KUALA LUMPUR - Following the increasingly serious outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, the Malaysian Football League (MFL) has decided that the 'Home-Based Training' method will no longer be used for teams in Movement Control Order (MCO) areas.
MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan in a statement today said that the move was being implemented in an effort to tighten Covid-19 prevention standard operating procedures (SOP) throughout the duration of the Malaysia League (M-League) 2021.
Ab Ghani stressed that they were required to comply with ‘Camp-Based Training’ only while the MCO is in force after a meeting with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), National Sports Council (MSN) and Ministry of Health (KKM) yesterday.
According to him, the sports bubble concept practised by M-League teams since Feb 15 will 'burst' if the teams in the MCO zones are allowed to undergo 'Home-Based Training'.
"Therefore, teams in the MCO areas are only allowed to undergo Camp-Based Training for the time being and they are not allowed to use the 'Home-Based Training' method.
"Camp-Based Training can start at any time once the team has applied to MFL whereby MFL will relay the team's application to KBS," he said.
Ab Ghani also updated on developments of teams in Sabah, Sarawak and Kedah, saying that as Sabah is under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), Sabah FC are allowed to undergo ‘Home-Based Training’.
However, he said Sarawak United FC and Sarawak FC have to undergo training sessions on the ‘Camp- Based Training’ method following the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee not allowing any sports activities to be held despite the state under CMCO status.
"Kedah Darul Aman FC (KDA FC) need to leave the Kota Setar area which is still under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) and undergo 'Camp-Based Training' in MCO or CMCO areas," he explained.
Meanwhile, he said that changes to the M-League fixtures once they resume in June and July are inevitable as Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) who will play in the Asian Champions League (ACL) in Thailand and KDA FC and Terengganu FC. (TFC) in the AFC Cup campaign in Singapore will be required to undergo quarantine for 14 days upon returning home.
"Besides that, the national team coming back (after June 11) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after playing in the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers will also undergo quarantine for 14 days, which is also one of the factors why the M-League schedule has to be changed," he said.
He also confirmed that M-League teams that are in ‘Camp-Based Training’ bubbles are allowed to organise friendly matches without spectators after obtaining permission from the police in their respective states. - Bernama, May 20, 2021
