Coronavirus: A return to the pitch for SPL players in phase 2 as others bide their time

(From left) Amirul Adli and Baihakki Khaizan are led in their warm-up run by Mustafic Fahrudin. PHOTO: TAMPINES ROVERS

SINGAPORE - Baihakki Khaizan trotted out onto the pitch at Our Tampines Hub on Saturday (June 20) morning with a spring in his step.

Even a steady drizzle could not wipe the grin off the face of the 36-year-old Tampines Rovers defender, who signed with the Stags only last week after leaving Thai side PT Prachuap in April.

"I'm just happy to be back on the pitch, playing football again," said Baihakki, who has made 137 appearances for Singapore.

"During the circuit breaker, there's only so much players can do with minimal space at home. Even then, it's mostly core workouts.

"So even though training today is in small groups, it gives us some sort of satisfaction to be able to work with the ball again."

Tampines were the first Singapore Premier League (SPL) team to return to normal training, after the country moved to phase two of post-circuit breaker measures on Friday.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had announced its guidelines and measures for the safe return to footballing activities, which includes training in small groups comprising a maximum of five players and one coach, and discouraging physical contact like tackling and heading of the ball.

Another SPL club, Geylang International, held a session on Friday evening, splitting their squad into two groups, but did not have their players work with the ball.

Most other teams in the nine-team SPL plan to return to the pitch on Monday.

Tampines split their players into groups of five and staggered their training times, starting from 7.45am.

Each group went through three 30-minute activities, namely pre-activation (to avoid injuries), fitness work, and then playing a small-sided game.

Stags head coach Gavin Lee said he had designed the session long before the move to phase two, and based it on guidelines given to teams in Europe before the resumption of various leagues.

The Bundesliga resumed on May 16, while the English Premier League restarted on June 17, with teams in both leagues having about a month to train before playing games.

The FAS has yet to announce a return date for the SPL.

"When the (FAS) guidelines came out, they more or less tallied with what we expected, so we just had to carry out what we wanted to do," said Lee.

"It's exciting to be back training... it's like the first day back at school. It's great to see the boys again in person, instead of just seeing each other through the screen (on Zoom workouts)."

While FAS' advisories include measures for amateur, as well as social and grassroots football activities, most private academies in Singapore have not reopened.

JSSL Singapore, which has over 1,200 young players, plan to resume training on the weekend of June 27, and its owner and managing director Harvey Davis said the academy would work on getting all the necessary protocols in place.

Fustal complex operators are also easing back into business. FAS' guidelines restrict the number of participants allowed in five-a-side and seven-a-side pitches and courts, effectively ruling out an orthodox game of futsal.

But Mr Rajesh Mulani, co-owner of The Cage, said he was "encouraged" by the guidelines issued by FAS and national sports agency Sport Singapore, calling them a prudent way forward for a smooth return to normalcy.

He added that while he has received requests from social footballers who wish to have kickabouts on the various facilities operated by The Cage, his company's focus for the moment is on hosting youth football academies and possibly introducing a football-based fitness programme.

"The overall thinking is to take things slowly, and manage our responsibilities like implementing the protocols and crowd management well," said Mr Rajesh.

"Doing the first step successfully means a second step will happen, and that will bring us closer to a version of football, perhaps normal five-a-side games.

"This process has to happen. We cannot allow bigger groups if we haven't figured out how to manage smaller ones first."

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