Forum: Look into scheduling of schools’ football matches to avoid heat
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I have been supporting and watching my sons play football as they have taken part in National School Games from primary school through to junior college.
I believe the games are a valuable part of school experience, and my boys have benefited greatly from the friendships formed and team spirit engendered, and also physically from the training sessions.
However, I am concerned about the timing of the matches. Very often, the football matches are scheduled from 3pm, during the extremely hot part of the day.
Having witnessed many well-conditioned players going down with cramp or even struggling to run in the later stages of these matches, I feel that the heat poses a high risk to the players’ health and welfare.
The boys are fully committed during competitive matches and often push themselves beyond their limits, which creates risky conditions for severe heat injuries.
I believe even the Singapore Armed Forces limits high-intensity training during peak periods of heat. I understand the constraints in terms of pitch availability and the need to have a compact tournament schedule, but I hope the Ministry of Education can look into better scheduling for the safety of players and for a better playing experience overall.
Danny Soon Kwang Wei
