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Eliminate "elitism" from Singapore Football

On the 19th of November 2013, I wrote on the blog's Facebook Page that
Doing well or winning medal of any colours in the upcoming SEA Games Football tournament in Myanmar DOESN'T MEAN our football is on the right track.

In fact, the gap between SEA and rest of Asia is widening when we are witnessing the possibility of not having representation from the Asean pac in the gathering Down Under. (for the Asian Cup)
The sad thing is this "prioritized grooming" that only concentrated those in National Football Academy (NFA), Young Lions, and Lions XII for the case of this group of Cubs in the recent SEA Games, actually meant that we are constraining our talent pool by neglecting those in the eligible players in S.League and Prime League.

NFA pit against a club side (Everton) in the match (file shot)
NFA pit against a club side (Everton) in the match 

So much so of kept telling us "best available players will play for the national team" when only selected are enjoying the privilege of "grooming the right way".

Just take a look and ask if those players aren't in the "elite scheme", are they being given the same adequate training as their peers in that same environment?

The only thing that we are aware of is that once a promising player is being spotted in those club matches, the next thing you know he would be in the "scheme" to undergo those "nurtured and proper" training.

All those that took the credit away from the clubs that laid the foundation for this "selected" crop of players, as mentioned in this entry by blogger "happy" when the Young Lions project was first mooted in 2003.

The unearth and nurturing of talents shall be the responsibility of the clubs (be it the S.League, those in the NFL, etc.) and not just these two entities with equal sharing of nurturing resources too.

Is the system fair to those in Prime League?
Is the system fair to those in Prime League?

In a way is to widen the talents pool, as for now, it is a shrinking pool with a focus on the "elites".

With the focus largely on grooming mainly Under 23 players using Lions12 and Courts Young Lions platforms, are there enough players to progress to SEA Games level if the proposed Under 21 format is enforced (as reported in The New Paper on 6/1)?

Need some "lubricants in the conveyor belt"
Need some "lubricants in the conveyor belt"

While we never know when or if Asean Football Federation (AFF) would enforce the Under 21 plan and I am more concerned that the small pool of players we have (as the result of the "elitism" scheme and on top of the perennial National Service issues) are not gonna be in our favour should the proposal is given the go-ahead.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) got to realize the present development roadmap is a flawed one with a concentration on a small pool of "elites", there should be a pluralism plan to widen the pool by giving everyone an equal chance to learn and nurture their skills.

Comments

  1. Agree with this. Some players from S League and Prime League Deserve much more. Some of them is playing much much better then those who got a free ticket to the National Team. It's like not fair to those players who plays good every season yet overlook because they didn't play in LionsXII or even the Sea Games squad. Even if they get selected. They be spending their time on the bench

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  2. Agreed. Not all players in the NFAs are that good. There are some more better players out there in sleague clubs and prime league. Its seems that the FA is only concentrating on their National Football Academies only. The rest is secondary.....

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  3. Now u only need to play for NFA, Young Lions, Lions12 to play for National team..only players from these groups is good enuff to play for National team.. wtf

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  4. To be blunt but it is a stupid idea to have Young Lions in the S League. Not only it does not bring in any sigificant improvements to the national team but also the presences of a national U23 team in a national league makes the S League looks foolish. Likewise for Lions XII's presences in the Malaysian league it doesn't do anything good on Singapore football either. In fact we are just moving backward instead of looking forward.

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  5. We should root it out from schools... kick out elitism in schools 1st... start culling DSA for soccer and also Sports school.... every year 20 players are selected and a only 11 plays.... 9 are reserve to me only 5 gets to play what happens to the 4....they could have got game time if they are in other schools.... root out dsa than take out NfA... get FAS to scout players who they want.... easily said current nfa... all made up of sports school students.... dn believe look at the list

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