Champion: TM Jones (bt HTC FC 1-0)
Runner-up: HTC FC
Special awards:
Top scorer: Alan Bakusa- 8 goals (Bukit Jambul FC)
Most Senior player: Tan Buck Seng (62 years-old) – Singapore Recreation Club
