APART from the Japanese, who qualified for their first-ever World Cup in Johor Bahru, the football world knew little of Johor until the arrival of Johor Darul Ta'zim FC (JDT).
Their 3-2 win over Iran in the 1999 World Cup qualifiers at the Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin has established Johor as a must-visit tourist destination for avid Japanese football fans.
To this day, the Johor-Japan Football Gallery at the aforementioned stadium still attracts Japanese tourists (at least they did before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic).
Since JDT was established by HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor in 2013, the emergence of The Southern Tigers has shone a spotlight on Johor.
While their success on the pitch needs no introduction, their infrastructure is sure to attract the attention of regional football teams and fans, especially those looking to add Asia into their travel itinerary.
As the most advanced football-only stadium in Southeast Asia, the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium is among the best stadiums in Asia.
Although it is an upgrade from the old Larkin Stadium, don't let the latter's age fool you as it had quite a remarkable field.
More importantly, the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium pitch is among the finest ─ a far cry from the poor standards experienced by foreign teams on previous occasions at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium or the Shah Alam Stadium.
Remember when Lionel Messi & company refused to play a friendly match at Bukit Jalil in 2013? That would not be the case if it was the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
Even the JDT Training Centres at Padang Seri Gelam (senior team) and Padang Mawar (Juniors) have quality pitches.
The recent expansion of its senior team facility has brought with it the first football club-owned medical & fitness centre in the region while the proposed new training centre for all JDT teams is set to be among the finest in Asia.
With quality fields, stadiums and facilities, Johor could even play host to an international tournament let alone teams on their pre-season Asian Tour.
It may only be a matter of time before this happens, seeing that the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan, who ─ according to Goal.com ─ were considering a match against JDT as part their 2020 pre-season tour before talks were scuppered by the ongoing pandemic.
A Brazil national team delegation, who visited JDT ahead of a friendly match in Singapore in 2019, was also said to be impressed and expressed interest in making Johor their base if the Selecao were in this part of the world.
In lieu of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Johor may as well be promoting itself to international teams, who are in search of pre-tournament bases to acclimatise to the hot weather, through JDT and its world-class facilities. ─ The Vibes, 21 January, 2021
Former journalist Vijhay is Head of Content at Johor Darul Ta'zim FC following stints with Malay Mail, Sports247.my, FourFourTwo Malaysia and FOX Malaysia. You may have also heard him on BFM Football or watched him on Media Prima's football programmes. Vijhay can be reached at @vijhayvick on Twitter.
.jpg)
