PETALING JAYA - Mini football enthusiasts or amateurs who love to play the game in small groups on small fields will now have a national-level association to be their voice and rule-maker following the formation of the Mini Football Malaysia (MiFoM) today.
MiFoM president Tengku Datuk Seri Ahmad Shah Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah said the aim was to promote mini football, which is gaining popularity worldwide, to all Malaysians.
He said mini football, which is a six-a-side game and defined as ‘small-sided football open for amateur players’, had vast potential among people of all ages and social status, especially among school students.
“Hopefully this can be a proactive step towards overcoming the lack of football fields as a result of rapid development in our country. The facility needed, one football field and two playing venues can save a lot of space, apart from not requiring any specific equipment like futsal.
“The size of the field is small and can attract more participants, including women. With six players per team, it will also give the players the space and opportunity for self-development in terms of individual skills,” he said during MiFoM’s first annual general meeting at Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS) here today.
Meanwhile, MiFoM general secretary Datuk Yap Nyim Keong said girls were highly encouraged to participate in the game.
“We need at least 36 players to play the normal 11-a-side game. But with mini football, we can form four teams with 36 players, making it easier for girls to play, though their group is small,” he said.
Commenting on the rules, the former Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) assistant secretary, said the game was similar to futsal, but could be played on a natural field or artificial turf, with the size of the pitch being 46-50 metres in length and 26-30 metres wide.
A match will be played in two halves of 25 minutes each, with a 10-minute interval.
MiFoM Executive Committee
President: Tengku Datuk Seri Ahmad Shah Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah
Deputy president: Datuk Soh Chin Aun
Vice-presidents: Suhaimi Sun Abdullah, Brig Gen (rtd) Datuk Norhuda Ahmad, Datuk Lawry Aster, Zainal Ahmad
General Secretary: Datuk Yap Nyim Keong
Treasurer: Datuk V. Ampega
Committee Members: Tony Mariadass, Amir Shairifuddin Wong, C. Nadarajan, Richard Wee, S. Supramaniam. - Bernama, April 8, 2021
