Football: 8 who are running for FAS Council places

ST takes a closer look at the eight individuals eyeing the remaining six seats in the FAS Council. Of the eight, Darwin Jalil, Rizal Rasudin and Lim Tong Hai served on the previous Council. Being the only woman, Julie Teo will make the council as the FAS constitution states that there must be at least one female council member.

- Member in Asian Football Confederation (AFC) social responsibilities committee, chairman for Singapore Football League (SFL) Division 2 side Admiralty CSC and advisor to Singapore Coaches Association.

- To put in more concerted efforts in ensuring that SFL Clubs face lesser or no difficulty getting training grounds for their players and to enable them to carry out a better structured grassroots football programmes.

- To help SFL Clubs with the implementation of a structured programme to manage the administration of their clubs in a more professional manner.

- For SFL to start to play a serious part in helping to grow the interest and vibrancy of the game by getting the wider community, young and old, involved in the game. In the process the SFL clubs can even be the source of players getting into the national team.

- To work hard for the success of 2034 "Unleash the Roar" project.

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Zaki Ma'arof, 53, businessman

- President of SFL division 2 side Kaki Bukit SC.

- I wish for the football industry here to have more of an entrepreneurial element. We have one club in the league that has been privatised, and perhaps there can be more.

-Personal assistant to CEO, S.League in 1996.

- various roles atAFC from 2008-2015: administrator, head of women's competitions and head of women's football development.

- To raise the profile of women's football in Singapore.

-To continue to build the base and improve the quality of women's football especially when it is an integral part of Unleash the Roar.

- That the Unleash the Roar national project will be a success as Singapore football standards will be improved across all levels including women's football.

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Arriola Ashley Christopher John, 33, adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Technological University

- Four years in FAS competitions, AFC local general coordinator, AFC local media officer, AFC national Security officer, assistant venue manager for National Stadium during AFF Suzuki Cup 2018.

-To find more ways to increase the sponsorship value of the SPL so as to bring more financial sustainability to the league.

- To assist the SFL clubs with club licensing/management with the idea of having a sustainable promotion and relegation system in the SPL in future.

- That the budding youth footballers in Singapore will be able to envision a pathway where they will eventually be competing with the world's best footballers, such as in the Asian Cup and eventually the World Cup.

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Darwin Jalil, 36, vice-chairman of Balestier Khalsa FC, president of SFL Div 1 side Project Vaults FC, Group Executive Director, Project Vaults Group Pte Ltd

- Involved in amateur football since 2011.

- Address various issues that affect amateur clubs from governing to subsidies to allocating better training resources and venues.

- Drive more commercial streams for the SPL and get big brands to get involved so that we can create a more successful league.

- A vibrant and competitive football ecosystem across all levels of football, an increase in the number of clubs within SPL to increase talent pool for national selection and promoting football as a viable career option.

- A competitive national team that can strive for honours within the region and having more of our best players playing abroad to garner experience and expedite their learning curve as a professional footballer.

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Romzi Damiri, 47, freelance sailing coach

- Worked in FAS as assistant manager competitions division (2013-2017), local general coordinator for all international football, AFC local general coordinator for AFC Cup matches played in Singapore for SPL clubs.

-More support in the grassroot and youth levels of local football.

- Look into the SFL competitions and ensure they are properly run with better allocations of playing or training fields and to look into equipping the SFL clubs with proper knowledge in the administration of the club and also for the upgrading of coaches.

My wish for Singapore football: To ensure we have a larger talent pool by expanding the grassroots and youth level participation and to have a continuous stream of talent coming into the national team and eventually raise our Fifa ranking.

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Lim Tong Hai, 51, team lead, ActiveSG

- Chairman, FAS Referees Committee (2013-present), committee member, FAS Competition (2019 - present)

- The technical Department is doing a good job in enhancing the Coaches Education and I would like to see how I could value add to the system

- The Singapore referees are doing well at international levels. I will share inputs on improving and sustaining such standards.

- To work hard with the relevant partners to bring Singapore football to greater heights

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Harman Ali, 50, senior operations manager at an integrated facilities management services firm

- head coach of SFL Divison 2 side GFA Victoria FC and GFA football academy based in Singapore

- The success of the national team requires many moving parts and one of the key parts is youth development. This requires a revisit.

- Strengthening the efforts that complements the future direction of Singapore football.

- To see mass participation in football-related activities and translate it to more success in the region and beyond.