Teong Kim keeps professional stand

Kuala Lumpur: The disappearance of Mokhtar Dahari Football Academy director, Lim Teong Kim after the 2018 Asian Football Confederation Under-16 Champion ended is perhaps the way to go.

The former Bayern Munich youth squad assistant coach failed to meet the target of entering the semi-finals which he set himself and saw Malaysia miss earning an automatic slot to the Under-17 World Cup finals scheduled to be held in Peru from Sept 17 to Oct 8 next year.

Teong Kim, 55, was immediately sacked by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after losing 0-2 to Japan in the last Group A match.

However, the former national player from Melaka who was known for grooming several current leading German footballers such as Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Philipp Lahm in his 12-year career since 2001, continued to maintain his silence.

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National football legend and senior to Teong Kim, Khalid Ali considered his action as appropriate reflecting his attitude as a professional coach.

"He has lived in Germany for so long and his attitude is like other international coaches. They are professional. What he is doing, is the best.

"After what had happened, he felt he was right but others are blaming him. So there is no need to raise issues which would further complicate matters," he said.

Teong Kim, has a contract with AMD under the National Football Development Project to 2020.

Khalid sees Teong Kim as the right man to prepare the national football development programme when appointed to the post in 2013 as the national youth squad did achieve various successes at international level.

Among the historic victories were 2015 Iber Costa del Sol Cup which is a prestigious youth football tournament in the world as well as emerging champions in the 2016 SuperMokh Cup apart from attaining the top three position in several invitational series.

Nonetheless, Teong Kim became a hot subject of discussion among local football fans when Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman revealed that he was drawing a salary of RM175,000 a month which drew various reactions from netizens.

While admitting that there is no shortcut to success, Khalid who was among the key figures in the national squad's successful campaign to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympics felt Teong Kim should be retained as AMD director.

"He should not be dismissed straight away and we cannot let him go. The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) or FAM should take find a way out...call him to discuss and maybe give him the responsibility to handle all youth development programmes. Stop pointing fingers. His experience in Germany is very valuable. In Malaysia, we do not have coaches of such wide and unique experience as him," Khalid added.

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Bernama learns that Teong Kim has returned to Germany to spend time with his family while awaiting a decision on his status as AMD director which is expected to be known next month.

Efforts by Bernama to contact Teong Kim on his latest development failed when he maintained his professional stand in declining to comment on his status as AMD director before a final decision is made. – Bernama

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