Football: FAS extends contracts of national coach Sundram and technical director Sablon

National coach V. Sundramoorthy at his first training session on May 28, 2016, alongside national captain Shahril Ishak. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on Monday that technical director Michel Sablon and national coach V. Sundramoorthy have signed two-year extensions to their respective contracts.

Said Lim Kia Tong, president of the FAS provisional council: "We have extended the contract of coach V. Sundramoorthy, who will lead the Lions in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2019 final-round qualifiers, which will kick off later this month.

"Despite Sundram not achieving the target of a semi-final berth at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2016, we believe he should be given another chance to prove himself.

"We will support Sundram fully and we expect the Lions to secure a top-two placing in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 final-round qualifiers and qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2019."

Said Sundram: "Since my appointment last May, the FAS Council and Management have been extremely supportive and I'm deeply grateful for their trust and confidence in me.

"As a Singaporean, it's an honour to coach the national Team and I am very happy to have extended my contract.

"I am determined to lead our Lions to success during the AFC Asian Cup 2019 final-round qualifying campaign and I look forward to the support of our partners as we continue to develop and grow this sport to its full potential."

Of Sablon's contract extension, Lim said: "Since his arrival two years ago, Michel has been working relentlessly to further improve our footballing standards - with a key focus on three areas: grassroots, youth and coach education.

"In May last year, we unveiled a blueprint which comprises 11 key components and specific plans aimed at creating a top-class training environment, which will in turn facilitate the development of quality players for our National Teams.

"Almost a year on, we have achieved good progress in these areas, including coach education and a revamp of youth competitions, among others. It will be a long but rewarding journey as we strive to further enhance the standards of Singapore football, and we are very pleased to have extended the contract of Michel - who is undoubtedly one of the best Technical Directors in the world - for the next two years."

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