KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh hopes the Harimau Malaya squad will continue to improve under the tutelage of new head coach Peter Cklamovski.
Hannah believes that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have properly scrutinised the Australian coach’s profile to ensure the former manager of Japan’s FC Tokyo has the right credentials to lead the Harimau Malaya.
“I want to wish the new head coach all the best. So, with the announcement of a new coach and new (RM15 million) funding, I hope the Harimau Malaya will continue to show improvement,“ she told reporters after the handing-over of the basketball court facility upgrading project in Taman Jinjang Baru, Kepong here today.
Yesterday, FAM announced Cklamovski as the national men’s football team’s new head coach, with the Australian set to officially take charge on Jan 1, 2025.
The 46-year-old worked for more than 15 years under current Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, guiding the Australian national team to win the 2015 Asian Cup and helping Yokohama F. Marinos clinch the J1 League (Japan League) title in 2019.
Cklamovski will replace interim head coach Pau Marti Vicente, with the Spaniard guiding the Harimau Malaya in the ongoing 2024 ASEAN Championship.
Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2025, announced a RM15 million allocation to support the country’s football development.
Meanwhile, Hannah urged organisers of motorsports events to prioritise safety according to guidelines set by the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) to ensure the fatality that occurred in Round Three of the Sandakan Drag Battle 2024 does not recur.
“I wish to express my deepest condolences to the driver’s family. Although the guidelines have been issued, such incidents still happen. I believe the police are investigating this incident and if organisers still refuse to comply with the guidelines, the police can take action,“ she said.
On Saturday, the Sandakan Drag Battle, which was not sanctioned by the MAM, saw Team Prostreet KB’s Abang Adib Abang Ali lose control of his Honda car and crash just past the finish line.
The 36-year-old Abang Adib died while receiving treatment at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan.
Meanwhile, the basketball court facility upgrading project, involving the construction of a roof as well as the upgrading of the court surface and backboard, was completed on Nov 20, with the project handing-over session also attended by Kepong Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng.
