By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, July 31 — The Unity Government coalition of Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in Selangor has set an audacious target of winning the elusive Asia Football Confederation (AFC) Cup within the next four years.
It also aims to win three major local footballing silverware by 2025, namely the Malaysia Cup, Super League and the biennial Sukma Games.
This was included as part of the manifesto announced by Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari tonight, which lays out a comprehensive plan to bolster the state’s football team, the Red Giants.
Amirudin said this would be done via top-notch talent recruitment and training.
“The coalition aims to empower the Akademi Bolasepak Merah Kuning (state football academy) by nurturing and developing 1,000 promising football talents in Selangor,” he said to an applauding crowd of some 2,000 Harapan and BN supporters in Dewan Raja Muda Musa, here on July 31.
“We aspire to win the treble of Malaysia Cup, Sukma Games and Super League by 2025 and win the AFC Cup by 2027.”
Amirudin said this is achievable, going by his experience in managing and leading the Selangor football team to two major accolades during his stint, winning the famous 33rd Malaysia Cup in 2015 and becoming the champion of the 2016 Sukma.
The manifesto dubbed the Kita Selangor Pledge: Unity for Stability, Continuity, and Prosperity in Selangor, listed 53 initiatives under five major thrusts for the next five years.
Other sports pledges include establishing the Kita Selangor e-Sports League, recognising e-Sports players as sports athletes, and fostering the development of the e-Sports industry as a new technological and economic opportunity.
Amirudin also vowed to establish a Kita Selangor e-Sports centre in each district in the state if given the mandate to rule the administration again.
