ALOR SETAR: The late Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah, who served as the coach for the Kedah football team between 2004 and 2009, has been described as a dedicated person who always had the players’ best interests at heart.
Former Kedah Football Association (KFA) president, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, said that Mohd Azraai Khor, 72, not only wanted the management to focus on the players’ salaries and bonuses, but also on the welfare of their families.
“When I was Kedah Menteri Besar, we won three trophies in 2007 and a hat-trick (of the championship) in 2008, which was a great and proud achievement for football in Kedah.
“He was a dedicated coach; hardworking, and passionate about football,“ said Mahdzir, after visiting the family of the late Mohd Azraai Khor, who passed away on Thursday (Feb 8) due to a stroke.
According to Mahdzir, Mohd Azraai Khor once said that the management should look after the welfare of the players and their families so that they can concentrate better on training and matches.
On the issue of salary arrears, which Kedah Darul Aman (KDA FC) players are currently said to be facing, Mahdzir, who is also Kedah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said that the responsible parties should try to find a solution and not just blame other parties.
“KDA FC is a company set up by the government through the KFA. One cannot arbitrarily say that it’s your fault because you didn’t pay the salary, and then the other person says it’s your fault because you didn’t pay the money. The reality is that salaries have not been paid for five months, so you collectively take responsibility,” he said.
Meanwhile, former KFA vice-president, Datuk Othman Aziz, believes that the association is still responsible for ensuring the success of football in Kedah, even though the team has been privatised.–Bernama
