BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (19 Oct 2011) – FIFA instructors have made it very clear why they are in Brunei to conduct the FUTURO III Administration and Management Course.
“If clubs aren’t run properly you can’t get good players for the national team,” pointed out Joseph Samuel, one of the two instructors.
“There has to be a high level of professionalism, governance and management in football.
“FIFA feel it is not only important to develop on the field, development must be made in off-the-field areas like administration. If administration is not done properly it will reflect on the players,” he stressed.
According to FIFA website, FUTURO III courses focus on the education of member association instructors in the topics of coaching, refereeing, administration and management and sports medicine.
Among the areas that Samuel and his colleague Dato’ Yap Nyim Keong will be lecturing about include FIFA statutes, financial guidelines, marketing, communication, event management and security.
It is understood that 26 club representatives have registered for the five-day course at the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) headquarters along Jalan Pusat Persidangan.
The course is the first that the association has hosted since they got Brunei back on the international scene in late May.
Explaining that FUTURO can be defined as ‘football education programme’, Samuel was encouraged by the number of club representatives he saw because they are NFABD members and they need to follow FIFA statutes.
FIFA’s website state that participants in the programme are expected to be actively teaching in their member associations, and Dato’ Yap was quick to remind them of their responsibility.
“We are teaching the teachers. Hopefully all the participants will be instructors when they get back to their clubs or districts,” he said.
“You must appreciate this opportunity, you have to know more about football so you can do it right. You will learn about playing by the rules, upholding statutes and fair play. These things are very important and you need to accept the responsibility
“This programme was started way back in 1994 and launched all over the world, and you will see how much time and effort is being used to develop people such as yourselves,” he stressed.
And with their attendance being marked, Datuk Yap said he will be keeping a watchful eye on the participants.
“I don’t want to see some guys who are here for the first day then only show up again on the last day to pick up their certificates,” he warned.
“You must be passionate about the game, if not you shouldn’t be here at all. The right attitude is also important. Your attitude determines your aptitude. Attitude and commitment that’s what important,” added Yap, who is a grassroots development officer in China.
Among those who were present at the opening ceremony was NFABD deputy-president Hj Saiful Bahri Pehin Dato Hj Jaya, who felt that the course was a step in the right direction for football administration and management in the country.
Urging the participants to do their part to help football in Brunei progress, Hj Saiful Bahri also thanked FIFA and especially Datuk Yap and Samuel for conducting the course.
STORY By Jason Thomas
