KUALA LUMPUR - It will be interesting to see how the Malaysian Football League (MFL) will run the M-League this season with no sponsors on board.
Malaysian football fell into the doldrums last year after sponsors, such as CIMB, Air Asia and Shopee decided to pull the plug after the sport was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a recent development, it was understood that another sponsor, 100Plus, could be the latest in a string of casualties. Although their sponsorship is in kind, they are still looking to quit the M-League.
A source in the football fraternity told The Vibes that the sport’s current uncertainty is the reason why sponsors are shying away from the M- League.
"The present situation that MFL finds itself in is saddening, to say the least. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a major problem for Malaysian football and the government's reluctance to allow sports, particularly football, to get underway has dampened the hopes of sponsors working with the MFL.
"Of course, sponsors are wary because no one knows what the Government will decide to do next," the source said.
Although it has been revealed that potential sponsors, such as Farm Fresh, Lazada and AXA Affin Insurance, have been approached by the MFL, there has been no response.
"The MFL is working around the clock to secure sponsors for this season, which kicks off next week, but for now, nothing is currently working in their favour," said the source.
Meanwhile, UiTM University senior lecturer, Mohd Sadek Mustaffa, said that although the MFL is in a difficult situation right now, he added that the football industry’s school of thought differs from that of the sponsors, who aren’t willing to take such a risk during these challenging times.
“There is no guarantee that the M-League will not be postponed or cancelled this season, citing that the Government could stop all sporting activities if the cases increase significantly. To get sponsors to come in, MFL will need to guarantee them that the M-League will not face any disruption.
“If you look at how football is resuming elsewhere, I am quite sure that the MFL and the government can work something out to benefit the sports industry.
“The Ministers should come forth and make that decision because we all know that football is an industry unto itself and many livelihoods depend on the continuation of the sport.
“All the other FA’s in the world have a unique way of handling the pandemic. That is why even when the players are infected with the Covid-19 virus, the game does not stop. Our guys here need to think of a way to handle the situation and not resort to postponing or cancelling the league when there is a surge in cases,” he told The Vibes.
Sadek also mentioned that instead of waiting for the government to provide the vaccine, MFL should take the initiative to purchase it for the players, officials and all those involved in Malaysian football, adding that they could work with the respective clubs to get this done.
“I also suggested to the MFL to change the format and create a ‘zoning bubble’ where you can have teams from the respective zones play against each other based on their (north, south, east and west) bubble first before moving to the other zones,” he said after he was brought in by MFL for his input.
“For example; you will have Johor Darul Ta’azim, Melaka United and Negeri Sembilan FC in South Zone play against each other first. This way, you can contain the situation and lower the risk.
“They can use the same method for the FA Cup and also the Malaysia Cup,” said Sadek, who teaches Sports Science in UiTM.
The Vibes believes that Sadek’s suggestions will not only enable the M-League to continue without any disruptions, it will help the MFL convince sponsors to come on board even in the face of an extended MCO. ─ The Vibes, 26 February, 2021
