KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry will provide financial backing to the national Under-23 football team in their bid to retain the Myanmar SEA Games gold medal in December.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim said yesterday that they would absorb one-third of the football team’s total expenditure to help them to achieve their goal.

“We want to ensure our football team defend the gold medal. We’ll provide financial assistance for the team’s training and competitions this year. We’ll also monitor their performances in competitions to make sure they are doing well,” he said after chairing the national football development committee meeting at the National Sports Council (NSC) Complex in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Razali said that the FA of Malaysia (FAM) had submitted the national team’s programme for the year and they would assist the association for Malaysia to win their third consecutive gold medal in the biennial Games.

The national Under-23 team won the gold in Laos (2009) and Jakarta (2011).

FAM secretary general Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad declined to reveal the amount needed by the Under-23 team for their preparations.

The Under-23 team are under pressure to retain the SEA Games title after the senior side failed to defend the AFF Suzuki Cup last year when they lost to Thailand in the semi-finals.

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