BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Just received a call from the organizers that organized the "Tiger Beer Regional Online Influencer Challenge" contest with the grand prize to meet Wayne Rooney in Manchester. Unfortunately, I am not the chosen one , but it was fun and interesting during the whole process and I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to those who help to spread the word around about my participating. Maybe some other time eh... and many thanks to the organizers for invited me to take part and met up some other like-minded bloggers ...

(The content of this entry is obtained via the transcript by Status Sports Pte Ltd , the exclusive distributors for Maximuscle in Asia) (Image depicted in this entry was provided by Status Sports , unless stated ) Lionel Lewis, current Singapore Lion and Home United Goalkeeper joins a team of Singapore’s top athletes with glory in their sights in becoming a Maximuscle Brand Ambassador. Together with Singapore National Rugby Captain Jonathan Lee, national sprinter and current national 100m record holder Amanda Choo as well as up and coming weightlifter Lewis Chua, the quartet complete the roster of Maximuscle’s Singapore Brand Ambassadors. Maximuscle, from the United Kingdom, is Europe’s market leader in Sports Nutrition, and counts Barclays Premier League’s Fulham FC and Tottenham’s Jermaine Jenas as their official partners. Each Maximuscle product is developed by a team of highly regarded sports nutritionists and scientists, and is targeted to fuel the athlete in everyone ...

(The following message is brought to by Albirex Niigata (S) FC ) Albirex Niigata (S) FC is looking for 2 part-time football coaches to conduct clinics for Children Aged 6 to 12 years old. The requirements are as follows: Licence: Minimum Football Coaching “C” Licence Days/Time: Every Saturday – 9 am to 12 am, Every Sunday – 9 am to 11 am Remuneration: Saturday – S$70 / session; Sunday – S$50 / session Minimum Commitment: 1 year Others: Japanese-speaking an advantage but not a requirement Interested parties are requested to send CV to taniguchi@albirex.com.sg . Only shortlisted applicants would be notified.

(Media Information by Football Association of Singapore )   SINGAPORE, 22 September: The FAS Disciplinary Committee arrived at their verdict today with regards to the charges of gross misconduct laid on Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talent during their Great Eastern YEO’S S.League match on 07 September 2010 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.  Both clubs have been docked five points and fined $5,000 each. The FAS Disciplinary Committee has also concluded that the match will not be replayed and the result will stand.  Six players from the Young Lions have been charged for gross misconduct which brought the game into disrepute.  Madhu Mohana has been suspended from playing or participating in all football related activities for 4 months and fined S$1,000.  Gabriel Quak Jun Yi has been suspended from playing or participating in all football related activities for 4 months and fined S$1,000.  Khairul Nizam has been suspended from playing or participating in all footbal...

(Pictured above) Home Utd's 'keeper Lionel Lewis rose above to make it safety first It is now also confirmed a saying that Tampines Rovers will buckle down at bigger stages. After losing to Etoile two weeks ago at Jalan Besar, they stormed back with a 4-1 away win over the cellar-dwellers Woodlands Wellington last week. Therefore, inevitable the chips were up and what a perfect setting at home it was as the Stags were eager not only to see their heroes enhance their chance of winning the league title, but also to see the historical milestone to be set by evergreen striker Aleksandar Duric. (Pictured above) Stag's coach Vorawan Chitavanichput on a brave front when facing the media after the lost. However, it was their guests - Home United who stole the limelight and wrecked their hosts' party at their own backyard with a gallant display that not only kept Tampines at bay throughout the night, shut Duric out of the game, but effectively consigned the Stags' title hope...

Mr K Balachandra (pictured above) talks to the media after the hearing outside Jalan Besar Stadium . It was a long, lengthy wait as expected, as the main media outlets and the concerned parties descended at the Jalan Besar Stadium for the Disciplinary Committee (DC) hearing for the mass-brawl that took place between Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talents on the 7th September.   The DC panel is an independent body separated from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and they are formed by a group of lawyers who presided over the hearing.  After five hours of hearing, the chairman of the DC, Mr K Balachandra emerged and revealed that a total of 16 players from both sides are being charged (ten from Beijing, six from Young Lions).  Mr Balachandra added the hearing will be continued at 6.30pm later of the day (22nd of September), with verdict likely to be issued following the session.

My fellow blogger, Antony Sutton of " Jakarta Casual " warned me before-handed that Indonesian football is full of surprises and uncertainty with many transfer deals inked in the last minute or collapsed at the eleventh hour (ask Duric). And so last night, when I took this picture of Singapore skipper Shahril Ishak (pictured above in middle) receiving "S.League Player of the Month" for July at Queenstown Stadium prior to the match between Etoile and Balestier . Next thing, I learnt when I woke up to fiddle my iPhone and saw the news that the red-hot Shahril is leaving for Indonesian club Persib Bandung, who offered to double his present salary he is earning with Home United plus a house threw in as well . And here you have it, both Shahril and Baihakki Khaizan (pictured above right) will be playing for the West Javanese club in the upcoming ISL season in days to come. Former Geylang defender Baihakki played for Persija Jakarta in the last ISL season, before he was r...

(Media Information from Football Association for Singapore ) Singapore drawn with Vietnam and Myanmar in AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 HANOI, 15 September 2010: Singapore has been drawn in Group B alongside Myanmar, defending champions and co-hosts, Vietnam and the qualifying round’s runner-up for December’s AFF Suzuki Cup 2010. Group A will feature the other co-hosts Indonesia as well as Malaysia, Thailand and the qualifying round winner. The qualifiers are scheduled from 22 to 26 October in Laos and will involve Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Timor Leste with the top two going through to the tournament proper. The draw took place this afternoon at the Sheraton Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. Singapore, winners of the biennial tournament on three occasions – 1998, 2004 and 2007 - kick off their challenge for the Suzuki Cup on 2 December against the qualifying round’s runner-up with their second group game against Myanmar on 5 December. The Lions will then meet Vietnam, who knocked them out in th...

The Luncheon at "Carousel" Representatives from Young Lions (YL) and Beijing Guoan Talent FC (BGT) met at "Carousel" at Royal Plaza of Scotts for a luncheon for the first time since the mass brawl that took place on the 7th of September at the Jalan Besar Stadium .  This luncheon session allowed both parties to make their stand on the unpleasant incident that caused quite a stir in both Singapore and China with both Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talent reiterating that tough disciplinary actions will be shown to those perpetrators.  In the meantime, representatives from the two teams expressed their sincere regret and apology to the fans and public, while pleading for forgiveness for those involved in the mass brawl. Mr Eugene Loo making a short speech Mr Eugene Loo, the team manager of the Young Lions (pictured above, on extreme right) in his welcome speech thanks their guests for turning up for the luncheon and amid the ongoing Hari Raya celebration, he hopes bo...

For immediate release SINGAPORE, 7 September 2010 - The Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League match between the Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talent tonight was abandoned at the 89th minute after a scuffle broke out between players from both sides. The FAS takes a serious view of this gross misconduct by the players. We are conducting an investigation into this matter and the perpetrator will be dealt with severely. The score was at 1-1 when the match was abandoned. CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE 7 September 2010 - The following official statements were released the day after the incident took place from both FAS and the Young Lions. The FAS's statement For immediate release: Update on Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talent match incident SINGAPORE, 8 September 2010 : FAS is currently in the process of our investigation and we have received the reports from the Match Commissioner and the match officials. We have given both the Young Lions and Beijing Guo...

With five more rounds to go, it's still everyone's guess who would eventually walk away with the championship. Over the past few days, the title contenders - Etoile played both Tampines Rovers and Home United played with mixed results. (Picture above) Having lost to Home United on a Shahril Ishak's strike on "Friday Night Football", the Frenchmen came back strongly to beat the Stags on the same artificial surface. The Stars took the lead through the league scoring leader Frederic Mendy in the 50th minute with Stags' skipper Aliff Shafaein levelled the scores in the 59th minute, but nippy midfielder Flavien Michelini's 66th strike ensured the Queenstown-based club had all three points wrapped. (Pictured above) Korean defender Park Yo Seb would have salvaged a point at least for the Eastern Giants but his penalty hit the upright to see Etoile propelled back to the top of the standings. All these came at time when Home United got themselves messed up at their...

Not that long ago, I came across one post from an online forum. The posting on the online forum detailed a fan's frustration over the state of the game in this country, with one of her grouses targetted the presence of the feeder squads of both Albirex Niigata and Beijing Guoan, which she felt had deprived some local talents of playing at the top level. Beijing Guoan Talents - one of many "one-season wonders" She argued that players from both teams are merely using S.League as a "training ground" and added if "If FAS thinks Beijing Guoan (pictured above) can attract a packed house every week, they must be dreaming." following the major reshuffling of players in the Chinese-based squad during the transfer window. Albirex Niigata (Singapore) players "Feeder teams are bad news, as demonstrated by Albirex (pictured below). When a player performs well, he will be recalled to the parent team and they will send a lousy player to replace (him...

(The content of this entry is obtained via the transcript provided by Integrated Marketing Solutions Group [IMSG] - the PR agency for Nike Singapore ) (P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike.) (Pictured Above) El Nino Del Firo represented Singapore in this training trip at Granja Comary INTRODUCTION El Nino Del Firo, the winning team of the "Senior"category of Nike Cup Singapore 2010 , headed to Brazil recently to fulfill that once-in-a-lifetime dream to train in the famed Granja Comary. DAY 1 One thing that for sure is that the group of five boys that formed the El Nino Del Firo will have the admiration from all their peers for being the selected few from around the globe that travelled to the famed Granja Comary – the Cradle of Football in Brazil that is also the training base of the A Seleção – the Brazilian national team. That was the reward for emerged as the champions of the “Senior” category of the Nike Cup Singapore 2010. (Pictur...