HOUSE OF THE WEEK
A Golden Valley white out
UNBEKNOWST to Myanmar’s diligent meteorological department, an extremely localised snowstorm has carpeted the interior of this two-storey Golden Valley house. moreMNL players return to ministerial positions
(Volume 26, No. 506)
THIRTY-TWO players from the Myanmar National League (MNL), including some of the league’s top stars, have chosen to resign from their clubs and return to their jobs in government ministries at the end of the current domestic season.
Among this group is former national team captain Soe Myat Min, who plays for Kanbawza FC, Lwin Oo from Magway FC, Yangon United FC goalkeeper Aung Aung Oo and Yadanarbon FC striker Yan Paing.
Soe Myat Min told The Myanmar Times on January 6 that for him and some of his colleagues, age was the determining factor in choosing to return to their ministerial positions.
“It’s not that we don’t love playing for the MNL,” he said. “It’s just that for some of us the time has come to retire and focus on our positions as government officials.”
Myanmar Football Federation general secretary U Tin Aung said the loss of several big-name players might lead to lower interest in the MNL in the short term but he was confident the league would quickly recover.
“For a short period of time, the popularity of the league might drop and clubs may also face problems finding new players. Nevertheless, it won’t stay like that for long because there are plenty of young players at every club who are excited to have the chance to play in the senior team. I am very confident that all the clubs will return to normal pretty quickly,” U Tin Aung said.
He added that the league had no plans to increase the number of foreign players to compensate for those lost to government ministry teams.
“Each club can allocate five foreign players and that amount will not change because that is the maximum amount allowed in international club competitions,” he said.
The MNL, launched in March 2009, replaced the Myanmar League, a largely amateur football competition dominated by teams based on government ministries. As such, the majority of players recruited to the MNL from the Myanmar League were government employees.
At the MNL’s launch, MFF president U Zaw Zaw said government employees would be allowed to play in the MNL for a minimum of two years without having to resign from their ministry positions.
However, the ministries requested their players return early to play in the upcoming Myanmar League season, which begins in March.
Whilst all MNL clubs have lost players, some sides will be more affected than others.
Zayar Shwe Myay FC manager, U Myint Thein, said that his club was fortunate this year as it was only parting ways with one player, Zaw Lin Tun, who will return to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Zayar Shwe Myay is very lucky and several of their best young players have decided to keep playing with the club this year,” U Myint Thein said, adding that his club had been very successful in persuading players to renew their contracts.
Magway and Yadanarbon are set to lose the most number of players with eight each, while one Magway coach will also return to the Myanmar League.
Kanbawza (five players), Southern Myanmar FC (three players and one coach), Delta United FC (two players), Zayar Shwe Myay (one player and one coach) and Okkthar United FC (one player) will also be affected.
The Ministry of Finance and Revenue will welcome back the most players, with eight of the 11 footballers who left to join the MNL set to return to their government positions.
