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Pennefather joins Bill Ng’s team for FAS elections

SINGAPORE — She is a well-known figure in local sports administration, notably in her various leading roles within hockey.

Singapore chef-de-mission for Sea Games Annabel Pennefather speaks at press conference during the 27th Sea Games Myanmar. Photo by Wee Teck Hian, 22 Dec 2013.

Singapore chef-de-mission for Sea Games Annabel Pennefather speaks at press conference during the 27th Sea Games Myanmar. Photo by Wee Teck Hian, 22 Dec 2013.

SINGAPORE — She is a well-known figure in local sports administration, notably in her various leading roles within hockey.

Now, Annabel Pennefather hopes to bring her expertise to Singapore football as part of the nine-member slate formed by Hougang United chairman Bill Ng to contest the upcoming Football Association of Singapore (FAS) elections.

FAS torchbearers, previously appointed by the Government, will be voted in for the first time on April 29 by 44 affiliates. The incumbents are led by Lim Kia Tong, current president of the FAS provisional council, who will be challenged by Ng for the new presidency.

A senior consultant and head of the sports law practice at law firm Withers KhattarWong, Pennefather revealed that she was approached late last year by Ng, whom she has known for a “few years” in the course of her work.

“He was always asking me for guidance and advice because he knew that I had a lot of experience, and so when he decided to form a team ... he must have felt he could benefit from my guidance,” the 68-year-old said.

Adopting a wait-and-see approach, Pennefather subsequently accepted the offer after Ng’s line-up became “clearer” earlier this year.

While Ng has not revealed his full slate, it includes Tampines Rovers chairman Krishna Ramachandra, another woman candidate in Dr Teoh Chin Sim, who was Team Singapore’s chief medical officer for the 2015 SEA Games, and lawyer Lau Kok Keng, a former vice-chairman of Geylang International.

“It’s a team effort, so you have to know whether you are working with people who share the same vision and ideas,” said Pennefather.

She added that the football landscape here could do with “some new ideas” and believes Ng, a businessman who has transformed Hougang into a profitable club since taking over in 2009 can inject fresh momentum.

Since taking over Hougang United in 2009, and focusing on their clubhouse jackpot operations, Ng has turned the S.League club into a financially self-sustaining outfit. Hougang are the only S.League team able to operate without the S$800,000 annual subsidy from the Tote Board.

“There will have to be decisions and you have to look at it from commercial and other financial perspectives, and those are Bill’s strengths,” Pennefather said.

“There has to be some change, you can’t get completely different results doing things the same old way.”

And Pennefather is prepared to use her sporting experience at both local and international level to help the country’s most popular sport, which has seen both the local league and national teams floundering in recent years.

The former national hockey player became the Singapore Hockey Federation’s first female president in 2004. She was also the first local female chef de mission (CDM) for an Olympic Games the same year. Currently a Singapore National Olympic Council vice-president, Pennefather is also a member of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Ethics Commission and deputy president of the International Hockey Federation’s Judicial Commission.

“I probably have the most experience of any candidate who’s going to be in the elections in terms of local NSA (national sports association) administration,” she said. “Overall, I see myself contributing especially at governance level, because I’m very familiar with how NSAs are run.”

While she listed women’s football as an area she could particularly help contribute to if elected, Pennefather also highlighted various other issues she hopes to help tackle. These range from promoting participation rates at grassroots and schools level, dealing with national service for male players, engaging spectators and getting them to fill stadiums again, and building winning national teams.

Pennefather said of her and Dr Teoh’s involvement: “Having women involved ... can only help to strengthen the decisions that are made because we also approach things from different perspectives, and maybe bring different values to the table.”

Even if she has never played the sport, Pennefather is well acquainted with football as her grandfather, Lancelot Maurice Pennefather, won four Malaya Cups for Singapore between 1922 to 1928. A Manchester United supporter who has been to three World Cups, she also keeps a close eye on the local scene and hopes to see the Lions become “more competitive” in future.

“For me, if our national teams start to perform better, then it is definitely going to be more inspiring to the younger generation to start (playing) and keep at it. That means a stronger focus on high-performance planning and everything (else) that goes with it — that is very critical.”

At the end of the day, Pennefather simply hopes to do what she has always strived to do throughout all her years in sports.

“I hope to be able to contribute on all fronts,” she asserted. “If I can add to the conversation or discussion, I will. I always speak out.

“My parents and grandparents were all active sportspeople, and sport has been very much a part of my DNA. I just want to help whenever I can ... that’s how I’ve always approached my sport involvement.”

 

PENNEFATHER’S CREDENTIALS

Singapore National Olympic Council: Vice-president (since 2002)

International Hockey Federation (FIH) Judicial Commission: Deputy President (since 2013)

International Association of Athletics Federations Ethics Commission: Member (since 2016)

Previous

FIH: Vice-president (2004-2010)

Singapore Hockey Federation: President (2004-2012)

Singapore Women’s Hockey Federation: President (1980-1992)

Chef de Mission: Commonwealth Games (2002, 2010), Olympic Games (2004), Asian Games (2006), SEA Games (2013)

Related topics

Annabel Pennefather Bill Ng FAS

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