Semoga cepat sembuh, Khalid Ali

Baru-baru ini kita telah mendapat khabar bahawa sang legenda bola sepak negara, Khalid Ali, menghadapi penyakit kanser paru-paru.

Khalid merupakan antara wira yang melayakkan pasukan Harimau Malaya ke Sukan Olimpik Moscow 1980.

Pada masa itu, Khalid adalah antara pemain muda dan merupakan salah seorang tonggak utama dalam skuad di bawah kendalian jurulatih Karl Weigang dan Mohammad Bakar.

Weigang dapat melihat ketangkasan Khalid yang dibantu dengan tahap stamina yang tinggi serta susuk tubuh beliau. Beliau telah menukar posisi Khalid, yang ketika itu hampir mencecah 23 tahun, daripada seorang pemain pertahanan kanan ke pemain tengah. Di situ beliau berganding dengan Shukor Salleh dan Bakri Ibni.

Percaturan Weigang menjadi. Khalid bukan sahaja berjaya membuat larian-larian bagi membuka ruang untuk mengasak kubu lawan malah beliau turut menjaringkan enam gol dan merupakan penjaring gol terbanyak Malaysia dalam kejohanan Kelayakan Pra-Olimpik 1980 yang berlangsung di Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

Weigang memang menaruh harapan beliau kepada pemain muda ini dan telah banyak memberi nasihat dan kata-kata semangat kepada Khalid sejak di kem latihan lagi.

Sekarang marilah kita pula menyampaikan ucapan semangat dan panjatkan doa agar Khalid Ali tabah menghadapi cabaran ini dan diberi kekuatan serta kesembuhan. Semoga dipermudahkan segala urusan beliau.

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We recently received news that national football legend, Khalid Ali, has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Khalid Ali was one of the heroes who helped Harimau Malaya qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

At the time, Khalid was among the youngest players and was one of the main forces in the squad under coaches Karl Weigang and Mohammad Bakar.

Weigang noticed Khalid’s agility, which was helped by his physique and high level of stamina. He decided to change Khalid’s position, who was then almost 23 years old, from a right defender to a midfielder. As such, he was teamed up with Shukor Salleh and Bakri Ibni on the field.

His gamble paid off. Khalid not only managed to make runs to open up space and weaken the opponents’ defence, but he also scored six goals to be Malaysia’s top scorer at the 1980 Pre-Olympic Qualifiers, which took place at Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur.

Weigang had really put his hope in the young player and gave him a lot of advice as well as words of encouragement to Khalid since their training camp sessions.

Now let us deliver words of encouragement and pray for Khalid Ali to persevere as he faces this challenge, and to be given strength and recovery.