Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian youth Azimie Ahmad, who was expelled from school for truancy last year, has been reenrolled thanks to a renewed determination to study seriously after his mind-opening involvement in the AFC’s youth development project Midnight Football.
The 16 year-old, nick named Cili Padi (red hot chilli in Malay language) by the AFC and their organising staff due to him being the shortest participant, received the good news from his school principal just three days after Malaysian schools nationwide went into the one-and-a-half-month vacation in the middle of November.
“The phone call from the principal was expected because I and my parents had been coming and going to see the school’s administration to appeal my case.
“But the good thing is that my involvement in Midnight Football has drummed into my head the importance of staying in school. Education is really important, as I have learned from all the football, social and character education activities in the AFC community benefitting programme.
“I am a new man now, thanks to the AFC,” he said.
The Form-Four student joined another Midnight Football participant, Amarul Hisham Jamil, who had been expelled from school for fighting, but was accepted again by his school after showing a significant character improvement after joining the AFC Dream Asia initiative.
Midnight Football is an eight-month project of the AFC pioneering in Malaysia in September last year which utilises the social power of football to attract and guide troubled youth back to being useful citizens, with the AFC hoping the programme will be emulated by other member associations.
Azimie has heard of how football changes disadvantaged or unguided people’ lives.
“I have heard of stories about the game being an effective agent of change for some people in far away countries.
“I have been playing football for some years, including the times during which I was skipping school. I was so engrossed in football that I shunned school.
“Never would I have thought that the game would bring me back to school. For me, it’s not just change – it’s big change," said the four-foot-five-inch boy.