By BERNAMA / Graphic By ANIS SHAMSUL

THE decision by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to hold the national under-15 (U-15) squad’s centralised training at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur (KL), is seen as a move that is more wasteful than good.

Of the 30 players called up by national U-15 coach P Maniam for the two-week stint to prepare for the Under-16 AFC 2020 qualification tournament in September, only six are not based at the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (MDA) in Gambang, Pahang.

A Bernama source, who was once part of MDA and also the National Football Development Programme, said FAM’s decision would certainly incur huge costs besides affecting the academic sessions of MDA trainees.

“If they are to undergo training in KL, they are going to miss out on a lot of classes.

“If they are in Casa (the National Sports Council [NSC] athlete dormitories), there will not be classes big enough to accommodate all of them, unless they (classes) have been specially planned for them, but I know for a fact that new classes cannot be arranged at the Bukit Jalil Sports School.

“The same process would be much easier for the six non-MDA trainees if they train in Gambang, as they form a small group and can join classes there. That is much easier,” the source said.

On the overall costs, he said there could further savings if the centralised training, including two friendly matches against the Singaporean Under-15s, was held in Gambang instead.

“There will be daily allowances for players and coaches, so the cost is very much higher if training is held outside Gambang. Then there are the transportation, food and accommodation costs to think of as well.”

When these concerns were thrown to him, FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said that the NSC training camp is merely a change of environment, as well as to motivate them. — Bernama