PJBM RECOMMENDS ASSISTANT HEAD COACHES IN SUPER LEAGUE MUST HAVE PRO A LICENCE

PETALING JAYA, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- The Football Coaches Association of Malaysia (PJBM) suggests that Pro A Licence (AFC Pro-Diploma) be required to be eligible to hold the position of assistant head coach in the Super League starting next season.

Its president Datuk Ong Kim Swee said the matter had been discussed in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Technical Committee and would be decided at the next FAM executive council meeting.

“This matter is at the final stage...the exco meeting will decide and if that happens it means all good for coaches who have a Pro Licence (Pro A Licence).

“But at the same time, it is not necessary that they (the club) will hire a local coach (who has a Pro A Licence). So we try to do our best but it’s up to each club,” he said after the opening of the International Football Coaching Seminar here today.

Earlier, FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram officiated the opening of the seminar which will last for two days starting from today.

For the record, only Super League head coaches are required to have a Pro A Licence from the 2020 season.

Meanwhile, the International Football Coaching Seminar organised by PJBM managed to attract the interest of 121 coaches from various backgrounds.

Kim Swee, who is also the manager of Sabah FC, said it was one of PJBM's plans to ensure that its members were given the latest inputs, including from the technical director from Japan who would give a briefing on the programmes he is managing.

“So this is a step to give information especially to our coaches who are involved with youth teams and senior teams, where it is important for us to learn something as each country has a different approach.

“I hope this symposium will be continued in the future and if we get a lot of support, of course in the future we will invite speakers from Europe to share plans especially at a higher level,” said the 53-year-old coach.

In a separate development, Kim Swee brushed aside claims that PJBM was less active and not functioning as claimed by the association’s former top leadership recently, saying that PJBM has not received any report from any coach facing problems so far.

-- BERNAMA