Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam

Congratulations to the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam which is set up to replace BAFA. My colleague, Dato Hamid Jaafar, the PS at MIPR is the newly elected President of FFBD. Vice President is Salleh Bostaman and Secretary General is Sheikh Noordin. I know Dato Hamid was a national football player and I recognised a few other names such as Hj Murni, PS PMO and Rosanan were also ex national football players. There may be others which I don't recognise and could be football players as well. I hope that FFBD will be able to take off where BAFA has failed.

Dato Hamid was a brilliant footballer in his younger days. I remembered that in Singapore in late 1970s, the Singapore national coach wanted him to play for the Singapore schoolboys team and would have made it to the Singapore national team if he was a Singaporean. But he did play for the Brunei national team and the few times I saw him, he was a brilliant left winger.

BAFA and FIFA are currently building a football academy at the sports complex and everyone is anxiously looking forward to how this can be resolved. I really hope that football in Brunei can get a move on now that FFBD is finally up and running.

BAFA did contribute to football and as a remembrance to BAFA, here is a reprint of its history which I wrote sometime early last year:

BAFA was originally known as the Brunei State Amateur Football Association. It was founded in 1952 with His Highness The Sultan as the Royal Patron. BSAFA was founded in 1952 in Seria. A few employees of Dutch and English origins working with the then BMP Co Ltd (now known as BSP Co Ltd) started the association. The Association was affliated not to any regional or national body.

It was registered on 12th March 1956. On the 15th March, BSAFA was officially gazetted by the British Resident through Notification number 67/1956. BSAFA paid $10. The interesting bit was, BSAFA was affliated to The Football Association (England). I guess technically speaking BSAFA could have played in the English FA Cup since then.

The first few Presidents were Englishmen before YAM Pg Jaya Indera Pg Hj Mohktar Puteh became the first local president in 1961 and the local presidency continued until BAFA's demise in 2008.

BSAFA became BAFA in 1969 and affliated to FIFA. In 1970 BAFA joined the Asian Football Condereation and in 1984 became founding member of the ASEAN Football Federation. In 2007, BAFA was deregisterd by the Registrar of Societies for non-compliance of the requirements of the Societies Act.