RAUB: A total of seven more Akademi Tunas, a grassroots platform to produce back-up players under the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) will be opened this year, said Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker.
However, he said the locations of the academy have not been finalised and he was open to suggestions from any quarters regarding suitable areas for the training centres.
“Overall this year, the National Sports Council (NSC) aims to have 62 Akademi Tunas to train more budding players, and so far we have 55 academies.
“With the opening of several more academies, we can uncover more talents and hope parents can support and help their children’s interest in the sport of football,“ he told reporters after officiating the Tunas Raub Academy at the Tunas Muda Raub Complex here today which was also attended by NSC director general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail.
Akademi Tunas Raub is the 55th in Malaysia and the fourth in Pahang to start the football talent search, making it a football hub for children aged seven to 12 from around Raub, Lipis and Bentong.
According to Ti, more than 200 children had attended the audition before 120 were selected to the next stage, which is to start training at the academy.
Earlier, Ti in his speech said the NFDP programme was one of the platforms to cultivate a sports culture among children, apart from producing the country’s back-up players.
“This exposure needs to be continuous and implemented systematically so that the impact can be incisive and then produce great footballers one day,“ he said. - Bernama