Fadhil Yunus
The Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (FABD) continues their initiative to develop grassroots football in the country following a grassroots under-12 inter-district friendly match between the Belait under-12 team and the Tutong under-12 team at the FABD Field ‘A’ yesterday.
FABD Head of Grassroots Development Unit Haji Rozaimienizam bin Haji Jainal said, “The idea (to have a grassroots friendly) is to have the best players coming from the clubs in the particular district.”
He continued, “For example, we have clubs and academies in the Tutong District, so the Tutong District Amateur Football Association (TDAFA) will scout the players and call them up to represent Tutong.
“We are organising every Friday morning and we wish to invite them here. We start with the district representatives this week and next week we will probably invite the academies.
“It will be a smaller version like five-a-side games. So, we can start to scout players for the national programme.”
The players will be absorbed into a five-day national programme where they will attend training and be introduced to fitness and conditioning as well as team building activities.
“We will try to provide or offer a national programme. We do have a player’s educational programme that all players centralise from all four districts.”
In 2019, FABD scouted 16 players and brought them to Vietnam to provide international exposure and subsequently, into a youth development programme.
Young players made available from clubs are scouted to represent the district at district level before embarking into a national programme.
This year, the players are born in 2010 and 2011 with FABD planning to lower the age group next year targetting players born in 2012 and 2013.
He concluded, “We want to have this kind of environment so people can get the idea and the coaches and the district’s FA will start to scout the best players and bring them here.”
