Kuala lumpur: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh agrees with the decision by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to withdraw from the 2025 Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup scheduled to take place from August 29 to September 8. She stated that the decision was made after thorough consideration by the national team’s coaches and management, particularly concerning player readiness.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hannah emphasized the importance of athlete and coach preparedness in any tournament involving Malaysia. She mentioned that she had reviewed the statement from the coach, Peter Cklamovski, and trusted his judgment regarding the team’s preparations. Speaking to reporters after officiating the 2025 Asia Pickleball Summit, she expressed her acceptance and respect for the reasons given by the coach and the association.
In a prior statement, FAM explained that the withdrawal was due to a change in match dates, which now fall outside the official FIFA international window, creating challenges for the national squad as clubs are not obligated to release their players. Harimau Malaya head coach Peter Cklamovski supported the decision, emphasizing the team’s focus on their training camp ahead of upcoming matches against Laos and Nepal in October and November.
However, CAFA stated that Malaysia’s participation had been confirmed earlier, with full awareness of the tournament’s unchanged dates and schedule. Malaysia, ranked 125th in the world, was set to compete in Group B with host nation Tajikistan, defending champions Iran, and Afghanistan. Group A includes co-hosts Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Oman.
In another development, Hannah addressed the situation involving Malaysia’s top men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia. She noted that Zii Jia has not reached out to her ministry or the National Sports Institute (ISN) for support, including mental health or psychological counseling. However, his camp contacted the National Sports Council (MSN) to clarify that there was no cause for concern regarding an Instagram post that raised questions about possible depression.
Hannah stated that Zii Jia has not requested support from her and emphasized her willingness to provide assistance if needed. Zii Jia has withdrawn from the 2025 Japan Open and the 2025 China Open, but no official statement has been released regarding these withdrawals.