Chinese entrepreneur Shi Kan is Geylang International’s new vice-chairman as club mull privatisation

SINGAPORE – Geylang International are living up to their name and ramping up their efforts to go international, and possibly move towards privatisation.

Four months after becoming the first South-east Asian football club to collaborate with the powerful City Football Group (CFG) in February, the Eagles have appointed Chinese national Shi Kan to replace Hossain Sumon as their vice-chairman at their annual general meeting on Tuesday.

Shi, 42, is the chairman and chief executive of global technology company CUE Group, which has 11 offices in Asia Pacific, including its headquarters in Singapore, and close to 2,000 employees.

Its sports involvement includes the China Basketball Association and e-sports properties that range from partnership to intellectual property licensing and distribution to sales and e-commerce.

Shi told The Sunday Times he had come to know about the Singapore Premier League (SPL) club, who have two league titles (1996 and 2001) and won the 2009 Singapore Cup, through their adviser and former chairman Ben Teng at a networking session in 2021.

He said: “I got to know more about Geylang’s rich history and deep connections with Singapore football, and how they operate, which interests me. From what I heard, Geylang are well managed, and the leadership is committed and prudent.

“Growing up, I’ve always had a passion for football. I think I can bring something new to the club, and make a contribution with my leadership, resources and network.

“What is of interest to me is also bringing innovative ideas into this club and leveraging on data and technology, and new digital means to help Geylang become more influential and grow a strong fan base.”

Geylang’s committee includes Cypriot Carlo Nohra, former chief executive of the UAE Football League while the club have partnerships with CFG and J-League club Matsumoto Yamaga.

Teng said: “With Shi Kan’s wealth of corporate experience and network, we are confident the club will continue to be steered in the right direction.”

ST understands the Geylang management has also been mulling over the possibility of privatisation and is in contact with the relevant authorities about the parameters and requirements for such a move.

Shi’s induction mirrors that of Forrest Li, who joined the Home United management committee in 2019 before taking over the club and privatising them as the Lion City Sailors in 2020.

Shi, who committed to using his personal resources as well as CUE’s capabilities to help Geylang grow, said: “As we can see in the world of football, in other countries, privatisation has happened or is going on. It is one of the opportunities worth considering.

“Of course, the SPL still cannot compare to big leagues elsewhere yet, but it has huge potential the same way Geylang have huge potential. This is why I want to get involved and be part of it.”

He added that it is not always about costs and benefits, pointing to CUE’s involvement in corporate social responsibility work through a 300,000 yuan (S$56,000) donation to set up the Innovation Practice Scholarship at the Communication University of China, where Shi is an honorary professor, their Covid-19 pandemic prevention efforts and public welfare work with autistic children.

He added: “I’m not looking at my involvement with Geylang as a business deal. It’s not like I contribute and I try to earn something out of it. This is not my intention.

“Privatisation is on our minds, but in the immediate short term, I’m trying to get more involved by bringing in resources, ideas and maybe even technology into the club. I hope to integrate the team into local communities, and grow a community with Geylang in Singapore and South-east Asia.”