KLUANG – Mohd Noh Yaacob, Hassan Miskam and Salehan Mat Som were among former players who participated in a charity football match to commemorate the services of the late Malaysian legend Serbegeth Singh, or better known as ‘Shebby Singh’, at the Kluang Stadium here last night.
The match was organised by a non -governmental organisation (NGO) known as The Friendship Circle, which brought together former national footballers from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
Former national player and former national coach Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah, who is also a representative of the NGO, said the match featured many former national players and also a club from this district known as Kluang All Stars.
Interestingly, all the players wore jersey number 3 in respect of the jersey number worn by Shebby Singh in his heyday.
“One of the reasons this match was held here (Kluang) was because Shebby came from this district. This match managed to gather his friends here as well as former national players,” he told Bernama after the match.
Mohd Azraai explained that the NGO that brought together the former players who had succeeded in making Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei famous in football, have been actively carrying out charitable activities in the development of football since it was established in 2015.
Before the match, a free football clinic was also held at the Kluang Stadium to identify young talents in the district.
“This programme to find hidden talent among children is being held nationwide free of charge with former national players imparting the correct techniques in playing football.
“Participants will also have the opportunity to hear the experiences and ups and downs of the former players, before they succeeded in the world of football,” he said.
In the charity match, Kluang All Stars managed to beat the team of former national players 3-2.
Shebby Singh, 61, died while out cycling in Sunway Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru at about 7.30pm on January 12.
Donning the national jersey in 1982, Shebby Singh then collected 61 caps representing the country until his retirement after playing against England at the Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur in 1991. – Bernama, March 20, 2022
