Roaming Tigers eager to show bite in Singapore Cup
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Balestier Khalsa skipper Madhu Mohana has been a vocal leader on and off the pitch, asking for an improvement to their training facilities.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Follow topic:
- Balestier Khalsa lack a permanent training ground after St Wilfred's closure, using public stadiums and sharing facilities, as highlighted by captain Madhu Mohana's social media post.
- Despite logistical challenges, including training at inconvenient times and locations, the team sit fourth in the Singapore Premier League and aim to progress in the Singapore Cup.
- Coach Marko Kraljevic acknowledges pitch shortages but focuses on team preparation and performance, integrating new Balkan players and fostering a resilient team attitude.
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SINGAPORE – After their allocated training ground at St Wilfred Sport Centre closed down on Oct 1, Balestier Khalsa have become the football nomads of Singapore.
They have gone around the island, training on the natural pitches at the Bishan, Gombak, Woodlands and Yio Chu Kang stadiums, and the artificial turfs at Our Tampines Hub and Jurong East and Serangoon stadiums.
With their long-time home ground Toa Payoh Stadium demolished to make way for a new sports complex, Balestier have shared Bishan Stadium with the Lion City Sailors as their designated home ground since the 2023 Singapore Premier League season.
But they could not always train there as Bishan also hosts both the Sailors and BG Tampines Rovers’ AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) games.
Without a dedicated changing room at the other venues, they have had to use the public toilets and leave their belongings on the stands during training.
Tigers skipper Madhu Mohana has been vocal about the situation. The 35-year-old wrote on social media on Oct 5: “We don’t have a permanent training ground. We share public toilets and don’t have a changing room to call home. Some days we train at 2.30pm, other days at 8pm.
“We’re not asking for much. Just a dedicated space to train and the basic facilities to help us grow as a team. If change is what we keep hearing, then it’s time to see it.”
Balestier Khalsa training at Serangoon Stadium on Nov 26. The Tigers have had to roam around Singapore to train this season after their allocated training ground at St Wilfred Sport Centre closed on Oct 1.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
While the situation has improved as they have more sessions at Bishan these days as well as a changing room of their own at Serangoon, they have still faced displacement.
For instance, they had to train in the 3-5pm heat at Serangoon Stadium on Nov 26 as the latter slots were already booked. That day, Bishan Stadium was unavailable due to the ACL2 group game between the Sailors and Persib Bandung.
Despite the challenges, Balestier have made a decent start to the season, losing just one of their five SPL games to sit fourth in the eight-team table with eight points.
In the Singapore Cup round-robin stage, they are third out of five teams with one win and one loss. They aim to win their remaining two games against Geylang International (at Our Tampines Hub on Nov 30) and Hougang United (at Bishan Stadium on Dec 7) to qualify for the semi-finals.
Madhu, who has been at the club since 2022, said: “Being one of the more experienced players, I feel I have to be a voice for the team to make sure we get what we need as professionals.
“The players are not the only ones affected. It’s also tough for the backroom staff, who have to bring the equipment all over Singapore. I have always been vocal on social media, and sometimes I get into trouble for it. But I’m not doing this for myself; it’s for the team.”
On or off the pitch, communication is key for Madhu, who entered a new phase in life in July when he married 35-year-old personal trainer and real estate agent Rathi Menon after a four-year courtship.
“It’s good to have a partner who supports me and understands the demands and nature of my job,” said the 33-cap centre-back, who also runs one-on-one personalised football training service Madkicks.
“Not many people get to kick a ball for a living and having a job that’s also my passion keeps me driven.”
Despite the club’s training ground issues, Madhu is eyeing a top-three placing in the league after finishing fourth in the last two seasons.
He added: “I think we are capable of that because we have quality in the team. The players are willing to run for one another and we have goals in us. We just need to improve in our team defending and win games we are supposed to win.
“We want to go as far as possible in the Singapore Cup because it is a path to the ACL2. It is still in our hands and we aim to win our two remaining games to get to the semi-finals.”
Coach Marko Kraljevic, who left Hougang to replace Peter de Roo in the off season, is back at the club for his third stint as head coach and has once again turned to the Balkans to strengthen his team.
Croats Mario Mustapic, Mario Subaric, Tin Matic and Jakov Katusa, and Serbs Lazar Vujanic and Bogdan Mandic are their new imports, with Japanese midfielder Masahiro Sugita retained.
The 60-year-old German-Croat said: “The shortage of pitches in Singapore is something we cannot change, so we don’t have a choice but to focus on what we can do, which is to do our best to prepare and play every game. The coaching team will also do our best in terms of preventing heat and physical injuries.
“So far, I’m happy with our performances and results because new players will need time to gel, especially when many of our imports have never played on artificial pitches.
“We conceded first in five out of our seven games and came back to beat Young Lions and Tanjong Pagar, and draw with BG Tampines Rovers, so we can always improve on our defence which starts from our attackers.
“But we have also shown good character and a never-say-die attitude to keep fighting and that is what we will count on for the season.”
