SINGAPORE — The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has put its weight behind Fulham teenage footballer Ben Davis' request to the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) for long-term deferment for National Service (NS), pointing out that the case "merits serious consideration" as this is the first time a Singaporean has been offered a professional contract by one of the top six football leagues in the world.

Acknowledging that NS is of "vital importance" to the nation, the FAS – which is assisting with Ben's appeal – also urged the ministry to take a "balanced approach" to Ben's case.

"At age 17, Benjamin has been given a contract to play football at a professional level with Fulham FC, in the English Premier League, and we believe that the support for a Singaporean to play at the highest level will have benefits to the community and nation," it said in a statement issued late on Tuesday (July 17).

"The FAS understands the concerns around exceptions, but believes that a balance can be struck between player development and NS obligations in this unique case."

The national sports association added that deferment cannot be open-ended, and that any deferment would have to be matched with an assurance that Ben would see through his NS obligations, as well as "a commitment to use this opportunity to enhance the development of national football".

"We will work with Benjamin and his family on the above, with a view to seeking to persuade Mindef of the merits of the application, and to assuage Mindef's concerns over Benjamin's NS commitments, and to find a balanced solution to the issue which best serves our nation's interests." said the FAS.

Just last week, Mindef said that it had rejected Ben's application for long-term NS deferment in June as he "does not meet the criteria".

Deferments for sports are granted only for athletes who compete in international competitions such as the Olympic Games, and are potential medal winners for Singapore, said the ministry.

Last month, Ben inked a two-year professional contract with newly-promoted English Premier League side Fulham FC. But the Singapore U-18 and U-19 footballer will have to return to Singapore in December to enlist for NS if his appeal is unsuccessful.

In a phone interview with TODAY on Monday, Ben's father, Mr Harvey Davis, said he remained hopeful that the FAS' appeal for Ben would allow for his son to defer his NS. However, he added that the family is prepared to allow him to give up his citizenship to pursue his football career.

According to Fifa's rules, the 17-year-old is eligible to play for Thailand or England as Mr Davis is originally from the United Kingdom, and his mother is Thai.

Ben's contract with Fulham, and his appeal for NS deferment, has been a hot topic among Singaporeans in the past few days, with netizens starting an online petition in support of the teenager's football dream.

However, Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How told reporters on Tuesday that Mindef will reject Ben's application to defer his NS if there are no new facts presented in his appeal.

Speaking on the sidelines of his visit to 188 Squadron, Mr Heng said that while "we want to value every Singaporean and develop our talent", Singaporeans "have a duty to one another and this country."

"So we have got to make a good balance between our duty to this country and our genuine urge to enable everybody to reach their highest potential."

According to a report in Channel NewsAsia, Mindef had sent a note to NS commanders on the same day to explain why it had rejected Ben's NS deferment request. The ministry said it considered his Fulham contract a "personal pursuit" which was no different from those pursuing university studies or working in other professional fields.

"We know that football is popular among Singaporeans and the English Premier League has a keen following here," read the note. "However, granting deferment to Davis would be unfair to other pre-enlistees who put their personal pursuits on hold to serve NS dutifully."

However, the FAS reiterated that it hoped for "a balanced approach to be taken, to promote and enhance burgeoning talent without at the same time compromising the integrity of the NS agenda".

Ben's opportunity to train at Fulham's academy, which is one of the only 24 Category One schools in England, said the FAS, is consistent with its "objective of having our best players develop and flourish in a more challenging environment", and to return to Singapore to impart their experience and improve the national team.

The FAS added: "We hope that weight can be given to the above (accelerating young players' development), and to the prospect of leveraging on Benjamin's trailblazing achievement to motivate and inspire local talent."

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