Balestier Khalsa’s Darwin Jalil joins FAS election fray

SINGAPORE – There is set to be a tussle for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) leadership after Balestier Khalsa vice-chairman Darwin Jalil submitted forms to contest in the elections just hours before the deadline on March 31.

Pending the FAS electoral committee’s checks on candidates’ eligibility, Darwin’s nine-member slate will take on the team headed by tech billionaire and Lion City Sailors chairman Forrest Li.

The deadline for nomination of candidates to the FAS general secretariat was 6pm on March 31 while the announcement of qualified candidates for the elections will be made on April 18, 10 days before the extraordinary congress to choose the office-bearers for the 2025-29 term.

Li, 47, founder of home-grown tech firm Sea Limited,

threw his hat into the ring for the post

on March 17, when nominations opened, while incumbent president Bernard Tan announced that

he will not be seeking re-election for a second term on March 29.

The FAS elections will see teams put forward a slate of nine candidates – president, deputy president, four vice-presidents and three council members – with six other council-member positions to be contested on an individual basis.

Speaking to The Straits Times on March 31, Darwin, who is the executive director of events and facilities management firm Project Vaults Group and holds a Fifa diploma in club management, said he is looking forward to a battle to “steer Singapore football in the right direction”.

The 40-year-old added: “After serving two terms in football, I recognise that there have been a lot of promises made to the fraternity, which have not really been delivered.

“There’s more to football than just looking at the short-term success. We are focused on developing the men and women’s football, elevating the level of club management across all levels of football.

“Most importantly, my team and I want to unify the fraternity. For such a small country, we are very fragmented. We are all Singaporeans who love the beautiful game, and it’s important for us to be united for the betterment of Singapore football.”

Darwin, who has been an FAS council member since 2017, and is also the president of Singapore Football League Division 1 side Project Vaults FC, said he stepped forward with a “diverse and strong team” because an absence of a contest for the top positions would not have been beneficial for the sport.

While Darwin declined to reveal his slate till the candidates are confirmed by the FAS, ST understands that it contains former national team defender and a three-time winner of the AFF Championship, S. Subramani; vice-president of media and internal communications at Singapore Exchange, Ion Danker; and former Woodlands Wellington general manager R. Vengadasalam.

When asked about his team’s credentials, Darwin said: “We offer a very diverse expertise. The fraternity needs a long-term fix and not just a short-term cash injection.

“And for us to seek continuity, to be sustainable and competitive, we will need to fix the structures of Singapore football.

“We will not just look at the elite level. We will address all areas of Singapore football and that starts with the grassroots.”

With the battle lines now drawn, Darwin said he will spend the next few weeks consulting members of the fraternity ahead of the polls.

“Both Forrest and I have the best interest of Singapore football at heart, and whatever that we are going to go through against or with each other in the weeks to come, it’s all in the best interest of Singapore football,” he said.

Former council member Yakob Hashim was surprised by Darwin’s late entry and questioned the motive. The former national goalkeeper, who said he supports Li’s bid, noted: “In the end, it’s money that talks and Forrest has the proven track record. He has helped to elevate our SPL.”

He added: “(Darwin’s team) must be willing to invest to improve Singapore football and enhance the infrastructure from youth to senior teams.”

Former national goalkeeper Lionel Lewis, who is a current council member, welcomed the chance to vote.

“It’s definitely good to have a contest, because this shows there are more people with different ideas willing to volunteer, step up and serve local football.

“The affiliates can then see what each team have to offer and have options as to who they can trust to take Singapore football forward.”

It will be just the second time that there will be a contest for the top posts at FAS.

In the 2017 elections, when affiliates voted for their leaders for the first time in the FAS’ history, the late Lim Kia Tong was elected as president after his slate of nine, called Team LKT, won the vote 30-13, beating team Game Changers, who were fronted by Hougang United chairman Bill Ng.