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          Kelantan will compete in 2017 MSL after cash from new sponsors

          • Nicolas Anil
          Jan 7, 2017, 12:00 AM

          Kelantan will compete in the 2017 Malaysia Super League, but with a team filled with younger players, due to a much smaller budget.

          The Red Warriors were handed a financial lifeline after sponsors Al Hamra Group and RedOne Malaysia afforded them just enough funds to play in the upcoming season.

          "The team's cost will be slashed by 40 percent, compared to 2016. This time, the salaries of local players may be also more than the imports," Kelantan's former president Tan Sri Annuar Musa told Berita Harian.

          "Seventy percent of the squad will also be represented by players under 30. But Kelantan will still have experienced players to guide the team."

          The 2012 MSL champions were left in a huge financial mess when their previous owner Datuk Seri Hasmizah Othman pulled the plug on the her two-year sponsorship deal after the end of the 2016 campaign. They seemed destined to pull out of the new season, which begins on Jan. 20.

          The financial problems of Kelantan, who finished fourth in the 2016, even caught the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. He urged Annuar to help out the football-crazy state where the game remains one of the biggest pastimes for its passionate people.

          Antara INTIPATI Sidang Media bersama TSAM sebentar tadi. . 1) TRW mengesahkan status penyertaan mereka dalam saingan musim 2017 bermakna tiada lagi cerita TARIK DIRI selepas ini. . 2) Kumpulan Al Hamra & Syarikat telekomunikasi RedONE bakal menjadi penaja utama TRW 2017. . 3) TSAM mengesahkan tidak akan KEMBALI menjadi Presiden KAFA sebaliknya bertindak selaku penaja menerusi Al-Hamra dan Red One yang merupakan syarikat yg 'diketuainya'. . 4) TSAM meminta tempoh sehingga 14 Januari bagi membentuk konsortium yg dijangka terdiri daripada beberapa penaja termasuk Al Hamra & RedONE. . 5) Jersi TRW dijangka kembali kepada warna tradisi sebelum ini iaitu merah & biru serta turut diselitkan elemen petak2. . 6) TSAM mensasarkan antara 7 hingga 8 syarikat untuk membentuk konsortium penaja dgn 2-3 syarikat sudah menyatakan PERSETUJUAN ⚽️����

          A photo posted by THE RED WARRIORS (@kelantanwarriors_fc) on

          The club's officials held an extraordinary general meeting on Dec. 29 before setting Dec. 6 as the final deadline for deciding on their participation.

          Kelantan are understood to be competing on a tiny RM 6 million budget, but Annuar is hoping to increase that figure to RM 10 million.

          "I have also already identified 10 foreign players who we will test out. I will ensure that we are beefed up with foreigners before our MSL opener against Melaka United," Annuar told Utusan Online.

          But the former president brushed aside the possibility of assuming the post he relinquished in November.

          "I am doing this to save the Red Warriors, which is the heartbeat of Kelantan."