Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN JOHARI Hj Bungsu (pic) will always be remembered for more than just his passion and dedication for Brunei football. The former Najip FC coach passed away suddenly after collapsing during a friendly match on Thursday, sending shockwaves throughout the football community in the capital. A reliable football administrator, astute football pundit and staunch grassroots advocate, Johari was the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) secretariat when Brunei was suspended by FIFA from September 2009 to June 2011. He also guided Najip FC to the FA Cup final in 2014 after defeating Indera SC in the semi-finals. Najip FC’s national forward Azri Zahari is still saddened by the news and said Johari was his major inspiration for becoming a good striker. “I’m shocked and I still can’t believe it,” Azri told The Brunei Times yesterday. “He has always been a happy-go-lucky person and I really enjoyed his trainings. I feel sad with his passing and I pray for peace for him. “There were a lot of good things that he gave to us as a team... He gave me the chance to play as a striker from a defender. “He believed I could play up front and score, and I went on to play up front for the national team as a striker against Cambodia (in a friendly on Nov 3). I really learned a lot from him,” continued Azri. DPMM FC skipper Rosmin Hj Md Kamis will never forget Johari for his honesty as a pundit for state broadcaster Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB). “I would like to thank him for his dedication, determination and all the hard work for the love of football in the country,” said Rosmin. “He was a good man and honest in his criticism and comments of football matches. “He was a friend I will never forget and we will surely miss a real man like him. Condolences to his family,” he added. Like Rosmin, former national football coach Kwon Oh-son also feels Brunei football has lost a valuable friend. “He was a good friend of ours. The news of his fate at such a young age is a shock to us all,” said Kwon. “He provided good information for football fans and he loved us to learn through football. “He was a great teacher. He was always soft, kind, caring and loving. It is a great sorrow for all his friends. “He gave us a lot of love and good memories and I wish him eternal rest,” added the South Korean. Apart from his work as a pundit, Johari was also active in grassroots football. Johari headed the Brunei Sports School Soccer Academy as the coach and puts plenty of emphasis on grassroots football. He was also responsible for the annual Sports School Football Festival which features footballers under the age of 14. Former National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) general secretary Hj Muhd Zamri Dato Paduka Hj Hamdani also paid tribute to the late Johari. “He was a football activist who devoted most of his time to football,” said Hj Muhd Zamri. “With his help, the Sports School successfully organised football festivals annually. “He is a person who liked to update his knowledge by attending various courses organised by NFABD,” concluded the former general secretary. The Brunei Times - See more at:
http://www.bt.com.bn/sports-national/2016/07/29/brunei-football-mourns-passing-johari-hj-bungsu#sthash.cyd3ymVv.dpuf
BRUNEI is ready to host the second Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-14 Regional Festival of Football on Tuesday.
In a press conference held at the Orchid Garden Hotel in Berakas yesterday, the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) confirmed that a total of 180 players from 10 ASEAN countries will be competing at the four-day event.
NFABD acting competition director Dayem Hj Ali opened the meeting before NFABD general secretary Pg Hj Mohiddin Pg Badarudin conducted the briefing.
Similar to last year’s format, there will be no championship game for the festival — thus all the participating countries will only need to complete their matches in their respective group.
“The festival is focused on the higher elements of the sport at the grassroots level, specifically better skills development, as opposed to emphasising competing and winning,” said Pg Hj Mohiddin.
“We would like to thank the AFC for giving us (NFABD) the opportunity to organise this festival for the second time in a row following the resounding success of last year’s festival that attracted more than a thousand spectators,” he added.
Pg Hj Mohiddin also said that this year’s festival will see a number of new programmes initiated by NFABD with the support of AFC.
“Other than the football matches, we will also organise a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign which involves a seminar, a health awareness campaign and as well as an outreach programme,” he continued.
“With these programmes, we are hoping to educate the younger players about the importance of CSR as well as contributing back to the community,” added the NFABD general secretary.
Also present at the press conference yesterday were NFABD acting deputy president Hj Madli Mohamad Yusuf and assistant general secretary Pg Mohd Amirrizal Pg Hj Mahmud.
A total of 20 matches are set to be played at the Berakas Sports Complex and the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
The first match will see hosts Brunei taking on Myanmar following the opening ceremony which will be held at the Balapan Track and Field.
Led by head coach Stephen Ng Heng Seng, the national Under-14 team have been preparing over the past few months.
“The players trained very hard for this tournament and they also have played a number of friendly games recently against the Sabah Under-15 and Under-18 teams,” said acting competition director Dayem.
“Their results and performance in the past friendly games have been very promising and they are very close to ready… So we hope that they can give their best at the festival,” added Dayem.
The full schedule of the matches will be uploaded to the NFABD official website after the team managers’ meeting on Monday.
The main aim of the festival is to provide a continuous player development pathway from the grassroots to the elite level and ensure a smooth transition for elite players to the national team.
Sanctioned by AFC, the festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and other related agencies.
The Brunei Times
In a press conference held at the Orchid Garden Hotel in Berakas yesterday, the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) confirmed that a total of 180 players from 10 ASEAN countries will be competing at the four-day event.
NFABD acting competition director Dayem Hj Ali opened the meeting before NFABD general secretary Pg Hj Mohiddin Pg Badarudin conducted the briefing.
Similar to last year’s format, there will be no championship game for the festival — thus all the participating countries will only need to complete their matches in their respective group.
“The festival is focused on the higher elements of the sport at the grassroots level, specifically better skills development, as opposed to emphasising competing and winning,” said Pg Hj Mohiddin.
“We would like to thank the AFC for giving us (NFABD) the opportunity to organise this festival for the second time in a row following the resounding success of last year’s festival that attracted more than a thousand spectators,” he added.
Pg Hj Mohiddin also said that this year’s festival will see a number of new programmes initiated by NFABD with the support of AFC.
“Other than the football matches, we will also organise a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign which involves a seminar, a health awareness campaign and as well as an outreach programme,” he continued.
“With these programmes, we are hoping to educate the younger players about the importance of CSR as well as contributing back to the community,” added the NFABD general secretary.
Also present at the press conference yesterday were NFABD acting deputy president Hj Madli Mohamad Yusuf and assistant general secretary Pg Mohd Amirrizal Pg Hj Mahmud.
A total of 20 matches are set to be played at the Berakas Sports Complex and the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
The first match will see hosts Brunei taking on Myanmar following the opening ceremony which will be held at the Balapan Track and Field.
Led by head coach Stephen Ng Heng Seng, the national Under-14 team have been preparing over the past few months.
“The players trained very hard for this tournament and they also have played a number of friendly games recently against the Sabah Under-15 and Under-18 teams,” said acting competition director Dayem.
“Their results and performance in the past friendly games have been very promising and they are very close to ready… So we hope that they can give their best at the festival,” added Dayem.
The full schedule of the matches will be uploaded to the NFABD official website after the team managers’ meeting on Monday.
The main aim of the festival is to provide a continuous player development pathway from the grassroots to the elite level and ensure a smooth transition for elite players to the national team.
Sanctioned by AFC, the festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and other related agencies.
The Brunei Times
