KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has always been known for his people-centric spirit and active involvement in sports, even during his schooling days.
Driven by his deep love and interest in sports, Al-Sultan Abdullah participated in various sports, including football, polo, and hockey, and was comfortable in setting aside royal protocol.
Al-Sultan Abdullah is also recognized for his sports administration prowess, having held several key positions, including as president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) during his time as the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang.
During his tenure, Al-Sultan Abdullah maintained an open and professional approach, accepting the perspectives of fans and sports analysts in the country as constructive feedback for the future of Malaysian football.
Datuk Dr Johnson Fernandez, a former sports journalist, mentioned that His Majesty was always open to accepting opinions and views, a trait he inherited from his father, Sultan Ahmad Shah.
While attending the “Sports Flame” gala event, Al-Sultan Abdullah shared that constructive criticism had helped him build a more resilient character.
Datuk V. Radhakrishnan, a local sports administrator, commended His Majesty’s experience in governing and managing issues and politics in sports, stating that it had helped him deal with the country’s political crisis from 2020 to 2022.
Throughout more than three decades in sports administration, Al-Sultan Abdullah has held key positions, including as Pahang FA president, deputy president of FAM, vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee.
Al-Sultan Abdullah was also awarded the “AFC Diamond of Asia” in recognition of his contributions to Asian football and appointed as an honorary member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Former national and Pahang footballer, Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan, emphasized the importance of having a leader like Al-Sultan Abdullah who has a deep interest in sports, especially football.
Zainal Abidin noted that His Majesty always stressed the importance of maintaining high discipline among players and shared his expertise in football during his time as a coach.
