On the local front, Brunei does not have a professional local league. Their amateur leagues are contested at regional level. The Brunei team currently competes in the Malaysian professional league and has been progressing well in recent years. The team, which was once easily beaten, is now ranked among the best in the Malaysian league and has even qualified for the semifinals of the championship. Brunei won the Malaysian league’s premier tournament, the malaysia cup, in 1999.

Geography: This small nation is divided into two tracts of land and is separated by a strip of Sarawak. The western part, which is the larger of the two, is home to the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

Population:It has the smallest population amongst the countries in the South East Asian region. The figure is currently around 400,000.

Economy: Businesses naturally revolve around the mainstay of the Brunei economy – the petroleum and liquefied natural gas industry. A large number of Brunei people are also involved in fishing and agriculture.

Religion: The official religion of this country is Islam. Although an Islamic nation, the constitution allows for other religions to be practised as well.

Language: Malay is the official language but English is widely spoken too.

Currency: The Brunei dollar is the official denomination. The Singapore currency, which is of the same value, is also widely accepted. (US$1 equals B$1.65).