KUALA LUMPUR: E. Elavarasan, as it turned out, is the final football piece in Kim Pan Gon's coaching line-up for Malaysia.
The new national chief coach has chosen Elavarasan, who was in charge of Sarawak United last year, as his assistant.
South Korean Pan Gon, who started work last week, has brought to Kuala Lumpur his own support team of assistant Pau Marti Vicente, goalkeeping coach Cho Jun Ho, fitness trainer Dr Gokhan Kandemir and performance analyst Lim Jaehun.
It has been reported that Pan Gon would choose a local coach to join his support team as an assistant. The FA of Malaysia were believed to have shortlisted seven candidates, and the list was reduced to the final two. And today it is confirmed that Elavarasan is Pan Gon's choice.
"I am happy to appoint coach Ela as my assistant coach," said Pan Gon.
The Korean added that FAM technical director Scott O'Donell had strongly recommended Elavarasan to him, and he himself had interviewed the Sarawak United coach.
"I feel that he (Elavarasan) has very good experience and is committed to the national team.
"I believe Ela can help me to develop the Malaysia national team up to the next level," said Pan Gon.