SHAH ALAM, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- The organising of the Sultan Selangor’s Cup (TSSC) aims to foster close ties between the Selangor FA and Singapore FA, two teams with long histories in the local footballing scene.
The Selangor Royal Office shared TSSC’s history in a recent Facebook post, explaining that Sharafuddin Idris Shah himself mooted the idea of the tournament in 2001, the same year he was installed as Selangor Sultan.
Selangor and Singapore were the two most successful teams in the Malaysia League at that time, along with the Malaysia Cup, and its previous iterations as the Malaya Cup and HMS Malaya Cup, introduced in 1921, with both teams meeting for an amazing 23 times in the finals.
"And in that period, Selangor won the Malaysia Cup 33 times, the last being in 2015, while Singapore lifted the cup 22 times, until they withdrew from the Malaysia League in 1994,” the Selangor Royal Office said.
Matches between Selangor and Singapore were anticipated affairs and were dubbed 'Malayan El Clàsico', with both teams becoming traditional rivals who valued healthy competition and mutual respect.
It was in this spirit that TCCS was organised for the first time in 2001 and held every year since at the Shah Alam Stadium or the Singapore National Stadium, the last edition being in 2019, after which it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unlike other tournaments, TCCS is exclusively between the Selangor team and the Singapore team, with another exhibition friendly between the Selangor Veterans and the Singapore Veterans.
In the past two decades, Selangor won TCCS nine times - in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019, Singapore was triumphant seven times - in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2017, and in 2004, both teams were joint-champions, and the match was called off in 2015 due to the haze.
This year’s TCCS, the 18th edition, held on Aug 17, was truly significant as it was held in Merdeka Stadium, where Selangor emerged champions.
“To those who understand and appreciate history, they will understand the rationale behind the organising and celebrate TCCS as a prestigious event aimed at fostering friendship through sports,” the post read.
The Selangor Royal Office also expressed its hope that its explanation would provide accurate facts and a clearer understanding to Malaysians, especially the new generation that might not understand or be filled with confusing information about the true history of TCCS.
The office also stressed that the sportsmanship and friendship celebrated through TCCS will hopefully manifest as a lesson in curbing rising sports violence, especially in the local footballing arena.
-- BERNAMA
