TMJ hits back at critics of national team's foreign expertise
KUALA LUMPUR: "When you hang around dumb people, you become dumb."
That blunt social media post by Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim today is seen by many as a response to the "backwards mindset" plaguing Malaysian football.
The Crown Prince of Johor has sent a stinging response to critics of the national team's use of foreign talent and expertise.
"Everyone talks like we're World Cup champions.
"Want change, but the mindset is still stuck in the stone age. Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam have gone far. They've all upgraded football facilities and adopted foreign expertise.
"We're just all talk," he posted on X in reply to a comment by former national footballer Hasnizam Uzir.
Tunku Mahkota Ismail issued a "challenge" in an earlier Instagram story showing a graphic of all Super League winners, dominated by the Southern Tigers since 2014.
"There's still time to dissolve the League.
"Boycott together. Show the world the mentality of Malaysian football," he posted on Instagram.
However, Tunku Mahkota Ismail's most widely shared post was a photo of himself with international sports icons Luis Garcia, Sonny Bill Williams and Tim Cahill, captioned with a message about self-improvement, mindset, and surrounding oneself with winners.
"When you live with negative people, you become negative. So don't follow stupid trends.
"Raise your standards, and surround yourself with individuals that level you up in health, fitness, mindset, business, faith, and values. Life's short. Get rid of toxic things or people and you will see how your life changes.
"Level up, get rid of liability, and add assets," he captioned the post.
Tunku Mahkota Ismail also highlighted the achievements of the legends he was photographed with.
"Williams, former New Zealand All Black. Two-time Rugby World Cup champion and boxing champion. Cahill, former Socceroo, played in three World Cups, and former Everton top striker in the English Premier League. Garcia, former Liverpool and Barcelona player. Played in England and Spain, European Champions League winner with Liverpool.
"These individuals started from nothing and achieved great things in life," he captioned the post.
His message appeared to be in response to criticism by football legend Datuk Santokh Singh. Santokh, a pillar of the 1980 Olympic squad, said at a sports event in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday that Malaysia's football identity is being eroded by foreign influence. He called the FA of Malaysia the "FA of Mat Salleh (foreigners)" while claiming there is a marginalisation of local coaches and players.
While Tunku Mahkota Ismail did not mention names directly, the timing and content of his statements are widely viewed as a firm rebuttal to that argument; one that defends the value of foreign expertise, and that greatness comes through mindset and work ethic.
Williams reposted Tunku Mahkota Ismail's message on his Instagram, echoing the Crown Prince of Johor's sentiments. "You are your environment! Didn't know what to expect when I came to Malaysia, but I've found the country within a country, Johor. More importantly, a leader that sees the growth of his state as his purpose and responsibility."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Leroy 'detours' from his famous father's game
KUALA LUMPUR: His father was a top shuttler and many people thought Leroy Yong would follow in the path of Yong Hock Kin. But it isn't exactly the case. While the athletic Leroy is a chip off the old block, it's different strokes as he pursues a tennis career. The promising Hock Kin is determined to make it in professional tennis. In fact, Hock Kin was the one who encouraged Leroy to take up tennis and supported his development in the sport. Hock Kin didn't impose on his son to play badminton though he was a former world No. 2 who had won multiple Commonwealth and Asian Games medals. One of the most talented left-handed shuttlers on the World Tour, he was also the first Malaysian to win the coveted men's singles title at the Indonesia Open (1998). "I started playing tennis when I was about six or seven," said the 21-year-old Leroy recently. "I actually started playing badminton when I was about three. My dad always brought me to the badminton courts when he was coaching. "I got a bit sick of badminton because I was playing everyday and almost everyone plays badminton in Malaysia. "So one day, my dad asked me if I wanted to try and play tennis. It was new to me and interesting, so I started to play. "He saw I had talent in tennis so he said, 'why don't we give tennis a shot' and started coaching me in tennis." Hock Kin coached Leroy for a decade before he went on to train under other coaches, including former national champion Ashaari Zainal. Leroy spent much of his teen years in China, after Hock Kin moved his family there to pursue a coaching career in badminton. Being in China allowed Leroy to compete in tournaments there and abroad which helped him further his progress as a tennis player. Leroy won two ITF junior doubles titles in 2019 in Hong Kong and Singapore, and also went deep into a number of singles tournaments. "We moved back to Malaysia when Covid-19 struck, but I still go back and forth to China to compete there when possible," said Leroy. "There are more tournaments available in China which makes travelling between events easier. When I am in Malaysia, I usually train at home in Melaka or in Kuala Lumpur. "I was born in KL but my dad chose to move us to Melaka, which is my mum's hometown, as he does not like the hectic life in KL." Hock Kin currently operates a badminton academy in Melaka. Leroy's journey in tennis has not been all smooth sailing as he suffered injuries which sidelined him for six months en route to winning the men's doubles gold, partnering Darrshan Kumar, for Federal Territories at last year's Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma). "I was chasing a ball and slid. I slammed into the net post and injured my rib and my back," said Leroy. "I was on painkillers after Sukma but after seeing a doctor and doing some tests, I was advised to rest, so I stopped playing tennis for six months. "But I view it as a good experience for me. I learnt how to recover and strengthen my body. I feel so much better now, I can handle high-intensity training and am playing well again." Leroy is looking forward to the ITF Futures Tour this year and he hopes to secure sponsorship for his campaign. "Now that I have recovered from injuries, I am hoping to play in more Futures tournaments, both here in Malaysia and abroad," he said. "I am still young and believe I can do it. I have been inspired by players such as Mitsuki Leong who have been making good progress on tour. "I have also spoken to Mitsuki's father (and coach) Jeff Leong who encouraged me and gave me good advice on how to improve. "At the moment, I am hoping to secure sponsors who can support me so I can focus more on tennis without having to worry too much about the costs involved. "There are a lot of expenses involved to play on tour. This includes flights, hotels, meals, physiotherapy, stringing and so on. Having sponsors onboard would reduce the pressure on me." Leroy added that he has also been doing coaching to help cover some of his training and competition expenses. Mitsuki is the current national No. 1, and in 2023 he became the first Malaysian to win an ITF singles title in over two decades. Leroy has been shortlisted for the Malaysia team for the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group IV competition at National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 14-19.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Tuchel slams England's lack of 'seriousness' in win over Andorra
BARCELONA: Thomas Tuchel slammed England's attitude and accused them of a lack of "seriousness" during Saturday's lacklustre 1-0 win against minnows Andorra. Tuchel's side were booed at the final whistle in Barcelona after Harry Kane's 50th minute tap-in saved England from a humiliating draw with a team ranked 173rd in the world. Although England have won all three of their World Cup qualifiers since Tuchel took charge, they have struggled to fulfil the German's desire for a more attacking style of play. Their laboured efforts against Andorra infuriated Tuchel, who saw alarming signs that his players threw in the towel in the closing stages. "I didn't like the attitude how we ended the game," he said. "I liked the attitude how we started the game, the first 25 minutes, but I didn't like the last 25 minutes, the last half an hour. "I think we lacked the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier. "We played with fire and I didn't like the attitude in the end. I didn't like the body language and I think it was not what the occasion needed." England sit top of Group K as they progress towards next year's World Cup, yet they will need to improve signficantly to make an impact in the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Tuchel was relieved to secure the victory after Andorra pushed for a late leveller, but he conceded his team had played with a lack of energy. "In the end we played with fire, honestly. I felt it almost like in a cup game where the favourite does not smell the danger," he said. "I didn't feel a team that is aware it's only 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier because we were not happy with ourselves. "I'm not blaming them. I even feel like they felt 'OK, we're not happy and this is stuck today, it will not happen today'. "Step by step the energy dropped. We needed exactly the opposite but we couldn't deliver and so we got away with a win." Tuchel had admitted before the game that it might be hard to crush Andorra by a huge margin because his players were tired after a draining domestic campaign. Nine of England's squad will jet off to the Club World Cup after Tuesday's friendly against Senegal in Nottingham. First, Tuchel will demand a more positive performance at the City Ground next week. "We will not stop to encourage them and make clear after we have a proper look at the match what we want from them," he said. England supporters made up the majority of the crowd at the RCDE Stadium and their displeasure was audible throughout a limp game that felt more like a pre-season friendly. Tuchel could not blame them for expressing their frustration, with jeers for the team mixed with abusive songs about British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "The booing is OK." "They were underwhelmed and not happy with our performance, especially how we ended the first half, so I don't think we can blame them for that," he said. "We cannot even blame them how we ended the match. In the opposite. I thought they were fantastic throughout the whole match. "I did not hear anything about what you said about abusive songs or chants (about the Prime Minister), so if it happens of course it's not acceptable but I didn't hear it." — AFP
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Kane Goal Secures England Win Over Andorra
HARRY Kane spared woeful England's blushes as his second half strike sealed a lacklustre 1-0 win against minnows Andorra in Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Barcelona. Thomas Tuchel's side were booed off by England fans in the RCDE Stadium after struggling to impress against a team ranked 173rd in the world. Kane's 72nd international goal ensured England avoided the ultimate embarrassment of failing to beat such lowly opposition. Tuchel is the first England manager to win his first three competitive games without conceding a goal. But given the paucity of opposition provided by Andorra, Latvia and Albania in the Group K qualifiers, that achievement rings a little hollow after this miserable display. 'I'm not happy with the performance. We completely lost the momentum and couldn't get it back. We ended up in a place that was not good enough in terms of urgency,' Tuchel said. 'We can just admit it that it's not what we expect from us. I was most worried in the last 20 minutes because I didn't like the attitude we ended the game with. 'I didn't like the lack of urgency. It did not match the occasion. It is still a World Cup qualifier.' Tuchel had warned that England's tired stars should not be expected to thrash Andorra after gruelling domestic seasons. The German cited the motivational difficulties posed by the summer international break, just before nine of his players jet off to the Club World Cup in the United States. His fears proved prescient as England laboured to establish any rhythm in a soporific match with the feel of a pre-season friendly. It was a far cry from the pulsating drama produced by Spain and France in their recent Nations League semi-final, underlining the task facing Tuchel as he builds up to the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel didn't help England's cause by fielding an experimental side. Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones started at right-back and Chelsea right-back Reece James featured at left-back. With Declan Rice rested, Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson, 34, made his first England start since 2023, becoming the Three Lions' oldest player since Frank Lampard 11 years ago. Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was left out after only completing one training session this week, leaving Noni Madueke, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer to line up behind striker Harry Kane. - Bereft of ideas - Chelsea winger Madueke impressed but Palmer and Rogers were underwhelming. Andorra hadn't scored an international goal for more than two years and they quickly settled into a defensive formation that allowed England to monopolise possession. As Tuchel had predicted, England didn't find it easy to prise open a massed Andorra defence featuring nine men behind the ball at all times. Madueke's drive from the edge of the area was pushed away by Andorra keeper Iker Alvarez. Kane should have broken the deadlock with a close-range chance from Jones' cut-back, but the England captain prodded wastefully wide. Given Tuchel's desire to see his player perform in the warm Catalan temperatures ahead of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, it was instructive to see England struggle to find the energy and purpose required to make Andorra uncomfortable. They moved the ball too slowly, and were reduced them to hopeful efforts from distance, with Jude Bellingham's 25-yard shot comfortably saved by Alvarez. England looked bereft of ideas and the fans were beginning to grumble. Kane eased the mounting pressure when the Bayern Munich striker made the breakthrough five minutes after the interval. After Kane's initial shot was saved, Madueke alertly guided a low cross back into the six-yard box for the England captain to tap into the empty net. It was a modest way to reach a milestone for Kane, who has a remarkable 450 career goals for club and country in 697 games. England still couldn't find any momentum and were nearly punished in the closing stages when Guillaume Lopez's shot was blocked by Ezri Konsa.
