Can football do without Manilal Fernando?

Can football in the country do without Manilal Fernando? The answer would be a deafening NO. That is how indispensable Manilal Vernon Fernando is to, the primarily poor man's game.

Similarly boxing can't do without Dion Gomes and tennis without Suresh Subramaniam.

From the moment Fernando stepped on to the football field that was administration, he has been kicking goals for the game, the player and the administration.

To show their appreciation and gratitude to Fernando, the under-23 foot-ballers played some wonderful soccer, and won the silver medal at the SA Games. The locals played the better game in the final, but it was just one of those things that they could not win.

The other day at the Baddegana Training Centre it was a delighted and smiling Fernando who watched the soccerites and the management being rewarded with Rs. 100,000 each for their effort for winning a silver medal.

This squad of players are a talented bunch and have been trained to a nicety by Korean coach Jung Jung and his assistants Anthony Balendra and Damoderam Chandrasiri.

Fernando has been highly impressed by the efficient work done by this trio and is now moving to ask the Korean Football Federation to extend the contract of the coach.

From what I saw these players are highly talented and if allowed continuity should reach the level of the great players of the past such as Peter Ranasinghe, Mahinda Aluvihare, M.A. Ameer, A. Zainulabdeen, Edward Wickremasuriya, Denzil Walles, P.D. Sirisena, K.D. Somapala, Andrew Fernando, Karunapala Fernando M.A. Azeez, A. Appiah and Ranbanda to mention a few.

Fernando from the time he took to football management has had his share of critics. And what is unacceptable is that the critics are those who enjoyed and enriched their life styles through Fernando's largesse.

When they are being showered with the goodies, Fernando is god to them. But once they fail to deliver and are told so, they get to the touch lines and begin a different game and that is making wild allegations against him.

Not so long ago some of Fernando's critics managed to get the then Minister of Sports S.B. Dissanayake, to start an inquiry on the Football Federation and its administration, asking that it be dissolved and an interim administration allowed to run the game.

After the inquiry, Dissanayake was so annoyed with those who led him astray castigated them and gave football an unanimous vote of confidence. He was amazed at the good work that was being done by the administration, especially Fernando.

Today the AFC and FIFA will do anything for Fernando. In his winsome smile they see honesty and integrity and they know that above all they are dealing with a gentleman and would not hesitate to oblige. Fernando has only to ask. Football needs Fernando.

Aussies simply great

In a final that saw a no contest, the Australian cricketers led admirably as usual by Ricky Ponting won the DLF Trophy beating West Indies by 127 runs in a tournament that was played for the first time in Malaysia.

Initially, congratulations to the Malaysian Cricket Association for conducting a tournament that was a resounding success. The next under-19 World Cup is to be played in Malaysia, and if the manner in which they conducted this tourney is an indication, then the under-19 World Cup would also be a huge success.

The Aussies once again underlined why they are champions in both versions of the game. Sporting cricketing gear after a long lay off, they showed that they are fine-tuned for the ICC Champions Trophy which begins in India next month.

The Aussies success can be attributed to the surfeit of talent that they have. In this tournament they were experimenting and all their experiments brought them success. Their finds have been the left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. A lot should be heard of Johnson, while Haddin would be an ideal replacement for Adam Gilchrist.

Fiery Brett Lee too had a superb tourney and richly deserved the man-of-the-series award.

Although Shane Warne's comments were not well received when he said that the Aussies do not require a coach he was not trying to belittle the coach. Today facts are not accepted. Every Aussie knows what exactly he has to do and what is expected of him and the success.

In the final it was a pity the manner in which Brian Lara was ruled out caught behind. He showed his disappointment. He and Gilchrist are the only two players who would walk out if they are out. Also it was refreshing to see the return of Tony Greig as TV commentator. I hope he would be behind the mike in the ICC Champions trophy too.