Nayak Onto Oviedo
Farmer Bunnies released 17 year-old trainee forward Balamurugan Nayak to Spain's Oviedo Viejo on a free transfer this evening, after nearly a month of seeking. Described as a vanilla striker whose greatest strength is a solid grounding in the basics, Nayak gained the eye of Oviedo's 40 year-old head coach Froilán Carballoso, who included the youngster as one of his five recruits for the day - and twelve over the past three days.
Ooi Long Ming, who had scouted Nayak from his secondary school team, wished him all the best in his new life at the Division Seven club. "The competition will be tough no doubt, but Bala's never shyed away from that. If he can balance his competitive streak with the discipline he has shown so far, he has a good shot at making it."
The Rancher Rabbits have by the way also joined a new youth league, after finishing third of twelve participants in the Finnish-organized Jr-Liga for the just-concluded season, behind Rangers Reserva of Argentina's CA Rangers de Monte Castro and Sockenholm Academy of Helsinki-based Sockenholm City. They will now compete in the Ölhäfvarnejuniors, organized by Italian Division Six club bonton - whose U-20 division Burzanella is of course involved.
Buns assistant coach Li Aik Meng confessed to being slightly puzzled at the nomenclature. "Wait, the Jr-Liga is Finnish, but the Ölhäfvarnejuniors is Italian?"
There would be good tidings from Brunei too, as trainee
Sazali bin Hj Mursidi was listed as a prospect for the national youth team, despite a rough debut against Revoluciòn Roja. "We will prevent it from getting to his head, no worries." Grilled International boss
Sazwan bin Hj Muhd Salleh laughed. "But yeah, we are all happy for him!"
