BoLASEPaKO•COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Yusof B Ibrahim was among those who made their presence days ago at the International Champions Cup - Singapore (ICCSG) tournament which was held for the second time in the Lion City. Here is his summary of the tournament after catching the likes of Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) in action in a space of five days at Kallang. Arsenal head coach Unai Emery The second edition of the International Champions Cup Singapore tournament (ICCSG) was held in late July at the Singapore Sports Hub with the likes of Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) pitted against one another in this annual mega tournament featuring some of the biggest football clubs in the world. Early birds Arsenal arrived with a full squad which included former German international Mesut Özil who was, however, not featured in their opening match against Atlético Madrid, as new Gunners gaffer Unai Emery opted for a similar system favoured by his predecessor Arsene Wen...

The arrival of Singaporean footballers in Hong Kong (credit: Hong Kong Football History Society) Recently after some inquiries, I received these old newspaper clippings from the administrator of Hong Kong Football History Society , a Facebook Page which specialized in the history of Hong Kong football. It came after a few years ago when I posted some details on this blog's Facebook page that briefly described back in the 1950s, seven Singaporean footballers** were being invited by Kitchee Sports Club to play for them on a two-month stint, a  information cited from this Facebook posting in Mandarin , in Hong Kong First Division - a feat that caused quite a sensation back in those days. Based on what was mentioned in those clippings, I managed to single out names like custodian Chu Chee Seng, Foo Hee Jong, Ho Hin Weng, and the legendary striker Awang Bakar who was referred to as "Tong Wong" (唐旺) in Cantonese pronunciation. The report detailed the players...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore ) (L-R) Mr Zainudin, Minister Wong and Mr Radrizzani Barely weeks after making their presence the north across the Causeway where they signed a record-breaking deal with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) (source 1 , 2 ). MP & Silva, the renowned media rights distributors brokered another deal, but on a smaller scale, with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on the south side of the bridge as well. This announcement was made this afternoon at a ceremony held at the FAS headquarters at the Jalan Besar Stadium with Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong graced the occasion in full business attire to signify the importance of the event.\ AGREEMENT VALUE AT MORE THAN $25 MILLION Outfitted in a similar fashion with the guest of honour, Mr Zainudin Nordin, the FAS president was joined by Mr Andrea Radrizzani, the founding partne...

An end of an era, as Indra retires It was only a brief one-liner in a recent article that confirmed the retirement of another former Singapore captain - Indra Sahdan Daud, from professional football. The 35-year-old former goal poacher is probably one of the few players I witnessed the rise to prominence till the day that pair of boots were hung. Indra first came to my notice when he alongside with some of his peers (i.e.: Ahmad Latiff, Yazid Yasin, etc.) starred in the Lion City Cup at the old Jalan Besar Stadium in 1995 and led the team to victory that year. Two years later, I was there at the old National Stadium to see the then up-and-coming making his international debut against Kuwait (26 April 1997) when he came on a substitute and thrilled the crowds with his pace that rejuvenated life back to a dull game. Indra played for Sengkang in 2009 "UNBUYABLE" AND "UNCOACHABLE" Since then, it was no looking back with him went on to build a legacy...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by CROWD Pte Ltd , the PR agency for Nike Singapore ) (P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.) In conjunction with the game's biggest show - The World Cup, that will kick off on the 12th of June. American sporting giants, Nike, have rolled out two innovative products to allow players to have maximum comfort in order to excel on the greatest show on earth. Nike Pro Combat Recovery Hypertight Effective recovery between games will be of paramount importance, and the precious few days teams have between kick-offs are a period of active recovery, carefully managed by highly- skilled support staff and tailored to each player’s needs. Part of this recovery regimen includes decreasing lower limb swelling. To aid this recovery regimen, teams can utilize the Nike Pro Combat Recovery Hypertight. The Nike Pro Combat Reco...

(This entry is made possible by the arrangement of Zeno Asia , the PR agency for the event) The main hall of the exhibition  When ten players in the Brazilian national team wore Nike football boots back in 1994 that eventually saw them went on to win the World Cup back then, people would think the American sporting giants' association with the world's most popular game only begun that year. In actual fact, Nike's involvement with football traced its roots back in 1971 when they launched their first model (named "The Nike") that featured the Swoosh and were sold by Blue Ribbon Sports before material defects caused the discontinuing of the production shortly after the launch. Following the staging of the World Cup on American soils in 1994, Nike decided that it was the right opportunity to make their presence felt in football through their cutting edge innovations and they never looked back since. Thus, the "Hypersense: The Art and Science of Modern...

Scholes (center, facing the camera) Manchester United legend Paul Scholes wooed the crowds this morning at Courts Megastore in Tampines where he made his appearance at the invitation by the leading IT and furniture retailer. As part of their 40th anniversary celebration, Courts decided that the presence of the former England midfielder dovetailed the occasion with Scholes, himself, will be celebrating his 40th birthday this coming November. A day before this morning, the ex-England international was at the Jalan Besar Stadium where a special coaching session was held between him and the players from Courts Young Lions, the S . League team that is being sponsored by Courts . For having played his entire career for the Red Devils, it was no surprise to have the most questions on them fielded by the media in a roundtable session. Scholes snapping some shots Sharing his thoughts on the result of the Champions League draw last night, where the beleaguered powerhouses ar...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore , images depicted in this blog entry are issued alongside with the same media release.) Group Photo for the Launch (credit: FAS) In a move to give footballers a head start to a viable coaching career path, a collaboration between the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and the Republic Polytechnic (RP) had launched recently to provide opportunity for players who are keen to make that progression. Under the new program, the pilot batch of the 22 selected students from the RP’s Diploma in Sports Coaching course will be awarded the AFC (Asia Football Confederation) ‘C’ Coaching Certification, accredited by the game's continental governing body, upon successful completion of their course. On top of that, these students will also be awarded the National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) Level One Certificate, a coaching certification accredited by the Singapore Sports...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by CROWD Pte Ltd , the PR agency for Nike Singapore ) (P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.) The "high-cut" Magista by Nike The first impression of the new Magista Football boot from Nike would instantly bought many fans back to the early days of the game when the "high-cut" design of any football boot was the conventional design then. Thus, in a move to revolutionize the look and feel of its latest product, the sporting giants decided to go along with that retro yet "radical" look to "redefines the concept of how football boots look and perform", according to the media release issued. Born from four years of R&D in the Nike Sport Research Lab and with feedback from some of the world’s best attacking laymakers, including Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta and German forward Mario Gotze, the Magista is d...

The logo of 2TSS (use with permission) Scheduled to launch officially on January 2014, 2Touch Soccer School (2TSS) is Singapore's newest soccer education program. The new setup is part of 2Touch International, a sport services provider which has been providing organisations and institutions with sports related programs since 2009. Cater for kids between the ages of 4-12, 2TSS hopes to impart the fundamental skills of soccer to the trainees and develop them holistically through the game as well. "2Touch Soccer School boasts a well-planned curriculum that will train players using the most modern methodologies and a consistent philosophy and structure. This highly engaging method of coaching will develop not only technical players but also players with high levels of decision-making skills." said Mr Khairul Asyraf, the Technical Director of 2TSS. According to its website, the school had planned an all-year round schedule for its classes to be conducted around the...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by CROWD Pte Ltd , the PR agency for Nike Singapore ) (P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.) The "Hi-Vis Collection" by Nike The objective of this new range of football boots from Nike is to enhance the visibility of them on the field. "When creating the Hi-Vis Collection we looked at our work in South Africa during the summer of 2010 (FIFA World Cup)," says Phil McCartney, Vice President, Nike Football Footwear in a media release introducing the latest range by the sporting giants. He added:"The Metallic Purple and Total Orange color combination we used on-pitch really stood out both on the field for players and for the crowds in the stadium and at home." " Tiempo IV" of the "Hi-Vis" series "Mercurial Vapor IX" of the "Hi-Vis" series For almost ten years, s...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by CROWD Pte Ltd , the PR agency for Nike Singapore ) (P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.) Wayne Rooney wearing Bomba Finale II Without any doubt, the five-a-side game has long been consider the perfect training ground for some of the world's top footballers. In the latest media release that showcases FC247 a new range of football performance and street footwear by Nike, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney attributed how smaller version game helps in his performance on the field. "Playing five-a-side as a kid was a massive part of my development. It improved my control, speed, awareness and vision so much. We still play versions of it in training." said the Red Devils frontman. Echoed the same sentiment, Barcelona midfield maestro Andres Iniesta added:"If I had more free time, I would like to train more with my ...

(The entry is formulated from the transcript of the media release obtained via YEO'S , the makers of H-TWO-O ) (P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to YEO'S , unless stated on the images itself.) The programme was launched today at ITE College Central Ever since the launch of the H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream Team project in 2011, under the tutelage of Singapore’s very own football son, Fandi Ahmad, the aim of the program has been serving as a platform to unearth and nurturing of football talents in order to allow them a chance to turn professional footballer one day. Since then, the program saw a number of its alumni turning out for various S.League clubs' senior or its Prime League sides in ensuring new prospects to be churned out in years to come. With the project into its third edition this year, the organizers decided to add a twist into its existing programs by educating the players the importance of giving back to the community ...

(This entry is formulated based on the press release issued by the event's PR agency, Full Circle Public Relations with pictures depicted in it being credited to Ch e lsea FC ) Coach Kane Cowburn (white top) from Chelsea FC Foundation leads the session English Premiership powerhouses Chelsea Football Club is the latest global name set to make its mark on Singapore football landscape through its new joint initiative with starCom Management Pte Ltd to launch the Chelsea FC Soccer School Singapore (CFCSS SG) . The launch ceremony that was held at Premier Pitch at Turf City, was graced by the presence of Mr Adrian New, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Chelsea Football Club who was accompanied by Mr Ian Woodroffe who serves as the Blues' International Development Manager. “We are extremely pleased to launch the Chelsea FC Soccer School Singapore. It is the club’s mission to help the development of Asia football and the Chelsea FC Soccer Schools is our first step toward...