Is Forrest Li’s $2 million bonus for the Lions good for sport?

SINGAPORE – A hush fell over the Lions dressing room at the Kai Tak Stadium late on Nov 18, the hooting and hollering that had filled it just seconds earlier replaced with a pregnant pause as Singapore football chief Forrest Li prepared to speak.

“Whatever the bonus (was) we promised before,” he said, “it will be triple.”

Pandemonium erupted even before the billionaire and Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president could finish his sentence. Even limping hero Ilhan Fandi, who scored the winning goal in their 2-1 win over Hong Kong to

secure a historic Asian Cup qualification

, could not resist grabbing Mr Li and wrapping his arm around him.

While neither Mr Li nor the players had spoken publicly about any bonus before the game, the former revealed upon the squad’s return to Singapore that

they would receive “about $2 million”

. A few days later, when asked, the founder of home-grown tech firm Sea Limited – who reportedly has a net worth of US$9.9 billion (S$12.8 billion) – said the money would

come out of his own pocket

.

The quantum of the reward is unprecedented in Singapore football and in local sport, sparking the question: Is the bonus a boon or bane for the community?

While the act of generosity is laudable, sports administrators and observers whom The Straits Times spoke to said such a practice should not be the way forward for how sporting achievements are rewarded.

In addition to it being unsustainable for the FAS and other national sports associations (NSAs) in the long term, it could also risk distorting athletes’ motivations when donning national colours, they said.

Mr Tang Weng Fei, who led the Singapore Athletic Association (now known as Singapore Athletics, or SA) for 10 years across three stints between 2004 and 2020, said the FAS is “lucky” to have a billionaire at the helm.

“The $2 million is a yardstick not many people can match. I am not poor, but I am not in that category,” said Mr Tang, who is an oil trader.

“If I were at his level (of wealth), I would probably do the same because it will lift the morale of players and is tremendous for the reputation of the association.”

Another administrator, however, was more critical. This official, who has been involved in sport for almost a decade and agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity, said: “Rewarding athletes must be done in a sustainable way, and it has to be based on the association’s financial ability.

“If it is going to be based on the financial wealth of the leadership, then this organisation will have ups and downs because this may be something you can do, but the next person (in charge) cannot do.”

Veteran sports figure Low Teo Ping, who previously led the Singapore Sailing Federation (1998-2010) and Singapore Rugby Union (2006-2017), said: “(Mr Li’s) gesture is nice when you can afford it, but it should not in any way set a norm. People should not have expectations that any (NSA) president can do things like that because Forrest Li is an exception.”

SportSG welcomes contribution

Handing out financial incentives for achieving milestone results is not rare in football.

After Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2026 World Cup, each player received a reward of five million Saudi riyals (S$1.7 million). For the same achievement, a comparatively modest bonus was given to Jordan’s players, who received between US$30,000 (S$39,000) and US$150,000, depending on the involvement in qualifying games. But the payouts were from their respective governments or football associations.

What makes Mr Li’s contribution unusual, especially in the Singapore context, is that it comes directly from the personal finances of an NSA president. Other football officials have also previously contributed out of pocket to team and players’ expenses, and rewards. They include the late N. Ganesan – who led the FAS in the heyday of the Malaysia Cup in the 1970s – and former Lions general manager and Geylang International chairman Patrick Ang in the 1990s.

When contacted by ST, the FAS and Mr Li did not want to say anything further on the bonus, including on the amount split between players or whether it has been disbursed. Mr Li had previously said the association wanted to “make a statement” with the incentive.

National sports agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) said it welcomed and appreciated Mr Li’s gesture.

Dr Su Chun Wei, chief of its High Performance Sport Institute, said: “When individuals with the means and willingness step forward to recognise and reward our athletes’ achievements, it demonstrates the kind of whole-of-society commitment that helps build a vibrant sporting culture in Singapore.”

He added that this is needed as government funding alone cannot sustain the ecosystem athletes need to excel, and private contributions play “vital complementary roles”.

“Different sports and NSAs have varying resources and support structures,” said Dr Su. “What matters is that we continue building a sustainable ecosystem where all forms of support – whether public or private – work together to help our athletes excel and represent Singapore with pride and passion.”

In Singapore, athletes who win medals at the SEA Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics receive a monetary award under the Singapore National Olympic Council’s Major Games Award Programme, which is sponsored by the Tote Board Group.

But there is no programme to reward achievements outside of the four major events, and athletes who win major prizes in international competitions have previously benefited from monetary donations by sponsors or rewards from the NSA’s own coffers.

After Loh Kean Yew won the badminton world championship in 2021, he

received close to $500,000

via a crowdfunding exercise that drew more than 580 donors, including local business leaders and individuals.

In local football, which has struggled for consistent international success, such financial rewards are even rarer. When they do materialise, they often involve sponsors or donors.

An ST report before the Singapore team’s victorious Malaysia Cup win in 1994 said the players were in line for $600,000 in contributions from well-wishers, with key players and the head coach getting around $40,000 each.

In 2001, Tiger Beer – which was the main sponsor of the national team then – offered the Lions a $100,000 payout if they qualified for the second round of the World Cup qualifiers. The amount was unclaimed after the Lions finished bottom of the group including Bahrain, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan.

Foreign tycoons dangle cash carrots

While personally rewarding athletes is an uncommon practice for NSA chiefs, those whom ST spoke to said dipping into their own pockets for expenses or other miscellaneous reasons is more frequent.

Mr Tang, who stressed that he never felt obligated to use his own money, said he has hosted appreciation or celebration dinners, and entertained international sporting counterparts on his own dime. Mr Low, a former banker, has done the same.

For performance-based incentives, Mr Tang put up his own money when he first launched a scheme to reward athletes who broke national records in 2011. The scheme later tapped into SA’s funds after its reserves were built up, and it is in effect today. Singapore Aquatics, too, has a similar arrangement to reward record breakers.

Over the years, NSA leaders or team officials such as coaches and team managers have also dipped into their own pockets to help athletes, some of whom struggle to make ends meet while training and competing.

In some other South-east Asian nations, tycoons directly involved in football associations have been open about the financial rewards they lavish on players.

In recent years, Ms Nualphan Lamsam, the Thai FA president who hails from the Lamsam family, one of Thailand’s wealthiest with a net worth of US$890 million, has not shied from talking about

the financial incentives

she has offered the various teams.

Just last week, Ms Nualphan, commonly known as Madam Pang, said she would personally reward the Thai Under-17 team one million baht (S$40,600) after they qualified for the 2026 Asian Championship.

And in 2023, she promised the senior squad that each player would get one million baht for each point they earned in the second-round World Cup qualifiers. They would receive an additional bonus of 10 million baht each if they advanced to the third round. The team earned eight points from six games, but did not progress to the next round.

Also in 2023, Indonesian FA chairman Erick Thohir – a businessman and politician whose declared assets are valued at 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$180 million) – gave the national Under-22 squad that won gold at the SEA Games a bonus from his own pocket, although he did not reveal the quantum. Mr Thohir has also been quoted several times stressing he did not like the idea of using financial incentives to motivate players, and preferred to talk about bonuses only after success is achieved.

‘Money can shape behaviour’

The $2 million bonus is not the first time Mr Li, a naturalised Singaporean who was born in China and moved here in 2006, has put money into local football.

His involvement began in 2016, when his company, Garena, backed the Young Lions – effectively the national Under-22 team – in a $4 million, two-year deal. He then became an FAS council member in 2017 and Home United chairman in 2019. Sea Limited – which Garena was rebranded as – then changed the football landscape with the privatisation of Home United to form the Lion City Sailors (LCS) in 2020.

Since then, the club have paid five-figure monthly salaries to some local players, attracted some of the continent’s top coaches, and built a $10 million training facility. They have also paid over $2 million each in transfers for top foreign players like Brazilian midfielder Diego Lopes, his compatriot and striker Anderson Lopes, and Dutch midfielder Bart Ramselaar.

Mr Li has been candid when asked about investing in local football. In a 2020 interview with ST, he said the sport would not be among the 10 things most worth investing in then. He added: “But we look at things differently. We want Singapore football to do well. As a local resident, it matters to me.”

The modest salaries of many local players in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) – the country’s only professional sports league – has been an issue for years. Players at the start of their careers can be on contracts that pay under $1,000 a month.

A national player, however, can command a monthly salary of between $6,000 and $10,000, and players who are more established and at clubs with bigger budgets like LCS and BG Tampines Rovers can earn a low five-figure salary. Eight Lions players are currently plying their trade in Thailand, where they earn similar amounts.

Former nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin, who sat on the FAS council from 2013 to 2016, noted that Mr Li’s bonus for the Lions was “commendable”. But he also warned: “Money can shape behaviour. It can condition the players, shape their outlook and attitude.

“I think it can be a slippery slope. If the intention is to motivate, it is this one time, then good. But if it makes (athletes) entitled, it can become bad.”

Mr Tang, who also had a stint as chairman of now-defunct SPL (then S-League) club Woodlands Wellington from 2002 to 2004, also preached caution. He said: “You have to beware of the expectations that may form. You give x amount now, (athletes and officials) want more next time. Where is the end?”

But Mr Oon Jin Teik, who was chief executive officer of the former Singapore Sports Council (now known as SportSG) and Singapore Sports Hub, disagreed.

“There is the question about extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation... (and) of course, the money can be used for other purposes,” said Mr Oon, a former national swimmer.

“(But) a wealthy leader in any form or shape is always appreciated. To me, it is no different than any sponsors or donors stepping up.

“The fact that he has a role (in the association) and has decided to do it, I say a million ‘thank yous' to him. I have 100 per cent appreciation for someone who is willing to put money into sport.”

Impact on elections?

Mr Li’s generous act and financial might have also raised the question of whether a wealthy NSA president’s willingness to spend his own money on the sport could influence elections or his standing within the association.

Mr Zulkifli said: “I don’t fault (Li) for the bonus, but it is going to be difficult for the next president that comes after him, unless (he/she) has deep pockets and is prepared to do what he is doing.”

The sports administrator who declined to be named said: “Sometimes, how an organisation performs depends on the wealth of the leadership... But if an organisation has to rely on the wealth of the leadership, then when the leadership changes hands, the performance will be affected.

“If a very successful businessman comes along and is able to garner votes because of his financial strength, that may also affect how the organisation behaves going forward.”

But he added that the advantage of having a strong or successful business mind at the helm would be for an NSA to develop a business model that brings in money for financial sustainability.

When asked if SportSG has safeguards in place to ensure that personal financial contributions from an NSA leader do not affect internal governance processes such as elections, Dr Su noted that associations are independent organisations with their own governance structures, and must adhere to standards set out in the respective regulatory frameworks.

“SportSG provides further governance guidelines to NSAs, which include principles on financial management, accountability, and conflicts of interest,” he said. “NSAs that do not meet these required governance standards may have its government funding suspended.”

NSA elections, he added, are conducted transparently in accordance with each association’s Constitution so each sport’s affiliates or voting members are empowered to exercise their best judgment in electing its leaders.

Mr Li previously said the Asian Cup bonus was a “first step” and urged corporates to follow his lead in contributing to the FAS and local football. The national football body has received encouraging signs and inquiries from potential donors since the Hong Kong game, he added.

As the Lions march towards the Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia in January 2027, Mr Li will no doubt be hoping to find like-minded individuals and companies that will ensure that no expense is spared to support the players as they take on the continent’s best, and reward them handsomely if they do well.