KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Thirty-two football clubs, including two
from Penang and another from Perak, will battle it out in the second 1Malaysia
Cardiff City (1MCC) Under-12 League in Sungai Buloh near here from March 3.
1MCC and Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited chairman Datuk Chan
Tien Ghee said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was expected to
kick-off the league at the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) on March 31.
Sanctioned by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the league, which
was previously known as the 1MCC Junior Football (1MCC-JFL) Under-12 League,
will see 32 teams divided into two groups playing 15 matches each on weekends at
the RRI with 16 teams (eight from each group) squaring off in the knock-out
stage.
The champions will walk away with RM10,000 and a trophy while the
runners-up, RM5,000 and a trophy, the second runners-up, RM1,500, and the fourth
place team, RM1,000.
Chan said he would personally scout for promising players from the
tournament for a trial stint at the club''s academy in Wales.
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SPORTS- FOOTBALL (1MCC) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
"The championship is not about chasing prize money, but rather developing
grassroots football and skills," he told reporters after the league''s team
managers meeting here today.
Meanwhile, 1MCC operations and competition director Gobi Nair said besides
the under-12 league, 1MCC would hold the under-14 league from May to July and
the under-16 league from October to December.
"We expect 28 local teams to take part in the two leagues and we will be
sending out invitations to the clubs, but we will have the final say whether to
accept or reject them," he added.
-- BERNAMA
MCYS HK MB