One summer day, as the weather was hot in Yangon, the hearts of the people of Myanmar were burning with sorrow and anger, too. It was March 27, Myanmar’s Armed Forces Day, which dissidents refer to as Anti-Fascist Resistance Day. About 150 anti-coup protesters were shot dead across Myanmar by the junta’s troops on that single day.
Chit Bo Bo Nyein, midfielder of Hantharwady United Under-21 football team was among those killed. Chit, who wanted to be Myanmar’s Pogba – a famous Myanmar player - was shot dead on that day during the junta’s bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters in Yangon’s Insein. His death broke the hearts of Myanmar football fans.
Golden era of Myanmar football
In the remote past, Myanmar was considered one of the top football or soccer nations in Asia and the period 1948 to 1970s was referred to as the “Golden Era” of Myanmar football. At the beginning of the golden era, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, won a bronze medal in the 1954 Asian Games, standing behind Taiwan (gold) and South Korea (silver).
In another Asian Games held in Bangkok in 1966, Myanmar men’s national football team won a gold medal by beating then Asian football giant Iran in the final.
Decline
Since the 1970s, Myanmar’s football has gone into decline and even at the Southeast Asian level, it has been very rare for Myanmar men’s national football team to win trophies.
After Myanmar gained independence from British rule, the nation repeatedly withdrew from FIFA World Cup Qualification or did not enter the qualification. Myanmar, a former Asian football power, withdrew from the World Cup Qualification for the 2002 World Cup, so consequently it was banned from qualification for the 2006 tournament.
In 2007, for the first time, Myanmar’s men's national football team participated in the FIFA World Cup Qualification in Asian Zone for the 2010 tournament, losing 0–7 and 0–4 to China. The country also failed in the qualifications for 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
But as Myanmar began to open up to the outside world, following a decision by the Military to enter a more democratic era, Myanmar’s football sector improved, both under the Thein Sein administration and Aung San Suu Kyi administration. Fans were elated when the Myanmar national under-20 football team qualified for the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup hosted by New Zealand.
Myanmar National League (MNL)
Just over a decade ago, football authorities sought to establish Myanmar's first professional football league with the aim of improving Myanmar’s football sector. In 2009, the Myanmar National League was officially launched.
When the MNL was first established, it managed to attract many Myanmar football fans.
A former MNL fan told Mizzima: “They started the national league very well. At the very beginning of the league, Myanmar football fans enthusiastically supported it. Many news journals also featured the league.”
Intense rivalries and football hooligans
From 2009, the year the MNL was launched, to around 2013, the rivalry between the fans of MNL clubs was very intense. In 2009, Yangon United FC supporters were reportedly attacked in Mandalay by rival supporters of Yadanarbon FC, which is a Mandalay-based club, according to a report by The Irrawaddy that year. At that time, Myanmar was ruled by the then military junta led by former Senior General Than Shwe.
In 2013, a few months before the Southeast Asian Games hosted by Myanmar, a match between Nay Pyi Taw FC and Yangon United FC attended by about 20,000 fans at Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw was called off before halftime after brawls between players spread to clashes between rival supporters, according to an AFP report.
Anyway, the fierce rivalry and the brawls between rival supporters showed that MNL could capture the burning enthusiasm of Myanmar football fans. Recruitments of foreign players at MNL clubs also boosted the interest of Myanmar football fans.
Struggle
But soon it was found that the national league's ability to attract football fans began to diminish, in part due to better communications and the broadcast of world football on television. Fans appeared to lose interest in local teams and focus on the excitement of foreign leagues such as the English Premier League and Champions League.
A source close to Myanmar’s football community told Mizzima: “In any football industry, supporters are the key. You can't succeed without prioritizing the fan’s wishes.”
“The league officials need to discuss with Myanmar football fans how to improve the national league. To attract fans, we need to improve the quality of football. So, the Myanmar football sector needs to have more high-quality coaches and technical directors.”
Most of the MNL clubs are owned by business cronies. Some rumours have it that cronies set up the football clubs for money laundering.
The above-mentioned source said: “At that time, tycoons did that thing for money laundering. There were a lot of such cases.”
But in the long run, many MNL clubs had to struggle financially because they could not generate enough revenue. The prize money was low and there were not enough sponsors for the football clubs. The COVID-19 pandemic also severely affected the MNL clubs. In June 2020, Zwegabin United and Chin United were dissolved because of financial hardships.
To add insult to injury, Myanmar National League could not be held for the 2021 football season because of the military coup in February this year, consequent political unrest, armed fighting in some areas and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
The official Facebook page of the Myanmar National League announced on September 1 that Myanmar National League football matches will not be played this year because of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the military coup in Myanmar, the Myanmar Football Federation also withdrew Hantharwady United FC and Shan United FC from the Asian club competitions (2021) of the Asian Football Confederation.
Nightmare for footballers
Most Myanmar footballers are facing financial difficulties due to the suspension of the football league. Only a few Myanmar footballers playing for foreign clubs can overcome that hardship.
“The league has stopped, so all the players are unemployed and it is not known when it will resume. The league committee has not shouldered the responsibility,” a famous Myanmar footballer, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told Mizzima.
“Players no longer receive salaries. Players of some clubs have not received their salaries for a long time. Some teams can no longer pay even the so-called financial aid. Foreign players have already returned to their countries.”
He continued, “Not only the national team’s players, but also all Myanmar footballers have to face a nightmare. Young players have lost their future. A national team player has been detained and another player [Chit Bo Bo Nyein] lost his life. Rising stars were strangled at birth. But the saddest thing is that the organization we trust is not on our side. We have only us [The people can rely only on each other]. I want all footballers to know that.”
“Under this system, it will be a burden for the next generation and for the football sector.”
Hardships for sports stars
During the current period, the ruling junta does not provide any support for Myanmar athletes.
Moreover, under the tenure of this junta, the majority of Myanmar citizens no longer support the athletes who represent Myanmar in international tournaments. Myanmar’s badminton star Thet Htar Thuzar was severely slammed by Myanmar social media users over her decision to compete in the Tokyo Olympics 2021 during the tenure of the Myanmar’s junta.
Similarly, Myanmar football fans did not support their national team in the World Cup qualifier against Japan in May. Japan beat Myanmar 10-0 in the qualifier, but – in a shocking turnaround - Myanmar people celebrated their country team’s loss.
Before the match, Myanmar goalkeeper Pyae Lyan Aung flashed a three-finger salute as a gesture of protest against the junta. Recently, he was granted refugee status in Japan and could join a futsal club in Yokohama City.
Uncertain future
Like other Myanmar civilians, the future of Myanmar footballers is uncertain. Their livelihoods have been radically affected by the current situation and it is not yet known when the MNL will be held again. Life for footballers without the support of the people of their own country is also difficult.
Myanmar’s football was struggling to pick up before the coup – now its future is uncertain.
For the footballers, nightmares about the current crisis may be worse than a nightmare about scoring an “own goal” in an important match.
