Umar Hakeem welcomes chance to focus on mentality in 2020 AFC U-19 Championship camp

Malaysia U-19 midfielder Umar Hakeem Suhar Rezwan is elated at the chance to return to team training with the team, following the suspension of all footballing activities in the country due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Ahead of the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship finals in October later this year, the Young Tigers have begun their first centralised training, on Monday, July 6, albeit in a non-contact manner as stipulated by the country's health ministry.

"I'm thankful that I can train again after months of inactivity, and that I get to meet my teammates again.

"It brought back memories of our times in previous AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and AFF (ASEAN Football Federation), but I have to focus on the task at hand," noted the Mokhtar Dahari Academy graduate in an interview published by the Malaysian FA.

When asked about his main area focus for the time being, the Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) youth player responded that it is the team's mental strength.

"We've all been away from serious practice for long and admittedly the practice we conducted at home was insufficient, so for now I want to focus on my endurance, as well as physical and mental strength. We can compete with boys from other countries in terms of abilities, but it's our mentality that usually makes our job harder. Those of us who tried training on our own at home during the lockdown period will have a slightly easier time in centralised training now.

"The inclusion of the new faces in the camp will also do well to ensure that the more-established squad members do not feel complacent. This competition for places on the final squad is something positive. Everyone will now work harder because they know that the new guys are here because they are good too," explained the 17-year old midfielder.

The 2020 AFC tournament will be held in Uzbekistan, with Malaysia drawn in Group D alongside Qatar, Tajikistan and Yemen.