Penang Committed To Supporting Football Development

GEORGE TOWN,  Jan 9 (Bernama) -- The Penang state government remains committed to supporting the Football Association of Penang (FAP) as a platform for the development of local players, despite it facing financial constraints in the Super League competition.

State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said that in the era of modern football, financial might plays a crucial role in enabling teams to acquire the services of quality players and building a competitive squad.

“If we had a bigger budget, surely it would have been easier to form a more competitive team,” he told a press conference regarding the state government’s commitment to ensuring the progress of football in the state here today.

Gooi added that the FAP is among the Super League clubs with the fewest number of foreign players, in line with its goal of providing more opportunities to local players.

In a bid to strengthen the squad for the next stage of the Super League competition, he said FAP has also signed up two foreign players - Brazilian midfielder Erick Brendon and Filipino defender Amirul Kamil Jaser - during the mid-season transfer window period.

Gooi added that FAP had also forged a collaboration with the private sector, including local industries, to create a sustainable footballing ecosystem, including sponsorship by local business entity Mat Salleh Bubble.

Earlier, during the press conference, he said that the state government remains committed to supporting grassroots football development through the contribution of RM100,000 to the FAP since September 2024, adding that the state government had also approved writing off the outstanding Penang City Stadium rental arrears from 1998 to 2016, amounting to RM127,168.50 owed by FAP.

-- BERNAMA