Latest news with #K.Rajagobal
The Star
2 days ago
- General
- The Star
Can the ‘Blessed One' Rajagobal kick off a new tradition?
INVITED to speak at the launch of Datuk K. Rajagobal's memoirs 'Inilah Saya Rajagobal' on Saturday, co-adviser of the publishing house Karangkraf Group, Datuk Nasir Hamzah quoted a famous African dictum. 'When a learned person dies, a library burns down,' said Nasir, quoting the proverb widely attributed to Amadou Hampate Ba, one of the major intellectual and literary figures of twentieth-century Africa.
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Ex-chief coach Rajagobal says early to judge Cklamovski after book launch
All smiles: Datuk K. Rajagobal (left) during the launching ceremony of his book 'Inilah Saya Rajagobal' at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival yesterday. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Former national football team head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal feels that it is still too early to evaluate current coach Peter Cklamovski's impact on Harimau Malaya. Rajagobal, however, believes that the team showed an improved performance in their 1-1 draw in the friendly against Cape Verde at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on Thursday. Although he was quick to point out that the Harimau Malaya squad still need to work hard to continue to improve, he also expressed confidence in Cklamovski, saying 'he (Cklamovski) knows what he is doing'. 'Every coach has his plans. We can see from his second game in charge (against Cape Verde), there is improvement, although they still have room to be better. 'Cklamovski knows which team they will be facing and the players he will field against Vietnam.' They will face Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium on June 10. 'I can't give an evaluation now. Usually, it will take about 10 matches before one can assess if there has been an improvement or not,' he said during the media conference to launch his book titled 'Inilah Saya K. Rajagobal' (This is me, K. Rajagobal) at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival yesterday. In the friendly, world No. 131 Malaysia needed a 79th-minute Paulo Josue equaliser to hold world No. 72 Cape Verde to a 1-1 draw. The national team will take on Cape Verde a second time, in a closed-door friendly, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday. The friendlies against Cape Verde are part of Malaysia's preparations for the crucial games against Vietnam in their second Group F match of the Asian qualifiers. Meanwhile, Rajagobal, who guided Malaysia to the gold medal in the 2009 Laos SEA Games and the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup triumph, described his book as an effort to inspire the younger generation and serve as a medium for him to share his coaching experiences with future generations. 'The inspiration for writing this book came from my eldest son. Many legends never wrote or documented their life journeys for reference ... not just my own story, but those of other legends as well. This is my opportunity to share that struggle with the younger generation. 'I have stories about how I faced challenges and hardships that I want to share not only with sports fans but with all Malaysians. 'I felt that I had to write this to contribute something meaningful to the sports arena in the country,' said Rajagobal, who also used to coach Brunei. — Bernama
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'King Gobal' kicks off his new book
KUALA LUMPUR: Football legend Datuk K. Rajagobal officially launched his own autobiography titled "Inilah Saya K. Rajagobal" today. The memoir, which chronicles Rajagobal's chequered footballing life — its triumphs and tribulations — was launched at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair at the World Trade Centre. The 68-year-old's epic three-decade journey through Malaysian football — both as a flamboyant winger for Selangor and successful national coach — offers inspiration to future generations of Malaysian footballers. At the launch of his much-anticipated autobiography (written in Bahasa Malaysia), Rajagobal expressed his heartfelt gratitude to those in attendance, including Kumpulan Karangkraf co-adviser Datuk Nasir Hamzah, FA of Malaysia deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundram, and former national players Datuk Reduan Abdullah, Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, K. Gurusamy and Razman Roslan. "This book is not just about me as a coach, it's about sharing my experiences, my struggles — falling down and rising again. That's what I want to give to all Malaysians," said Rajagobal at the launch. "I don't want to just highlight my achievements. I want to tell the younger generation that anyone — regardless of whether they're in sports — can succeed if they work hard, stay disciplined, and hold on to their dreams." Affectionately called "The Blessed One" by his fans, Rajagobal hopes the book will motivate readers to persevere through life's challenges. "Our journey is not always easy. There will be hardships and setbacks, but what matters is how we respond. Every time I fell, I got back up. I want to share that spirit. I hope this book becomes a source of inspiration, a reflection of the Malaysian soul," he said. Rajagobal's coaching journey included stints with PKNS, Selangor, Kelantan, Sarawak and Brunei, but it was with the national teams — Harimau Muda, Malaysia Under-23s, and the senior side — that he cemented his legacy. He guided the national team to a historic gold medal at the 2009 Laos Sea Games before delivering Malaysia's maiden AFF Championship title a year later — a landmark moment in the country's football history. Rajagobal closed his speech with a humble acknowledgment of the collective effort behind his achievements. "Without the players, I cannot succeed. Without the officials, I cannot succeed. That's why I want to thank everyone who has supported me," he said.
Barnama
3 days ago
- Sport
- Barnama
Cklamovski's Impact On Harimau Malaya Still Too Early To Call
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Former national football team head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal feels that it is still too early to evaluate current coach Peter Cklamovski's impact on Harimau Malaya. Rajagobal, however, believes that the team showed an improved performance in their 1-1 draw in the friendly against Cape Verde at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on Thursday (May 29). Although he was quick to point out that the Harimau Malaya squad still need to work hard to continue to improve, he also expressed confidence in Cklamovski, saying 'he (Cklamovski) knows what he is doing'. bootstrap slideshow 'Every coach has his plans. We can see from his second game in charge (against Cape Verde), there is an improvement, although they still have room for improvement. Cklamovski knows which team they will be facing and the players he will field against Vietnam (in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers on June 10) 'I can't give an evaluation now. Usually, it will take about 10 matches before one can assess if there has been an improvement or not,' he told reporters during the media conference to launch his book titled 'Inilah Saya K. Rajagobal' (This is me, K. Rajagobal) at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival here today. In the May 29 friendly, world number 131 Malaysia needed a 79th-minute Paulo Josue equaliser to hold world number 72 Cape Verde to a 1-1 draw. The national team will take on Cape Verde a second time, in a closed-door friendly, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday (June 3). The friendlies against Cape Verde are part of Malaysia's preparations for the crucial games against Vietnam in their second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium on June 10. Meanwhile, Rajagobal, who guided Malaysia to the gold medal in the 2009 Laos SEA Games and the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup triumph, described his book as an effort to inspire the younger generation and serve as a medium for him to share his coaching experiences with future generations.
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia hope for the real deal from Africa
KUALA LUMPUR: Are Cape Verde the real deal? Will the West Africans be coming to Kuala Lumpur with their national team? If they do, Cape Verde, aka the Blue Sharks, are capable of tearing apart Harimau Malaya. After all, they are ranked much higher than Malaysia — world No. 72 against world No. 131. Malaysia will play Cape Verde in a Tier 1 international friendly at KLFA Stadium on May 29 and in a closed-door test match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 3. While fans are excited over Cape Verde's visit, memories of Malaysian football's most embarrassing moment — the Zimbabwean hoax of 2009 — have come flooding back. At that time, Harimau Malaya were duped into facing a club side, Monomotapa United, who posed as the Zimbabwe national side. The African visitors donned national colours in Kuala Lumpur, with people posing as Zimbabwe coaching staff. The FA of Malaysia (FAM) was not amused, and accused the Zimbabwe Football Association of deception and disrespect. Monomotapa lost 4-0 in the first match and 1-0 in the second to Malaysia. National coach Datuk K. Rajagobal had then said that he was told it was the "real Zimbabwe squad". From 2008 to 2009, Harimau Malaya played five matches against teams claiming to represent African nations, including Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Lesotho, but questions lingered over the authenticity of some of these line-ups. Now, after 16 years, Malaysia are set to play another African nation, Cape Verde. Inevitably, questions are being raised again — will it be the real Cape Verde? Former Football Coaches Association of Malaysia vice-president Dr Zulakbal Abd Karim said such incidents had happened before, but he trusts FAM's current leadership. "In the past, it could have happened, African teams coming here, claiming to be something. But I believe FAM has experts like Harimau Malaya CEO (Rob Friend) and they would know more than us. "Secondly, the info and media reports show a team of high calibre, and when they come, we will know if it's the first or second team. We have professionals to do a background check," said Zulakbal. Meanwhile, football observer Sayf Ismail said while it is important for Malaysia to play higher-ranked teams, he warned of the potential pitfalls. "It's a good move to play teams better than us. But we also have to ensure they send a competitive team and not junior teams or highly experimental teams. "But it's their prerogative to send those they feel can win, and they have their priorities to test out younger players against Malaysia. "But we have to make sure that the negotiations and understanding between both the countries are mutually beneficial."
