Selvan sacrifices Deepavali celebrations for Selangor and national duty

SHAH ALAM: There will be no Deepavali prayers, family meals or festive gatherings for Selangor winger A. Selvan this year as he juggles club and country commitments.

Instead, the 26-year-old will leave for Kuching with the Red Giants on the eve of Deepavali, play a crucial FA Cup semi-final against Kuching City tomorrow before joining the national team for centralised training the following day.

For Selvan, it means spending the festive period away from his parents, M. Anbualagan and C. Sarasbadi, and his four siblings in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.

"Of course, I will miss my family. This time, there is no celebration," said Selvan, who is the youngest of five siblings.

Deepavali is traditionally a family occasion for Selvan, starting with morning prayers at the temple before returning home to share a meal.

But there will be none of that this year.

He has not had time for festive preparations and did not buy new clothes.

"No shopping at all. No clothes, no nothing," he said.

His family understand why he cannot join them.

"They understand. This is a big game, a semi-final. This is my duty for Selangor," he said.

As the youngest child, Selvan grew up receiving money packets from his working elder siblings.

While the dynamic has changed with adulthood, the festive gathering remains special to him.

"The best... If I asked for a shirt or duit raya, they would give me. My brothers and sisters are all working," he said.

His message to his family this year is simple: "Happy Deepavali. Enjoy your day. I will miss them."

Selvan has little time to dwell on what he is missing, with a crucial week ahead.

Selangor hold a 2-1 lead heading into tomorrow's second leg against Kuching City at State Stadium, with victory taking them into the FA Cup final.

A win would mark another milestone in a season where Selvan scored his first official goal for the club against KL City FC in a 3-0 Klang Valley derby victory on Sept 13.

He joined Selangor after consistent performances for Negri Sembilan in the Super League last season, catching the eye with his pace, work rate, and attacking intent.

Primarily a right winger who can also cover other roles, Selvan knows competition for places is stiff.

"If the coach gives me a chance, I want to prove that I can score, provide an assist or do something for the team," he said.

The fixture carries extra significance for the winger, whose last silverware was the 2021 Premier League title with Negri.

He believes Selangor can finish the season with a trophy.

"I am confident. This year we can win a trophy," he said.

A day after the match, Selvan will join the national team for friendlies against China on Nov 14 and Yemen three days later.

The call-up ends a long wait after being on the standby list under former national coach Kim Pan Gon since 2022.

"Before I came here, the coach told me I would definitely get a national team chance. He said if I came here, played and got opportunities, I would get the chance. He was 100 per cent sure," said Selvan.

Despite missing the celebrations, he has no regrets.

"I'm happy to get the national team call-up. I've waited a long time for this opportunity," he added.