Rural girls' football lags behind, urgent action needed - Former national player

SHAH ALAM - Girls' grassroots football thrives in urban areas, but rural regions face a significant challenge due to minimal development and scarce opportunities.

Former Malayan Tigress goalkeeper Nur Izwani Azman, known as Niena Azman, spoke about the importance of nurturing young girls at the grassroots level to strengthen women’s football.

She stated that many young players are uncertain about their journey in the sport, whether it’s progressing from a local club to the national team or understanding the opportunities available to them.

“Confidence and determination among young players are often lacking, with many adopting a ‘never mind’ attitude.

"Raising awareness among players is important, but development must begin with proper management, followed by coaching and nurturing talent,” she said during the recently aired Sinar Daily’s Sports Matters Podcast.

At present, women’s football in Malaysia only has one established league, with the Puteri League launched just last year.

However, there is a lack of structured engagement with women’s football at the school level.

Niena Azman during the recently aired Sinar Daily’s Sports Matters Podcast.

Collaboration with the Education Ministry (MOE) and schools is vital, as these institutions hold the authority but lack the drive to push the sport forward,” she said.

Niena also pointed out the shortage of female coaches and managers, which remains a significant challenge in sustaining progress for women’s football.

While grassroots development flourishes in urban areas, the real issue lies in rural regions, where growth has stalled—not due to a lack of passion, but because few are willing to invest the necessary effort.

Reflecting on her own experience from 2005 to 2015, she recalled that the most prestigious and widely recognised tournament for women’s football in Malaysia at the time was the Syarifah Tun Rodziah Cup.

“It was the only platform where women footballers from across the country could come together and compete, meaning we would train and wait an entire year just for this one tournament.

"While there have been improvements since then, I still feel the efforts are insufficient.

“New initiatives like the FAS Women’s Super League and Kuala Lumpur Women’s League are concentrated in cities, leaving rural areas with limited opportunities.

"Though these developments are a positive step, they remain geographically restrictive.

"From my perspective, grassroots football still has a long way to go, and real progress takes time. It took me 20 years in my career to witness tangible results.

"While grassroots programmes do exist, they need to accelerate their efforts to make a real impact,” she said.