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Singapore's top footballers aged 13 to 17 to form national youth squads that will train at new national football development centre

SINGAPORE — The nation's top young footballers aged 13 to 17 will soon be drawn from various football academies and private clubs to form national youth squads, which will train at an upcoming national football development centre and travel to compete overseas.

The authorities are aiming to produce a pipeline of talented young footballers at the upcoming national football development centre.

The authorities are aiming to produce a pipeline of talented young footballers at the upcoming national football development centre.

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  • Talented young footballers aged 13 to 17 will be drawn together to form national youth squads, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said on Monday (March 6)
  • They will train at an upcoming national football development centre and travel overseas to compete, he added
  • The move is part of an effort to build a strong pipeline of talent for Singapore football, he said in Parliament
  • Two former footballers praised the initiative but had varying views on whether it would help Singapore qualify for World Cup 2034
  • Mr Tong's ministry also announced a S$100 ActiveSG credit for children aged between four and 12

 

SINGAPORE — The nation's top young footballers aged 13 to 17 will soon be drawn from various football academies and private clubs to form national youth squads, which will train at an upcoming national football development centre and travel to compete overseas.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said in Parliament on Monday (March 6) that this move is part of efforts to develop a strong pipeline of football talents here. 

“Developing talent takes time, and our focus is on laying a strong foundation for long-term growth and learning,” he said.

Developing talent takes time, and our focus is on laying a strong foundation for long-term growth and learning.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong

“We are putting in place a system to expand the pool of young players at the base level. They will play and compete regularly, both locally and overseas. Over time, this should provide a steady pipeline of players to choose the best from.”

In providing support for young footballers with National Service (NS) obligations, Mr Tong said that early enlistment is a possible avenue to allow these players to get on with their football careers.

He cited the example of footballer Irfan Fandi, who enlisted into NS early before going on to be talent-spotted overseas.

Mr Tong added that eligible footballers can tap existing support avenues to continue training and competing while fulfilling their NS obligations.

TODAY has asked the ministry for details on where the national football development centre will be located.

WHY IT MATTERS

In 2021, Singapore launched a national football project called Unleash the Roar!, in line with the goal set by the Football Association of Singapore to qualify for the 2034 Fifa World Cup, which garnered both praise and criticism from the football fraternity. Some pointed to the failed Goal 2010 project that was first mooted in 1998.

Since the start of the project, a total of 12 school football academies have been established, of which two have dedicated programmes for girls. 

There are also international competitions on the horizon, such as the 2029 Southeast Asian Games, which Singapore will host. 

But just this year, the national team was off to a shaky start, when it was thrashed 4-1 by Causeway rivals Malaysia at the Asean Football Federation Mitsubishi Electric Cup in January. 

NATIONAL FRAMEWORK

To systematically select and develop the best players from various existing academies, Mr Tong said the Government is putting in place a national framework. 

It will comprise, firstly, the setting up of the national football development centre as the main training centre for all national youth squads, made up of promising footballers aged 13 to 17.

“This centre will be our primary pathway for selection to our national team,” said Mr Tong. 

He added that within the centre, players will be selected into core and reserve teams and they will be reviewed periodically to ensure their competitiveness. 

The players will train and compete regularly as a team and travel as a squad to compete overseas for exposure. 

The national framework will also comprise training on talent identification for coaches and increasing scouts’ capabilities to identify the best young footballers. 

"We have a small population with a small base and we need to ensure that we have our eyes at all available talent all the time," said Mr Tong.

He added that the authorities want to tap on the experience of ex-national players and all ex-national coaches, who have "an eye for talent" and have been taking part at the game's highest level. They could be trained to be part of the scouting network, he said.

Mr Tong added that promising footballers can also look forward to a scholarship programme which will provide them with the best environment to train and compete.

“Our best young footballers will be sent to overseas academies that offer good quality education alongside the best football training in a competitive environment,” he said.

“Throughout this stint in the scholarship, they will come back with academic qualifications that will allow them to continue future studies at a tertiary level in Singapore or overseas even as they train and compete with the best among the overseas talents.”

The first batch of scholarships is expected to be awarded by the end of this year and more details on the scholarship and eligibility criteria will be announced in the coming months.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

S$100 ACTIVESG CREDIT FOR CHILDREN AGED 4-12

In a bid to encourage children to be active and cultivate lifelong sports participation from when they are young, children aged four to 12 this year will get an additional S$100 credit in their ActiveSG account.

Those who are ActiveSG members will automatically receive the additional credits on May 1. Non-ActiveSG members who sign up as a new member between May 1 and Oct 31 will receive a total of S$200 ActiveSG credits as a one-off S$100 credit is given to all Singapore citizens and permanent residents upon signing up for membership. 

These credits can be used to:

  • Offset the cost of programmes such as those offered by ActiveSG academies and clubs, leagues and competitions
  • Cover entry fees for swimming pools and facility bookings

The ActiveSG credits can be rolled over to the next year if members use their credits at least once in the current year

NATIONAL REGISTRY OF EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS

As part of the longer-term strategy to professionalise the fitness industry and build capabilities, especially in the area of safety and knowledge, this new registry will be rolled out in phases from next month. 

With the implementation of the registry:

  • There will be clear safety standards and capability requirements to help the fitness sector raise its professional standards
  • Exercise professionals will be certified and provided free membership with the National Instructors and Coaches Association (Nica) in the first year

Nica members get benefits that include mediation support for workplace disputes and training funding to defray course fees, among others.

From April next year, government agencies which hire a sizable number of exercise professionals, such as Sport Singapore, the People’s Association and the Health Promotion Board, will hire only those registered under the registry. 

Members of the public will also have access to the registry so that they can make more informed decisions and have greater assurance when engaging accredited exercise professionals.

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IS QUALIFYING FOR 2034 WORLD CUP WITHIN REACH?

Two former football players had varying reactions about whether the new initiatives would enable Singapore to qualify for the 2034 World Cup, but both praised the moves to develop local football talent.

Former national player Rafi Ali said that building a proper foundation for youths with potential, giving them ample opportunity to compete and appointing the right coaches will give Singapore a fighting chance to qualify.

However, Mr Rhysh Roshan Rai, a former S-League midfielder who now works as a freelance sports broadcaster, said that achieving the 2034 goal might be difficult considering the high standard of international competition.

Nonetheless, Mr Rai said being able to lift the overall quality and infrastructure available for the sport in Singapore is a win.

For him, the initiatives are "comprehensive", with the scholarship catching his eye.

"Not only can they get top class training, but they also get a paper qualification that enables them to pursue their tertiary education after... which can help get parents on board," he said, adding that parents often take a pragmatic view of such decisions.

Mr Rafi added that he hopes for more details regarding the scouting of youths for the programme and support for underprivileged youths.

Noting the humble backgrounds of football legends such as Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, he said: "Kids deserve an equal chance, and we should scout everyone with natural ability that might be outside the system... "

He added: "Perhaps they are unable to afford travel for training, or are overlooked."

Related topics

football MCCY edwin tong

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