Young Lions and distance runner Soh Rui Yong left out of SEA Games contingent

SINGAPORE – Singapore will be fielding its largest-ever contingent for the Dec 9-20 SEA Games, but high-profile names such as the national men’s Under-22 football team and two-time marathon champion Soh Rui Yong have been omitted from the initial list.

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on Aug 6 announced the first batch of athletes and teams selected for the Games, with a total of 762 athletes across 42 sports provisionally picked for the event. The national sports associations have until Aug 15 to lodge appeals for their athletes.

It is understood that the Young Lions missed the initial cut as they have not produced any international results that meet the SNOC’s qualifying criteria of matching the third-placed finishers of the previous edition.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had withdrawn the team from the Asean U-23 Championship from July 15 to 29, whose results could have been used to support their nomination for the SEA Games.

This would be the first time since 1969 that Singapore are not competing in the football competition at the Games. The Republic first played in the SEA Games men’s football tournament in 1965 before sitting out in 1967 and 1969 – they have featured in every edition since, winning three silvers and four bronzes when it was a senior competition until 1999.

When it became an U-23 tournament from 2001, the Young Lions won three bronzes in 2007, 2009 and 2013. After the age limit was further lowered to 22, Singapore have not made the podium and reached a nadir in 2023, when they finished bottom of their group and were thumped 7-0 by arch-rivals Malaysia.

The Straits Times understands that the FAS will challenge the decision. It has made preparations for the U-22 side to play friendlies against the Philippines and Malaysia – both teams did not make the semi-finals in 2023 – in August to back up their appeal.

On the situation, FAS president Forrest Li said at its media day on Aug 6: “There is a selection process and certain criteria, and it’s not just for football, there are a lot of sports and we understand that. What we can do now is to try our best to meet the selection criteria, and I think we still have a very decent chance (of the team competing at the SEA Games).

“We are working very closely with all the stakeholders... (who) understand it is important for our fans to see our football teams at the SEA Games, and this provides a tremendous opportunity for our young footballers. So, we will keep trying.”

In athletics, two-time SEA Games marathon champion Soh was left out of the squad despite meeting the 2hr 35min 49sec qualifying mark – he clocked 2:27:49 at the Houston Marathon in January.

The SNOC said in its statement: “The SNOC selection committee has not supported the nomination of Soh Rui Yong at this stage. The SNOC has been in dialogue with Singapore Athletics regarding his nomination, and should Singapore Athletics choose to re-submit it, the SNOC will review the nomination through its appeals committee in due course.

“The SNOC reaffirms its commitment to sending athletes who not only meet the performance benchmarks but also uphold the values and behaviours expected of Singapore’s national representatives. Representing the nation is both a privilege and a responsibility that demands sporting excellence and exemplary character.”

Soh, Singapore’s fastest marathoner (2:22:59) who won gold in 2015 and 2017, was also not selected for the SEA Games in 2019 and 2022, as well as the 2018 Asian Games, following clashes with the SNOC.

The SNOC previously noted that Soh’s conduct and behaviour “have continued to fall short” of the standards it expects of and holds its athletes to.

However, he was picked for the 2023 SEA Games, where he did not compete in the marathon but won the 10,000m silver in Cambodia.

He then missed the Asian Games in 2023 for failure to “honour commitments which he had provided to the SNOC, including on occasions following his participation at the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games”, as the organisation noted that he had “continued to make disparaging and derisive remarks about others in the public domain”.

Thanking Singapore Athletics president Lien Choong Luen and deputy general manager Bastian Dohling for attending to the matter, Soh, who turned 34 on Aug 6, said: “I’m currently enjoying my birthday and not worrying about SEA Games selection. I’ll leave it to Singapore Athletics to do the necessary, our association has been great and nothing but helpful.”

Other than the Young Lions and Soh, the national polo and woodball teams, as well as men’s volleyball team were not selected for the upcoming SEA Games.