PETALING JAYA: Former national footballer James Wong has warned of an eventual loss of interest in the sport because of a dearth of fields on which to play it.
Speaking to FMT, he noted that large numbers of football grounds in Kuala Lumpur had had to give way to concrete structures in the past four decades.
Those grounds were like second homes to the country’s best footballers and Wong lamented that their absence today had deprived neighbourhoods of the football culture and community spirit that used to nurture talent in the game.
He said: “Interest in football among youngsters is still there, but what good is it if you cannot play the sport? Sooner or later, the interest will cease.”
Wong was a striker in the national football team in the 1980s.
He said more and more people were switching to futsal because of the availability of facilities for it.
However, he noted, not everyone could afford the rent for futsal courts, making it something of an exclusive pastime.
He also complained that there was now too much bureaucracy in the management of sports facilities.
“Forty years ago, we could play football anywhere we wanted,” he said. “I used to train my skills on a rugby field.
“Nowadays, everything requires permission from multiple parties. You also have to prepare the paperwork.”
He said the lack of fields could be an indication that the government no longer considers football as something to give importance to.
“Maybe the government has no vision anymore to improve the local football industry or maybe there’s a lack of interest in sports,” he said.
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