Myanmar coach Velizar Popov keeps mum on team's service bus problems

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Myanmar's men's under-22 football coach Velizar Popov does not want to talk anymore about what happened to him and his team after they arrived for the Southeast Asian Games.

The squad, according to photos that went viral on Saturday night, had to settle for a small bus as its means of transportation to its billeting hotel with some members saying that they found their situation uncomfortable since they were stacked in the bus.

PHISGOC has since apologized to the team along with Cambodia and Timor Lester for the said matter.


"I think it's not [a] good image for the tournament if we start to talk in the [pre-tournament] press conference about this," the Bulgarian mentor said on Sunday at the Century Park Hotel.

He added that he wants to move on from the unfortunate incident and aim for the championship of the SEA Games men's football event.

"For me, that's not the most important. We are here for our target," Popov continued.

Myanmar will be featured in the first game of the SEA Games men's football tournament, battling Malaysia at 4 p.m. Monday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno