FAM set to conduct quarantined-style national training

The same method, if approved, will be used to prepare the national Under-19 team for the AFC Championship in Uzbekistan in October.

FAM, who welcomed the government's announcement yesterday to allow the restart of training activities, will prepare the SOP amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The quarantined-based centralised training will adopt some of the guidelines used for the Road to Tokyo programme to prepare athletes for next year's Olympic Games.

It would mean that the national trainees, coaches and officials will have to be based at Wisma FAM (hostel) in Kelana Jaya during the centralised training period. And they will not be allowed to go outside Wisma FAM to meet family and friends during their stay.

As from June 15, all teams and clubs will be allowed to conduct non-contact training under a strict SOP, which includes social distancing of between three metres and five metres.

Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, however, said if teams want to conduct physical contact training, their association will have to submit an SOP to the government for approval.

The FAM feel that non-contact training won't be effective to prepare their national senior and youth teams for international assignments.

"FAM are all primed with the SOP that details out the training guidelines for the national team and will conduct an internal discussion to coordinate the next steps for centralised training.

"The discussion will centre on the national senior and Under-19 teams ahead of their international assignments.

"It will be followed by an SOP for the quarantine-based approach centralised camp, which we will soon submit to the Sports Ministry," said FAM secretary-general in a statement yesterday,

The Malaysian Football League (MFL) will announce the training SOP for teams competing in the M-League soon.

"The MFL will be in touch with the clubs and provide an in-depth guideline to comply with the SOP.

"For football academies, especially those involved with grassroots development programmes, the back-to-training SOP, regulated by FAM, will be disseminated accordingly as soon as possible after its content is aligned with the current National Security Council guidelines.

"For social and recreational football activities, FAM will recommend guidelines to be observed by the relevant parties as a precautionary measure to curb the Covid-19 pandemic."

With the latest development, the September restart for the M-League is likely to happen.