00:00Few names in Malaysian football stirred the heart like K. Raja Gobel.
00:05A coach who turned doubters into believers and players into champions,
00:09he was a symbol of ambition, resilience in a golden era of the beautiful game.
00:30In Inilasaye, his stirring 464-page memoir, Raja Gobel invites us on a journey that began on the dusty fields of Setapa hot spring.
00:41Rain or shine, he chased the ball until darkness fell, honing his skills before an imagined crowd that he dreamed would one day chant his name.
00:50Without a father figure, hardship became his first coach, rejection his toughest opponent.
00:57But Raja Gobel pressed on, like a forward, refusing to stop, slicing through stubborn defences of circumstance.
01:05And that is where every day it can be raining, it can be sunshine, doesn't matter what time of the day, it can be morning.
01:17It can be in the afternoon, it can be in the evening.
01:19But during school holidays, we play in the morning, we play in the afternoon, we play in the evening, even when it's getting dark.
01:25That's where I had big dreams that I want to be a footballer, you know, in future, you know, in future.
01:33And the dream came through.
01:35His talent and tenacity took him from Cholin Youth Club to Selangor FA, where he teamed up with legend Mokhtar Dahari, a strike force built on speed, instinct and trust.
01:47Hey, Gobel, come here.
01:49Jangan takut, don't be afraid.
01:51I want you to play how you played with Cholin Youth.
01:55Don't have any pressure.
01:57Feel free.
01:59So that was the encouragement words he gave me.
02:02And I just went and I could mix with them very fast.
02:10He found belonging wearing red and yellow.
02:12And in 1979, as he stood on the pitch after a 2-0 Malaysia Cup final win over Singapore, he knew this was more than a game.
02:20It was a sign he was destined for bigger things in the beautiful game.
02:24He rose through sheer will, earned 20 caps for the national team, and later, as a coach, led Malaysia to glory at the 2009 Sea Games and the historic 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, moments etched forever in the hearts of Malaysians.
02:42However, behind every victory, there were missed family dinners, sleepless nights, and sacrifices that weighed heavy.
02:50His journey wasn't just about the cheers in the stadium, but also about the quiet struggles off the pitch.
02:56His book, while personal, also serves as a clarion call.
03:00Roger Gobel urges other Malaysian sporting legends to document their stories before they're forgotten.
03:06I thought we should let the younger generation, especially the younger generation, and also all the netizens in Malaysia to know
03:18what we went through the journey, what inspired us to be in the respective fields,
03:28and what was the challenges we faced, the passion we had, the love we had in so many kinds of situations during the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
03:44His memoir is a guide for those who want to dream big, reminding us that a nation's identity can be found not just in victories, but in the journeys behind them.
03:54Inilasaya is available at bookstores and online.
03:58FMT also wishes Roger Gobel a happy 69th birthday.
04:04Franky DeCruz, Amardeep Gill, and Danish Roger Rizzo, FMT.
