SINGAPORE (5 Oct 2015) – After more than a decade, Singapore will field a team for the 2015 AFF Futsal Championship in Thailand.
“We want to use this competition as an opportunity to go and gain more exposure. Try to understand the standard of ASEAN, explore ways to further popularise futsal here and also use it as an alternative pathway for footballers,” said Mohamed Feizel, Singapore National Futsal’s Team Manager.
Previously, Singapore’s national futsal team comprised players from the national football team. Now, the FA of Singapore (FAS) have tried a different approach.
About 50 players were selected from a futsal competition in May, before the squad was trimmed to 15. Led by former Thai coach Pattaya Piemkum, the squad has been training for the last one-and-a-half months. And for many, it is a great opportunity.
“The experience is going to last long and benefit us also,” said Mohamed Farhan, captain of the team. “Some of us are looking forward for a career in this maybe, in terms of coaching or playing wise.”
Said the defender in the team, Oswind Suriya Rosayro: “It is a very great exposure for a lot of them. I hope that whatever they learn from this tournament is being brought into their own local teams and will help futsal grow in Singapore.”
Singapore last featured in the ASEAN Futsal Championship in 2001. They finished second, behind Thailand. But that will be a tall order to follow this time round. The team is realistic of its chances, after being drawn in Group A, alongside 10-time champions Thailand.
The others in the group include Timor Leste, Brunei and Malaysia.
“We are going to go play against teams like Malaysia and Thailand who are actually professional futsal players, playing futsal for many, many years and futsal is their life,” said Rosayro. “But for us, it is not. We are all amateur players, coming together every evening for one month for training. It is going to be a totally different ball game and it will be difficult on us, but we will try our best to do what we can.”
– CHANNEL NEWS ASIA
