Nine Singapore footballers fined by SNOC for breaking curfew at 2019 SEA Games

A photo taken on Dec 11, 2019, shows (from left) Joshua Pereira, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Zharfan Rohaizad and Lionel Tan entering the Football Association of Singapore's
headquarters at Jalan Besar Stadium.
PHOTOS: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The nine national Under-23 footballers who broke curfew at last December's SEA Games in the Philippines have been punished with fines, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) confirmed on Saturday (March 7).

An SNOC spokesman told The Straits Times its disciplinary committee, chaired by lawyer Lau Kok Keng, met the players who were involved in two separate incidents and they were given the chance to defend themselves.

The players were informed of the decisions about two weeks after the disciplinary hearing on Jan 31.

The first episode involved Kenji Rusydi and Zulqarnaen Suzliman (both 21), Lionel Tan and Joshua Pereira (both 22), Zharfan Rohaizad, 23, and overaged player Tajeli Salamat, 26. The trio of Hami Syahin, Saifullah Akbar (both 21) and Shah Shahiran, 20, were implicated in a separate event.

"All nine athletes admitted that their actions were in breach of the code of conduct in the team membership agreement for the Games," said the SNOC spokesman.

"After considering the evidence presented and circumstances put forth, the SNOC disciplinary committee has decided to impose monetary fines of varying amounts on the nine respective athletes.

"The fines will also constitute disciplinary records against the athletes, which may be taken into consideration for future major Games selection, together with all other applicable factors and selection criteria."

The SNOC derived the amount after considering evidence presented, including aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as various expenses it had spent on each player.

Pereira and Kenji were handed the heaviest fines of $2,000 each, while Zharfan, Zulqarnaen and Tajeli each had to pay $1,800. Tan was given the smallest penalty of $1,000. For the second group, Hami was fined $1,600 while Saifullah and Shah were each docked $1,400.

The SNOC will donate the fines collected to its charity arm, the Singapore Olympic Foundation. The SNOC spokesman added: "We hope the nine athletes will learn from this incident and put their energy and talent into advancing their football careers moving forward."

Zulqarnaen, Tajeli, Saifullah and Hami play for Lion City Sailors in the Singapore Premier League. Shah is at Tampines Rovers, Kenji at Tanjong Pagar United and Pereira at Geylang International. Zharfan and Tan are serving their National Service.

It is understood the two curfew-breaking incidents happened on the same night, after Singapore's 3-0 loss to Thailand on Dec 1 in the group stage.

The first group of six players were in their rooms when officials made their rounds at the 11pm curfew time. But they left later to visit the casino at Solaire Resort and Casino, not far from the team's base at Century Park Hotel in Manila, returning only in the wee hours.

The other group of three had left their rooms and team hotel to have supper.

The Singapore U-23 SEA Games team finished fourth in the six-team Group B with one win, one draw and three losses. They did not advance to the semi-finals, for the third straight Games.

This is not the first time national athletes, who are made to sign a Code of Conduct, have broken similar curfew rules at multi-sport Games.

At the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea, swimmers Joseph Schooling, Teo Zhen Ren and Roanne Ho were issued warning letters by the SNOC after leaving the Athletes' Village without permission.

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