KUALA LUMPUR – National futsal head coach Rakphol Sainetngam hopes that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will join hands to champion for his team’s participation in next year’s SEA Games, which is scheduled to take place in Thailand.
Futsal was not played in the 2023 Phnom Penh edition, and its inclusion in next year’s edition in Bangkok is still pending confirmation from the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).
The 45-year-old coach believes that participating in the biennial multi-sport event will be a boost for the country’s preparation for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup, especially after missing out this year.
Rakphol, who is under a two-year contract with FAM, replaced Chiew Chun Yong last year and is highly rated in the Thailand Futsal League.
Rakphol was named the best futsal coach in the Thai League from 2010 to 2017 and also coached in Indonesia, where he guided Indonesia’s Black Steel FC to the AFF Futsal Club Championship crown in Korat last year.
He is currently in Nonthaburi, Thailand, guiding his side at the 2024 National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) Futsal Championship, which is taking place from March 24-28.
Speaking to Scoop from Nonthaburi, Rakphol also said that missing out on the SEA Games would be a loss, citing that the sport is a medal-winning prospect for the country.
“Currently, we are focusing on reaching the final of the AFF Futsal Championship this year, and that’s our goal for now. But more than that, we want to play in the SEA Games next year.
“So far, we have not received any updates from OCM and FAM on whether we will be participating or not. But I hope we participate because we have an advantage at the SEA Games and we also have a proven track record of winning medals in the games.
“Hence, not playing in the SEA Games would be a waste for Malaysia. I just hope and pray that we will be given the green light to participate in the SEA Games.
“If we participate in the SEA Games, we will be aiming for the gold, and that’s the reason why I’m working hard with all the players to ensure that we increase our world ranking,” said Rakphol.
Malaysia’s men’s futsal team is ranked number 77 in the world out of 139 countries.
Malaysia has won a total of four medals in both the men’s (two silvers) and women’s (two bronze) categories at the SEA Games since futsal made its debut at the games in 2007.
Thailand is the futsal defending champion of the SEA Games, as they defeated Vietnam 2-0 in the final to clinch the gold in 2021. Malaysia’s Ekmal Shahrin emerged as the top scorer with four goals. – March 29, 2024