As the guests subsided and my parents, aunts and uncles could finally sit down and sample the much-complimented fare the caterers prepared for my sister's wedding reception, I sat myself down among the people who, for the past 28 odd years, have always been a consistent and reassuring presence. "When it comes to my wedding," I declared to everyone, "I am definitely doing the Golok thing. You guys can come, but we're not having any of this kenduri shebang." Everyone laughed. It had been a hectic few days, and everyone was on the wrong side of exhausted three times over.

I came back home last week knowing full well that there was still quite a bit to do in terms of the wedding preparations, but I totally underestimated how much! This was the first wedding among in our family, and our parents weren't entirely sure of the specific traditions that were involved, which gave them jitters too, I suppose. The last few days leading up to the big day were the most tiring; and with half of the bride's family and helpers staying up until about 4 a.m. the night before the akad itself, a 9a.m. start the next morning was quite an experience. Everything went well, though, and the newlyweds are now off on an island somewhere for a few days before settling into their new lives together.

Futsal! Futsal!

And now that the most hectic part of the wedding is over (we still have the groom's reception to attend, but that isn't until next weekend), I'm trying to settle myself down into the daily rigours of life as a layabout on holiday at home. Okay, not really a proper layabout I have a thesis chapter to write since I am spending more time in Malaysia that I warranted, but I have to admit, despite the chapter looming over my head, I can't remember being this relaxed (and by saying that for all and sundry to hear, I will have jinxed things and will not be able to enjoy the rest of the fortnight).

Perhaps the best part of the holidays, so far, are the futsal games. I can't remember when it was that I first kicked a football I was maybe 2 or 3 and I was playing with my then 10 year old uncle; but I don't think I ever looked back. Going to live in the UK when I was seven just cemented my love for playing the game. I remember being banned from playing by my dad, only for me to defy the ban (as usual) and then having being told on by a certain younger sister, I was dragged home one afternoon by quite an irate father. I think he was more angry at me ignoring his instructions than at my actually playing football.

I am quite amazed at how the womens' futsal games have taken off here in Malaysia, of all places. As someone who has been trying to get the game moving in the UK at various Malaysian Games venues, only to be held back by certain patronizing comments, I didn't ever think it would garner the attention it has back home. Perhaps the success of the Gol dan Gincu film boosted the game's popularity, but either way it was fun to see more and more girls realizing that kicking a ball is not strictly a male domain, and neither does it have to be 'rough'.

Speaking from a repertoir of knee and ankle injuries, I can wholeheartedly say that I find field hockey a more dangerous and rough game than football per se. If you don't believe me, compare being whacked by a leather football to a hard plastic hockey ball traveling at twice the speed of sound. I have lasting dents to prove the impact of the damage done.

Spontaneous combustion

And perhaps it is also the game's popularity that has seen to the success of the MyTeam program off the pitch, if not on it. The idea is somewhat interesting if we pit the best of the rest against the men who seem to not do justice to the national colours they don, would anyone spontaneously combust?

It seems the answer to that question is yes, because the Football Association of Malaysia backed out from fielding the senior squad, instead throwing a large part of the Under-20 squad who in the end scraped an unconvincing 2-1 win. The rather unsavoury comments that followed also left a bitter taste, as the FAM refused to accept the fact that there needs to be a massive internal shake-up in order for a Malaysian national football team to even begin dreaming of scaling greater heights.

Malaysians are a football mad lot, this I realised, as I sat amongst my relatives and my 'newly-acquired' brother in law, watching them jump up and cheer as MyTeam scored and were clearly desolate when the Malaysian Under-20 team emerged victorious. A drive around the city center over the past few days highlighted the World Cup theme of almost all advertising efforts. From mobile phone top-up vouchers to discount store promotions, everything has an eau-de-CoupeDeMonde to it. Of course, you would see similar ad campaigns back in the UK, but then again, England are going to Germany. Malaysia didn't even make the final qualification rounds, if I recall correctly.

Which makes the frustration of the average Malaysian football fan at the FAM's lack of recent footballing success even more understandable. It used to be said that Asian players are not physically equipped with the height and stature to excel against the Europeans when it comes to football, but the success of the Korean and Japanese national teams, as well as a selection of Asian players plying their trade in top level European league renders this excuse useless.

And yet time and time again, we falter at even the slightest hurdles. Even the womens' national football team has had more regional success than their male counterparts at one point. Efforts like MyTeam should be applauded, not derided, by the powers that be. If for nothing else, then to make the national players realise that they hold no special confirmed status in the squad; and that without effort, determination and heart, there are many others who are willing to square their shoulders and take on the challenge, despite not coming through the normal 'FAM-approved' channels.

One way to advance is to benchmark and take heed from the successful methods of others. Britain sets up youth academies to foster excellence; and perhaps the two sports schools we have in the country are a step in that direction. But if it works for them, but it doesn't work for us, then a careful re-examination needs to be undertaken. Many a time our leaders declare that we cannot blindly follow methods of 'the West' because as 'Easterners' we have our 'way' of doing things so when a new 'way' is introduced that may be different to how the rest of the world selects its first eleven, why is it not being taken seriously?

Because let's face it, the quality of Malaysian football has not progressed. You can call the league anything you want: Premier, Super, Perdana, Utama; you can even call it the Universal Bestest League in The World Bar None; but it doesn't change the fact that the quality of the fare you produce is not up to par with what is expected of you. If a team of eleven part timers can outplay a team of full time professionals, there are questions that need to be answered, and going into extreme denial will not help anyone. Nobody is proud of the Malaysian Football team anymore the quicker FAM realise that, the faster the dead wood gets weeded out and perhaps people dare to dream again.

I admit that I have long since put to rest the dream of ever seeing Malaysia's national colours being paraded at the FIFA World Cup. I lost faith the minute I realised how corrupted the game was back in the 1990's; almost like most things here, really and despite the major shake-up that occurred in its aftermath, nothing much has changed. But there are many others unlike me who still believe that with the right management, determination and heart, Malaysian football would one day scale the heights its football mad country deserves. And for those fans, I pray that one day Malaysian football would do their love much justice.

IDLAN ZAKARIA is currently planning to establish a program where she scouts for football talent based on how good looking they are; and field that team against a Malaysian National side.