Under the blistering heat, there were sounds of laughter and excitement of children playing futsal. Even the mighty sun does not stand a chance to stop them from being young in their new, safe play space. But it was not always like this.
FELDA Trolak Selatan is located in rural Perak. Lush greens and old trees surrounded the village contrasted against some of the new houses and facilities that were built. What was lacking, however, was a safe space for the youth to play.
“We do have a small playground, but it’s limited for the very young. Our youths who are interested in playing field sports like football would travel 30 minutes on a busy highway from where we are,” shared Mohd Afdhal Ismail, the Community Manager of FELDA Trolak Selatan, in charge of the community’s well-being, including the youth’s.
Without a safe space to play, the youths find unhealthy ways to spend time. “Mobile phones and motorbikes are their best friends. With nothing much to do, they’re either glued to their devices or venturing on their motorbikes, which can be unsafe,” Afdhal added.
But it all took a positive turn when the Cruyff Court was built. Cruyff Court is the brainchild of the late Johan Cruyff, a Dutch professional football player, who wanted children worldwide to have safe spaces to play. This aspiration has now made its way all the way to rural Perak, Malaysia.
Today, the youths in FELDA Trolak Selatan spend most of their time playing futsal with their friends in the village. “It makes me happy to see them gathering at the court. We’ve been organising several sports events to encourage them to keep up the active lifestyle.” He added, “Even the youths from nearby villages would come to play together!”
“Our vision is to see children become leaders even if they’re from the rural parts of Malaysia. Just because they’re not in the cities, does not mean they’re left behind,” said Afdhal with much conviction.
Darwish, the local 11-year-old aspiring national football player, implied that playing on the newly built court felt like his dream almost came true. “The Cruyff Court turf is nice. It’s smooth, so we could slide safely during tackles. Playing on the turf makes me feel like a professional football player.”
Back then, the empty field where Darwish and his friends used to play was littered with stones. He shared his friend’s painful experience, who sustained an injury during a match. “I was dribbling the ball approaching the goalpost, and my friend tackled me out of nowhere! I was okay, but his foot was bleeding because he stepped on a sharp stone.”
Cruyff Courts are usually built in rural areas where many lack infrastructure, leaving youth with limited access to a safe play space – a narrative that Arrafiq Aziz, Manager of Operations at Yayasan Hasanah hopes would soon change. Arrafiq explained, “A good infrastructure that’s at an ‘international level’ should be made available regardless of location. Youth, including those with disabilities, living in rural areas must be given equal opportunities to have access to a safe space to play.”
Since 2012, the Cruyff Court series in Malaysia has been funded and developed by Yayasan Hasanah. “Building these courts is our way of giving back to the community, enabling youth and those with disabilities to tap into their potential and compete healthily.”
Today, Cruyff Court at FELDA Trolak Selatan marks the 8th court built nationwide alongside seven more active courts— one each in Johor, Pahang, Kedah, and Kelantan, and three in low-income urban areas of Kuala Lumpur. Yayasan Hasanah aims to add seven more by 2026.