Football: Uniformed clubs should return to SPL to help Goal 2034 push, says fraternity

Tampines Rovers no.9 Boris Kopitovic with the ball at Jalan Besar Stadium on March 13, 2021. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

SINGAPORE - Some members of the local football fraternity have called for uniformed clubs to be reintroduced into the Singapore Premier League (SPL), following the announcement of the Unleash the Roar! project to lift the sport's standards here.

This is to provide the nation's elite players with a platform to train and play at the highest level domestically when they are undergoing national service (NS).

The issue of NS and its role in football has come into focus again after it was listed as one of the eight main pillars in the national project, which aims to strengthen the ecosystem and achieve World Cup qualification in 2034.

The blueprint by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) has some hoping that there would be a better balance between NS obligations and a commitment to an elite development pathway.

SportSG chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin had said on Tuesday (March 9) that the authorities would work within the existing framework to enable specific athletes to train and perform during NS. This included early enlistment, leave and time off, and opportunities to continue training and playing at top levels while fulfilling NS obligations.

Former national defender R. Sasikumar said: "Having SAFFC and Home United back in the SPL kills two birds with one stone because full-time national servicemen (NSFs) have an opportunity to train and play with senior players and imports when they can, and you also have two more clubs in the league, which has only eight teams at the moment."

In 2017, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) relinquished its control of Warriors FC, with new sponsors looking for more say in the running of the club then. Last year, Home United, who were under the auspices of the Ministry of Home Affairs, ceased to exist after they were privatised to become Lion City Sailors.

This meant the only SPL club NSFs can now play for are the Young Lions. Depending on where they are posted to, they can also play for the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (Safsa) or Police Sports Association (Police SA) in the National Football League (NFL) Division 1, although the competition was suspended last year due to the pandemic.

Midfielder Ignatius Ang, who played for Safsa in 2017, felt that footballers serving NS could be given more leeway to train and play for other SPL clubs during their downtime.

The 28-year-old, who played for Tanjong Pagar United last season, said: "The good thing about playing for SAFSA is at least we are still able to train and compete, but the truth is there is quite a big difference in standard between the NFL and SPL, where the quality and intensity are higher.

"With better communication and understanding, perhaps players can be allowed to train and play with other senior SPL clubs to continue their development at this golden age."

Despite Lim saying it is unlikely there will be new measures involving NS and football, Sasikumar hopes Mindef will consider suggestions to "keep up with the times".

He said: "This is a national project and it is worthwhile to study success stories from around the world. Look at South Korea, they are technically still at war but they have dispensations for athletes to aim for and develop.

"We understand NS is a necessary duty and are not looking to escape from this obligation. But perhaps elite footballers can be allowed to pursue football education at top overseas clubs and return to serve during their off-season, for example, because this period is almost a make-or-break period for them to become top players."

An experienced local coach, who declined to be named, felt co-operation and understanding from all parties is necessary to build a fruitful partnership.

He said: "It used to be easier to get the footballers to train and play, and athletes like Sasi were attached to Safsa where they could train and play sport regularly. But somewhere down the line, some athletes abused the system, went AWOL, and the trust that was broken is very hard to rebuild.

"Of course, we are thankful that Mindef still has existing measures to help athletes train and compete for major campaigns, but from a sports point of view, we definitely hope for more leeway to develop these talents. All these can be achieved only through proper planning, communication and commitment that the athletes don't fall out of line in the process."

In response to The Straits Times' queries, an FAS spokesman said it is grateful for Mindef's support for players serving NS, adding that it will work with the ministry to do so "without compromising their NS obligations".

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