KUALA LUMPUR: The empowerment of women’s football needs the full support of various parties, especially from the aspect of publicity in counteracting the negative perception of women’s involvement in the sport, said newly-elected FA of Malaysia (FAM) Women’s executive committee member Dr Siti Faidul Maisarah Abdullah.
The senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) said the responsibility of highlighting the potential of a career in football should be shouldered together in order to dispel negative perceptions and doubts that women’s football cannot guarantee a future.
“For most people, women’s football is nowhere to be found and this is what we have to change. To change such perceptions, not only us at FAM, but all parties must shoulder the responsibility.
“We actually need publicity, we need promotion, because if people out there don’t know women’s football, we get less attention. We need help from all parties so that women’s football can get a shot-in-the arm as well as a better introduction,” she told reporters after FAM’s 57th Congress in Putrajaya yesterday.
She explained that a deeper focus and long-term preparation for the national team is very important so that the country’s women’s football arena is not left behind and is able to move in line with other national teams.
She opined that efforts to develop women’s football should always move forward and that preparing the national team should not only be when facing tournaments, but always at the same time to make football a career.
“But sometimes we have problems, we will have obstacles to take women’s football further. With enthusiasm, strategy and tactics, we will try to increase our efforts so that people out there know our capabilities in the women’s football arena,” she said.
Siti Faidul Maisarah, who started to be active in the women’s football arena since 2018, was entrusted the responsibility to be the manager of the Melaka United FC women’s squad and under her charge the team won the Tun Sharifah Rodziah Cup in 2019.
She is among eight new faces who were elected for the FAM leadership line-up for the 2021-2025 term.
“New faces along with new ideas and information can help further improve the quality of national football and help the association to go further,” she said.
Besides her, another FAM women’s executive committee member seat was filled by Datuk Suraya Yaacob, who successfully defended it. – Bernama
