Coach places emphasis on height to match their bigger opponents
By
Wang Meng Meng
Goalkeeper Fashah Iskandar, who stands at 1.81m, carries midfielder Muhaimin Suhaimi to illustrate their difference in size. But coach David Sivalingam says the 1.55m Muhaimin makes up for his lack of size with determination, speed and powerful shots. -- ST PHOTOS: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA
AFTER a year's preparation, Singapore are ready to take on the continent's finest Under-14 football talent in the Asian Youth Games.
Teams who have qualified: Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia.
With the withdrawal of the Philippines and Hong Kong, the two best runners-up from among Group A (Chinese Taipei), Group C (Malaysia, North Korea and Thailand) and Group D (Laos) will qualify for the final rounds, along with all four group winners.
To take on the mammoth task, Football Association of Singapore staff coach David Sivalingam has been on the look-out for tall players since last June, when the FAS held three open trials.
They were attended by 600 hopefuls. The number was first slashed to 80 and then 20 before Sivalingam, who had previously helmed S-League club Tampines Rovers, settled on his final 18-member squad two weeks ago.
Not surprisingly, the players, born in 1995, average 1.70 metres, which is also the average height of an adult Singaporean man.
Said Sivalingam, 50: 'For a tournament like the AYG, where Singapore will face the best Asian teams, we are likely to meet opponents who are bigger than our boys. So it is important that we are not completely dominated in terms of physique.'
FAS technical director Slobodan Pavkovic, an adviser to Sivalingam, said it is a trend in world football to select tall players to gain an advantage. 'The players Singapore picked are of a good size to compete in the AYG,' he says.
To that end, strapping goalkeeper Fashah Iskandar, who stands at 1.81m, was drafted.
Height aside, Sivalingam also insisted on his players having fitness and good technique.
To that end, little Muhaimin Suhaimi made the squad as the coach found it hard to drop the 1.55m midfielder from his plans. Sivalingam said: 'What Muhaimin lacks in size, he makes up with his determination, speed and powerful shots.
As hosts, Singapore have been given a bye into the main draw, where they will be in Group A. Their opponents on Saturday at the Jalan Besar Stadium will be Iran, who have won Group A in the qualifiers.
Please read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
