THE MYANMAR Football Federation (MFF) has announced that the domestic premier football league will take the name Myanmar League in the upcoming 2005-2006 season, which will start on August 4.

“We decided to change the name as the first step toward becoming a professional league,” said MFF’s president, U Zaw Zaw.

He said the opening ceremony for the new season will take place at Thuwunna Youth Training Centre on August 4.

Myanmar Premier League’s top teams, the Finance team and the Commerce team, will play a special match in the opening ceremony.

The chairman of the organisation committee, U Tin Aung, said that the federation is aiming to run the league more systematically than before.

“To have a professional league, we need to be very organised,” U Tin Aung said.

Myanmar Premier League matches were held on random days in previous seasons, but Myanmar League matches will be held only on weekends.

There will be four venues for Myanmar League games: Aung San Stadium, Thuwunna Youth Training Centre, Padonmar Stadium and Salin Ground.

U Zaw Zaw said, “Since league games are held on weekends, players can spend more time in training.

“National team members can also play for their home clubs while they are training with the national team.”

U Tin Aung said, “We have fixed the schedule so that league games will end in May next year, and we will start the next season in June.

“We have also created a disciplinary committee to organise the league in accordance with international standards.”

U Zaw Zaw said, “Qualified coaches and referees are essential for a professional league. That’s why we did our best to upgrade our local coaches and referees.”

MFF ran an international coaching course in the middle of July in cooperation with the Federation de International Football Association (FIFA). It has also run a number of coaching and refereeing courses conducted by local instructors.

U Zaw Zaw also recognises that financial support plays an important role in paving the way to professional status. He has arranged sponsored tournaments to increase revenues.

Myanmar League comprises 16 teams, as did the Myanmar Premier League. Two teams from MPL, Ruby Dragon and Malikha, have been relegated to Division One, while Division One’s top performers, Railway Transport and Son Ye, have been promoted to Myanmar League.

Meanwhile. Myanmar’s under 20 football team is looking to break away from the pack at the ASEAN Football Federation Under 20 Youth Football Tournament in Indonesia from August 5 to 19.

“We want to be the champions, or at least to enter the semi-finals,” said the team’s head coach, U Tin Han.

Myanmar has been assigned to Group A of the tournament along with Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and the host Indonesia. Group B consists of Vietnam, Laos, Maldives, East Timor and Singapore.

U Tin Han said the main rivals would be Thailand and the host team, Indonesia.

“Thailand is powerful and so is Indonesia. They will come well-prepared.”
But U Tin Han said that he does believe the can reach the semi-finals.

Myanmar’s under 20 team participated in Euro-Asia Sport Festival in Thailand in June. Myanmar defeated Indonesia 3-1 in the group stage and made it to semi-finals, where they lost to Thailand 2-1.

After Euro-Asia Sport Festival, the team was reinforced by talented youth players from the Myanmar Premier League.

U Tin Han, who played defender for the national team in the 1960s, said he prefers playing defensively.

“I will use the formations of 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 so that eight or nine players can support the defence and five the attack.”

U Tin Han said he was pleased with the team’s current condition.

“My training focused on building endurance,” he said, “and now the team’s endurance level is satisfactory.”

THE MYANMAR national baseball team leaves for Japan on August 1 for two months of training as it prepares to participate in Southeast Asia Games 2005 in November.

U San Maung Myint, general secretary of the Myanmar Baseball Federation, said the team was invited by the Japan Baseball Federation.

‘’I am proud that it was the first time the JBF has invited a foreign team,” said U San Maung Myint.

He said the training will be a good opportunity for the Myanmar team to gain international experience as well as to learn new techniques.

‘’Because of the monsoon season, we can’t practice well here,” he said.

The team has only been able to train indoors since the start of monsoon in May.

The Myanmar team will camp at Inashiki, 30 kilometres from Tokyo, and play several friendly matches with local baseball clubs.

Three Japanese coach the 10-member team, including head coach Mr Toru Iwasaki, who has been with the team since early 2000.

U San Maung Myint said the federation is targeted to take home a medal in the SEA games, although the team has never been participated in an international tournament.

He said the host team in the Philippines and Thailand’s team are the main rivals.

Mr Kitazaki Shuichi, an assistant coach who has been with the team for nine months, said the players are gradually improving and are hoping to get good result at SEA games.

‘’They now play baseball as baseball should be played,” he said.

U San Maung Myint said the training program in Japan is being funded by the Japan High School Baseball Federation and Nippon Professional Baseball Commission via grants for ¥1.5 and ¥1 million respectively.

He said the estimated cost for the training is ¥4 million and that more Japanese sponsors are expected.