KUALA LUMPUR: The Merdeka Tournament won't be kicked around anymore, not to be only held as and when there is an itch.
The FA of Malaysia (FAM) is looking at permanency for the Merdeka Tournament, which was the grandest tournament in Asia 60 years ago.
The Merdeka Tournament was dug out from the storeroom, dusted and revived this month after a lapse of 10 years.
FAM vice president Firdaus Mohamed felt that the Merdeka Tournament was a success despite the pitch at the National Stadium hitting the headlines for the chunks of grass that came flying off during the Malaysia-India game.
Though it was billed as the Merdeka Tournament, only three teams took part after Palestine pulled out at the 11th hour following the war in Gaza.
For Tajikistan, it turned out to be an easy-to-win tournament; they played only one game - beating Malaysia 2-0 in the final.
"I admit the tournament's organisation wasn't perfect with the field becoming a distraction, but we take it as a challenge. It wasn't easy to revive something from 10 years ago.
"I hope the competition will be held annually after this. We must remember that the Merdeka Tournament tugs at the heartstrings of Malaysian football fans.
"It hasn't been held for a decade but the support we received from the fans was promising. The planning for the next edition must start now because we understand that next year's international calendar is packed and we need to find better teams," said Firdaus.
