# Sultan of Johor rewards team with RM4 million ‘gift’ to FAM
Sports loving Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan of Johor – a man of surprises – sprang another pleasant surprise with a RM4 million gift to the National Under-23 team for qualifying for next year’s AFC Under-23 Championship in China.
The financial gift, in FA of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin’s own words is “part of the bonus” the team has received since coming through the qualifier in Bangkok last month.
Malaysia were expected to be the “whipping boys” against the likes of Indonesia, Thailand in Group H after coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee was left virtually pleading for his selected players for training.
With only six players, including the injured, reporting for his first phase of training, upset all the odds to top the Group after hitting Indonesia 3-0 in their opening match followed by a defeat to favourites Thailand by a similar margin.
Kim Swee departed for Bangkok with only three days of training and Kim Swee was forced to leave six key players who were not released by their teams because of their commitment in the Super League.
However, Indonesia did Malaysia a big favour by holding the Thais to a scoreless draw in their last match while Malaysia defeated Mongolia 2-0 for six points to edge out the homesters who finished with five points to earn their ticket to China.
The Malaysian players had already received RM6,000 each from FAM for their efforts in Bangkok. Sultan Ibrahim’s “gift” to the FAM is certainly a boost for the team which is eyeing the football gold medal Malaysia last won in 2011 in Indonesia – also under Kim Swee.
Malaysia had also won the “Mother of all Golds” in the Laos Sea Games in 2009 under coach Datuk K. Rajagobal.
In the KL Sea Games, Malaysia are drawn in Group A and have Brunei, Singapore, Myanmar, and Laos for company. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
