With the Sarawak Football Association (FAS) General Meeting coming this Saturday, it seems likely that new faces would emerge within the FAS exco line-up with many bowing out due to the pressure of the job.
The hot seat however would likely be the president’s seat, which is currently helmed by Datu Sudarsono Osman, whom is an influential figure within Sarawak.
Under Sudarsono, FAS emerged from the dark ages of Sarawak football, and emerged as one of Malaysia’s football powerhouse by winning the league in 2013, and then automatically gaining promotion into the top tier Liga Super. We managed to talk to Sudarsono on a few occasions and it was clear that he had deep love for Sarawak football, and only wanted the best for the team, and his home state Sarawak.
In fact, we would go as far as saying that Sudarsono had done quite a remarkable job as president so far, and that his plans for the future are nothing short of impressive, if they could be implemented.
Unfortunately however, Sarawak’s inconsistent record in the Liga Super, as well as a poor run of results in the youth leagues, have prompted fans to blame Datu Sudarsono and his team with a large number asking for a change in management. It is an unfair assessment, but Sarawak fans in general, are not known for their patience.
An elaborate scheme by some quarters to tarnish the image of specific people in FAS had also caused an uproar among locals, who now believe that the current management had misused their power and finances for personal gains, despite the fact that there is no proof of this. The amount of hate comments the management receive on social media alone can reach hundreds in one day, and that does not include the derogatory remarks which are deleted.
With so much pressure, it is understandable to hear that Sudarsono will likely not seek another term as FAS President when FAS holds its general meeting this Saturday. In fact, talk of the town, including discussions with close sources to us within the football fraternity, reveal that a politician would likely get the top post in FAS.
We were also told in recent years that the current head of state, Tun Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud, had asked Sudarsono to helm FAS for a short period of time to elevate Sarawak football, and that such agreement has come to an end with Sarawak now back on it’s feet. The truth of such information however remains unknown.
Nonetheless, shall the rumour of Sudarsono stepping down as President be true, it is rightly a huge loss to Sarawak football although it is undeniable that perhaps new wind might just ring some positive changes to the football scene of Sarawak.
Football observers however might argue that a change in management would not necessarily mean a change in how things are done within FAS, and that a new man, be it a politician, or a common man, would not be able to transform Sarawak football if the whole association is manage like a ‘charity association’, and not a professional money making football club.
