Pahang FA suggests postponing all football tournaments until next year

KUANTAN, April 22 -- The Pahang Football Association (PBNP) has suggested that all football activities in the country this year be postponed until next year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Its president, Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah also hoped that those handling the country’s football matters could make an immediate decision and accept the fact about what’s happening now as well as put the interests of the people as priority.

“Postponing all football activities this year is the best way to help ease the anxiety faced by everyone involved in the sport.

“Personally, I will surely miss the excitement of watching a game in the stadium. InsyaAllah, we will return next year with the determination and commitment to continue to elevate the standard of the game in the country,” he said in a statement today.

He added that his call to postpone all tournaments until next year was based on the fact that no one knew when the pandemic would end as well as in respect to the statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in not encouraging any meeting or gathering for at least six months after the Movement Control Order (MCO), implemented to curb the spread of the virus, is lifted.

He hoped all football fans in the country would be patient in facing the pandemic and expressed confidence that the “spirit of togetherness” would help the country win the war against the pandemic. 

 Yesterday, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam was reported to have said that the national governing body and the Malaysian Football League (MFL) was ready to resume the Malaysia League (M-League) once the MCO is lifted.

Previously, FAM and MFL decided to postpone all M-League matches and football activities in the country effective March 16 following the global COVID-19 pandemic. Teams were also not allowed to hold any training sessions or friendly matches during the MCO period.

-- BERNAMA