BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Barring those years disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, heading to Taiwan has been an annual ritual for me, which I consider my pilgrimage to baseball – another sport which I deeply devoted to. Nothing beats the experience of catching the CTBC Brothers  (中信兄弟) in the Taipei Dome  (臺北大巨蛋) – the latest iconic landmark of the capital city of Taiwan, which took more than three decades to come to fruition. CTBC Brothers' Crayon Shin-chan themed home game at Taipei Dome As a fervent supporter of the "Yellow Troopers" (the nickname of CTBC Brothers), it was yet another thrilling experience, as always, to see them locking horns in their home series against Fubon Guardians. The showdown between them is popularly known as the "Financial Holdings Derby" (since both teams are owned by major Taiwanese financial conglomerates – CTBC Brothers is owned by the CTBC Holding, while Fubon Guardians  (富邦悍將) belong to Fubon Financial Holding Co.). Fans had their pictures taken in fro...

To mark Singapore’s 60th birthday, and as part of the organisers’ ambition to grow the tournament across international markets, the " Soccer7sSeries " will be held at Jalan Besar Stadium (JBS) this July to fuel that vision. " Soccer7sSeries " will be held at JBS In the press release issued by the organisers, Mr Dom Lane, Chief Executive Officer for the Soccer7sSeries shared the reason for staging the competition. SINGAPORE - A GLOBAL SPORTING DESTINATION “Singapore has truly become a global sporting destination, so we’re delighted to bring the Soccer7sSeries to the country,” said Mr Lane. The tournament will feature high-profile clubs from around the world, with representation from the likes of Vasco Da Gama from Brazil to German giants Borussia Dortmund, English club Coventry City to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua. Singapore will be represented by Singapore Premier League (SPL) club Geylang International in both Men’s and Women’s Open competitions, with former Sing...

(This entry is formulated by the media release issued by Full Circle PR, the PR agency for the event with image depicted in this entry belonging to "Singapore Festival of Football") After a one-year hiatus, the Singapore Festival of Football (SFOF) is set to return this July, featuring English powerhouses Arsenal and Newcastle United , alongside with 19-time Serie A champions AC Milan . FIRST VISIT TO SINGAPORE BY "I ROSSONERI" While both the Gunners and Magpies are no strangers to the republic for having paid their visits in the past, the coming trip to the Lion City will be the first-ever for "I Rossoneri". In the press conference held earlier today (11/4) at the Pan Pacific Singapore, the tournament's joint organisers - TEG Sport and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced a five-year partnership has been confirmed to see regular top-flight European football fixtures played in Singapore in alternate years (2025, 2027 and 2029).   (L-R): Ms  M...

HAD KANE PLAY HIS LAST GAME FOR SPURS? THFC 5-1 LCS (26/7) Supposedly to bill as "Jose Mourinho Derby" - a match that never materialised which resulted in having local side Lion City Sailors (LCS) as a late replacement for AS Roma following the decision by the Italians to scrap their Far East tour . Should it have taken place, it would be quite a spectacle to see the Portuguese tactician, who is now in charge of Roma, facing his former employers who sacked him in April 2021 . England captain Harry Kane (second from right) played his last game for Spurs? But the gloss was definitely on England captain Harry Kane when he could have possibly led Tottenham Hotspur out of the tunnel for the last time as Spurs skipper when they took on LCS at the National Stadium. Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou gave no comment when asked about his talisman's status during the media conference prior to his side's open training session a day before the match, according to various sources. ...

Jose Mourinho (credit:  Playmaker SG ) It was disappointing not being able to see Jose Mourinho in person when it was announced he and his AS Roma will not be coming to Singapore for the Tiger Cup showdown against one of his former clubs, Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming Singapore Festival of Football Driven by CDG Zig (SFOF23) . CHAIN EFFECT LED TO NO SHOW Originally scheduled on 26th July as part of the Italian club's pre-season tour to this part of the world, the three-time "Scudetto" winners scrapped the plan following the cancellation of their two friendlies in South Korea . In the place of the "I Giallorossi" the organisers announced through a press statement issued on 12th July stated Singapore Premier League (SPL) side Lion City Sailors (LCS) will face the north Londoners instead . LCS' PREP FOR ACL  In the words of LCS chairman Forrest Li, the upcoming fixture at Kallang is an opportunity to allow his team to prepare for their AFC Champions ...

It definitely falls short of what I expected in the first place when I turned up at the much-anticipated townhall session organised by Unleash The Roar! (UTR!). As the name already suggested, I would expect a "townhall" setting at Suntec City where a Q&A session between a group of selected panelists and the floor would take place after being updated on the progress of the various UTR! initiatives. Some of the UTR! Townhall participants  After all, it was labelled as "football conversation" which I thought many questions were ready to throw up in this "townhall" session following the recent SEA Games debacle that had everyone talking all day long on social media. ATTENDEES IN SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS However, this was not the case when each attendee was allocated to a table where he/she was encouraged to share his/her opinions with the other attendees at the same table which resembled a small group discussion. A note taker from the organisers was ass...

Invitation to UTR! Townhall at Suntec (credit: UTR! FB ) To begin with, we have to admit that "Singapore football is in a state of stagnation" as a way to acknowledge and have a consensus on the problem that will allow us to start from a common ground. I believe one of the keys lies in making those in attendance for t he upcoming Unleash The Roar! Townhall session to feel at ease at the venue, enabling them to contribute constructively to the cause, as some individuals may feel nervous and hesitant to speak up openly, unlike when they are typing on a keyboard. MODERATING - A KEY FACTOR IN TOWNHALL This is why I think both the moderator in the townhall, if any, and the agenda of the day play a crucial role during the whole event. Some fans suggested the scheduling of the townhall session on a Thursday (25/5) night at Suntec City can be a challenging one, as compared to having it on a weekend.  Additionally, part of the proceedings included updating the floor on the progress ...

(This entry is formulated by the media release issued by  Full Circle PR , the PR agency for the event with image depicted in this entry belonging to  " Singapore Festival of Football Driven by CDG Zig" ) The club legends** at the press conference of the event Riding on the success of their last year's visit, which saw them beat Crystal Palace in front of 50,217 fans at the National Stadium , nineteen-time English league champions Liverpool FC will be in Singapore again to play not one but two matches at Kallang. REDS TO TAKE ON FOXES AND "DIE BAYERN" In a press conference held earlier today at the Pan Pacific, it was announced the Reds will be scheduled to play follow English side Leicester City on the 30th of July before taking on German giants Bayern Munich on the 2nd of August at the National Stadium. Liverpool will defend their Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy , presented by Standard Chartered, when they take on The Foxes on the last Sunday of July bef...

 SGPL - Lion City Sailors 3-1 Tanjong Pagar United 240223 Both Sailors and Jags anticipating a ball into the box Lion City Sailors opened their Singapore Premier League campaign with a sweet victory over Tanjong Pagar United in their homecoming at the Bishan Stadium. Japanese ace striker Kodai Tanaka marked his Sailors' debut with a brace from close range in second half. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF THE MATCH PICTURES SGPL - Balestier Khalsa 2-3 Hougang United 260223 Balestier Khalsa's Ryoya Taniguchi (red shirt) surrounded by Hougang United players Hougang United claimed all three points at Bishan Stadium by beating Balestier Khalsa 3-2 in a scrappy encounter which is otherwise known as the "pinball" derby. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES SGPL - Geylang International 2-1 Hougang United 050323 Hougang United's players look on as Geylang International celebrate With Vincent Bezecourt's double in the second half, Geylang Internation...

(The content and images depicted in this entry were made available by the media release issued by the organizers) Fandi Ahmad with Minister Edwin Tong in action The 7th SGX Cares Bull Charge Charity Futsal tournament made its return after it last took place in 2019 and raised S$111,000 which will be channelled via Community Chest to the beneficiaries namely AWWA Ltd., Autism Association (Singapore), Fei Yue Community Services, HCSA Community Services and Shared Services for Charities. Held this morning at the Kovan Sports Centre, the charity event was organised under the SGX Cares - the CSR program by the Singapore Exchange ( SGX Group ). SGX Cares , the collective name of SGX Group’s CSR pillars of Bull Charge, Outreach and Financial Literacy, aims to create positive impact by activating the power of community. Bull Charge, the flagship fundraising initiative, has raised over S$44 million since 2004 for more than 50 charities and a variety of causes, through the support of corporate s...

Mr Lim Teng Sai in his younger days (as credited) The story was shared by former Singapore national defender Mr Lim Teng Sai during the launch of the book "ROAR: Football Legends of Singapore" at the Jalan Besar Stadium (JBS) days ago. The former center-half approached a group of us during the friendly match between Singapore ex-internationals, which featured some of his former teammates, and their Malaysian counterparts, as he would like to peruse the book that documented the football history of Singapore. The friendly match, which was won 2-0 by the hosts, was part of the launch of the book authored and edited by long-time Singapore football supporter Mr A Thiyaga Raju and sports writer Mr Gary Koh respectively. The blogger with Mr Lim at the JBS Elated to see his name being featured in the list of the players in the book, he went on to oblige a fan's request to sign on a few pictures of his taken during his playing days in the 1970s. Pointing towards the direction wh...

SGX's Mr Chua I-Min conducts the workshop with LCS players As many said the career lifespan of a professional football player is a short one, therefore it is very important to have sound financial planning just in case any uncertainty could derail anything that is smooth sailing. With that thought in mind, the first-team players from the Lion City Sailors (LCS) attended a financial planning workshop jointly organized by the club and SGX Group. THE WORKSHOP PART OF SGX CARES INITIATIVE The aim of "SGX Cares Financial Literacy Workshop" is to equip professional footballers with fundamental knowledge in managing their personal finances and investments during their football careers and beyond. Mr Chan Kum Kong, Head of Research, SGX Group "Our players are our most important assets – and we want to create the best possible environment for them to fully focus on their work on the pitch while also equipping them for life beyond football," said LCS Sporting Director Mr ...