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FAS-backdrop Text.pdf 1 3/11/17 3:36 PM FAS Annual Report April 2016 - March 2017

FAS-backdrop Text.pdf 1 3/11/17 3:36 PM

ANNUAL REPORT April 2016 - March 2017

Football Association Of 100 Tyrwhitt Road,, Singapore 207542

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112371 FAS AR Cover (3 Nov 2017) Version 3.indd 1 6/11/17 5:11 PM MISSION To develop a vibrant football culture to enhance national life, strengthen social harmony and evoke the Singapore Spirit.

VISION To excel in ASEAN and compete at the ASIAN stage.

VALUES Teamwork Inclusiveness Transparency Respect Innovation Passion.

112371 FAS AR Cover (3 Nov 2017) Version 3.indd 2 6/11/17 5:11 PM FAS Annual Report 2017 1 2 FAS Annual Report 2017 FAS Annual Report 2017 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

For decades in the past, the leaders of the FAS were appointed by the relevant ministry. The government’s power to appoint Council members was enshrined in the Constitution of the FAS.

In late 2015, FIFA, world football governing body requested the FAS to align its Constitution with FIFA’s requirements, and to allow for the fraternity to pick its own leadership. The review process to align our Constitution with FIFA Statutes was a complex and thorough one which lasted over a year. A three-phased approach was adopted, where the FAS prepared an initial set of amendments in consultation with FIFA in Phase 1, before Dear Members, sharing the draft with the Members in Phase 2, and then seeking congruence from the On behalf of the of Members on the amendments in Phase 3. Singapore (FAS), I am pleased to present our Annual Report for the Financial Year (FY) The revised Constitution was unanimously ended 31 March 2017. approved on 7 November 2016 at the Extraordinary General Meeting by the FAS’ 46 It is a milestone year for FAS as we celebrate our Members – made up of S.League, National 125th anniversary. We take this opportunity to Football League (NFL), Islandwide League thank our pioneer and founding generations of (IWL) and recreational clubs, and interest footballers, coaches, football administrators groups. and fans for their contributions. With the revised FAS Constitution coming into The past year has been a challenging one – effect, the Ministry of Culture, Community and perhaps one of the most challenging in the Youth then appointed a Provisional Council Association’s history. The results of our various on the advice of Sport Singapore to oversee teams have not been as good as they can be, the FAS between 16 November 2016 and 31 and we need to do better. All of us – Council March 2017. The key focus of the Provisional members, administrators, coaches, players Council was to prepare for the election of the and more – must unite and recognise that we new Council before the end of May 2017, have to work together to win the hearts and while ensuring stability and continuity in FAS minds of Singapore football supporters. operations in the interim period.

We can disagree on various issues, but The amended Constitution cleared the way ultimately, we must still work towards the same for the football fraternity to elect its own set goal of footballing excellence. We must set a of leaders in a landmark election on 29 April positive example so that parents of talented 2017. young players can see a football fraternity that is disciplined, united and performing well, On the footballing front, a two-division NFL and be assured that there is a bright future for format was announced in September 2016 their children in football. as part of the NFL’s revamp, with the IWL

4 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) forming the NFL Division 2. This is intended towards fulfilling our key objectives, and also to further develop football at all levels and to strengthen community and social bonding provide more playing opportunities for our through football. FAS recognises the ability footballers. Improvements have also been of football to fulfil social objectives and we made by the FAS for the NFL, such as an will continue to organise high-profile events increase in prize money, insurance coverage aimed at bringing together Singaporeans for players and more publicity for the league from all walks of life. through the weekly live-streaming of matches. In the inaugural NFL Division 2 match between Football is important to all of us, especially in Warwick Knights FC vs Kembangan United Singapore. It is unique in that we may have FC on 22nd April 2017, there were 30,539 arguments on the pitch, but once the match views. ends and we are off the pitch, we shake hands and move on together. It is the great leveller We also remain committed to creating a – on the pitch, it does not matter whether you positive impact on the community at large. are rich or poor. Race or religion does not Amongst the many community-driven matter. The only thing that matters is working initiatives, I am proud to note that the annual hard together towards a common goal. executive football charity fundraiser “Football with a Heart”, an executive five-a-side On this note, I would like to express my football charity fund-raiser event organised by gratitude to our stakeholders, including fans, Singapore Pools, FAS and Sport Singapore, volunteers, sponsors, media and government proved to be a success once again. The agencies, for their support and commitment fourth edition, which was held at the National towards Singapore football. Let us continue Stadium for the first time on 21 May 2016, to work together and take this beautiful sport raised more than S$500,000 to benefit a to greater heights. variety of causes. In addition, the FAS Charity Golf event on 10 July 2016 raised a total of Thank you. S$238,980, and the funds were channelled to the underprivileged young footballers at Care Yours sincerely, United. Lim Kia Tong A partnership with the Singapore Cancer President, Football Association of Singapore Society (SCS) was also announced at the unveiling of the 2017 Garena Young Lions (GYL) squad, where half of the gross ticket proceeds from GYL’s S.League 2017 home matches will be donated to the Society. The SCS is the sole beneficiary of this fundraising initiative by the FAS. Through this, we hope to reach out to the players, fans and spectators to be advocates and further spread the awareness of cancer. The proceeds raised will assist in programmes and services to minimise cancer and maximise life.

Football is rich with opportunities for us to learn and grow together, to strengthen our community bonds, and to develop our nation. We will continue to persevere and work around the constraints as we strive

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 5 6 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary 8

2. S.League Sponsors 19

3. Administration 21

4. Standing Committees 24

5. Affiliation - Members 25

6. S.League Review 28

7. Football Excellence 43

8. Community Outreach & Grassroots 60

9. Competitions 62

10. Referees 69

11. Disciplinary Committee 81

12. Medical Committee 83

13. Women’s Football 89

14. Financial Report 95

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In 2016, of Singapore (FAS) continued to implement its key programmes, both on and off the pitch, as spelt out in the FAS Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021.

1.2 Head Coach, National Teams , who joined the FAS in May 2013, indicated that he would not seek a renewal of his contract upon its expiry and departed in April 2016. FAS thanked Coach Bernd for his contributions to Singapore football during his tenure. On the field, many young players who were given their international debut by Coach Bernd have since progressed to become regulars in the National Team. He mentioned that there is great potential for us to establish a very strong National Team in the coming years, especially with talents such as Adam Swandi, Amirul Adli, and completing their National Service within the next few years.

1.3 Following a rigorous selection process, V. Sundram Moorthy was subsequently appointed as the Caretaker Coach of the National Team. The selection panel – which included members with strong expertise in various areas such as sporting and technical backgrounds – was tasked with appointing the best candidate whose objectives are aligned with FAS’ vision and strategy, and who can continue to raise the standards of the National Team while working around the attendant challenges and constraints. It reached a unanimous decision that Sundram is the best candidate to take on the post. The 50-year-old is the first Singaporean to lead the Lions in over a decade, and the news has been well-received by the Singapore football fraternity, especially the fans.

1.4 FAS hosted the inaugural FAS Under-21 International Challenge Cup 2016 on 20 and 23 July 2016. The quadrangular tournament took place at , and featured the Under-21 National Teams of , Iran and . 1.5 Head Coach, National Youth Teams Richard Tardy said: “Our young players need as much international exposure as they can get leading up to the SEA Games in 2017. The FAS Under-21 International Challenge Cup is part of our comprehensive long-term preparations for the SEA Games which began last year, and will give them good experience against strong Asian teams. It is an important step in developing them to their full potential as footballers.”

1.6 A brave Singapore side finished as runners-up in the FAS Under-21 International Challenge Cup 2016 after narrowly losing 1-0 to Iran in the final of the competition.

1.7 The Young Lions had beaten Hong Kong 5-0 en route to their third meeting with the Iranians, whom they had faced twice on their training trip to Tehran in March 2016, with both earlier meetings also ending in the hosts’ favour.

1.8 In October 2016, FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled his plans for “FIFA 2.0: The Vision for the Future”, and expressed his desire to bring about a more effective channel for Member Associations (MAs) to communicate directly with FIFA’s senior management and

8 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) streamlining the number of standing committees, which he believed could be cumbersome in effecting change. To this end, the first edition of the FIFA Executive Football Summits was held over 11 days at six different locations around the world from November 2016 to March 2017. Singapore was selected by FIFA as the only Asian location for this first edition of the Executive Football Summits, and hosted the Summit on 6-8 December 2016.

1.9 The summits will allow FIFA’s senior management to engage all MAs in a more intimate setting to bring about effective changes. Top executives such as the presidents and general secretaries of all MAs are invited to attend one summit at every edition, alongside their peers from approximately 20 other MAs who share the same language and with easy accessibility location-wise. Compatibility and diversity within the group are also taken into consideration for every summit group. These summits will also provide MAs a direct channel to the FIFA senior management to voice their ideas and opinions, and to work together on improving football at all levels. All attending MAs may submit agenda points to be discussed in smaller workshop groups. There were 17 other MAs in the same summit group with the Football Association of Singapore, including UEFA MAs Italy and Croatia, as well as regional MAs such as and Myanmar. FIFA also aims to use the summits as a learning platform for attendees, where best practices can be shared and improved upon together. One of these presentations on sharing of best practices included a presentation from FAS Technical Director Michel Sablon.

1.10 The Council, management and staff of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) were deeply saddened by the passing of former President S. R. Nathan. Mr Nathan had a distinguished career in public service and contributed enormously to the growth and success of Singapore. A firm believer of the spirit of giving and caring, Mr Nathan had actively promoted several programmes and events, aimed at rallying the community to support the less fortunate and those in need. In addition, Mr Nathan was an ardent fan of sports, including football. He was present at many football matches, including the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship and other international matches, youth age- group competitions such as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Championship Qualifiers and the Lion City Cup, S.League games as well as non-professional matches such as the FAS Women’s Challenge Cup, Youth Olympic Games and schools’ football championships, among others. The most recent football match that Mr Nathan attended was the FIFA 2018 Asian Group Qualifier between Singapore and Japan at the National Stadium on 12 November 2015. We are immensely grateful to Mr Nathan for his support and constant words of encouragement which greatly inspired and motivated generations of national players across various age-groups.

1.11 The Singapore football fraternity also mourned the passing of Mr Amin Nasir, our Head Coach of Junior Centres Of Excellence (JCOEs), Club Academies & Schools Football Academy (SFA), Mr Maidin Singah, former Secretary of the Referees Committee and former National Team goalkeeper Lim Chiew Peng.

1.12 A former international who played for the National Team in the 1990s, Amin was part of the squad that won a Bronze medal at the 1993 Southeast . A strong advocate of fair play, Amin always played with great determination and was highly respected by his team-

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 9 mates, opponents and officials on and off-the-field. A firm believer in youth development, Amin was determined to build a brighter future for Singapore football and had spent the majority of his post-playing years coaching young footballing talents. Through his passion and dedication, Amin mentored and developed many young coaches and emerging talents in the various age-group teams he had led over the past decade.

1.13 Mr Maidin Singah was an active FIFA referee from 1983 – 1989. Upon his retirement as a referee, he became a referee instructor and assessor and nurtured many younger referees, one of whom is his son Shamsul Maidin, who officiated at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. A mentor to many referees, Mr Maidin readily offered assistance and guidance to them and was well-liked by all.

1.14 Former National Team goalkeeper Lim Chiew Peng who represented Singapore in the 1970s, winning the 1977 Cup, and at the age of 65 remained actively involved in Singapore football after retiring from playing He passed on after a battle with cancer.

2. FOOTBALL EXCELLENCE – NATIONAL TEAMS

2.1 The major competition for the ‘A’ National Team in 2016 was the AFF Suzuki Cup where narrow 1-0 and 1-2 losses to Thailand and respectively, and a goalless draw with host Philippines meant that the Lions failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament.

2.2 The ‘A’ National Team got their 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification third round campaign off to a positive start on 29 March 2017 by holding , the top-ranked team in the group, to a 0-0 draw at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa. Despite entering the game as underdogs, and having to deal with injuries over the course of the 90 minutes, the Lions held their own against the hosts to claim what could prove to be an important point in their quest to qualify for the Asian Cup.

3. FOOTBALL EXCELLENCE – COACH EDUCATION

3.1 Coach development is a key priority and hence, we are constantly looking at ways to enhance the knowledge and capabilities of our coaches while also seeking to attract and train new coaches. These include organising courses, attachment of coaches to the National Teams, and sending our coaches on overseas attachments. During FY2016, FAS organised six AFC Coaching courses and four FAS Grassroots Coaching courses in collaboration with the People’s Association, Republic Polytechnic and Sport Singapore. As of March 2017, we have 840 AFC-certified local coaches.

3.2 Technical Director Michel Sablon unveiled specific plans aimed at creating a top-class training environment which will in turn facilitate the development of quality players for the National Team on 30 May 2016. Michel, who played a key role in revamping the youth development system in Belgium, detailed specific areas of focus aimed at creating a top- class training environment to develop generations of quality players for Singapore.

3.3 At the presentation titled “Shaping the Future of Singapore Football”, he shared a holistic football development plan which encompasses 11 key areas and detailed plans and

10 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) programmes – some of which were already implemented, with other plans slated for introduction over the following months. The key areas include Coach Education, Grassroots, Development Philosophy, Elite Development and Physical Preparation.

3.4 A key initiative unveiled under “Coach Education” is the upcoming Singapore Coaching School, which is envisioned to produce a consistent pipeline of well-qualified and highly- skilled coaches to further enhance footballing standards in Singapore.

3.5 A member of the UEFA Jira Panel which had in 2015 revised UEFA’s Coaching Convention to meet current requirements and reflect developments within coaching and coach education across Europe, Sablon is also involved in the development of the new AFC coaching syllabus which will be adopted by the FAS.

3.6 Courses at the School will be conducted by coach instructors from AFC under the direct supervision of Sablon, Richard Tardy (Head Coach, National Youth Teams) and Mohamed Basir Ellaya Kutty (Head, Coach Education) so as to ensure that the highest standards are adhered to.

3.7 Sablon and his team will also implement a set of structured coaching eligibility criterion with more stringent standards that will be applied to all local coaches. Coaches who have successfully completed the syllabus will be awarded official certification by the FAS. He also revealed that changes will be made to the youth football competitions calendar. Following discussions and consultations with key partners including the Ministry of Education, school competitions will run from January to June. There will be no COE competitions for Under- 14s and below; instead, they will dedicate their time to training and strategically-planned friendly matches. COE competitions will kick off only in the second half of the year and will involve teams at the Under-15 age-group and above. Under the new synergised league structure, players will have more time for training and technical development, and also face less exposure to the risk of injuries and fatigue.

4. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT – GOALKEEPER ACADEMY SINGAPORE

4.1 The Goalkeeper Academy Singapore (GAS) was launched in 2016 with the vision of educating Singapore’s young goalkeepers aged 10-16 on the modern vision of goalkeeping. It was conceptualised and brought to fruition by former FAS Consulting Goalkeeper Coach Guy Martens and FAS Goalkeeper Coach Frederic De Boever, with both coming up with the coaching manual for the Academy. Martens is renowned as the goalkeeper coach who developed English club Chelsea FC’s Thibaut Courtois and many others such as Sinan Bolat, László Köteles and Logan Bailly.

4.2 Goalkeeping has been completely revolutionised in the past few years which can be seen in top goalkeepers like Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtois. There are more and more demands on the position now, so the purpose of the GAS is to prepare the best young Singaporean goalkeepers for this modern style. It will provide them with more learning opportunities and educate them on the technical, tactical and physical requirements of goalkeeping, such as positioning, game reading, decision making, action and performance.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 11 4.3 Aside from nurturing these young goalkeepers, the Academy also aims to build a platform where all the goalkeepers and coaches can share and exchange information and knowledge during the weekly sessions. This will help goalkeeper coaches in Singapore grow and develop further as well.

5. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT – INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE CUP

5.1 In line with our focus on youth development, FAS continues to ensure its youth get international exposure. FAS organised the Under-15 International Challenge Cup, which ran from 21-27 November 2016, with five foreign teams and three sides from Singapore – the National Football Academy (NFA) Under-14 and Under-15 teams, as well as a Centre of Excellence (COE) Combined Team.

5.2 Hailing from , Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, the overseas teams were selected to further the development of our young footballers by exposing them to varying styles of football played by high-quality opposition. PVF (Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents) emerged victorious at the inaugural FAS Under-15 International Challenge Cup after beating Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) 7-1 in the final at Jalan Besar Stadium.

6. S.LEAGUE COE

6.1 FAS collaborated with Ministry of Education (MOE) schools to provide structured and progressive football training according to the enhanced National Football Syllabus. MOE schools which are traditionally strong in football are given the opportunity to compete with the Centre of Excellence (COE) clubs after the completion of the inter-school competitions. This enhanced competition pathway provides higher level of competition with more playing hours complemented with a structured coaching methodology.

7. FAS JUNIOR CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

7.1 As part of our constant efforts to improve the players at the FAS Junior Centres of Excellence (JCOE), monthly Continuous Coach Education (CCE) sessions are held with JCOE coaches on technical topics led by FAS technical staff. This platform is also used as a knowledge and information sharing session for the JCOE coaches led by FAS technical staff.

7.2 There are eight JCOE Centres – two in each zone (North, South, East and West). The players train several times a week and are grouped according to their age bands: Under-10 and Under-11, as well as Under-12 and Under-13. Each centre has a Centre Manager with three qualified youth coaches managing the programme. Exceptionally talented players are allowed to move up and train with the higher age-group band to aid their development.

7.3 The ultimate goal of the JCOE programme is to produce players who can play a fast-passing football style within a 4-3-3 system. Through the carefully designed technical programme, continuous coach education, mentoring and quality control, the young players are able to improve their technical abilities and better read the game. By integrating technical skills into the playing system (5v5, 8v8), improving physical capacities and strengthening their mentality, players are prepared for the demanding technical requirements of modern football. 12 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 8. WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

8.1 The inaugural FIFA Women’s Coaching Course in Singapore was successfully held from 12- 16 June 2016 for 35 participants, from ages 18 to 38. It was conducted by FIFA instructor Hesterine de Reus at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The participants, most of whom are AFC- certified coaches, went through an intensive programme covering several topics including Training Preparation, Skills Training, Reading the Game and Simplifying Football. At the end of each day of the course, the participants were given an opportunity to put what they had learnt into practice with practical sessions, coaching players from Bowen Secondary School and the Singapore Under-14 Women’s National Team. Hesterine de Reus, the FIFA instructor who is also a technical expert for UEFA, gave a glowing assessment of the participants. She said: “The energy levels and passion of the girls gave me great motivation throughout the programme. I can see that there is a lot of coaching potential in these girls and I want them to continue growing in the sport, but never stop enjoying football as well. I think they will all make an impact in Singapore Women’s Football in the coming years.

8.2 Under the AFC Women’s Assistance Programme (WAP), UEFA Technical Expert Ms. Hesterine de Reus was in Singapore for consultations. Three phases of the technical expert’s attachment to Singapore were arranged to bolster FAS’s progress by guiding the Association towards achieving its targets for its Women’s National Teams. The first phase from 17 June-23 July 2016 saw de Reus mentoring and guiding FAS’ female coaches and staff. She taught the coaches advanced coaching methods and provided technical and tactical assistance in the coaches’ preparation of the various National Teams for competitions.

8.3 The second phase was held from 15-29 November 2016, while the third and final phase included hosting Bangladesh and Malaysia for the inaugural Women’s Development Tournament held from 16-18 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium. For this tournament, FAS conducted a technical study group project where the coaches tried their hand at match analysis, guided by de Reus.

8.4 This tournament served as the final phase of preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2018 Qualifiers in April, where Singapore was drawn in Group D and faced Vietnam, Myanmar, Iran and . The Lioness played 4 matches and won 1 match against Syria, finishing 4th overall with Vietnam qualifying, while Myanmar and Iran came in second and third respectively.

8.5 The Singapore Women’s National Team put up a creditable display by holding their United Arab (UAE) counterparts to a goalless draw in an international ‘A’ friendly at the Jalan Besar Stadium in January 2016. The UAE were heavily fancied to win this game after beating a Singapore Selection team 4-0 two days prior, but the Singapore Women’s National Team put up a dogged display to keep the visitors at bay.

8.6 Women’s National Team player and Women’s Football Executive Ms Beatrice Tan was nominated to represent FAS at the participating at the inaugural Football Federation Australia (FFA) Women’s Football Administrator Exchange. Together with representatives

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 13 from the Football Association of Malaysia, Football Association of Thailand, and Vietnam Football Federation, Ms Tan was in Australia, the FFA headquarters in and at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in , from 7 – 18 November 2016 for an intensive two-week programme for women’s football administrators in the ASEAN region. This exchange programme was fully funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

9. FOOTBALL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE

9.1 The FIFA 11+ Train the Trainer Course and Workshop was held in November 2016. This session was conducted by FAS-certified trainers for age group coaches from the JCOE and NFA, as well as FSAM sports trainers. The aim of the programme is to reduce the rate of injuries nationwide through a proper warming-up programme that has been specially designed by a group of researchers from the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC).

9.2 Our next plan is to integrate the FIFA 11+ to the AFC Coaching courses and to our NFA set-up. As this is part of injury prevention, we will integrate this information in the injury surveillance program.

10. FOOTBALL REFEREES

10.1 Our FIFA referees and assistant referees are highly regarded in today and continue to be appointed for matches in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, AFC Champions League, AFC Cup, AFC and AFF age-group tournaments as well as many international friendly matches played in Asia.

10.2 In line with our focus on continuous professional development, our match officials also attended various seminars and courses in FY2016. In April 2016, FIFA referees Abirami d/o Apbai Naidu and bin Jahari were invited to attend the FIFA Seminar in , for prospective AFC, CAF & OFC referees for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

11. FOOTBALL FACILITIES

11.1 We are thankful to our partners for their support on facilities-related issues. For instance, FIFA’s Goal Project enabled us to install new synthetic turf at Jalan Besar Stadium and place the previous turf at , giving us an additional field for our age- group teams’ training and playing needs. Also, Sport Singapore supported the upgrading of the Geylang Training Field. This includes returfing the pitch to allow our national ‘A’ and Under-23 teams to play passing football, and refurbishing changing rooms and toilets.

11.2 In the long run, one of the key goals in our strategic plan is to establish a national training centre for our age-group and senior teams, as well as to position Singapore as an international training venue. FAS is working with key stakeholders towards realising the goal of having three full-sized football pitches and mini-pitches, while also housing sports science and medical facilities. FAS is proposing that the facilities are jointly managed by FAS & Sport Singapore.

14 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 12. GRASSROOTS AND COMMUNITY FOOTBALL

12.1 To boost the development of kids aged between six to 12 years old, in March 2017, a new initiative saw Sport Singapore’s ActiveSG Football Academy, launched last April, merge its junior programme (for ages six to 12) with the FAS Cubs Programme (ages seven to 12), started in August 2015, to form the new ‘Active Cubs’ Programme. This was announced on the sidelines of ActiveSG Football Academy’s first football festival this year at the , where over 200 participants from both programmes came together. The aim is to streamline the existing grassroots football programmes in Singapore and the new partnership will see the ActiveSG Football Academy manage and run all Active Cubs programmes around the island. Meanwhile, FAS will lend knowledge and expertise on youth football development, as well as assist in identifying talented participants and provide a pathway for them to progress to its elite programme.

12.2 During the March 2017 school holidays, some 250 children from 18 schools gathered at Jalan Besar Stadium to participate in the Singapore Primary School Sports Council (SPSSC) and FAS Under-10 Football Fiesta – the second year the event was held since it changed to focus on learning and fun games rather than competition.

12.3 Keeping in line with FAS grassroots philosophy, the main aim of the non-competitive Fiesta was to provide opportunities for all to enjoy football. Participants took part in fun drills and small-sided games conducted by FAS grassroots coaches.

12.4 The FIFA “Live Your Goals” (LYG) campaign was launched in Singapore in May 2016 to provide an alternative platform for more girls to play football in Singapore. The international campaign by FIFA has its origins in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 where it was first introduced. The global aim of the campaign is to target and inspire girls and women to play football and stay in the game. Another two festivals that featured a football clinic, small-sided games and opportunities to meet members of the Singapore Women’s National Team were held at Queensway Secondary School and Bowen Secondary School on 10 and 11 September 2016 respectively. A third LYG centre at Coral Primary School was also launched on 8 July. It is our goal to build on the success of the LYG campaign and have more girls and women play football regularly, as well as raise the profile of women’s football in Singapore.

13. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

13.1 The fourth edition of Football with a Heart (FWAH) was held at the National Stadium on 21 May 2016, where stars and high-profile personalities from the entertainment, sports and business sectors, Members of Parliament and youth players participated in 5-a-side matches.

13.2 Organised by Singapore Pools iShine Staff Volunteers, the FAS and Sport Singapore, with venue support from the , the fourth edition of FWAH raised more than $500,000 to support nine beneficiaries including Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, SportCares Foundation, WE Care Community Services Limited and Disabled People’s Association. The FWAH event was held at the new National Stadium for the first time, and about 1,000

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 15 players battled it out over 220 matches in the presence of family members, friends and supporters. Apart from cheering on their family members who were on the pitch, many spectators also applauded the footwork of the celebrities who included parliamentarians, artistes and professional stars from top Spanish CF.

14. FOOTBALL TEAMS AND STARS’ VISITS TO SINGAPORE

14.1 Valencia’s -studded 5-a-side team, which included goalkeepers and Jaume Domenech, midfielder Javi Fuego, forwards Santi Mina and Paco Alcacer as well as club legends and La Liga ambassadors Gaizka Mendieta and David Albelda, not only delighted their fans with autographs and selfies, but also took on Team Parliamentarians in an exhibition match. After claiming a 2-0 victory via goals from Mendieta and Ryan, the Spanish stars then reserved some time to participate in friendly kickabouts with the National Football Academy (NFA) Under-15 boys’ and Under-16 Girls’ National Team. Mendieta, who had twice been named European midfielder of the season and was part of the Valencia side that reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2000 and 2001, was pleased to take part in this meaningful event despite a rather hectic schedule during their five-day tour of Singapore.

15. GREAT EASTERN-YEO’S S.LEAGUE 2016

15.1 There was intense competition amongst the clubs in 2016, making for one of the most exciting seasons of the S.League. The 2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League championship went down to the wire with FC (S) pipping Tampines Rovers FC to the league title as well as the RHB .

16. RHB SINGAPORE CUP AND THE NEW PAPER LEAGUE CUP 2016 RESULTS

16.1 Albirex Niigata FC (ANFC) won its second successive League Cup title on 10 July 2016, beating DPMM FC 2-0 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. It was ANFC’s third League Cup overall.

16.2 Albirex Niigata FC then defeated Tampines Rovers FC 2-0 in the RHB Singapore Cup final at Jalan Besar Stadium on 29 October 2016, completing a clean sweep of all four titles. It was ANFC’s first Singapore Cup triumph.

17. NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2016

17.1 In 2016, the National Football League (NFL) Eunos Cresent CSC were crowned the NFL Division 1 Champion while Police Sports Association and GFA Sporting Westlake FC clinched the 1st and 2nd runners-up position respectively.

18. ISLANDWIDE LEAGUE (IWL)

18.1 SAFSA finished top of the 2016 Islandwide League (IWL) and Balestier United Recreation Club secured the runner-up spot. 13 of the 14 team from 2016’s Island Wide League (IWL) went on to form the NFL Division 2. Woodlands Wellington have pulled out the IWL side, but are still actively participating in the FAS Women’s Premier League.

16 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 19. SINGAPORE POOLS FA CUP

19.1 Home United FC’s Prime League team was crowned Singapore Pools FA Cup 2016 champion after defeating Siglap FC 3-1 at Jalan Besar Stadium.

19.2 This is the Protectors’ second consecutive FA Cup win. The tournament is contested by clubs in the Prime League, National Football League (NFL) and Island Wide League, and all clubs in the three leagues participated in the 2016 tournament.

20. CONCLUSION

20.1 In recent months, FAS has engaged consultants and set up an ad-hoc committee to conduct a review of its internal governance structures and business processes, to implement a more robust system going forward. A key emphasis of the revamp is to relook the decision- making and approval procedures in the FAS.

20.2 On behalf of the FAS, I would like to extend our utmost gratitude to all our FAS ExCo and Council members, staff, volunteers, clubs, members, fans, sponsors, partners, members of the media and all other stakeholders and partners for their staunch support and commitment towards our goals.

20.3 We will continue to work hard and closely with our stakeholders as we strive to achieve more footballing success, both on and off the pitch, in key areas as spelt out in the Strategic Plan. In addition, we will continue to make improvements in the areas we are lacking, and further raise our standards in all aspects.

Thank you.

Winston Lee General Secretary Football Association of Singapore

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 17 18 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 2017 S.League Sponsors & Partners Co-Title Sponsors: Great Eastern and Hyundai Singapore Cup Title Sponsor: RHB Bank Singapore League Cup Title Sponsor: The New Paper Partners in Sports: Singapore Pools, Sport Singapore League Partners and Sponsors: The X Collective Pte. Ltd. Polar Mineral Water, Mitre, FBT, NCPG (National Council on Problem Gambling)

2017 S.League Clubs’ Main / Apparel and Other Sponsors

Albirex Niigata FC (S) Club Main Sponsor: Canon Singapore Club Apparel Sponsor: Hummel Club Sponsors: KUBOTA, Tap Trip, EnglishCentral, TDK-Lambda Singapore, COMM, Mitsubishi Corporation, Kikkoman Trading Asia, Optique Paris Miki, Daiho Project Service, KIRIN Holdings Singapore, Hair Make CLEO, Nihon Assist Singapore, Ramen Sanpotei, ACE Singapore, JTB, DENKA Chemicals Holding ASIA Pacific, JAPASE, NSG Group, NIHON ASIA, Niigata KUBOTA, ACCEA Singapore, Yakult Singapore, YAKINIKU-Oh, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, IPPIN, Crown Line, Zipan Resort Travel, Tomizushi, SANKYU Singapore, AJINOMOTO, HARADA Tea Sales, Blue Table, thinkRice, Premium Water by Singapore FLC, Konohana Kindergarten, All Nippon Airways, Hotel Italia Ken, Tawaraya Genbei, SHOGAKUKAN Asia, HITACHI, Taiyokou-Mura, Nikkei Asia, UDON KAGAWA, PJ Partners, OKADA Sweets, Yourwifi

Balestier Khalsa FC Club Main Sponsor: Civic Ambulance Club Apparel Sponsor: Umbro

Brunei DPMM FC Club Apparel Sponsor: Lotto Club Sponsors: DST, Mitsubishi Corporation, Brunei Shell Marketing Sdn Bhd, Baiduri Bank, Golden Tree, Hertz, Nazmi Textile Mall, You.C1000, NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd

Garena Young Lions Main Sponsor: Garena Apparel Sponsor: Nike Partners: Singapore Pools and Sport Singapore

Geylang International FC Main Sponsor: Epson Singapore Pte Ltd Apparel Sponsor: FBT Co-Sponsors: Broadway Singapore, Spice Up Private Limited, Herolltape, Goodrich, Cool Towels

Home United FC Main Sponsor: Linco Investments Apparel Sponsor: Puma Club Sponsors: NEX Creation

Hougang United FC Club Main Sponsor: Green Rubber Global Club Apparel Sponsor: Vonda Club Sponsors & Partners: ESW Manage Pte Ltd, Cita Rasa Kitchen Pte Ltd, Churros Factory, City Osteopathy & Physiotherapy, Living Star, Pin Si Kitchen Pte Ltd, VX Sport

Warriors FC Club Apparel Sponsor: Joma Club Sponsors: Hong Sey Group, Globus Italia, Kopitiam Investment Pte Ltd, Aos Bath Pte Ltd, Zulos Group

Tampines Rovers FC Club Sponsors: Nogle, Duane Morris and Selvam, Yellow Cab Pizza

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 19 20 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) ADMINISTRATION

FAS PROVISIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS (From 16 November 2016 to 31 March 2017) Lim Kia Tong : President Bernard Tan : Vice President Edwin Tong : Vice President Tan Soo Nan : Vice President Sarjit Singh : Honorary Treasurer Razali Bin Mohd Saad : Member S.Thavaneson : Member

FAS COUNCIL MEMBERS (Till 15 Nov 2016) Mah Bow Tan : Advisor A/P Ho Peng Kee : Advisor Zainudin Nordin : President Tan Soo Nan : Vice President Lim Kia Tong : Vice President Bernard Tan : Vice President Edwin Tong : Vice President Sarjit Singh : Honorary Treasurer Winston Lee : General Secretary (co-opted) Lim Chin : CEO, S.League (co-opted)

MEMBERS Bennett Neo Gim Siong Chow Phee Chat Dr Dinesh Nair Edward Liu Han Fook Kwang Kelvin Teo Ban Seng Lim Eng Lee Lim Tong Hai Michael Foo Say Peng Michael Kuah Kim Huat Ng Mui Kim Razali Bin Mohd Saad S.Thavaneson Tan Chong Huat Tan Seng Hua Zulkifli Baharudin

GENERAL SECRETARY’S OFFICE Winston Lee : General Secretary Mary Dianne C. Enriquez : Executive Assistant to General Secretary Jason Lee : Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs and Strategic Development

ADMIN & FINANCE DEPARTMENT Murtada Ahmad : Chief, Admin & Finance Gurmit Singh Grewal : Manager, Finance Ismarina Bte Ismail : Manager, Finance Maimunah Sulaiman : Assistant Manager, Finance Teo Wei Li : Assistant, Finance

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 21 COMPETITIONS DEPARTMENT Adrian Chan : Deputy Director, Competitions Aloysius Emmanuel Vetha : Assistant Manager, Competitions Arriola Ashley John : Senior Executive, Competitions Yusri Bin Umar : Senior Executive, Competitions Yeo Jun Xian : Senior Executive, Competitions K. Vickneswaran : Executive, Competitions Mavis Chan : Executive, Competitions

CORPOPRATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT Dominic Leong : Manager, Corporate Communications Chia Pui San : Executive, Corporate Affairs & Communications

DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING DEPARTMENT Fabian Chew : Assistant Director, Development & Planning Mohd Asadullah : Senior Manager, Development & Planning

FOOTBALL SCIENCE & MEDICINE DEPARTMENT Nurhafizah Bte Abu Sujad : Senior Physiotherapist Nasruldin Bin Baharuddin : Senior Sports Trainer Muklis Bin Sawit : Sports Trainer Andrew Tay : Rehabilitation Specialist Matthew David Jones : Strength and Conditioning Trainer Sukitha Kumari Herath : Physiotherapist Aide/Sports Trainer Mohd Faizul Bin : Part-Time Sports Scientist Abdul Wahid Gurnaya Singh : Part-Time Sports Trainer

GRASSROOTS, WOMEN’S FOOTBALL AND VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT Julie Teo : General Manager, Grassroots, Women’s Football and Volunteer Management Chen Caiying : Staff Coach Shamini D/O Anbarazan : Executive, Grassroots Beatrice Tan : Executive, Women’s Football

HUMAN RESOURCE & ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT Jean Neo : Assistant Director, Human Resource and Admin. Tricia Ong : Manager, Human Resource and Admin. Gordon Tan : Administrative Assistant

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT Sangeetha Murugesan : Manager, Information Technology

MARKETING DEPARTMENT Rikram Jit Singh : Assistant Director, Commercial & Business Development Sunurriahwati Bte Selamat : Assistant Manager, Marketing Louis Pang : Executive, Marketing

NATIONAL TEAM DEPARTMENT V. Sundram Moorthy : Head Coach, National Team Melissa Teo : Executive, National Team Omar Bin Mohd : Senior Equipment Officer

22 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) REFEREES DEPARTMENT Visva Nathan S/O K. : Head, Referees Nazeer Hussain : Senior Executive, Referees Lee Seow Poh : Executive, Referees Abdul Malik Bin Abdul Bashir : Executive, Referees Muhd Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari : Executive, Referees

S. LEAGUE (SBU) Lim Chin : Chief Executive Officer, S.League Kok Wai Leong : Director, Operations, S.League Peter Ong : Assistant Director, Operations, S.League Chua Chin Kok : Assistant Director, Admin. & Finance, S.League Glen Paul Magnabijon : Assistant Manager, Marketing, S.League Ayyub Kay : Senior Executive, Marketing Operations, S.League Liang Jimm Lo : Senior Executive, Operations, S.League Cuano Marjorie Flores : Executive, Admin. & Finance, S.League

TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT Michel Sablon : Technical Director Richard Tardy : Head Coach, National Youth Teams Fandi Bin Ahmad : Head Coach, Youth Mohd Basir Bin V. Ellaya Kutty : Head, Coach Education, JCOE, Club Academies & SFA Frederic De Boever : Goalkeeper Coach/Instructor Chua Lye Heng : Goalkeeper Coach Balder Berckmans : Fitness Conditioning Coach/Instructor Aleksandar Bozenko : Fitness Conditioning Coach/Instructor Selvaraj S/O V. : Coach, National Youth Team Rob Johannes Servais : Coach, National Youth Team Takuya Inoue : Coach, National Youth Team Christophe Chaintreuil : Coach, National Youth Team Mohd Nazri Bin Nasir : Coach, National Youth Team Mohd Fadzuhasny Bin Juraimi : Coach, National Youth Team Mohd Sofiyan Bin Abdul Hamid : Coach, National Youth Team Subramani S/O S. : Part-Time Assistant Coach, U-20 Team Varatha Rajan S/O S. : General Manager, Youth Development / JCOE Lydia Lim-Goh : Office Manager Kevin Wong : Senior Executive, National Football Academy Mohd Farehan M. Hussein : Executive, National Youth Teams Mohd Nadzri Bin Osman : Executive, National Youth Teams Amir Ashraf Rahmat : Executive, National Youth Teams Herwandy Bin Hamid : Executive, Football Development Muhd Rosman Bin Senin : Executive, Technical Wan Khairullah Bin Wan Annuar : Executive, Facilities Management

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 23 FAS Standing Committees (2013-2016)

FAS Standing Committees (2013-2016)

1. Administration & Finance 3. Business Development 2. Audit Committee Committee Committee

4. Community Outreach & 6. Football Excellence & 5. Competitions Committee Grassroots Committee Development Committee

7. Legal Committee 8. Medical Committee 9. Players’ Status Committee

11. Security & Integrity 12. Women’s Football 10. Referees’ Committee Committee Committee

13. Workplace Safety 14. World Cup U-17 Bid Committee Committee

Judicial Bodies

1. Disciplinary Committee 2. Appeals Committee 3. Ethics Committee

Ad Hoc Committees (March – April 2016)

1. Ad Hoc Electoral Committee 2. Ad Hoc Appeals Committee

24 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) AFFILIATION / MEMBERSHIP

Ordinary Members - 44

Associate Members - 10

Sanctions Approved (April 2016 – March 2017)

From 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, a total of 31 tournaments and friendly matches were sanctioned, in addition to the FAS organised competitions. The breakdown are as follows:

11-A-Side Tournaments - 13

9-A-Side Tournaments - 02

8-A-Side Tournaments - 01

7-A-Side Tournaments - 06

6-A-Side Tournaments - 01

5-A-Side Tournaments - 03

4-A-Side Tournaments - 01

Futsal Tournaments - 04

Friendly matches - 10

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 25 26 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017)

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 26 7/11/17 2:25 PM AFFILIATES

ORDINARY MEMBERS

S.League Clubs Interest Groups 1 Albirex Niigata FC 1 Academy Junior Football Club 2 Balestier Khalsa FC 2 Arion Football Academy LLP 3 Home United FC 3 NTUC Club 4 Warriors FC 4 Republic Polytechnic 5 Geylang International FC 5 Singapore Government Services Football League 6 Hougang United FC 6 Singapore Hotel Association 7 Tampines Rovers FC 7 Singapore Recreation Club 8 Gombak United FC (sit-out club) 8 Singapore Xin Hua Sports Club 9 Tanjong Pagar United FC (sit-out club) 9 Singtel Recreation Club 10 St. Michael’s Soccer Association 11 Winchester Isla FC National Football League - Division 1 1 Bishan Barx FC 2 Eunos Crescent FC ASSOCIATE MEMBERS 3 GFA Sporting Westlake FC 4 Katong FC 1 Asia Football Group Pte Ltd 5 Police Sports Association 2 ESPZEN Pte Ltd 6 Siglap Community Sports Club 3 Football Referees’ Association of Singapore 7 Singapore Cricket Club 4 Jollilads Arsenal Football Club 8 Starlight Soccerities FC 5 Little League Pte Ltd 9 Tiong Bahru FC 6 PSA Club 10 Yishun Sentek Mariners FC 7 Singapore Football Coach Association 8 Temasek Polytechnic Football Team 9 X-League 10 Young Sikh Association (Singapore) National Football League - Division 2 1 Admiralty CSC 2 Admiralty FC 3 Balestier United Recreation Club 4 GFA Victoria FC 5 Gymkhana FC 6 Jungfrau Punggol FC 7 Kaki Bukit Sports Club 8 Kembangan United FC 9 SAFSA 10 Singapore Khalsa Association 11 South Avenue Sports Club 12 Tampines Changkat CSC 13 Warwick Knights FC 14 Woodlands Wellington FC

26 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 27

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 26 7/11/17 2:25 PM 2016 S.LEAGUE REVIEW

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The 21st season of the S.League, Singapore’s professional football league, marked a historic milestone when Albirex Niigata FC (S) swept all four major trophies at stake, namely the season-opening Great Eastern Community Shield, Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League, RHB Singapore Cup, and The New Paper League Cup.

1.2 The signing of former Liverpool and Arsenal player by Tampines Rovers FC generated a lot of buzz in the S.League. It attracted huge media and fan interest in the League, with packed stadiums watching the pre-season matches Tampines played. The competition itself was intense and exciting, and all club officials and players put in a lot of effort – both on and off the pitch – to raise the quality and competitiveness of the S.League.

1.3 Tampines Rovers FC became the first S.League club to play at the new National Stadium when it took on Selangor FA in the last Group D match in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup Competition on 10 May 2016. The match attracted a bumper crowd of 11,875 fans.

2. GENERAL 2.1 Participating Teams 2.1.1 The 2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League included six local clubs (Balestier Khalsa FC, Geylang International FC, Home United FC, Hougang United FC, Tampines Rovers FC and Warriors FC), Garena Young Lions and two foreign teams (Albirex Niigata FC (S) and Brunei DPMM FC). Tanjong Pagar United FC and Woodlands Wellington FC continued to sit out the S.League in 2016.

2.2 Foreign Players 2.2.1 The number of foreign players was reduced to three per S.League club.

2.3 Competition Format

2.3.1 The S.League competition format was played over three rounds, on a home and away basis, with each team playing a total of 24 S.League matches in the season. The format for the RHB Singapore Cup and The New Paper League Cup remained unchanged.

2.4 Fitness Test 2.4.1 In our continuing efforts to raise fitness levels, the minimum passing time for the mandatory fitness test (2.4km running test) for S.League players in 2016 was reduced with a new time set at 9 minutes 30 seconds (It was 09:45 in 2015). Tests were conducted for all S.League players in the pre-season in the months of January and February. A total of 217 players took the test, and a 97.7% pass rate was achieved.

2.5 FAS Club Licensing 2.5.1 In 2016, all six local clubs – namely Balestier Khalsa FC, Geylang International FC, Home United FC, Hougang United FC, Tampines Rovers FC and Warriors FC – met the minimum criteria in all areas of Sporting, Infrastructure, Personnel and Administration, Legal and Finance as a requirement for participation in the S.League and AFC competitions for the 2017 season.

2.5.2 An online system introduced by AFC was implemented for submission of documents by all clubs. An internal workshop was conducted on 26 February 2016 to train club administrative staff on the use of the online system.

28 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 2.6 Match Attendance 2.6.1 In 2016, clubs continued to put in a lot of effort, through community outreach programmes and match day activities, to bring in the crowds to their stadiums. The S.League’s average home match attendance was 1,617 in 2016, a significant increase of 24.3% over the 2015 attendance of 1,301.

2.7 S.League Forum 2.7.1 The annual S.League Forum was conducted in the pre-season, on 13 February 2016, at Pek Kio Community Centre for all club officials and players. The forum included talks on Sport Integrity (Anti-Corruption) by a CPIB officer, and on the Laws of the Game by an official from the FAS Referees Department.

2.8 Match Statistical Analysis Reports 2.8.1 The S.League continued to provide all S.League Clubs with statistical match reports of the team and players’ tactical performances in matches played for the entire season. The reports assisted coaches in analysing the performances of their players and teams, and enhanced training and match preparations.

2.9 Enhancement of Security on Match Days 2.9.1 To enhance the safety of fans at stadiums on match days, mandatory security bag checks by trained security officers were implemented in the 2016 season. This initiative was done in collaboration with the Singapore Police Force as part of a national effort to improve security and safety of fans at large public events.

2.10 Official Visit by Officials from (LFF) 2.10.1 At the request of the Lao Football Federation (LFF), a study visit was organised for a team of four officials from 28-31 August 2016. The visit comprised a series of briefings on the S.League and Competition issues conducted by Kok Wai Leong, Director of Operations, Adrian Chan, Deputy Director of Competitions and Chua Chin Kok, Assistant Director, Administration & Finance, and included a site visit to Home United FC.

3. COMPETITIONS 3.1 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League 3.1.1 The 21st season of the Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League kicked off on 13 February 2016 with the Great Eastern Community Shield match. The traditional curtain raiser match to the season was between Brunei DPMM FC (2015 S.League Champions) and Albirex Niigata FC (S) (2015 RHB Singapore Cup Champions). The match also counted as the first S.League match of the season. In a tightly-contested match, Albirex Niigata FC (S) won 3-2 to pick up not only the Great Eastern Community Shield but also the three S.League points.

3.1.2 There was plenty of excitement throughout the season with Tampines Rovers FC pushing eventual winners Albirex Niigata FC (S) all the way to the wire, losing out by only a solitary point in the end. The competition was closer still for 4th place, with Home United FC edging out Geylang International FC on goal difference to qualify for the 2017 AFC Cup tournament.

3.1.3 The final matches of the 2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League Competition were played on 26 October 2016.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 29 30 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League Final Table Standings

TEAM P W D L F A GD PTS Albirex Niigata FC (S) 24 16 2 6 50 24 26 50 Tampines Rovers FC 24 15 4 5 50 28 22 49 Brunei DPMM FC 24 12 5 7 47 37 10 41 Home United FC 24 11 4 9 50 42 8 37 Geylang International FC 24 10 7 7 35 29 6 37 Hougang United FC 24 9 5 10 33 39 -6 32 Warriors FC 24 7 7 10 39 39 0 28 Balestier Khalsa FC 24 4 7 13 23 42 -19 19 Garena Young Lions 24 2 3 19 23 70 -47 9

3.2 2016 RHB Singapore Cup 3.2.1 The 2016 RHB Singapore Cup saw the participation of three foreign teams – Global FC and Ceres La Salle FC from the Philippines, and Nagaworld FC from Cambodia.

3.2.2 Ceres La Salle FC did well to reach the semi-finals stage. It eliminated Garena Young Lions 3-1 in the preliminary round and then defeated Brunei DPMM FC with an aggregate score of 5-3 in the quarter-finals over two legs. However, it lost 3-5 on aggregate to Tampines Rovers FC in the two-legged semi-final. In the other semi-final, Albirex Niigata FC (S) edged out Balestier Khalsa FC 2-0 on aggregate to reach the final.

3.2.3 The 2016 RHB Singapore Cup Final between Albirex Niigata FC (S) and Tampines Rovers FC was played on 29 October 2016 at the Jalan Besar Stadium, attended by 4,928 fans. Albirex Niigata FC (S) beat Tampines Rovers FC 2-0 to win the coveted RHB Singapore Cup for a second consecutive season in front of Guest of Honour Mr Mike Chan, CEO and Country Head, RHB Singapore.

3.2.4 In the Third Place Playoff played before the final, Ceres La Salle FC beat Balestier Khalsa FC 2-1 to clinch third place.

Final Standings: Champions : Albirex Niigata FC (S) 2nd : Tampines Rovers FC 3rd : Ceres La Salle FC (Philippines)

3.3 The New Paper League Cup 3.3.1 The New Paper League Cup competition was played from 13-30 July 16. In the first semi- final, Brunei DPMM FC (S) triumphed 1-0 over Home United FC, while Albirex Niigata FC (S) defeated Tampines Rovers FC 4-0 in the other semi-final match.

3.3.3 The Cup final was played on 30 July 2016 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Albirex Niigata FC (S) beat Brunei DPMM FC 2-0 in front of a 2010-strong crowd to lift the League Cup for the second consecutive year, and the third time in its history. The Plate was won by Geylang International FC, who beat Hougang United FC 2-1 in the Plate final.

Final Standings: Champions : Albirex Niigata FC (S) 2nd : Brunei DPMM FC Plate Winners : Geylang International FC

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 31 3.4 Great Eastern-Yeo’s Prime League 3.4.1 The 2016 Prime League Competition was held from 5 March to 19 October 2016 on a three-round home and away format. Home United FC emerged the 2016 Prime League Champions with Warriors FC and NFA U18 in second and third places respectively.

2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s Prime League Final Table Standings

TEAM P W D L F A GD PTS Home United FC 21 17 1 2 53 13 40 52 Warriors FC 21 16 0 4 54 26 28 48 National Football Academy U 18 21 9 4 8 39 32 7 31 Geylang International FC 21 8 7 6 33 32 1 31 Balestier Khalsa FC 21 6 6 9 40 52 -12 24 National Football Academy U 17 21 4 5 12 32 45 -13 17 Tampines Rovers FC 21 4 5 12 31 56 -25 17 Hougang United FC 21 4 2 15 25 51 -26 14

3.5 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup Competition 3.5.1 Tampines Rovers FC were in Group D with Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi (Bangladesh), Selangor FA (Malaysia) and Ceres La Salle FC (Philippines), while Balestier Khalsa FC had Kitchee FC (Hong Kong), Kaya FC (Philippines) and New Radiant FC () in Group E.

3.5.2 Balestier Khalsa FC failed to progress to the Round of 16 after finishing third in Group E whilst Tampines Rovers FC managed to get into the next stage by beating Selangor FA 1-0 in their last Group D match, played at the National Stadium.

3.5.3 In the Round of 16 match, the Stags defeated Mohun Bagan AC (Indian Premier League Champions) in Kolkata 2-1 after extra time and moved on to the quarterfinals stage.

3.5.4 In the two-legged quarterfinal, Tampines Rovers FC narrowly lost 0-1 to JSW Bengaluru FC in and was held to a 0-0 draw in the second leg at Jalan Besar Stadium. The Stags bowed out of the competition with a 0-1 aggregate loss.

4. MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS 4.1 S.League Pre-Season Activities 4.1.1 S.League Concept Train Launch and Partnership Announcement

On 12 February 2016, a day before the season-opening Great Eastern Community Shield, the S.League launched the S.League Concept Train at a press conference together with SMRT Commercial to announce a landmark partnership to promote Singapore’s only professional sports league. The three-year collaboration will see both FAS and SMRT rolling out initiatives and marketing campaigns to promote key S.League and National Team matches.

This unique partnership would bring Singapore football and clubs closer to over two million passengers across the SMRT transport network – in formats such as S.League concept trains, video contents showing goals and highlights on the screens, as well as localised club advertisements in strategic MRT stations.

The first event to enjoy this exposure was the Great Eastern Community Shield that took place on 13 February 2016.

32 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 33 Specially-designed hangers in SMRT train cabins promoting this event were hung in trains; commuters were encouraged to take a hanger to gain free entry to the opening game of the Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League season and also to receive a goodie bag.

The event at the Marina South Pier station was well attended by members of the media, S.League Club officials and players, and representatives from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), S.League, SMRT Commercial and Great Eastern.

4.2 Sponsorships 4.2.1 Mitre Sponsorship Launch

The S.League unveiled Mitre as the official match ball sponsor at a launch event on 25 January 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium. The five-year sponsorship also sees other FAS competitions such as the Island-wide League (IWL) and National Football League (NFL) using Mitre balls.

The launch was attended by Guest of Honour (GOH) Mr Lim Kia Tong, Vice President, FAS, Mr Alfred Toh, General Manager, Teamworks LLP, Mr Lim Chin, CEO, S.League, members of the media and various players and officials from the S.League clubs.

4.2.2 YEO’S 13 Years Sponsorship Launch

The announcement of YEO’S sponsorship extension was held on 5 March 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium. The sponsorship renewal saw YEO’S continuation as the league co-title sponsor for the 13th year.

The event was attended by Mr Lim Kia Tong, Vice-President, FAS, Ms May Ngiam, 1st Vice-President Marketing, YHS Singapore, and Mr Lim Chin, CEO S.League.

YEO’S also announced two new youth competitions to be held during the March and June school holidays.

The H-TWO-O Ultimate Challenge Cup would allow secondary school football teams, specifically those who did not qualify for the nationals, to play more competitive matches.

The other competition – the H-TWO-O Ultimate Junior Champions League – would provide Under-8, Under-10 and Under-12 primary school students opportunities to gain playing experience with their peers.

4.3 Print Media Initiatives There was very good collaboration with The New Paper (TNP) to showcase the S.League in 2016. Match editorials, previews and match details of the upcoming week build awareness and create talking points to encourage readers to attend games.

Sponsors were also given exposure through full-page features showcasing their football- related events – for example, the Great Eastern Kids Football Fiesta and the YEO’S H-TWO-O Ultimate Football Tournaments.

S.League Clubs were also well covered in advertorials leading up to the season’s kick-off. Between August and October, a series of advertorials were created to feature key youth players in the league to build awareness.

2016 also saw increased print media interest and coverage of the S.League partly due to the arrival of Jermaine Pennant who joined Tampines Rovers FC.

34 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 4.4 S.League LIVE match telecasts and Highlight Shows For the 2016 season, S.League appointed ASTRO as the producer for all S.League ‘Live’ matches and weekly highlights show.

Starhub partnered ASTRO as the official broadcast channel. S.League ‘Live’ matches and weekly S.League highlights shows were carried on StarHub SuperSports Arena Channel 201 (a free to air channel).

S.League news and content were also carried on SuperSports 360’s sports news segment two to three times a week.

There were a total of 29 ‘live’ matches in the S.League 2016 season. These included RHB Singapore Cup and TNP League Cup matches.

4.5 Social Media Initiatives Social media initiatives and activities were rolled out to engage both fans and followers throughout 2016. These included the posting of previews, match photos, match reports, videos of match highlights, sharing of clubs’ activities, and players’ and coaches’ interviews on the S.League website and Facebook page after every match day.

S.League also relooked the way messages and photos were being pushed out to fans via Facebook and the website to make it easier for fans to be updated.

Sponsors such as Great Eastern and Mitre also collaborated with the league to organise contests to reach out to fans and followers

The number of followers on the S.League Facebook page continued to grow. The number of Facebook “Likes” reached 36,549 in December 2016 – an increase of 35.32% from 27,009 at the start of 2016.

4.6 Sponsors Initiatives and Events 4.6.1 Great Eastern SG50 Wishes: Boys United vs Ex-International

On 23 January 2016, for the last instalment of Great Eastern’s SG50 Wishes campaign, S.League Co-Title sponsor Great Eastern collaborated with the S.League to fulfil Boys United FC volunteer coach, Bukhari Mohamed Salleh’s dream to play a 20-minute, 6-a-side friendly against former Singapore internationals – , , Ho Kwang Hock, Razali Saad, Shahri Rahim and Samad Allapitchay.

Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Second Minister for Defence, also took time off to join fans in the friendly held at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The programme ended with a clinic by our former Singapore internationals for the children of Boys United FC.

The event was attended by Mr Colin Chan, Managing Director, Group Marketing, Great Eastern, and Mr Lim Chin, CEO S.League.

4.6.2 H-TWO-O Ultimate Challenge Cup (Primary & Secondary Schools)

The inaugural H-TWO-O Ultimate Challenge Cup was held from 17-19 March 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium. A total of 52 teams from various schools participated in the tournament.

Hougang Secondary School emerged champion for the Under-17 category, beating Springfield Secondary School 2-1 in the final.

The event was attended by Ms May Ngiam, 1st Vice-President Marketing, YHS Singapore, and Mr Lim Chin, CEO, S.League.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 35 4.6.3 H-TWO-O Ultimate Junior Football Fiesta

The inaugural H-TWO-O Ultimate Junior Football Fiesta was held on 21 May 2016 at ITE College Central. The objective of the event was to promote football to youths.

The tournament targeted Primary School students aged 12 and below. A total of 32 teams from various schools participated in the tournament.

The event was well attended by parents and supporters. Participation medals were presented by Ms May Ngiam, 1st Vice-President Marketing, YHS Singapore, and Mr Lim Chin, CEO, S.League. . 4.6.4 RHB Junior Football Cup in Cambodia &

The RHB Junior Football Cups were an extension of RHB Bank’s regional brand strategy.

The tournaments were organised with the support of the Football Federation of Cambodia and the Lao Football Federation on 4 June 2016 and 20 August 2016 in and Vientiane respectively.

This was the second annual edition of the football event. A total of 64 teams and some 600 children participated in the 7-a-side football tournaments.

The event was widely covered by the local media of the respective countries. . 4.6.5 Great Eastern Amateur Football League

Great Eastern collaborated with the S.League to organise the Great Eastern Amateur Football League (GEAFL) which kicked off on 14 August 2016 with 16 participating teams.

The teams were drawn into four groups playing a round robin format, with the top two teams qualifying for the cup knockout stage while the bottom two teams proceeded to the plate knockout stage. Both the cup and plate finals were held on 4 November 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium.

Team AA 138 won the Plate final beating Unbasique 5-1, while EAFC clinched the Cup trophy after defeating EUnited 6-0 in the other final.

4.7 Great Eastern Community Shield 2016 / Great Eastern Children Football Tournament The Great Eastern Community Shield was held on 13 February 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium. The match was contested by the 2015 S.League Champions Brunei DPMM FC and RHB Singapore Cup winner Albirex Niigata FC (S).

Some 2,481 fans saw Albirex Niigata FC (S) lift the Great Eastern Community Shield when they beat DPMM FC 3 -2.

During the curtain raiser, some 240 children from 20 teams – including four teams made up of beneficiaries from The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund – participated in a friendly football tournament.

This was followed by a friendly 7-a-side exhibition match between the celebrated Singapore Cerebral Palsy Football Team which captured the hearts of Singaporeans at the 2015 ASEAN Para Games, and a Singapore Ex-Internationals team. The Ex-Internationals triumphed 4-2.

S$83,788 was also donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund through the efforts of Great Eastern and its partners.

36 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 37 4.8 RHB Singapore Cup Draw The RHB Singapore Cup Draw was held on 24 April 2016 at The Padang in conjunction with the third Car-Free Sunday SG. Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim attended the event as Guest of Honour.

Over 200 people comprising S.League players, children from S.League clubs’ academies and their families were present to witness children representing their respective clubs conduct the draw to determine the fixtures.

After the draw, 15 teams of Under-10 children participated in the RHB Singapore Cup Kids’ Tournament on a street soccer court.

4.9 The Sultan of Selangor’s Cup 2016: Ticket Presentation to Fans The S.League presented 1,000 complimentary tickets for The Sultan of Selangor’s Cup 2016 to fans of the various S.League clubs in a ceremony held on 8 Apr 16 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Tan Sri Dato’ Abd Karim Munisar, organising chairman of the Sultan Selangor’s Cup and team manager of the Selangor Selection, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour and presented the tickets to the fans.

S.League CEO Mr Lim Chin also announced that Philippe Aw from Home United FC had been selected as the head coach of the Singapore Selection team.

4.10 The Sultan of Selangor’s Cup 2016 The Sultan of Selangor’s Cup was held on 7 May 2016 at . Home United FC coach Philippe Aw led the Singapore Selection as its Head Coach against the Selangor Selection.

A total of 1,270 fans registered to follow the travel tour for the event.

The Singapore Selection team won on penalties after the match ended 1-1 at full time, while the Selangor Veterans overcame the Singapore Veterans 2-0.

4.11 The Straits Times Run Hougang United FC participated in The Straits Times Run which was held at the F1 Pit Building on 22 May 2016. The players participated in the 5km race category.

The S.League mascots also made an appearance throughout the event. The players gave out signed footballs to the crowd on stage after the race.

4.12 The New Paper League Cup Draw The New Paper League Cup draw was conducted on 22 June 2016 at the Singapore Press Holdings Auditorium in the presence of FAS President Mr Zainudin Nordin, Mr Dominic Nathan, Editor, The New Paper, Mr Lim Han Ming, Sports Editor, The New Paper, and Mr Lim Chin, CEO, S.League.

Representatives from the eight participating S.League clubs – Albirex Niigata FC (S), Balestier Khalsa FC, Brunei DPMM FC, Geylang International FC, Home United FC, Hougang United FC, Tampines Rovers FC and Warriors FC – were also present at the event.

To further increase engagement with the fans, a special TNP League Cup 2016 contest was introduced. Fans and readers had to guess, in the correct order, the clubs that would finish as champions, runners-up and Plate winner. All correct entries would be entered into 38 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) a lucky draw, with a top prize of $2,000 and four consolation prizes of $500. 4.13 The New Paper League Cup Final The New Paper Cup final was held on 30 July 2016 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Albirex Niigata FC (S) lifted the League Cup for the second consecutive year, and the third time in its history when they beat Brunei DPMM FC 2-0 in front of a 2010 strong crowd.

Prior the Final match, Geylang International FC beat Hougang United FC 2-1 to win the Plate final in front of 1,088 spectators.

The match was attended by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lim Kia Tong, FAS Vice President, Mr Dominic Nathan, Editor of The New Paper, Mr Lim Han Ming, Sports Editor of The New Paper, Mr Leonard Thomas, Associate Editor of The New Paper and Mr Lim Chin, CEO, S.League.

4.14 Orange Ribbon Run “Race Against Racism” The Orange Ribbon Run (ORR) was held on 10 September 2016 at Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza. The event was supported by all S.League club players participating in the 5km fun walk, and the S.League mascots who were popular with participants taking part in the race.

Players ambassadors such as and Iqbal Hussain were invited on stage to lead the pledge-taking segment together with Guest of Honour (GOH) Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

4.15 S.League Mascots @ The Causeway Challenge: Singapore vs Malaysia The S.League mascots lent their support during the Causeway Challenge on 7 October 2016 at the Singapore Sports Hub. The mascots mingled with the fans and public prior to the game at the various entrances.

4.16 Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League – Prize Presentation At their last match of the season against Tampines Rovers FC at the Jalan Besar Stadium on 26 October 2016, Albirex Niigata FC (S) was crowned the S.League champion with a final points tally of 50 points.

The prize presentation ceremony was attended by Mr Zainudin Nordin, President, FAS; Mr Bernard Tan, Vice President, FAS; Mr Kok Wai Leong, Director, Operations, S.League; Mr Keith Chia, Head, Group Brand and Marketing, Great Eastern; Mr Clement Lim, Head, Customer Segment and Loyalty Marketing, Great Eastern; and Ms May Ngiam, 1st Vice- President Marketing, YHS Singapore.

4.17 RHB Singapore Cup Final The RHB Singapore Cup Final was held on 29 October 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium.

Fans were entertained by cheerleading performances by Albirex Niigata FC (S) cheer dancers. Eight lucky fans also won attractive prizes such as the iPhone 7, iPad Pro and Beats earphones during the lucky draws.

Ceres La Salle beat Balestier Khalsa FC 2-1 in the third place playoff match.

After a fast-paced final, Albirex Niigata FC (S) were crowned RHB Singapore Cup champions for the second year running after beating Tampines Rovers 2-0 in front of 4,928 fans.

At the prize presentation ceremony was Mr Lim Kia Tong, Vice President, FAS; Mr Tan Soo Nan, Vice-President, FAS; Mr Mike Chan, CEO and Country Head, RHB Singapore; and Mr Lim Chin, CEO, S.League.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 39 4.18 S.LEAGUE AWARDS NIGHT 2016 The 21st S.League Awards Night, the finale to the 2016 season, was held on 1 November 2016 at the Melati Ballroom, Marina Bay Sands.

The Guest of Honour was Mr Zainudin Nordin, FAS President, and the event was attended by guests and sponsors, officials, players and fans.

The Award Winners were:

Coach of the Year - Naruo Naoki (Albirex Niigata FC (S)) Player of the Year - Atsushi Kawata (Albirex Niigata FC (S)) Young Player of the Year - M. Anumanthan (Hougang United FC) Top Scorer - Rafael Ramazotti (Brunei DPMM FC) Goal of the Year - Tomoki Menda (Albirex Niigata FC (S)) Referee of the Year - Sukhbir Singh Assistant Referee of the Year - Ong Chai Lee Fair Play Award - Albirex Niigata FC (S) Fan Club of the Year - Warriors FC Fan Club Story of the Year - Chua Siang Yee (The Straits Times) ‘Pennant Looking To Start Over in Singapore’ Photo of the Year - Lim Weixiang (FourFourTwo) ‘Torrential Welcome’

The event was an evening of nostalgia when legends from different eras of Singapore Football came together to present the Awards. Jerry Seh, Joe Dorai, P.T Murthi, V. Sundram Moorthy, Jita Singh, Terry Pathmanathan and Samad Allapitchay took to the stage to give out the Awards to the deserving winners.

4.19 Singapore Pools FA Cup Final Home United FC’s Prime League team beat Siglap FC 3-1 to win the Singapore Pools FA Cup at Jalan Besar Stadium on 20 November 2017.

This was the Protectors’ second consecutive FA Cup win. The tournament was contested by clubs in the Prime League, National Football League (NFL) and Island-Wide League, and all clubs in the three leagues participated in this year’s tournament.

The prizes were presented by Mr Ee Hock Chye, Singapore Pools’ Director for Customer Insights, Mr S. Thavaneson, FAS Provincial Council Member and Chairman of Balestier Khalsa Football Club, and S.League CEO Mr Lim Chin.

Prepared and Vetted by:

KOK WAI LEONG Director, Operations S.League

Assisted by:

PETER ONG Assistant Director, Marketing S.League

40 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 41 42 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) FOOTBALL EXCELLENCE

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Football Excellence Committee oversees the following key football development and excellence programmes of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS):

(a) Coach Education; (b) Junior Centres of Excellence (JCOE); (c) Centres of Excellence (COE); (d) National Football Academy (NFA); (e) National Teams.

2. COACH EDUCATION 2.1 AFC Coaching Certification Courses

2.1.1 Coach education is a key component of the FAS Football Development Plan where developing coaches is a key pillar of our FAS Strategic Plan and, in this regard, FAS has in place a Coaches Development Pathway. Coaches and coach educators at all levels play a crucial role in ensuring that football is an enjoyable experience for everyone, as well as laying the foundation for the development of better players.

2.1.2 The revamp of the AFC ‘A’,‘B’ and ‘C’ coaching certificate courses is designed to be in line with the FAS youth development plans and the AFC Coaching Convention. The courses now have clearly defined objectives and are grouped by age and level of play. The contents covered in each are also specific to the level that the participants must be coaching at. The revamped courses adopt a modular delivery, and engage multiple tutors for a more detailed delivery. Contact time within the course has also increased, owing to the fact that assessment is conducted only upon completion of the course, when the participant is ready. This gives the participants time to internalise and put into practice what they learnt before being assessed. Another dimension that has been added to the practical sessions is reality-based learning where specific age-group players are used for the AFC ‘C’ coaching course practical sessions. Participants visit the actual environment where the players train at to observe their training session. Experiential Learning has been rolled out for the FAS Grassroots Coaching Course and is also implemented for the other coaching certificate courses.

2.1.3 FAS continue to train more coaches annually, and we currently have 863 AFC- certified local coaches.

2.1.4 All applicants must undergo a theory test as a pre-requisite, as well as a national skills’ assessment before being enrolled onto the course. Those who are not selected will be put on a waiting list, and priority will be given to them for the next available course. This is in line with the AFC guidelines, which emphasises that Member Associations should aim for quality rather than quantity when it comes to developing coaches.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 43 2.1.5 The summary of coaching courses conducted between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 are as follows:

Number of Coaching No. of No Courses Venue Month Certificate participants conducted

March, Jalan Besar June & Stadium, Toa December Maximum 24 1 5 AFC ‘C’ Payoh Stadium, 2016; per course NIE & Republic February Polytechnic* & March 2017 November Jalan Besar Stadium 2016 Maximum 24 2 1 AFC ‘A’ & Geylang Training (Module 1); per course Centre April 2017 (Module 2) March, July & October Maximum 24 3 4 FAS Grassroots Various venues** (2016); per course January 2017

*Collaboration with ActiveSG, NIE and RP ** Collaboration with Peoples Association, Republic Polytechnic and Sports SG.

2.2 Number of AFC-certified Coaches in Singapore

2.2.1 The current number of AFC-certified local coaches registered with FAS is as shown below:

No. of AFC Certified 2013 2014 2015 2016 Coaches AFC Pro Diploma 20 22 22 24 AFC ‘A’ Certificate 49 58 56 58 AFC ‘B’ Certificate 151 142 153 154 AFC ‘C’ Certificate 498 563 579 627 Total 718 785 810 863

44 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 2.3 AFC Instructors – Singapore

2.3.1 The following Coaching Instructors from Singapore are regularly appointed by FAS and / or AFC to conduct coaching courses in Singapore and overseas:

List of FAS Tutors

S/No Name Qualifications Role FIFA, AFC & MA 1 Vincent Subramaniam AFC Pro-diploma Coaching Instructor FIFA, AFC & MA 2 Mohamed Basir AFC Pro-diploma Coaching Instructor (since 2000) AFC Regional & MA AFC A Coaching 3 Arasu s/o M. Suppiah Coaching Instructor Certificate (since 2005) AFC Regional & MA AFC A Coaching 4 Robert Lim Lee Huat Coaching Instructor Certificate (since 2005) AFC A Coaching MA Coaching Instructor 5 Mohamed Zainudeen Certificate (since 2009) AFC A Coaching MA Coaching Instructor 6 Rameshpal Singh Certificate (since 2009) MA Coaching Instructor 7 Nasaruddin Jalil AFC Pro-diploma (since 2012) AFC A Coaching MA Coaching Instructor 8 S. Subramani Certificate (since 2011) AFC B Coaching 9 Kamarudzaman Zainal FAS Grassroots Instructor Certificate AFC B Coaching MA Grassroots Assistant 10 Razif Arif Certificate Instructor (since 2016) AFC B Coaching MA Grassroots Assistant 11 Jaslee Hatta Certificate Instructor (since 2016) Course observer/ 12 K Balagumaran AFC Pro-diploma facilitator Course observer/ 13 Philippe Aw AFC Pro-diploma facilitator AFC A Coaching Course observer/ 14 Jasni Hatta Certificate facilitator AFC A Coaching 15 Anna Leong (Ms) Course Observer Certificate

List of Local Tutors (Overseas-based)

S/No Name Qualifications Role FIFA, AFC & MA 1 PN Sivaji AFC Pro-diploma Coaching Instructor) AFC Regional & MA 2 Mike Wong Mun Heng AFC Pro-diploma Coaching Instructor AFC A Coaching 3 Stephen Ng MA Coaching Instructor Certificate

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 45 2.4 FAS’ Weekly Coaches Morning sessions

2.4.1 The Coaches Morning sessions now called the Continuing Coach Education (CCE)were conducted by Head Coach, National Youth Teams Richard Tardy and Head, Coach Education Mohamed Basir. These sessions were attended by S.League COE youth coaches. The main objective of these sessions was to improve the technical and tactical knowledge of our COE coaches. A total of 28 sessions were conducted in 2016 and 9 sessions till end March 2017.

2.5 FAS’ Monthly Coaches Evening sessions

2.5.1 FAS also conducts monthly Coaches Evening sessions for the JCOE coaches. Similar to the Coaches Morning sessions, these evening sessions are held to continuously assist these coaches in building their capacity and capability in developing youth footballers, including aligning their coaching methodologies with the national football playing philosophies and style. A total of 10 sessions were conducted in 2016.

2.6 FIFA Youth Development Workshop (29 November – 03 December 2016)

2.6.1 Some 24 coaches from the FAS, NFA and the S.League COE teams– participated in the FIFA Youth Development Workshop. FAS Technical Director Michel Sablon had specially handpicked a very experienced and knowledgeable FIFA, UEFA and Belgium Football Federation’ coach instructor, Bob Browaeys, to conduct the Workshop.

2.6.2 Mr Browaeys has coached many elite youth and professional teams. He was the coach of Belgium’s U-17 Team which finished third at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup played in Mexico.

2.6.3 During the workshop, the Sports School and NFA U-14 and JCOE U-13 boys were called upon for the practical sessions for reality-based teaching and learning.

2.7 FIFA Fitness Workshop (05 – 09 December 2016)

2.7.1 A total of 27 coaches from FAS, NFA, S.League clubs’ COE, rehab / sports trainers, Women’s National Team and schools were invited to attend the FIFA Fitness Workshop under instructor Tobias Wawroschek from Germany.

2.7.2 The course objectives were to provide best practices and information to improve football specific integrated fitness training to raise fitness levels in our players.

2.7.3 The instructor was very positive about the course and highlighted the exemplary organisation and the professional execution of the event as well as the active participation of the participants.

3. JUNIOR CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE 3.1 FAS started the Junior Centre of Excellence (JCOE) programmes in 2009 as part of a long- term development pathway and to start nurturing players from a younger age. In late 2015, FAS reviewed the JCOE programme and to enhance the quality of player development, FAS has restructured with four JCOE Advanced training centres and four JCOE Development centres for the North, South, East and West Zones. Currently, players in the JCOE Advanced centres train three days per week per age group on Saturday, Sunday and one weekday while the players at the JCOE Development centres train twice weekly on Saturday and Sunday. Each centre has 10 players per age group from the following categories: Under-10, Under-11, Under-12 and Under-13.

46 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 3.2 The 8 JCOE centres were rebranded from 2017, as follows:

(a) JCOE Centre 1 (North) – Orchid Park Sec (b) JCOE Centre 1 (South) – Queensway Sec (c) JCOE Centre 1 (East) – Tampines Sec (d) JCOE Centre 1 (West) – Hong Kah Sec (e) JCOE Centre 2 (North) – Marsiling Sec (f) JCOE Centre 2 (South) – Ang Mo Kio Sec (g) JCOE Centre 2 (East) – Meridian Secondary (h) JCOE Centre 2 (West) – Chua Chu Kang Sec

3.3 From 2017, open trials are held for Under-10 players. Players Under-11 to Under-14 are talent spotted by coaches and talent scouts during school competitions. The coaches and talent scouts also look out for potential local talents in any relevant age group tournaments. The identified players will then be invited for trials of up to 4 weeks at the development centres.

4. CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE (COE) 4.1 For the 2016 season, each of the S.League clubs has Centers of Excellence (COE) teams, namely the Under-15 and Under-17. Below are the names of the coaches for the respective teams:

AGE COE CLUB NAME GROUP U-15 Han Yiguang U-15 Firdaus Salleh Balestier Khalsa FC U-17 Nasaruddin Jalil U-17 Haris Sumri U-15 Samawira Basri Geylang International FC U-17 Dalis Supait GK (all teams) Fajar Sarib U-15 Yahya Madon Home United FC U-15 Syed Karim U-17 Syed Azmir U-17 Fadzuhasny Juraimi U-15 Shukor Zailan Hougang United U-17 Miur Rafik U-15 Sugunan Perianan Tampines Rovers FC U-17 Seenivasan R GK (all teams) Yusry Aziz U-15 Tan Kiah Fook Warriors FC U-15 Sofiyan Hamid U-17 Darus Salleh U-17 Mohamed Azlan Alipah

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 47 48 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 4.2 One of the improvements made in the youth development for 2016 was to identify schools which are traditionally strong in football are given the opportunity to compete with the Centre of Excellence (COE) clubs after the completion of the inter-school competitions. This enhanced competition pathway provides higher level of competition with more playing hours complemented with a structured coaching methodology.

4.3 As such, Singapore Sports School, St. Patricks School, St. Gabriel’s School and Hong Kah Secondary School were invited to compete in the COE Under-15 league.

4.4 The NFA U-15 and U-16 competed in the COE Under-17.

4.5 The top three teams for the COE Under-15 league were as follows: (a) 1st place: Singapore Football Academy (SFA) West - Hong Kah Secondary School (b) 2nd Place: Home United FC Red (U15) (c) 3rd Place: Warriors FC Brave(U15)

4.6 The top three teams for the COE Under-17 league were as follows: (a) 1st Place: NFA U16 (b) 2nd Place: Warriors FC Glory (U17) (c) 3rd Place: Home United FC Blue (U17)

4.7 After the COE League, the teams took part in the Challenge Cup.

4.7.1 The top three teams for the COE Under-17 Challenge Cup were as follows: (a) 1st Place: NFA U16 (b) 2nd Place: Home United FC Blue (U17) (c) 3rd Place: Geylang International FC (U17)

5. NATIONAL FOOTBALL ACADEMY 5.1 Our youth development programmes at the various national age-group levels are improving through the concerted efforts within our National Football Academy’s (NFA) elite football development programme.

5.2 The 2016 NFA comprised of five NFA teams. The following Football Association of Singapore (FAS) staff coaches were appointed as head coaches of the respective teams:

(a) NFA Under-18 - Takuya Inoue (b) NFA Under-17 - Christophe Chaintreuil (c) NFA Under-16 - Nazri Bin Nasir (d) NFA Under-15 - Rob Servais (e) NFA Under-14 - Teng Wei Ken

5.3 Progress of NFA Under-14

5.3.1 In preparation for the AFC U-14 Football Festival, the team participated in the Jockey Club International Youth Invitational Football Tournament in Hong Kong from 25-29 March 2016. The Team returned with a third place overall finish in tournament

Date Opponent Result 26 March 2016 Hong Kong U-14 Lost 2-3 27 March 2016 Chinese Taipei U-14 Lost 2-3 28 March 2016 Guam U-14 Won 3-1

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 49 5.3.2 The NFA U-14 team travelled to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam for the AFC U-14 Festival of Football from 25-30 July 2016. This friendly competition requires every player in the team to be fielded to fulfil developmental objectives. The results of the AFC U-14 Festival were as follows:

Date Opponent Result 27 July 2016 Thailand U-14 Lost 1-10 27 July 2016 Brunei DS U-14 Drew 3-3 29 July 2016 Myanmar U-14 Lost 0-5 30 July 2016 Vietnam U-14 Lost 0-8

The NFA U-14 team finished in fourth place when they lost to the NFA U-15 Team in the inaugural U-15 International Challenge Cup hosted by the FAS.

5.4 Progress of NFA Under-15

5.4.1 The NFA U-15 team participated in the Centres of Excellence (COE) U-17 League and finished in fifth positon in this tournament.

5.4.2 In preparation for the COE U-17 League, the NFA U-15 team led by coach Rob Servais travelled to Chonburi, Thailand from 13-18 March 2016 for a training tour. The results of their training tour were as follows:

Date Opponent Result 14 March 2016 United Academy Lost 1-6 16 March 2016 Pattana Sports Club Lost 0-6 17 March 2016 Assumption Sriacha Won 3-1

5.4.3 The NFA U-15 team played a friendly against the Malaysia U-15 team on 30 May 2015 and came away with a 3-1 win at the Singapore Sports School.

5.5 Progress of NFA Under-16

5.5.1 The NFA U-16 team participated in the COE U-18 League and finished as champions of the tournament.

5.5.2 In preparation for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U-16 Championship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the NFA U-16 team travelled to Bangkok, Thailand from 8-14 June 2016 for a training tour.

5.5.3 The results of the matches played were as follows:

Date Opponent Result 9 June 2016 Assumption United FC Drew 2-2 11 June 2016 Thailand U-16 Team Lost 0-3 13 June 2016 Chonburi FC Won 3-0

5.5.4 The NFA U-16 team travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 8 to 18 July to face Malaysia, Myanmar, Australia, Vietnam and Philippines in the ASEAN Football Federation U-16 Championships.

50 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) Date Opponent Result 10 July 2016 Philippines U-16 Won 3-1 12 July 2016 Myanmar U-16 Lost 1-4 14 July 2016 Malaysia U-16 Lost 0-2 16 July 2016 Australia U-16 Lost 2-6 18 July 2016 Vietnam U-16 Lost 0-3

5.6 Progress of NFA Under-17

5.6.1 The NFA U-17 team travelled to Hong Kong from 25-29 March 2016 to participate in the Jockey Club International Youth Invitational Football Tournament and played three matches. The team returned with a third place overall finish in tournament.

5.6.2 The results of the matches played were as follows:

Date Opponent Result 26 March 2016 Hong Kong U-18 Drew 3-3 27 March 2016 Chinese Taipei U-18 Lost 0-3 28 March 2016 Guam U-18 Won 4-1

5.6.3 Our Singapore U-17 players played two friendly matches against the Malaysian U-16s during a training tour at Bukit Jalil Stadium from 9-11 September.

Date Opponent Result 9 September 2016 Malaysia U-16 Drew 1-1 11 September 2016 Malaysia U-16 Lost 0-2

5.7 Progress of NFA Under-18

5.7.1 In preparation for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U-19 Championships in , Vietnam, the NFA U-18 team travelled to , Bahrain from 24 June - 1 July 2016. The team played two matches against the Bahrain U-19.

5.7.2 The results of the matches played were as follows:

Date Opponent Result 26 June 2016 Bahrain U-19 Lost 0-2 29 June 2016 Bahrain U-19 Lost 0-3

5.7.3 The U-19 National Team travelled to Hanoi, Vietnam from 9-25 September 2016 to face Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor Leste in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U-19 Championships. The following results were obtained:

Date Opponent Result 11 September 2016 Vietnam U-19 Drew 0-0 15 September 2016 Malaysia U-19 Lost 1-2 17 September 2016 Philippines U-19 Won 2-1 19 September 2016 Timor Leste U-19 Lost 0-2

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 51 52 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 5.7.4 Similar to the NFA U-17 team, the NFA U-18 team also participated in the 2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s Prime League as part of their development programme. The NFA U-18 team finished in third place behind Home United FC and Warriors FC, while the NFA U-17 came in sixth.

5.8 NFA Graduation Ceremony

5.8.1 After a tough but fruitful season consisting of our local Centre of Excellence (COE) Leagues, Prime League, training tours and regional international tournaments, we concluded the season with our yearly National Football Academy Graduation Ceremony. The most outstanding NFA player was also recognised with The New Paper Dollah Kassim Award. The event was held at Jurongville Secondary School.

5.8.2 Established in memory of the late legendary Singapore footballer Dollah Kassim, The New Paper Dollah Kassim Award honours the brightest young talent in Singapore and is the most anticipated annual award among youth footballers here. This year, six youth players from the NFA age groups were selected. They were:

1) Muhammad Nur Adam Bin Abdullah (NFA U-16) 2) Mohammad Danial Syafiq (NFA U-17) 3) Mohammad Irfan Bin Mohammad Najeeb (NFA U-17) 4) Qayyum Raisyhan Bin Rahmat (NFA U-17) 5) Muhamad Rusyadi Bin Salime (NFA U-18) 6) Justin Hui Yong Kang (NFA U-18)

5.8.3 The award was bagged by Muhamad Rusyaidi Bin Salime, who also received the Passport of Excellence. The winner gets an overseas training stint with an Asian or European football club.

5.9 Players’ Attachments

5.9.1 Two of our National Football Academy boys had the opportunity to visit, train with and immerse themselves in the professional top flight environment of AS Saint-Étienne from 13-21 March 2016. The boys were accompanied by our NFA U-14 Assistant Coach Shahrin Bin Shahri. Joshua Bernard Pereira was the 2015 The New Paper Dollah Kassim Award recipient. Mohamad Hamizan Bin Hashim was recognised as the most improved footballer and was rewarded with the opportunity to join Joshua on this training stint under the FAS Football Development Fund.

5.9.2 Under the auspices of FAS sponsor Epson, the following players embarked on a training stint with newly-promoted J1 League side Matsumoto Yamaga FC from 12-21 June 2016.

S/No Name Team 1 Ashley Yong Cheng Wai NFA U-15 2 Christian Chiang Moroni NFA U-15 3 Chua Zikos Vasileios Ming Xun NFA U-15 4 Elijah Lim Teck Yong NFA U-15 5 Marc Ryan Tan NFA U-14 6 Muhamad Nur Adam Abdullah NFA U-14

5.10 The inaugural U-15 International Challenge Cup was organised from 21-28 November 2016 at the Singapore Sports School. The tournament has three aims: a) To give exposure to our youth players in both the club COEs and NFA teams, b) For coaches from club COEs and NFA teams to stretch themselves and challenge their coaching potential against the coaches of the foreign teams, and

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 53 c) For coaches and players to share their experiences with the foreign teams, and build friendships with players from different cultural backgrounds.

5.11.1 There were five foreign teams, namely PVF Vietnam, Matsumoto Yamaga FC, St Monica’s College (Northern Football Academy), Mendiola FC and Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT).

5.11.2 The final results as follows:

Date Match Result Remarks 27 November 2016 PVF Vietnam vs. JDT Won 7 - 1 Finals Drew 4 – 4 3rd Place Play-off 27 November 2016 NFA U-14 vs. NFA U-15 Penalty – Lost 3 - 4

5.11.3 The final standings of the U-15 International Challenge Cup are as follows:

Final Standings Team 1st PVF Vietnam FC 2nd Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) 3rd NFA U-15 4th NFA U-14

6. NATIONAL TEAMS 6.1 Garena Young Lions (Under-21)

6.1.1 The Garena Young Lions (GYL) squad under a sponsorship deal with internet and mobile platform company Garena from the 2016 season formed the nucleus of the 2016 South East Asian (SEA) Games team. The GYL team consisted of players aged 21 and under, which made them eligible for the SEA Games tournament hosted by Malaysia in 2017. The squad was further strengthened by the signing of four over aged players; Khairul Amri, , Christopher Van Huizen and well as French custodian, Benjamin Bertrand whom was with the team for 6 months.

6.1.2 For the 2016 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League season, Patrick Hesse was hired as the Head Coach, while V. Selvaraj was promoted to Assistant Coach. Frederic De Boever was also recruited as Goalkeeper Coach.

6.1.3 Garena also became the Young Lions team’s new title sponsor for the 2016 season. It was a coup for the Young Lions as this marked the biggest sponsorship deal for an S.League club in the 21-year history of the domestic professional football competition.

6.1.4 The team kicked off the 2016 with a hard fought victory over Balestier Khalsa FC.

6.1.5 The results of the matches played in the 2016 S.League season were as follows:

Date Details Result 14 February 2016 GYL vs Balestier Khalsa Won 1-0 20 February 2016 GYL vs Albirex Niigata Lost 0-5 25 February 2016 GYL vs Geylang International Lost 0-2 4 March 2016 Warriors vs GYL Lost 0-2 10 March 2016 GYL vs Hougang United Lost 1-3

54 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 17 March 2016 Home United vs GYL Lost 1-4 3 April 2016 GYL vs Tampines Rovers Lost 1-2 8 April 2016 Brinei DPMM vs GYL Lost 4-1 21 April 2016 Balestier Khalsa vs GYL Lost 2-0 28 April 2016 Albirex Niigta vs GYL Lost 3-0 5 May 2016 Geylang International vs GYL Lost 3-1 12 May 2016 GYL vs Warriors FC Won 3-1 19 May 2016 Hougang United vs GYL Draw 1-1 11 June 2016 GYL vs Home United Draw 2-2 14 June 2016 Tampines Rovers vs GYL Lost 6-1 19 June 2016 GYL vs Brunei DPMM Draw 1-1 5 August 2016 GYL vs Balestier Khalsa Lost 1-3 11 August 2016 Albirex Niigata vs GYL Lost 4-0 18 August 2016 GYL vs Geylang International Lost 0-2 26 August 2016 Warriors FC vs GYL Lost 5-2 23 September 2016 GYL vs Hougang United Lost 0-2 26 September 2016 Brunei DPMM vs GYL Lost 5-3 30 November 2016 Home United vs GYL Lost 5-2 15 October 2016 GYL vs Tampines Rovers Lost 1-3

6.1.6 Garena Young Lions took part in the RHB Singapore Cup after sitting out of the tournament in 2015. There were handed a tough draw against Philippines side, Ceres– Negros Football Club. The match ended with a draw in normal regulation time. The GYL were lost 1-3 after extra-time.

RHB SINGAPORE CUP 2016

Date Details Result Lost 1-3 29 May 2016 Garena Young Lions vs Ceres (after extra -time)

6.1.7 For the 2017 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League season, V.Selvaraj, was promoted as the Head Coach after Patrick Hesse left at the end of 2016, while Rob Servais was hired as Assistant Coach. Chua Lye Heng was also recruited as Goalkeeper Coach.

6.1.8 The team kicked off the 2017 with a match against Home United Football Club on 27 February 2017.The results for the 2017 S.League season till 31 March 2017 are as follows:

Date Details Result 27 February 2017 Home United vs GYL Lost 6-1 4 March 2017 GYL vs Albirex Niigata Lost 0-5 11 March 2017 Hougang United vs GYL Lost 2-0

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 55 6.2 Under-22 National Team

6.2.1 As part of the preparations for the 2017 SEA Games, the Singapore Under-22 team participated in a series of competitions and international Friendly that included matches in Iran as well as the Nations Cup tournaments that was held in Malacca, Malaysia in June 2016.

6.2.2 The Singapore U-21 team also played two international friendly matches against the Iran U-21 team in Tehran, Iran. The results are as follows:

Under-22 International Friendly Results

Date Details Result 26 March 2016 Singapore U-21 vs Iran U-21 Lost 0-2 28 March 2016 Iran U-21 vs Singapore U-21 Lost 0-1 4 September 2016 Singapore U-21 vs Bahrain U-21 Lost 0-1 4 October 2016 U-21 vs Singapore U-21 Lost 1-4 8 October 2016 China U-21 vs Singapore U-21 Lost 0-1 Singapore U-21 vs. Cambodian 12November 2016 Lost 0-2 National Team (Reserves 19 February 2017 Myanmar U-22 vs Singapore U-22 Won 3-1

Under-21 Nations Cup Tournament 2016

Date Details Result 3 June 2016 Malaysia U-21 Vs Singapore U-21 Lost 3-0 Draw 2-2, 5 June 2016 Singapore U-21 vs Vietnam U-21 lost on penalties

6.2.3 FAS organised an International Challenge Quadrangular tournament in July 2016 at the Bishan Stadium. The quadrangular included the national Under-21 team of Iran, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong alongside our National Under-21 team. The results are as followed:

International Challenge Cup

Date Details Result 20 July 2016 Singapore U-21 vs Hong Kong U-21 Won 5-0 23 July 2016 Singapore U-21 vs Iran U-21 Lost 1-0

6.2.4 Our Under-22 also participated in the Cup from 18 - 29 March 2017. A round robin tournament that features National U-22 teams of Malaysia, Thailand, , UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. The results are as followed;

Dubai Cup 2017

Date Details Result 20 March 2017 Singapore U-22 vs Jordan U-22 Lost 0-2 24 March 2017 Singapore U-22 vs (UAE) U-22 Lost 0-4 26 March 2017 Singapore U-22 vs. Malaysia U-22 Lost 1-3 28 March 2017 Singapore U-22 vs. Thailand U-22 Lost 0-2

56 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 6.3 National ‘A’ Team

6.3.1 The Singapore National ‘A’ team was drawn together with Japan, Cambodia, Afghanistan and Syria in the joint FIFA World Cup 2018 & AFC Asian Cup 2019 Preliminary Qualification and played their last qualification game in March 2016.

6.3.2 The results of the match were as follows:

FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualification Group E Results

Date Details Result 29 March 2016 Afghanistan vs Singapore Lost 1-2

6.3.3 The Singapore National ‘A’ team ended its qualifying campaign in third position in Group E and qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Final Qualification Round, which commenced in March 2017. There are drawn together with Bahrain, and Chinese Taipei.

6.3.4 The Singapore National ‘A’ also took part in the inaugural AYA Bank Cup in June 2016. A quadrangular format that featured host Myanmar, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Singapore.

AYA Bank Cup Result

Date Details Result 3 June 2016 Myanmar vs Singapore Win 0-1 Lost 0-3 6 June 2016 Vietnam vs Singapore (after extra -time)

6.3.5 In preparation for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016, Singapore National ‘A’ went on a training camp in Niigata, Japan before playing an International ‘A’ game against Cambodia.

Japan Training Camp Result

Date Details Result 20th July 2016 Niigata University of Health vs Singapore Lost 2-3 21st July 2016 Japan Soccer College vs Singapore Won 2-0 24th July 2016 Albirex Niigata vs Singapore Lost 3-0

6.3.6 As part of the final preparation for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016, Singapore National ‘A’ went to Qatar for a final centralised training camp from the 2 - 6 November 2017 where they played a training match and the result are as followed:

Qatar Training Camp Result

Date Details Result 5 November 2016 Qatar Military Sports Association vs Singapore Lost 1-0

6.3.7 The Singapore National ‘A’ participated in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 that was co-hosted by Philippines and Myanmar. Our National Team played all their group matches in , Philippines and the results are as followed:

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 57 AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 Results

Date Details Result 19 November 2016 Philippines vs Singapore Draw 0-0 22 November 2016 Thailand vs Singapore Lost 1-0 25 November 2016 Singapore vs Indonesia Lost 1-2

6.3.8 The Singapore National ‘A’ subsequently started their 2019 AFC Cup Final Qualification Round 3 in March 2017 and the results are as followed;

2019 AFC CUP ROUND 3 QUALIFICATIONS

Date Details Result 19 March 2017 Bahrain vs Singapore Draw 0-0 10 June 2017 Singapore vs Chinese Taipei Lost 1-2

6.3.9 In view preparation for tournaments and qualifiers, the team played the following friendly matches. The results of their matches were as follows:

National Team International ‘A’ Friendly Results

Date Details Result 24 March 2016 Singapore vs Myanmar Won 2-1 28 July 2016 Cambodia vs Singapore Lost 1-2 1 September 2016 Bahrain vs Singapore Lost 3-1 7 October 2016 Singapore vs Malaysia Draw 0-0 11 October 2016 Hong Kong vs Singapore Lost 2-0 9 November 2016 Syria vs Singapore Lost 2-0 13 November 2016 Singapore vs Cambodia Won 1-0 23 March 2017 Afghanistan vs Singapore Lost 2-1 13 June 2017 Singapore vs Argentina Lost 0-6

Prepared by: Mohamed Basir Ellaya Kutty Head, Coach Education, JCOE, Club COE , Academies & SFA

V. Rajan General Manager, Technical Department

V. Sundramoorthy National Coach, National Teams Department

Vetted by: Michel Sablon, Technical Director

Approved by: Mr Lim Kia Tong Chairman, Football Excellence Committee

58 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 59 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND GRASSROOTS

1. Introduction

1.1 As of December 2015, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) defined grassroots football as “all football which is non-professional and non-elite”. FAS continued to organize such events under the purview of its various departments - S.League, Marketing, Competitions and Technical Departments. The Technical Division’s Grassroots Department organized the following grassroots events for children, youths and girls as follows:

2. FAS / Singapore Primary Schools Sports Council (SPSSC) Fiestas

2.1 The FAS collaborated with the Singapore Primary Schools Sports Council (SPSSC) to organise the following fiestas. Starting this year, FAS encouraged schools to field mixed teams, ie girls and boys can play together in the same team.

2.1.1 U-10 Fiesta This was held on 30 May 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium. 16 schools formed 22 teams (320 children) participated in the fiesta which consisted of eleven (11) stations of fun drills and small-sided games.

2.1.2 U-12 Fiesta This was held on 15 October 2016 at . 25 schools (300 children) were drawn into 4 groups of 6 - 7 teams and played in a 8 v 8 mini-tournament. No results were recorded at the event to encourage participation and development.

2.1.3 U-10 Fiesta This was held on 13 March 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium. 18 schools (250 children) participated in the fiesta which consisted of eleven (10) stations of fun drills and small-sided games.

3. AFC Grassroots Football Day

3.1 FAS celebrated the AFC Grassroots Day 2016 with a series of events and activities over the weekends of 14/15 May 2016. Mini-tournaments, a friendly match between parents and the national cerebral palsy team and a grassroots coaching course took place over that weekend.

4. FAS Grassroots Coaching Course and Refresher Workshop

4.1 FAS conducted the following Grassroots Coaching Courses: 7, 8, 14, 15 May 2016 Toa Payoh Stadium (21 participants) 16, 17, 23, 24 July 2016 Toa Payoh Stadium (27 participants) 15,16, 22, 23 Oct 2016 People’s Association (PA) (30 participants from PAssion Children’s programme) 14,15, 21,22 Jan 2017 SportSG (26 participants)

4.2 FAS conducted a Grassroots Coaches’ Refresher Workshop on 25 September 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium for 18 participants who are currently coaching children at FAS Cubs centres, ActiveSG centres or FIFA Live Your Goals (LYG) Singapore girls’ centres.

5. East Zone Centre of Excellence (EZCOE) Football Carnival

5.1 This was held on 22 September 2016 at Junyuan Primary School. 60 children from 6 schools participated in this festival. The topics of defending and attacking were incorporated into the fun drills and small-sided games.

60 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 6. FIFA Girls’ Festival

6.1 FAS organized the 3rd FIFA Girls Festival on 10 November 2016 at Serangoon Stadium. 39 teams (327 girls) participated in the U8, U10 and U12 categories of the mini-tournament.

7. FIFA Grassroots Workshop and Festival

7.1 FAS organized the 3rd FIFA Grassroots Workshop and Festival from 23 to 27 November 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium. 35 coaches from FAS Cubs centres, People’s Association, S.League clubs, ActiveSG and former and current players participated in the workshop. About 180 children participated in the festival held at the end of the workshop.

8. Premier Skills Community Coaching Course and Festival

8.1 The phase 3, stage 3 of the Premier Skills Community Coaching Course and festival was conducted from 22 to 26 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Sfadium. Seven (7) local coaches were finally selected since the programme started in 2015, to be local community coaching course instructors. A festival was conducted on the last day of the programme.

9. Outreach

9.1 Collaboration was done with Kolam Ayer CSC to conduct weekly football sessions on Saturday afternoons for 30 children and youths aged 7 to 15. The programme was held from December 2016 to February 2017.

Prepared by: Julie Teo General Manager, Grassroots, Women’s Football and Volunteer Management

Vetted by: Fabian Chew Assistant Director – Development & Planning

Approved by: Bernard Tan Chairman, Community Outreach & Grassroots Committee

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 61 COMPETITIONS

The Competitions Committee facilitated in the organisation of the following international competitions and matches as well as the National Football League and Island Wide League which were held in Singapore from April 2016 to March 2017:

1. International Matches

The following international matches were played in Singapore from April 2016 to March 2017:

(a) International Friendly Matches (National ‘A’ Team): (i) Singapore vs Malaysia on 7 October 2016 at National Stadium, Singapore SportsHub Singapore (0) Malaysia (0) (ii) Singapore vs Cambodia on 13 November 2016 at Bishan Stadium Singapore (1) Cambodia (0)

(b) International Friendly Matches (Under-23/Under-22/Under-21/Under-19 National Teams): (i) Singapore Under-19 vs Bahrain Under-19 on 31 August 2016 at Singapore Under-19 (0) Bahrain Under-19 (4) (ii) Singapore Under-19 vs Bahrain Under-19 on 3 September 2016 at Choa Chu Kang Stadium Singapore Under-19 (0) Bahrain Under-19 (1) (iii) Singapore Under-21 vs Bahrain Under-21 on 4 September 2016 at Choa Chu Kang Stadium Singapore Under-21 (0) Bahrain Under-21 (1)

(c) International Friendly Matches (Singapore Selection Team) (i) Singapore Selection vs Cambodia on 26 September 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium Singapore Selection (0) Cambodia (1)

(d) FAS Under-21 International Challenge Cup The FAS Under-21 International Challenge Cup was held on 20 and 23 July 2016. The tournament consisted of four teams: Singapore Under-21, Hong Kong Under-21, Iran Under-21 and Uzbekistan Under-21. (i) Iran Under-21 vs Uzbekistan Under-21 on 20 July 2016 at Bishan Stadium Iran Under-21 (1) Uzbekistan Under-21 (1) *Iran win 5-4 on penalties (ii) Singapore Under-21 vs Hong Kong Under-21 on 20 July 2016 at Bishan Stadium Singapore Under-21 (5) Hong Kong Under-21 (0) (iii) Uzbekistan Under-21 vs Hong Kong Under-21 on 23 July 2016 at Bishan Stadium Uzbekistan Under-21 (4) Hong Kong Under-21 (0) (iv) Iran Under-21 vs Singapore Under-21 on 23 July 2016 at Bishan Stadium Iran Under-21 (1) Singapore Under-21 (0) Iran Under-21 crowned champions of the FAS Under-21 International Challenge Cup.

(e) International Friendly Matches (National Women’s Team) (i) Singapore Selection vs United Arab Emirates on 4 January 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Singapore Selection (0) United Arab Emirates (4) (ii) Singapore vs United Arab Emirates on 6 January 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Singapore (0) United Arab Emirates (0)

2. Women’s Development Tournament The Women’s Development Tournament was held for the first time from 16 to 18 February 2017. 3 teamstook part and they include Singapore, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

(i) Bangladesh vs Singapore on 16 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Bangladesh (0) Singapore (3) (ii) Malaysia vs Bangladesh on 17 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Malaysia (2) Bangladesh (1)

62 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) (iii) Singapore vs Malaysia on 18 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Singapore (0) Malaysia (4)

3. Under-15 International Challenge Cup 2016 The Under-15 International Challenge Cup 2016 was held from 21 to 27 November 2016. The tournament consisted of 8 teams (3 local and 5 foreign). They include: NFA U-14, NFA U-15, COE Combined Team, PVF-Vietnam (VIE), Matsumoto Yamaga FC (JPN), Mendiola FC (PHI), Northern Football Academy (AUS) and Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS).

(a) Group Stage (i) Mendiola FC (PHI) vs Northern Football Academy (AUS) on 21 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School Mendiola FC (PHI) (1) Northern Football Academy (AUS) (0) (ii) COE Combined Team vs NFA U-15 on 21 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School COE Combined Team (0) NFA U-15 (2) (iii) NFA U-14 vs Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) on 21 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School NFA U-14 (0) Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) (4) (iv) COE Combined Team vs PVF-Vietnam (VIE) on 22 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School COE Combined Team (0) PVF-Vietnam (VIE) (5) (v) Northern Football Academy (AUS) vs Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) on 22 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School Northern Football Academy (AUS) (0) Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) (7) (vi) NFA U-15 vs Matsumoto Yamaga (JPN) on 22 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School NFA U-15 (2) Matsumoto Yamaga (JPN) (1) (vii) NFA U-14 vs Northern Football Academy (AUS) on 23 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School NFA U-14 (5) Northern Football Academy (AUS) (1) (viii) PVF-Vietnam (VIE) vs Matsumoto Yamaga (JPN) on 23 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School PVF-Vietnam (VIE) (7) Matsumoto Yamaga (JPN) (1) (ix) Mendiola FC (PHI) vs Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) on 23 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School Mendiola FC (PHI) (2) Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) (4) (x) COE Combined Team vs Matsumoto Yamaga FC (JPN) on 24 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School COE Combined Team (3) Matsumoto Yamaga FC (JPN) (0) (xi) Mendiola FC (PHI) vs NFA U-14 on 24 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School Mendiola FC (PHI) (3) NFA U-14 (3) (xii) NFA U-15 vs PVF-Vietnam (VIE) on 24 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School NFA U-15 (0) PVF-Vietnam (VIE) (0)

(b) Group A 4th Place vs Group B 4th Place (i) Matsumoto Yamaga FC (JPN) vs Northern Football Academy (AUS) on 27 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School Matsumoto Yamaga FC (JPN) (1) Northern Football Academy (AUS) (1) *Northern Football Academy (AUS) win 8-7 on penalties

(c) Group A 3rd Place vs Group A 3rd Place (i) COE Combined Team vs Mendiola FC (PHI) on 26 November 2016 at Singapore Sports School COE Combined Team (1) Mendiola FC (PHI) (1) *COE Combined Team win 4-2 on penalties

(d) Semi-Final (i) PVF-Vietnam (VIE) vs NFA U-14 on 26 November at Jalan Besar Stadium PVF-Vietnam (VIE) (6) NFA U-14 (1) (ii) Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (MAS) vs NFA U-15 on 26 November 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (MAS) (3) NFA U-15 (3) *Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) win 4-2 on penalties FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 63 (e) 3rd Placing and Final (i) NFA U-14 vs NFA U-15 on 27 November 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium NFA U-14 NFA U-15 (ii) PVF-Vietnam (VIE) vs Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (MAS) on 27 November 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium PVF-Vietnam (VIE) Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (MAS) PVF-Vietnam (VIE) crowned champions of the Under-15 International Challenge Cup 2016.

4. AFC Cup In the 2016 edition of the AFC Cup, Balestier Khalsa FC and Tampines Rovers FC were Singapore’s representatives in this continental competition.

In the 2017 edition of the AFC Cup, Home United FC and Tampines Rovers FC were Singapore’s representatives in this continental competition.

(a) Matches involving Balestier Khalsa FC in 2016 (Group Stage – Group F) (i) Balestier Khalsa FC vs Kaya FC (PHI) on 12 April 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium Balestier Khalsa FC (0) Kaya FC (PHI) (3) (ii) Balestier Khalsa FC vs New Radiant SC (MDV) on 26 April 2016 at Jalan Besar Stadium Balestier Khalsa FC (3) New Radiant SC (MDV) (0)

(b) Matches involving Tampines Rovers FC in 2016 (Group Stage – Group E) (i) Tampines Rovers FC vs Selangor FA (MAS) on 10 May 2016 at National Stadium, Singapore SportsHub Tampines Rovers FC (1) Selangor FA (MAS) (0)

(c) Matches involving Tampines Rovers FC in 2016 (Knockout Stage – Quarter-Final East Zone) (i) Tampines Rovers FC vs JSW Bengaluru FC (IND) on 21 September 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Tampines Rovers FC (0) JSW Bengaluru FC (IND) (0) Tampines Rovers FC got eliminated 1-0 on aggregate.

(d) Matches involving Tampines Rovers FC in 2017 (Group Stage – Group G) (i) Tampines Rovers FC vs Felda United FC (MAS) on 21 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Tampines Rovers FC (2) Felda United FC (MAS) (1)

(e) Matches involving Home United FC in 2017 (Play-Off Stage –ASEAN Zone) (i) Home United FC vs Phnom Penh Crown FC (CAM) on 7 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Home United FC (3) Phnom Penh Crown FC (CAM) (0)

(f) Matches involving Home United FC in 2017 (Group Stage – Group H) (i) Home United FC vs Than Quang Ninh (VIE) on 14 March 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium Home United FC (3) Than Quang Ninh (VIE) (2)

5. 18th ASEAN University Games 2016

During the 18th ASEAN University Games 2016, FAS Competitions was part of the Local Organising Committee for football. FAS Competition staff Ms. Mavis Chan was the Competition Manager, while Mr. K Vickneswaran was the Venue Manager.

(a) Group Stage (i) Thailand vs Laos on 9 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Thailand (7) Laos (1) (ii) Myanmar vs Timor Leste on 9 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Myanmar (1) Timor Leste (5) (iii) Singapore vs Cambodia on 9 July 2016 at NTU Field 2 Singapore (1) Cambodia (1) (iv) Thailand vs Timor Leste on 11 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Thailand (3) Timor Leste (1)

64 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) (v) Laos vs Myanmar on 11 July 2016 at NTU Field 2 Laos (0) Myanmar (3) (vi) Malaysia vs Singapore on 11 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Malaysia (1) Singapore (0) (vii) Cambodia vs Malaysia on 13 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Cambodia (0) Malaysia (4) (viii) Timor Leste vs Laos on 13 July 2016 at NTU Field 2 Timor Leste (5) Laos (2) (ix) Thailand vs Myanmar on 13 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Thailand (2) Myanmar (3)

(b) Semi-Final (i) Thailand vs Singapore on 15 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Thailand (4) Singapore (0) (ii) Malaysia vs Timor Leste on 15 July 2016 at NTU Field 2 Malaysia (1) Timor Leste (2)

(c) 3rd Placing and Final (i) Singapore vs Malaysia on 17 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Singapore (2) Malaysia (2) *Singapore win 4-3 on penalties (ii) Thailand vs Timor Leste on 17 July 2016 at NTU Main Field Thailand (3) Timor Leste (0) Thailand were crowned champions of the 18th ASEAN University Games 2016.

6. CP Football Invitational 2016 The CP Football Invitational 2016 took place from 21 to 24 July 2017. Three teams took part and they include: Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

(i) Thailand vs Singapore on 23 July 2016 at Thailand (5) Singapore (0) (ii) Indonesia vs Thailand on 22 July 2016 at Indonesia (5) Thailand (0) (iii) Singapore vs Indonesia on 23 July 2016 at Hougang Stadium Singapore (1) Indonesia (6)

7. National Football League 2016 The National Football League 2016 took place from 2 April 2016 to 25 September 2016. Ten teams took part in the Double Round-Robin League.

Teams P W D L F A GD Pts Eunos Crescent FC** 18 15 0 3 42 18 24 45 Police Sports Association 18 13 3 2 47 22 25 42 GFA Sporting Westlake FC 18 11 4 3 46 23 23 37 Singapore Cricket Club 18 12 1 5 30 20 10 37 Tiong Bahru FC 18 10 3 5 30 20 10 33 Yishun Sentek Mariners FC 18 3 4 11 30 43 -13 13 Bishan Barx FC 18 4 1 13 31 48 -17 13 Katong FC* 18 3 3 12 22 42 -20 12 Starlight Soccerites FC* 18 2 2 14 15 50 -35 8 *teams entering NFL Playoffs **Champions

Eunos Crescent FC were crowned Champions of the NFL 2016, while Katong FC and Starlight Soccerites FC entered the NFL Playoffs for finishing in the bottom two positions.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 65 Katong FC escaped relegation after beating South Avenue SC 4-1, while Starlight Soccerites FC were relegated after losing to Admiralty FC on penalties. South Avenue SC and Admiralty FC were the losing semi-finalists in the Island Wide League 2016 semi-finals, hence entering the NFL Playoffs.

8. Island Wide League 2016 The Island Wide League 2016 took place from 16 July 2016 to 17 September 2017. Fourteen teams took part in the single round-robin group stage, followed by a knockout stage.

ISLAND WIDE LEAGUE 2016

GROUP A Teams P W D L F A GD Pts Balestier United Recreation Club 6 6 0 0 21 4 17 18 SA 6 3 2 1 15 5 10 11 Warwick Knights FC 6 3 2 1 18 10 8 11 Admiralty Football Club 6 2 3 1 5 3 2 9 Gymkhana FC 6 1 2 3 10 16 -6 5 Kaki Bukit Sports Club 6 1 1 4 11 17 -6 4 GFA Victoria FC 6 0 0 6 1 26 -25 0

GROUP B Teams P W D L F A GD Pts Kembangan United FC 6 5 1 0 30 3 27 16 South Avenue SC 6 4 2 0 22 5 17 14 Woodlands Wellington FC 6 3 1 2 12 9 3 10 Jungfrau Punggol FC 6 2 2 2 11 12 -1 8 Admiralty CSC 6 2 0 4 13 13 0 6 Singapore Khalsa Association 6 1 2 3 15 12 3 5 Tampines Changkat CSC 6 0 0 6 1 50 -49 0

The Top 4 teams from each group qualified for the knockout stages, with Singapore Armed Forces SA edging over Balestier United RC in the final match, with a score of 3-1. With a revamp of theNFL structure, both teams were promoted to the NFL Division One 2017, for reaching the IWL 2016 knockout stage final. South Avenue SC and Admiralty FC, who lost to Singapore Armed Forces SA and Balestier United RC respectively, entered the NFL Playoffs facing the bottom two teams of the NFL 2016. With the new NFL structure in place, the remaining teams in the IWL were invited to partake in the NFL Division Two.

The Committee places on record their appreciation to the many volunteers who served in the Competitions Committee as well as those who assisted during match day operations for their hard work and dedication in organising and facilitating all of the above matches played in Singapore.

66 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) Prepared by: Aloysius Emmanuel Vetha Assistant Manager, Competitions

Vetted by: Adrian Chan Deputy Director, Competitions

Approved by: Mohd Muzammil Chairman, Competitions Committee

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 67 6868 FASFAS AnnualAnnual ReportReport (Apr(Apr 20162016 -- MarMar 2017)2017)

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 68 7/11/17 2:28 PM REFEREES

1. TOTAL NUMBER OF FAS REGISTERED REFEREES

1.1 Referees all over the world face the same pressure as they perform a vital role in a football match with their split second decisions. With the media attention and coverage of football matches, they are scrutinised by everyone. The demand for match officials is also increasing due to the increased popularity of the sport among women and children.

1.2 Under the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Strategic Plan, we have a policy of ongoing training for our referees to ensure that refereeing standards continue to improve and the Laws of the Game are applied correctly and consistently.

1.3 We are pleased to note that our referees and assistant referees are well-recognised and continue to receive appointments for high-profile matches and competitions.

1.4 Please see below for a summary of the FAS Registered Referees as of 31 December 2016.

2014 2015 2016 FIFA Referee 6 5 5 FIFA Women Referee 1 1 1 FIFA Assistant Referee 7 8 6 FIFA Women Assistant Referee 1 1 1 National 4 4 3 Class 1 28 27 26 Class 2 27 28 30 Class 3 97 125 140 Reserve Class 5 - - TOTAL 176 199 212

2. INTERNATIONAL APOINTMENTS

2.1 FIFA / AFC Appointments in 2016

2.1.1 Our FIFA Referees and Assistant Referees have performed well in 2016 and they were appointed to officiate in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Women’s Olympic Football tournaments, AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, AFC Champions League, AFC Cup and AFC age group competitions and were involved in several international friendly matches played in Asia.

2.2 AFC Champions League & AFC Cup

2.2.1 Muhammad Taqi, Sukhbir Singh, Jansen Foo, Edwin Lee Tzu Liang, Jeffrey Goh, Lim Kok Heng and Ronnie Koh Min Kiat, were involved in several AFC Champions League and AFC Cup matches.

2.2.2 Sukhbir Singh, Jansen Foo, Ahmad A’Qashah, Farhad Mohamed, Ong Chai Lee and Muhammad Syarqawi were appointed for matches in the AFC Cup, various AFC age-group tournaments and invitational matches played across Asia.

2.3 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 Qualifiers

2.3.1 FIFA Women’s Assistant Referee Ms Rohaidah Bte Mohd Nasir was appointed by AFC to officiate in the AFF Women’s Championship in Mandalay, Myanmar from 26 Jul to 4 Aug and the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship qualifiers held in Hanoi, Vietnam from the 22 Aug to 4 Sept 2016. FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 69 2.4 AFC U-16 Championship (Men) 2016

2.4.1 AFC appointed FIFA Referee Sukhbir Singh for the AFC U-16 Championship 2016 held in Goa, India from 15 Sept to 2 Oct 2016.

2.5 EAFF Women Football Championship 2017

2.5.1 Ms Rohaidah Bte Mohd Nasir was also appointed by AFC for the EAFF Women Football Championship held in Hong Kong from 8 to 14 Nov 2016.

2.6 Invitation to officiate the Chinese FA Cup Final

2.6.1 Our team of trios, consisting of FIFA Referee Jansen Foo and Assistant Referees Lim Kok Heng and Ronnie Koh officiated the Chinese FA Cup final 2nd leg between Jiangsu Suning FC and Evergrande played in , China PR on 27 Nov 2016.

2.7 Attachment to the (ISL) – Season 3

2.7.1 All India Football Federation (AIFF) extended invitation to our FIFA match officials, Muhammad Taqi and Jeffrey Goh to officiate in the Indian Super League – ISL season 3. Their attachment to ISL was from 25 Nov to 6 Dec 2016 and the matches were played at various venues across India.

2.8 Invitational Competitions & Friendly Matches

2.8.1 Muhammad Taqi, Jeffrey Goh and Lim Kok Heng were invited by Japan Football Association to officiate the International friendly match between Japan U-23 and Ghana, played in Saga, Japan on 11 May 2016.

2.8.2 Farhad Mohd, Jeffrey Goh and Ong Chai Lee officiated the international friendly between Cambodia and Timor Leste in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 29 May 2016. Sukhbir Singh officiated the international friendly between Vietnam and Syria in Hanoi, Vietnam on 31 May 2016. He also officiated the Philippines and Bahrain international friendly match in Bulacan, Philippines on 7 Oct 2016.

2.8.3 Muhammad Taqi, Jeffery Goh and Muhammad Syarqawi officiated the international friendly match between China and Trinidad & Tobago in Qin Huangdao, China on 3 Jun 2016.

2.8.4 Both Ahmad A’Qashah and Jansen Foo had the opportunity to officiate in the Vietnam National Football League 2016 on 11 Sept and 18 Sept 2016 respectively.

3. S.LEAGUE & PRIME LEAGUE MATCH OFFICIALS

3.1 List of Referees and Assistant Referees who officiated a total number of 144 Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League, RHB Singapore Cup and The New Paper League Cup matches for the 2016 season.

S.League Referees

1 Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari FIFA 2 Sukhbir Singh FIFA 3 Jansen Foo Chuan Hui FIFA 4 Ahmad A’Qashah FIFA 5 Farhad Bin Mohd FIFA 6 G. Letchman Class 1 7 Nathan Chan Rong De Class 1 8 W Ravisanthiran Class 1

70 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) Prime League Referees and S.League & Prime League Assistant Referees

1 Ms Abirami D/O Apbai Naidu FIFA (W) 2 Jeffrey Goh Gek Pheng FIFA – AR 3 Lim Kok Heng FIFA – AR 4 Edwin Lee Tze Liang FIFA – AR 5 Muhammad Syarqawi FIFA – AR 6 Ronnie Koh Min Kiat FIFA – AR 7 Ong Chai Lee FIFA – AR 8 Ms Rohaidah Bte Mohd Nasir FIFA – AR (W) 9 Manoj Kalwani National 10 Andrew Kee Hua Yew Class 1 11 Er Swee Ann Class 1 12 Victor Teo Tze Wei Class 1 13 Kwang Yong Class 1 14 Yip Siew Kit Class 1 15 Mansur Ali Bin Mohamed Ali Class 1 16 Durga Thapa Class 1 17 Muhammad Zulfiqar Class 1 18 Mohd Asadullah Class 1 19 Y Sathyakumar Class 1 20 Koh Chong Joo Class 1 21 Muhammad Husnee Class 1 22 Abdul Hannan Bin Abdul Hasim Class 1 23 Ivan Goh Chye Hock Class 2 24 Ashokraj Class 2 25 Mohamad Taufik Thana Class 2 26 Bikash Gurung Class 2 27 Muhammad Hasif Class 2 28 Chan Kwok Wai Class 2 29 Andy Tan Mint Land Class 2 30 Lim Si Seng Class 2 31 Muhammad Siddique Class 2 32 Foo T’siang Chye Alson Class 2 33 Lim Liang Yi Class 2 34 Muhammad Nazree Bin Hussain Class 2

3.2 A total of 50 referees and assistant referees, including seven FIFA match officials from Brunei were appointed by the FAS Referees’ Committee to officiate in the 2016 S.League and Prime League. These referees had undergone the stringent assessment process conducted by the FAS Referees’ Committee when appointed in various FAS competitions.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 71 72 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017)

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 72 7/11/17 2:28 PM 3.3 The performance of the match officials appointed for our 2016 S.League and Prime League matches have been encouraging. An initiative of the Referees Strategic plan, FAS Referees Dept and FAS Referees Committee, continued to develop and train our referees regularly. Monthly technical trainings, video analysis sessions, high intensity fitness tests and fitness training sessions were conducted for these referees throughout the season.

4. COURSES & TRAINING CONDUCTED

4.1 The FAS Referees Department and Referees Committee takes continuous learning seriously and the following courses and sessions were held in 2016.

4.1.1 S.League Referees & Referee Assessors Seminar

4.1.1.1 A five-day seminar was conducted from 27 to 31 January 2016 in preparing our referees and referee assessors for the 2016 S.League season. This seminar, held at the FAS Conference Room was conducted by FIFA Technical Instructor John Chia and FIFA Referee Development Officer Mohd Rodzali Bin Yacob and assisted by our FAS referee instructors.

4.1.1.2 A total of 30 referees, 16 assessors and five observers were selected to attend this seminar.

4.1.1.3 The purpose of this seminar was to refresh and improve on the technical knowledge of the Laws of the Game and on the field performance of our match officials. Both practical training sessions and theory lessons were conducted during the seminar at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

4.1.2 Referees’ Basic Courses

4.1.2.1 A total of three Referees’ Basic Courses were organised by FAS Referees Department in 2016. The participants were taught on the Laws of the Game and had to undergo stringent fitness, theory and practical tests before they were registered as FAS Class 3 Referees.

4.1.2.2 Out of the 72 registered participants, 37 passed the course and registered as FAS Class 3 Referees.

4.1.3 Outreach Programme

4.1.3.1 As part of Referees Dept initiative to conduct an Outreach Programme with NIE/ NTU, a Referees Basic course was conducted in November 2016 and a total of 12 participants signed up for this course. The aim of this programme was to transfer knowledge and to recruit referees.

4.1.4 Monthly Field Training

4.1.4.1 Monthly field training sessions were conducted to improve the referees’ performance. The Referee assessors’ reports were referred to identify on the areas of improvement for the referees. This helps the referees to understand the game better, predict actions and eventually improve their positioning and decision-making.

4.1.4.2 The Referees’ Committee and Department also plan the referees training and fitness programme and it is included into these sessions.

4.1.5 Monthly Match Analysis

4.1.5.1 Monthly match analysis sessions were held in the NFA conference room and video clips of contentious incidents in S.League matches were highlighted during these sessions.

4.1.5.2 The referees will view the match video clips and provided with analytical data. Discussions on the appropriate decisions and actions and referee assessors will also highlight and advise on the appropriate decisions that should have been taken. This helps the referees to understand the game better and predict actions.

4.1.5.3 The field training and match analysis sessions were conducted for the match officials to assist them with consistent decision-making, man-management, field movements and FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 73

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112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 74 7/11/17 2:28 PM communication between the match officials during the matches.

4.1.6 Monthly Progressive Training

4.1.6.1 The progressive training sessions were held monthly at Jalan Besar Stadium. They consisted of field training and classroom sessions. The objective is to train the junior Class 2 and 3 referees.

4.1.6.2 Tactical and technical guidance was provided to improve their basic skills in refereeing, and also to impart more advanced knowledge to them. Question and answer sessions were held at the end of each session to clarify any doubts about situations that occurred in their games.

4.1.7 Monthly Project Talent Training

4.1.7.1 From the progressive training sessions, referees with higher potential were selected to be part of a Project Talent group of referees. Beside their fitness and field training conducted with the progressive group, they were also required to attend theory lessons. They were tested on the Laws of the Game, match incidents and other related tests.

5. LAWS OF THE GAME BRIEFING SESSION WITH S.LEAGUE CLUBS

5.1 All players and officials registered with the S.League clubs should be equipped with a good level of knowledge and understanding on the Laws of the Game.

5.2 A session on the Laws of the Game was conducted with all the S.League clubs prior to the commencement of the new season in February 2017 and it was conducted at the Black Box auditorium, Sports Hub on 17 Feb 2017.

6. AMENDMENTS MADE TO THE LAWS OF THE GAME BY THE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BOARD (IFAB)

6.1 There was amendments made to the Laws of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) taking effect from 1 June 2016. However, due to our on-going football season, these changes would only take effect from 1 January 2017. Referees Dept had conducted several briefing sessions on the new IFAB amendments during the months of July 2016, December 2016 and January 2017 to the referees, referee assessors, S.League Clubs participating in the AFC tournaments and to Schools, whose tournaments start in Jan 2017.

7. NATIONAL REFEREES

7.1 Our National Referees have also contributed and did reasonably well in officiating in the various FAS competitions in which they were appointed. They were involved in many of the Centres of Excellence League, National Football League, Civil Service League and Schools matches, as well as other various competitions and matches that were organised in 2016.

8. WOMEN REFEREES

8.1 Currently, there are only four female referees actively involved in refereeing in the local divisional leagues, women’s football and grassroots matches. We have one FIFA Referee, one FIFA Assistant Referee and two Class Three referees.

8.2 FIFA Women Referee Abirami Naidu and FIFA Women Assistant Referee Rohaidah Bte Mohd Nasir have been provided with several opportunities to officiate in the divisional league and women’s football matches, and they have also excelled in AFC/ FIFA assignments.

8.3 We hope with the promotion of Abirami and Rohaidah to the FIFA level will act as motivation for other women in Singapore to join to become match officials as we aim to attract, groom and develop more female referees.

9. YOUNG REFEREES INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

9.1 Class One referee Andy Tan Mint Land participated in the AFC U14 Regional Festival of Football for Asean region in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 75

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 74 7/11/17 2:28 PM 9. FAS REFEREE INSTRUCTORS

9.1 FAS has produced a talented and experienced pool of thirteen Referee Instructors who are also FIFA & AFF Instructors: (a) FIFA Instructor – Shamsul Maidin and John Chia (b) FIFA Fitness Instructor – M Ganesan (c) AFF Instructors – K Visva Nathan, Nazeer Hussain, Abdul Malik, Augustine Arlando, Mohd Ali Samad, Haja Maidin, Lau Kok Hong, N Santhan and K Surindranath and T Aravinthan (fitness).

9.2 The instructors conduct courses, training sessions and fitness tests to further improve the overall standard and performance of our referees.

10. FAS REFEREE ASSESSORS

10.1 Over the years, FAS has nurtured and trained the following referee assessors who assessed the performance of our referees during the Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League, RHB Singapore Cup, The New Paper League Cup, Prime League, National Football League and other competitions:

(1) K Visva Nathan (2) Nazeer Hussain (3) Abdul Malik (4) John Chia (5) Lai Boon Teck (6) M Ganesan (7) Mohd Ali Samad (8) Augustine Arlando (9) Lau Kok Kong (10) Haja Maidin (11) Yazeen Buhari (12) K Surindranath (13) N Santhan (14) Suresh Nair (15) T Aravinthan (16) Rosli Omar

11. REFEREES COURSES

11.1 The following referees attended the following courses conducted by AFC and FIFA for the Financial Year 2016/17.

S/No Date Referee Course FIFA Seminar for prospective AFC, CAF & 11 – 15 Muhammad Taqi OFC referees for the 2018 FIFA World Cup 1 April 2016 Abirami d/o Apbai Naidu and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, in Doha, Qatar. FC Seminar for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 12 -16 2 Muhammad Taqi Final Round Referees in , July 2016 Malaysia. AFC U-14 Regional Festival of Football – 20 – 30 3 Andy Tan Mint Land Asean Region in Bandar Seri Begawan, July 2016 Brunei. 6 – 10 AFC Development Group Referee Course 4 Farhad Bin Mohamed August 2016 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

76 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 3 – 5 Selection Course for AFC Referee 5 September Ahmad A’Qashah Recruitment 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2016 Muhammad Taqi Sukhbir Singh Jansen Foo Chuan Hui 20 – 24 Lim Kok Heng AFC Elite Referees & Assistant Referees 6 November Ronnie Koh Min Kiat Seminar – Group 1 in Kuala Lumpur, 2016 Edwin Lee Tzu Liang Malaysia. Ong Chai Lee Abirami d/o Apbai Naidu Rohaidah Bte Mohd Nasir 26 – 30 AFC Elite Referees & Assistant Referees 7 November Muhammad Syarqawi Seminar – Group 2 in Kuala Lumpur, 2016 Malaysia. 7 – 11 AFC Additional Assistant Referee Course in 8 Muhammad Taqi March 2017 Doha, Qatar.

12. REFEREE ASSESSOR / INSTRUCTOR COURSE

12.1 The following Referee Assessors/Instructors attended the respective AFC & FIFA courses.

S/No Date Name Course 29 May to AFC Refereeing Expert Workshop 2016 in 1 John Chia Eng Wah 2 June 2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia AFC Refereeing Expert Workshop 2016 & 29 May to 2 M Ganesan AFC Women Referees & Assistant Referees 4 June 2016 Fitness Test in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . AFC Seminar for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 12 – 16 3 M Ganesan Final Round Referees in Kuala Lumpur, July 2016 Malaysia 1 – 4 Workshop for AFC Referees Teaching 4 M Ganesan August 2016 Materials in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 1 – 6 Selection Course for AFC Referee John Chia Eng Wah 5 September Recruitment 2017 in Dubai, United Arab M Ganesan 2016 Emirates. 16-19 AFC Referees Recruiting 2016 Selection 6 John Chia Eng Wah October 2015 Course in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 15 – 19 Final Development Course for AFC Project 7 September John Chia Eng Wah Future Referees Batch 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, 2016 Malaysia.

14 – 19 K Surindranath FUTURO III Course for Referee Instructors in 8 November Nazeer Hussein Bangkok, Thailand 2016 T Aravinthan K Visva Nathan Abdul Malik 17 – 19 The AFC Refereeing Seminar 2017 in Kuala 9 Mohd Ali Samad January 2017 Lumpur, Malaysia John Chia Eng Wah Nazeer Hussain 13 – 17 RAP Seminar for FIFA Referee Technical 10 M Ganesan February 2017 & Fitness Instructors in Algarve, Portugal 21 – 24 AFC Non-Elite Women Referees & Assistant 11 John Chia Eng Wah March 2017 Referees Course in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 77 78 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017)

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 78 7/11/17 2:29 PM 12.2 Our FAS Referees Assessors, K. Visva Nathan, John Chia, Abdul Malik and Mohd Ali Samad are also in the AFC Elite Referee Assessors’ Panel and were appointed by AFC for high-profile matches to assess the AFC referees’ performances during AFC competitions.

12.3 John Chia and Mohd Ali Samad are also members of FAS Referees’ Committee, and they will continue to use their experience to develop and train our local referees to attain international standards.

13. FITNESS TEST

13.1 FAS Referees Department conducted four key intensive fitness tests for our referees annually, namely the Annual Referees Registration, FIFA Referees & Assistant Referees Nomination, S.League and Prime League (Pre-Season and Mid-Season) fitness tests.

13.2 FAS adopts the best practices from FIFA and AFC for fitness testing in terms of using electronic Microgate equipment and sound system for all the fitness tests, which provides accuracy and precision in the sprints and the high intensity runs.

13.3 The primary objective of these fitness tests is to ensure that our referees are in top physical condition throughout the season to meet the demands of local and international assignments.

14. FAS REFEREES ANNUAL APPRECIATION NIGHT

14.1 The Annual Appreciation Night function for FAS registered referees was organised by Referees Department at the Westwood Bowl in Bukit Batok CSC on 9 December 2016 and was attended by over 100 referees and staff. The aim of this bowling event was to serve as a bonding session for all classes of referees, as well as to appreciate and honour the achievements of our referees, assessors and instructors and to show our support and appreciation for their dedication to refereeing.

14.2 The Guest of Honour was our FAS Referees’ Committee Chairman Lim Tong Hai. Assistant Director, Development and Planning Fabian Chew and several committee members were also present. 5 Years, 10 Years and 15 Years long service certificates were also awarded to 24 recipients during the event.

15. Conclusion

15.1 In the world’s most popular sport, the pressure and focus is always on the referees, whose split-second decisions are scrutinised by everyone. The challenges and demands placed upon referees are only exacerbated with the rise of social media.

15.2 FAS will work closely with FIFA and AFC to further enhance the performance of our Referees in 2017.

15.3 Our referees will strive to work even harder with greater determination and effort for the new season. With the support of the FAS Referees’ Committee, management and staff, the Referees Department is confident of scaling greater heights for 2017.

Prepared by: K. Visva Nathan Head, FAS Referees’ Department

Vetted by: Fabian Chew Assistant Director, Development and Planning

Approved by: Lim Tong Hai Chairman, FAS Referees’ Committee

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 79

112371 FAS AR 2017.indd 78 7/11/17 2:29 PM 80 FAS Annual Report 2017 REPORT OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE FOR FY2016/2017

1. For the year of 2016, the Disciplinary Committee (“DC”) dealt with nine (9) cases. In 2017 as at end of April, the DC dealt with two (2) cases. Of the 11 cases dealt with during the period, five (5) cases involved incidents during S.League matches, four (4) involved incidents during National Football League (NFL) matches and two (2) involved incidents that took place during Women’s Premier League (WPL) games. DC Case 11 of 2016 was the highest profiled case for the year, as it involved two NFL teams who were charged for their involvement in a brawl amongst each other. This case obtained much publicity from both mainstream media and various platforms of social media.

2. The officials and players involved were given sentences varying from fines, match suspensions and warnings, together with suspended sentences. In one case, the players involved were given bans from all FAS sanctioned activity ranging from six months to one year. In another case, the player involved were given a fine of one thousand dollars.

3. The DC notes that quite a number of the incidents relate to the team officials and players abusing and threatening referees and match officials with violence. In such cases the DC has imposed fines and suspensions on the players/officials involved. In one case, a team official was given a fine of one thousand and five hundred dollars for making disparaging remarks against a match official during a post-match conference media.

4. It is hoped that team managers and officials will impress upon all members of the team the importance of not resorting to violence and aggressive behavior during and after matches. In appropriate cases, the relevant party may be charged in Court for committing the offence of causing hurt and/or using vulgar and abusive language. In the event the individual is found guilty, they face the prospect of fines and/or jail, which may affect their careers. It is the duty of the clubs and their officials to reiterate this, and impress upon their players and fellow officials the serious consequences which may follow.

5. The members of the Disciplinary Committee for the 2016/2017 are as follows:

1) K Bala Chandran (Chairman) 2) Wee Pan Lee (Deputy Chairman) 3) Alan Wee Tien Wan 4) Mohd Shahar 5) Dr Chia Yih Woei 6) Intekhab Khan 7) Chidambaram Selvaraj 8) Mohamed Nasser Ismail 9) Andre Jumabhoy

Prepared by: Aloysius Emmanuel Vetha Assistant Manager, Competitions

Vetted by: Adrian Chan Deputy Director, Competitions

Approved by: K Bala Chandran Chairman, Disciplinary Committee

FAS Annual Report 2017 81 82 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) MEDICAL COMMITTEE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The objectives of the FAS Medical Committee (MC) are to advise and assist FAS and S.League with regards to football medical safety and best practices for the general well-being of all football players, coaches and referees including establishing FAS Medical Policies, Guidelines and Safety Regulations as appropriate.

1.2 The MC comprises of medical professionals in the areas of cardiology and orthopedic specialists, sports physicians, physiotherapist, sports science personnels among others.

1.3 The members on the medical committee for Financial Year (FY) 2016/17 are:

S/N Name Designation 1 Dr Dinesh Nair Chairman 2 Dr Cormac O’Muircheartaigh Deputy Chairman 3 Huang Yuchi Secretary 4 Aruna Vijaya Ratnam Assistant Secretary 5 Yeo Hwee Koon Member 6 Dr Ganesh Ramalingam Member 7 Dr Jimmy Chin Member 8 Audrey Goh Member 9 Derrick Ong Member 10 Michael Lim Member 11 Dr Tsou Yu Yan Ian Member 12 Dr Harish Sivasubramanian Member 13 Dr Ng Chung Sien Member

1.4 The MC will continue to identify and recruit new members with the relevant expertise in the areas of Nutrition, Psychology and Exercise Physiology to further enhance the Football Science and Medicine (FSAM) support for the various FAS programmes as part of the FAS Strategic Plan (2010-2015).

2. FOOTBALL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE INITIATIVES

2.1 In line with the objectives of the FAS Strategic Plan 2017-2021 to increase the Football Science and Medicine education programmes, FAS has conducted the following initiatives: -

2.2 Football Sports Science and Injury Prevention Talks

2.2.1 In 2016, we had collaboration with the National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI). With their wealth of knowledge and expertise, we conducted monthly sports science workshops for the players from the National Football Academy teams (NFA Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18).

2.2.2 This included topics such as injury prevention, hydration, nutrition and post-training recovery and mental strength workshops for the NFA Under-15 and Under-18 as these two teams will be participating in the upcoming AFC/AFF tournaments in the second half of 2017.

2.2.3 The introduction of these football science and medicine workshops are aimed towards improving our players’ knowledge and understanding of injury prevention, hydration and diet and mental strength, which will in turn help enhance the quality of their training sessions, as well as the performance of our players during matches. FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 83 2.2.4 The Garena Young Lions and the Under-22 National Team had dedicated nutrition and sports psychological support from Singapore Sports Institute. They have started with group and individual sessions with the nutritionist, who has done careful planning of their post-trainings and post-matches meals and recovery meals.

2.2.5 The National ‘A’ Team commenced a series of workshops on nutrition, hydration and mental strength training with the support of experts from a specialised team of mental strength coaches and a nutritionist. The objective of these sessions is to allow the elite players to have ownership of their wellbeing and to have individualised sessions with the specialised staff.

2.3 FIFA 11+ Programme

2.2.1 The ‘FIFA 11+’ Train the Trainer Course and Workshop was held in November 2016. This session was conducted by our certified trainers, Nasruldin Baharudin and Muklis Sawit, for age group coaches from the Junior Center of Excellence (JCOE) and NFA, as well as the FSAM sports trainers. The aim of the programme is to reduce the rate of injuries nationwide through a proper warming-up programme that has been specially designed by a group of researchers from the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC). Our next plan is to integrate the ‘FIFA 11+’ to the AFC coaching courses and to our NFA set-up. As this is part of injury prevention, we have integrated this information in the Injury Surveillance Program.

2.4 Injury Surveillance Programme

2.3.1 We continued the S.League Injury Surveillance Program and introduced an NFA Injury Surveillance Program in 2016. Injuries were documented and recorded based on injuries sustained during training sessions or matches, noting the location of injuries, cause of injuries and time taken to return to training and playing. Data was collected and tabulated for all teams in the S.League and the NFA teams. Based on the results, we did a simple study with findings, conclusions and recommendations. Abstracts were submitted to the 2017 FIFA / Isokinetic Medical Conference. They were accepted for poster presentation in the conference that was held in , Spain from 13-15 May 2017.

3. FOOTBALL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE DEPARTMENT

3.1 The Football Science and Medicine (FSAM) Department provides tiered football science and medicine services and support for all Men’s and Women’s National Teams, NFA teams, referees and coaches. FSAM’s role is also to work closely with the Medical Committee to educate and provide footballers, coaches and referees with the relevant knowledge and skills to assist them in implementing the best practices in football science and medicine, with the aim of enhancing their physical and mental performance.

3.2 At present, the team consists of one Senior Physiotherapist, one Physiotherapy Assistant, one part-time Sports Scientist, two Sports Trainers, one Strength & Conditioning Coach, and one Sports Medicine Executive.

3.3 The FSAM full-time staffs are supported by a team of eight part-time Sports Trainers who assist in providing match and training coverage for the respective National Teams. Physiotherapists from restructured hospitals and NYSI also assist to provide the NFA teams and Women’s teams with medical coverage.

4. COLLABORATIONS

4.1 As the teams are all very active throughout the year, we work with a few institutions to have collaborations and work internships for staff and students of the institutions involved.

(i) Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital (KTPH)

KTPH is responsible for the FIFA Medical Screening of our National ‘A’ Team and Garena Young Lions players in 2016 and 2017. They also provide services such as travel vaccinations for our travelling teams in 2016 and 2017. Besides medical appointments and follow-ups, Dr Dinesh Sirisena, one of KTPH’s Sports Consultants, volunteered his services by helping out with the sports coverage for GYL in the 2016 and 2017 S.League seasons.

84 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) (ii) National University Hospital (NUH)

In end-2016, we signed an agreement with NUH Sports Centre. All medical screenings and sports injuries sustained by the women’s teams are handled by the Sports Consultants in NUH Sports Centre. FSAM will be planning a simple injury prevention programme together with NUH in the second half of 2017.

(iii) Republic Polytechnic (RP)

In order to facilitate the Sports Science Unit’s services, FSAM department collaborated with the RP Sports Science Department in early 2017. A group of their Final Year students led by their lecturer has been working with the Garena Young Lions and Under-22 National Team. They are helping out with the GPS data performance analysis, well-being questionnaires, and players’ mental state performance to facilitate the coaches with information with regards to players through the questionnaire.

5. MEDICAL COVERAGE

5.1 FSAM provided medical coverage for the following key activities in FY2016:

(i) National Football Academy (NFA) Teams

FSAM sports trainers provided football science and medicine coverage to all the teams under the NFA set-up ranging from NFA Under-14 to Under-20 National Team. Every team had a dedicated sports trainer attached to them as this allows better communication and access to medical services from the FSAM department. Hydration, nutrition and recovery strategies are implemented during overseas training tours or tournaments in addition to injury management and prevention for the teams.

(ii) 2016 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup

A broad spectrum of football science and medicine services were provided to the National ‘A’ Team for their preparation and participation in the AFF Suzuki Cup group stage where Singapore was grouped together with Indonesia, Thailand and host nation Philippines. In particular, the FSAM department implemented a series of fitness tests a few months prior to the start of the tournament to better prepare our players in terms of fitness, strength and speed. From the results of the tests, players were then given individual programmes to improve on areas of weakness. Body fat measurements were done monthly to help players monitor their body fat percentage and maintain it at the ideal level of 10% or lower.

(iii) Under-22 National Team

A team of one part-time sports physiotherapist, one sports trainer, one sports science support staff and one sports psychologist from the FSAM department and NYSI supported the Under-22 National Team in their preparations for the upcoming 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(iv) Women’s Teams

A team of one physiotherapist assistant and one sports trainer supported the Women’s National Teams (‘A’, Under-19, Under-16, and Under-14). A few initiatives were implemented to help in the players’ injury management and recovery. The Injury Surveillance Program was introduced to help monitor and track the injured players and their return to play after injury. This help to keep the players, medical staff and coaches better informed of players’ injury status.

6. SPORTS SCIENCE TESTING

(i) Fitness Testing

In 2016, our Sports Scientist Mr Faizul Abdul Wahid worked with the S.League to implement S.League fitness testing. The objective of this fitness test was to measure the fitness of our local footballers which gives us an indication of the level of fitness of our local S.League players. The Sports Science team visited each club and conducted the standardised fitness testing (similar to the FAS fitness testing done for the National Teams). All the S.League clubs – except Hougang FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 85 86 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) United – participated in the tests.

(ii) Laboratory Testing

We conducted VO2Max testing for our National ‘A’ Team and Under-22 players to measure their aerobic capacity. The tests were conducted in Republic Polytechnic’s Sports Science department. In total three tests was conducted t- twice in 2016, and once in early 2017. The results were used to determine players’ capabilities, and fitness programmes were designed for the players who did not do well.

DEXA body fat scans were also done to determine the players’ body fat measurement. Those who required assistance to manage their body fat percentage were referred to a nutritionist. Four players from the National ‘A’ Team were identified and individual sessions were conducted, with positive results observed thereafter. The individual players were equipped with better nutrition knowledge and were self-compliance to daily food intake for better weight management and able to identify the appropriate diet for themselves.

(iii) Global Positioning System

In order to better monitor the performance of players at training sessions and matches, a Global Positioning System (GPS) system is used. The National ‘A’ Team used the GPS system for their weekly training sessions and for all the centralised training days. The use of the GPS system allowed players and the team of coaches to monitor every player’s performance and recovery at the different segments of training, especially so during high-intensity training sessions.

In late 2016, another set of this system was purchased in order to ensure proper monitoring of the Under-22 National Team. We started to monitor the Garena Young Lions players in their S.League games in the 2017 season. With the GPS units, we were able to use the ‘Utilising Inertial Movement Analysis’ (UIMA) to break down metabolic power, accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction (left and right), and jumps (height and frequency). Besides monitoring the whole team in terms of the accelerations and break down of metabolic power, this current system helps to analyse the explosive movements during a match or training which the conventional cameras are unable to capture.

Prepared by: Nurhafizah Bte Abu Sujad Senior Physiotherapist, Football Science & Medicine

With inputs from the FAS Medical Committee

Vetted by: Mohd Asadullah Senior Manager, Development & Planning

Approved by: Dr Dinesh Nair Chairman, Medical Committee

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 87 88 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Women’s football continued to grow in Singapore. This was shown in the growth of the FAS Women’s Premier League, which saw 11 clubs (330 players) participating in the competition in 2016, up from only eight teams (240 players) in previous editions. There was also increase in participation in all the women’s events in 2016.

1.2 The new FAS Women’s Football logo and image was launched on 5 March 2017, in conjunction with Women’s Football Day held at Field. Ms Sun Xueling, Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency, unveiled the logo.

2. NATIONAL WOMEN’S TEAMS

2.1 ‘A’ Women’s National Team

2.1.1 The ‘A’ Women’s National Team played the following international friendly matches:

Date Opponent Venue Result 11 July 2016 Malaysia Likas Stadium, Malaysia Lost 0-2 6 January 2017 UAE Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore Drew 0-0 12 March 2017 Hong Kong Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Hong Kong Lost 0-2

A Singapore Women’s Selection Team also played against the UAE Women’s National Team on 4 January 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium, losing 0-4.

2.1.2 FAS organised the Women’s Development Tournament 2017 from 16-18 February 2017 at Jalan Besar Stadium. This tournament was supported by UEFA as a pilot test case for UEFA’s planned programme of mini-tournaments outside of Europe.

Date Opponent Result 17 February 2017 Bangladesh v Singapore 0 (BAN) 3 (SIN) 18 February 2017 Malaysia v Bangladesh 2 (MAS) 1 (BAN) 19 February 2017 Singapore v Malaysia 0 (SIN) 4 (MAS)

2.2 U19 Women’s National Team

2.2.1 The squad continues to train once a week in preparation for the AFC U19 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers to be held in August/September 2018. Progressive talent-scouting and selection trials continue to be conducted from now until the end of 2017.

2.3 U16 Women’s National Team

2.3.1 The squad continues to train three times a week in preparation for the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers to be held in October 2018. Progressive talent-scouting and selection trials continue to be conducted from now until the end of 2017.

2.4 U14 Women’s National Team

2.4.1 The U14 Women’s National Team participated in the AFC U14 Girls’ Regional Championship (ASEAN) 2016 in Vientiane, Laos from 31 May-2 June 2016. Below are the results:

Date Opponent Result 31 May 2016 Malaysia Lost 1-2

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 89 1 June 2016 Vietnam Lost 0-1 2 June 2016 Myanmar Lost 1-2

3. SCHOOL COMPETITIONS

3.1 FAS continued to support the girls’ school competitions in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Primary and Secondary Schools’ Sports Councils and the National Games Board to continue to grow girls’ football in schools.

The following Schools’ Championships were held:

3.1.1 National Inter-Schools Championship 2016 ‘A’ Division Girls

A total of 10 junior colleges participated in this edition, held from 30 March -18 May 2016. The final results were as follows:

Champion: Victoria Junior College (VJC) 2nd: Raffles Institution 3rd: St. Andrew’s Junior College 4th: Meridian Junior College

Top Scorer: Rachael Han Fujisawa (VJC), #6, 18 goals Most Promising Player: Winette Lim Siu (VJC), #3

3.1.2 National Inter-Schools Championship 2016 ‘B’ Division Girls

A total of 12 secondary schools participated in this edition, held from 17 February-11 April 2016. The final results were as follows:

Champion: Bowen Secondary School 2nd: Queensway Secondary School 3rd: Hong Kah Secondary School 4th: Woodlands Secondary School

Top Scorer: Ong Yan Ting, #16, Bowen Secondary, 22 goals Most Promising Player: Mira Ruzana Bte Seherzan, # 6, Bowen Secondary

3.1.3 National Inter-Schools Championship 2016 ‘C’ Division Girls

A total of nine schools participated in this edition, which was held from 29 July-31 August 2016. The final results were as follows:

Champion: Queensway Secondary School (QSS) 2nd: Bowen Secondary School 3rd: Hong Kah Secondary School 4th: Woodlands Secondary School

Top Scorer: Putri Nur Syaliza (QSS), #17, 24 goals Most Promising Player: Dorcas Chu (QSS), #9

3.1.4 National Primary Inter-Schools Championship 2017 Senior Girls

A total of eight schools participated in this edition, which was held from 23 January-22 February 2017. The final results were as follows:

Champion: Haig Girls Primary School 2nd: Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) 3rd: Coral Primary School 4th: Cedar Primary School

Top Scorer: Giselle Dianna Enlund (TKPS), #10, 23 goals Most Promising Player: Matthea Ashwini D/O Mervin A, #9, Cedar Primary

90 FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 3.1.5 National Inter-Primary Schools Championship 2016 Junior Girls

A total of nine schools participated in this edition, held from 4-21 April 2016. The final results were as follows:

Champion: Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) 2nd: Coral Primary School 3rd: Haig Girls’ School 4th: Telok Kurau Primary School

Top Scorer: Giselle Diana Enlund (Tanjong Katong Primary School), #10, 11 goals Most Promising Player: Dakota Amelia Less (Tanjong Katong Primary School), #9

4. FIFA WOMEN’S COACHING COURSE

4.1 FAS organised the first FIFA Women’s Coaching Course in Singapore from 12-16 June 2016. There were 35 participants, all of whom held at least an AFC “C” certificate.

5. FAS U14 GIRLS’ LEAGUE

5.1 FAS organised the inaugural U14 Girls League from 21 Oct-23 November 2016. Eight teams participated in this competition, which was played in a round-robin league format. Results were not recorded in this competition so as to encourage participation and more schools to start girls’ football as a Co-Curricular Activity.

6. WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DAY

6.1 The third annual Women’s Football Day was held on 5 March 2017 at the Kallang Field. The event was graced by Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Ms Sun Xueling and President of the FAS Provisional Council Mr Lim Kia Tong. General Secretary Winston Lee and Technical Director Michel Sablon were also present, together with other members of FAS senior management. The event saw 850 women, girls and children participating in the 5-a-side, 7-a-side and Family Fun 3s tournaments. The event drew considerable media coverage.

6.2 FAS Women’s Football logo The FAS Women’s Football logo was launched by Ms Sun Xueling, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol during the Women’s Football Day event on 5 March at Kallang Field.

FAS Annual Report (Apr 2016 - Mar 2017) 91 7. CONTINUOUS EDUCATION

7.1 FAS Women’s Department attended the following continuous education programmes :

18-19 April 2016 AFC Women’s Football Development Seminar 2016 (Kuala Lumpur)

6-19 November 2016 Football Federation Australia (FFA) ASEAN Women’s Administration Workshop (Sydney)

18-19 November 2016 1st AFC Women’s Football Conference (Kuala Lumpur)

Prepared by: Julie Teo General Manager, Grassroots, Women’s Football and Volunteer Management

Vetted by:

Fabian Chew Assistant Director , Development & Plannng

Approved by: Mr Tan Seng Hua Chairman, Women’s Football

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VISION To excel in ASEAN and compete at the ASIAN stage.

VALUES Teamwork Inclusiveness Transparency Respect Innovation Passion.

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ANNUALANNUAL REPORTREPORT AprilApril 2016 2016 - -March March 2017 2017

FootballFootball Association Association Of Of Singapore Singapore 100100 Tyrwhitt Tyrwhitt Road,Jalan Road,Jalan Besar Besar Stadium, Stadium, Singapore Singapore 207542 207542

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