KUALA LUMPUR – In a heart-warming trip down memory lane, footballer Reuben Kathiripillai, also popularly known as K. Reuben, shared his unforgettable journey as a part of the victorious Malaysia squad in the 2013 Merdeka Tournament.
Speaking to Scoop, the 33-year-old former Armed Forces and Penang defender said that the Merdeka Tournament would remain forever in his memories as it was the first tournament in which he participated when he was playing for the national team.
“The Merdeka Tournament will always be my favourite. It was my first tournament with the national team, and it was really fun for me to be part of it as we used it as a warm-up for the SEA Games in Myanmar.
“It was great to achieve back-to-back victories for Malaysia. I will never forget the moment when we defeated Thailand 3-0 in our group match, and I could have potentially scored the goal of the tournament with a scissor kick in our final game against Myanmar.
“It was also sweeter for me to win it with my Harimau Muda teammates as we were all really young at that time, and lifting the historical title at such a young age was an indescribable feeling for me,” said Reuben.
Reuben highlighted the electrifying atmosphere of the tournament, which was held in Kuantan, and further conveyed his gratitude to then-U23s coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee for giving him the opportunity to be a part of the team.
“I was disappointed to not be selected by Datuk Ong’s team for the 2011 SEA Games – which they eventually won. But I didn’t give up, and I made sure I was selected for the Merdeka Tournament.
“The crowd at the Darul Makmur Stadium was amazing and the venue was always filled with ultras. I’m forever grateful to coach Datuk Ong for not giving up on me and for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talent in such a reputable tournament.
The defender, who is also well-known among local football fans for accidentally tackling the referee during his international debut against Australia in 2011, said that the Merdeka Tournament has given him a group of close friends that he still cherishes to this day.
“During the national camp, I made a lot of good friends that I still keep in touch with today.
“One of them was Junior Eldstål, as he was the first player I became friends with during the tournament. He is my best friend to this day, and we still meet up for coffee whenever we are free,” said Reuben.
Reuben, who currently plays for Harini FC in the M3 League, also urged local football fans to fully trust and support the senior team’s head coach Kim Pan-gon’s process in improving Malaysia’s football landscape and expressed his hope to one day pull on the Malaysia jersey again.
“In my opinion, Pan-gon is doing a great job. I like the way the team functions under his management.
“The team plays completely differently compared to how it did a decade ago, and I believe that the current Harimau Malaya squad has all the capabilities to repeat our success in 2013.
“I haven’t played for Malaysia since 2014 due to my anterior cruciate ligament injury. I’m a patriotic person, and I would love to play for my country again.
“I will keep working harder until the day I get noticed by coach Pan-gon, so that I get another chance to play in the national squad in the near future,” added Reuben.
The 41st Merdeka Tournament was played from September 7 to 14, 2013.
Malaysia, which featured players from the Harimau Muda, became champions after defeating Myanmar 2-0, with Eldstål scoring the second goal of the game in the 90th minute.
Malaysia scored eight goals in the tournament, with former Kedah and Johor Darul Ta’zim striker Rozaimi Rahman winning the Golden Boot with three goals.
This year, the Pestabola Merdeka will feature Malaysia, India and Tajikistan, and the tournament is set to take place on October 13 to 17 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
Palestine, who were supposed to play in the this year’s tournament, were forced to withdraw due to the country’s escalating conflict with Israel. – October 11, 2023