TOP players of the Borneo Youth Premier League (BYPL) scored a 6-4 win against KK Expats in Kampung Tohan Baru, Keningau, on Saturday as the full European team captained by Gareth Pearson reciprocated a friendly match with the privately-run rural league that was started last year by founder and patron, Nilakrisna James.
Former State champion and star player for KK Expats, Scott Ollerenshaw, was not on hand to join the match due to commitments with the Sabah team over the weekend but had announced last year that BYPL under Nilakrisna will present their champions to compete in the annual Borneo Cup, organised by Ollerenshaw.
Villagers in Kampung Tohan Baru in the area of Marampong gathered by the hundreds to enjoy the game and held a community effort to clean the area and welcome the expats with an after party at the local community hall.
“We were lucky this time around to have a British FA referee as one of the KK Expat’s star players whom I am now in talks with over the possibility of having friendly matches with international teams in the future. Our players are full time workers, some of whom are rubber tappers and farmers.
“Therefore their commitment to football training is limited to the weekends and because of this they are looking for the opportunity to have some professional training and exposure, the chance to enjoy the game with professional players and to do some social networking with their urban and international counterparts. Our league is therefore a casual structure that assists them in organising such opportunities because sport is the best way to gel the urban and rural divide,” said Nilakrisna.
She added that BYPL will kick off their four round annual tournament this year in March or April to compete for the BYPL Cup. The BYPL will continue to be managed by Juse Reoyston together with coach, Lisau George.
Last year’s tournament saw around 40 registered teams. Teams can re-register this year to participate in the tournament with Juse Reoyston at Tel: 01119034149.
(NOTE : The Borneo Youth Premier League (BYPL) is a title given to a football league comprising teams from the rural districts of Sabah who compete in the annual tournaments for the BYPL Cup in honour of the Patron’s grandfather, OKK Sedomon, one of North Borneo’s most influential political figures. The BYPL was created to provide an avenue for rural youths to focus on healthy sports and recreation during their weekends so as to avoid social ills and to generate interest in developing their talents for state level tournaments. It was founded by Nilakrisna James on the 30th April 2011, who oversees the BYPL as a founder and patron, which is managed by President and League Manager, Juse Reoyston, together with head coach, Lisau George, under the NGO, Gerakan Belia Dinamik Pedalaman.)
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