The Coach: K. Rajagobal
Firstly, happy birthday to the highly respected individual in Malaysia whom he restored credibility and pride to Malaysian football, Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal! Who turns 62 years old today.
After the disastrous football showcase in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. Malaysian football needed a lift. No, that wasn’t the form of Malaysia v Manchester United in the 2009 friendlies. That was the showing of the national football team in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. Prior to that, the success in the 2009 SEA Games with the under-23 squad. Which in hindsight, the 2009 success incited a belief for years to come, “Hey something is actually happening.”
Context, I only started watching Malaysian football closely in 2009 right after the 2-3 exhibition friendly against Manchester United. Before that, Malaysian football has been just a background thought, it’s there, but never really took a real good close at it. However, these days, local football basically eats up most of my daily life, as you can see via my Twitter account, haha aha. And I thank Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal for my Malaysian football awakening. I knew when Amri Yahyah scored those two goals against the red team from Manchester, it wasn’t a fluke, it was deliberate. From where, from training, who trained the players, the head coach and his backroom coaching staff.
Of course change does not happen over one game of football. Change happens gradually over a series of football matches. Keep it mind, in order to create that change going forward. It takes a leader, a teacher with the right exceptional qualities to get the best from his players, students and his colleagues. Leading a collective towards a target that they all want to be successful as a team. Willing to make a guess, if you were to ask his former staff and players about coach. Most of them will note a lot of positive qualities about the man. Look at the Coach Tan Cheng Hoe, Safiq Rahim, Norshahrul and others they owe their respective careers to Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal.
During his tenure as the national football team head coach. He lifted the mood around Malaysian football, something thought was difficult to achieve since the issue in the 1990’s. Of course, when someone, a collective wants to create something positive there are forces comes into the fray giving challenges for them to hurdle, on or off the pitch. An example off the football field, the aggressively vocal fans giving him and the team a hard time on social media and on the stands. Shows there’s still a lot of work for us, the fans, to work on, slowly but surely.
“This is Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal. Coach served 5 years with the Malaysian National Football Team, 2009-2013. During his tenure, coach & his team collectively united the nation. Coach is the reason for my Malaysian Football awakening in 2009.
When Amri Yahyah scored those two fantastic goals against Manchester United. I knew then something was happening in Malaysian Football behind the scenes. Especially from the training ground.
Slowly watching the local game closely. Surely watching the Malaysian game passionately.
The work & the legacy of Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal with the Malaysian National Football Team are the reasons why I want to fight for Malaysian Football. From grassroots upwards.
Today, February 25, 2017. I had the opportunity to moderate Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal session, “The attributes & mentality required for community football to leap to professional football” during Selangor Football Day 2017.
It was an honour to be in his presence as well as to learn so much from Coach within a span of time.
Thank you, Coach Datuk K. Rajagobal for inspiring me a long time ago & still continuing to do so. There is still a lot of work to be done in Malaysian football, you have given incoming generation to aim for. We will keep it up, transcend & make you & every Malaysians around the world proud of Malaysian football.” -From my personal and private social media status update after Selangor Football Day 2017, February 25, 2017