Hamid Gani: From RM50 Rewards To Million-ringgit Football Era

By Nurul Izzati Mansor

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- While professional footballers today enjoy contracts worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit, and even millions, former national player Abdul Hamid Gani still remembers having to go to a bank to claim a RM50 reward after helping Selangor reach the 1966 Malaya Cup final.

More amusingly, the medal he received after the final was, according to him, “about the size of a 10-sen coin”.

However, for Hamid, 87, the true value of football during that era was not measured by money or rewards, but by a deep passion for the sport.

“Reaching the Malaya Cup final only earned us RM50. The manager told us there was not enough cash and asked the players to collect the money themselves from the bank. At that time, I thought, never mind. The important thing was that we could play and represent the team,” he told Bernama during a recent interview at his home.

The former Selangor and national team defender said Malaysian football has changed dramatically over the past six decades, particularly after the introduction of the professional era.

According to him, today’s players deserve to enjoy greater financial rewards due to the demands of professionalism and the commitment required in their careers, but he believes some have failed to make full use of the opportunity to secure their future.

Hamid also said the biggest difference he has witnessed over nearly six decades in football is not merely in terms of facilities or salaries, but the motivation displayed by national players, whether in the domestic league or on the international stage.

“The spirit was different back then. We wanted to play because we loved football. Now there are players earning big salaries. There is nothing wrong with that, but they should not forget why they started playing football in the first place. A football career does not last forever. I always advise young players to save their money and think about the future.

“Many forget that a football career has an end. If a player is good, they certainly deserve to be paid well. Football is professional now. But our era was different. We played because of our passion. Money was not the main consideration,” he said.

Before making a name for himself with Selangor and the national team, Hamid first built a reputation as a respected footballer in Australia while pursuing economics studies at Queensland University in the late 1950s.

He began his career with Merton Rovers in the Queensland First Division and helped the club win the league title in 1962 before being selected to represent Queensland in 1963 and 1964, making him one of the few Malaysian-born players to break into an Australian state squad during that era.

Upon returning home in 1964, he joined Selangor before receiving a call-up to the national squad, where he played alongside several Malaysian football legends, including the late Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Minhat.

Meanwhile, Hamid believes modern football has become faster and more dependent on physical strength, but has lost some of the artistry that once defined the game in earlier generations.

“In the past, people came to the stadium to watch specific players. They came to see talent and creativity. Now the game is faster and more physical. That is the evolution of football, but some of the artistry is disappearing,” he said.

He said that despite the many changes that have taken place since he played with Malaysia’s football legends nearly 60 years ago, one thing should never change: the love for the jersey being worn.

“Playing for your state or country is an honour. We may not have earned much money back then, but we played with our hearts. That is what I hope still exists among players today,” he said.

-- BERNAMA