HOUSE OF THE WEEK
Space abounds in this Tarmwe two-up
LOADS of space and enviable proximity to the downtown area are the upsides to this house in Tarmwe township....moreInternational players tackle language barrier in Myanmar
(Volume 26, No. 505)
IT’S a problem everyone living in a foreign country experiences from time to time: the language barrier.
International footballers plying their trade in the Myanmar National League (MNL) say communicating with teammates is the greatest difficulty they face.
With the exception of Kanbawza FC, every club now features at least one foreign player. There are now 35 foreign players competing in the MNL and most of these are drawn from French-speaking African countries.
Ndoumi Pascal, a 26-year-old Nigerian striker who plays with Magway FC, said each club needed at least one staff member to help foreign players communicate with their local counterparts.
“In my club, most of the local players and even the coaches can’t speak English very well so I am facing some communication problems with them,” said Pascal, who is one of four foreign players at Magway.
“Because sometimes we don’t understand each other there are problems when we are playing. Normally we rely on body language to communicate,” he said.
Delta United striker Oguama Stanley Ugoch-ukwu, also from Nigeria, said the Myanmar climate is not a hindrance for foreign play-ers as it is similar to Africa.
“The weather is not a problem at all for us because there is no significant difference between the climate in Africa and here,” Stanley said. “But yes we do have some language problems here because many Myanmar people can’t speak English very well.
“But whatever our difficulties are, we need to forget about our home town, food and mother language right now because we are professionals here and we have to work for the club that we represent.”
However, he said he had been impressed with head coach U San Win’s ability to meld the Delta United players into a cohesive unit.
“The coaches seem to know how to manage the players to get the most out of us,” he said. “They told us we have to respect each other and we all have a good understanding while we are playing. I think this is the main reason why Delta United is standing near the top of the table now.”
Stanley added that most of the foreign players had been impressed by the warm welcome and enthusiasm of the Myanmar fans.
“At first it was hard to believe that Myanmar football fans could be so passionate, because I’ve never seen fans like this in my professional career. It’s really exciting to play for a club with such great supporters.”
Auyasi Omile Obinna, a 19-year-old defender from Southern Myanmar FC, said he was delighted to play in front of such strong support.
“I have never seen fans so enthusiastic to cheer their team,” he said. “It makes me happy and I think only with the fans’ support can a team be successful.”
“Every time I hear the crowd cheering for us I am really excited, I want to play as well as I can for them.”
Another Southern Myanmar import, striker Bright Ehigiamusoe Igbinadolar, said he enjoyed the lifestyle in Myanmar.
“I feel like Myanmar is so familiar to me, even though this is the first time I’ve lived here,” Bright said. “Most of the foreign players in our team like to go the shopping malls and meet people we can speak English with. We use the internet cafes a lot to contact our families and we also go to church every Sunday.”
