New pilot to offer free tuition, football training to at-risk young people
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South East District Mayor Dinesh Vasu Dash (front, left) joined former Singapore national footballer Fandi Ahmad (front, right) at the Football Clinic @ South East on Dec 13.
ST PHOTO: LIU YING
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SINGAPORE – A pilot scheme will be launched in mid-2026 to provide free professional football training as well as academic tutoring and counselling to at-risk young people in the south-eastern region of Singapore.
The initiative by the South East Community Development Council (CDC), a national first, aims to help young people improve their fitness, resilience and discipline.
“These attributes that you see in football... on the pitch... work not just in the classroom but in later life as well,” said South East District Mayor Dinesh Vasu Dash on Dec 13.
He was speaking at Bedok Green Primary School, where the first run of Football Clinic @ South East was held to offer a glimpse at how the upcoming pilot programme would be conducted.
Former Singapore national footballer Fandi Ahmad showed up at the Football Clinic to impart some dribbling skills to over 30 young people aged between 12 and 16.
The three hours ended with him sharing his experiences about making sacrifices to pursue a professional career in football.
He also urged his young listeners to sleep well and concentrate on their studies, even if they intend to play football professionally.
He declined to speak to the media.
While the football star’s involvement in future runs of the Football Clinic remains unclear, planning for the pilot initiative has commenced, including seeking potential collaborators for academic coaching.
“We hope to, by the middle of next year, be able to work with academic partners. They could be coaches or tutors... focusing on specific subjects,” said Mr Dinesh.
The CDC hopes to enrol at least 50 young people.
“The approach is to start with a smaller group, and really go deep in dealing with the issues that they are facing.... which could be multi-faceted – that one agency alone will not be able to help,” said Mr Dinesh.
“Ultimately, it is about supporting those who are most vulnerable, or in complex situations in their homes, and we find practical ways for them to break out of the situation,” he added.
For Football Clinic @ South East, the South East CDC worked with schools, social service agencies and the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Social Service Office @ Bedok for outreach.
Former Singapore national footballer Fandi Ahmad (front, centre) sharing football techniques with young people at the Football Clinic @ South East on Dec 13.
ST PHOTO: LIU YING
The second run of the Football Clinic is expected to be held in the first quarter of 2026, and will similarly be held at Bedok Green Primary School.
The clinic is sponsored by building and construction firm Eltraco International Group and Bosses United, a football team formed by local businesses, including Eltraco. The Straits Times understands that the value of sponsorship is more than $1,000.
After attending the first clinic on Dec 13, 12-year-old Putri Qaleysha said she is keen to continue with it even though she has never been serious about playing football before.
“At first, I did not think I would be able to keep up, but they made it easy to understand some of the techniques. It was very fun and I also made some new friends,” she said, noting that Mr Fandi, the clinic’s other coaches and volunteers from Bosses United were helpful and encouraging.
The pupil from Bedok Green Primary School recently completed her Primary School Leaving Examination and is waiting for her secondary school posting result.
She intends to join her future secondary school’s football team if the sport is available as part of the school’s co-curricular activities.
