Oh Mai Gawd
A fortnight after Li Xin Chi broke the million-dollar barrier for a Grilled International outgoing youth transfer, Mai Fulei raised the stakes to S$1.785 million, from Hungarian fifth division club Love Message. Mai had been considered by some pundits as possibly having an even higher ceiling than Li, but his comparatively erratic style had led them to presuppose poorer sale prospects. They turned out to be mistaken.
"Teams are more willing to take risks on possible hidden gems nowadays." Mai's scout Adinath Pant suggested. "Between a sure - but slightly boring - thing, and a guy with the potential to make it seriously big, they will often bet on the second option, what with there being no shortage of responsible workhorses. Mai definitely belongs to that second group."
Having crosstrained at rightback in his final months with the Busy Bees, there was no question about Mai's natural talent, as he romped down the flanks with the easy facility of one born to kick a ball. Lawson Bowman, head coach of recently-relegated Dominician Republic Division Two side Hatebrothers II had personally come down to negotiate his release, with Che! un atre Villabotijo (Panamanian Division Four), F.C. Cartoful Berevoesti (Romanian Division Six) and local club Brunei Marslev also making approaches.
The unorthodox Mai lived up to his reputation, as he immediately claimed the Number One shirt at Love Message, usually reserved for goalkeepers. "Hey, nobody wanted it."
Ashmawi bin Addie would join Mai on his way out a little later, as he joined Hungarian dealers MKB Veszprém on a free. Although his Busy Bees seniors Mohd bin Hj Nabil and Mohd Nasrul bin Hj Hairi hadn't exactly built a career on a similar move, defensive hopeful Ashmawi felt that he simply needed a break. "I don't let chances slip by; not me, no!"
