Studying the gambit of importing players

Dear Editor,

I'M QUITE happy to see Brunei's favourite team — DPMM FC — rejoining the S-League after the FIFA ban.

One issue that needs to be discussed is the fact that Bruneian local players being too dependent on foreign players.

If you look back at Brunei team's participation in the Malaysian League way back in the '90s, there was a lot of emphasis on importing players. And this is ironic that Brunei's football success depends on foreign players.

It is a known fact that Brunei's successful run in the Malaysian League then was due to the importing of players.

But when it comes to the Sea Games in which only local players have to participate, Brunei's performance is far from satisfactory.

I read recently that some coaches favour importing players. It is also being argued thatbringing players from outside would help in boosting theconfidence and honing the skillsof the local players.

Well, this may be true,but there's also a possibility ofthe local players being overshadowed and sidelined due to the conspicuous presence of the foreign players.

Yes, it's true, the imported players would bring experience with them and inject a sort of thrill in the game. But there should also be a plan to expose our local players to more international games.

And it may also help if the imported players are from the Southeast Asian region as they understand the Asian culture and play the type of football that Brunei does.

That way, local players can relate as well as embrace the kind of experience needed to excel.

Football in Love