Category: News
Lion City Sailors and Head Coach Kim Do-hoon have reached a mutual agreement to part ways. We thank him for his service, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours.
Lion City Sailors Football Academy Technical Director Luka Lalic will take interim charge of the first team and games including the next Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture against the Young Lions on 13 August.
As Majulah Singapura blared over the sound system at the Lion City Sailors Training Centre, the club’s first-team players, Academy trainees, MacPherson residents as well as Member of Parliament (MP) for MacPherson Single Member Constituency (SMC) Tin Pei Ling sang with gusto and proceeded to recite the National Pledge in unison, reaffirming their commitment to Singapore.
It was quite the sight at the newly-opened Training Centre on Tuesday (9 August) morning as the club opened its doors to the community, hosting MacPherson Zone E Residents’ Committee (RC) and MacPherson Community Sports Club (CSC)’s National Day Observance Ceremony (NDOC) – the first time the Sailors welcomed the community at large.
Some 300 residents walked en mass from the MacPherson Community Centre across to the Training Centre on Mattar Road, where they partook in an ActiveSG workout, tried out a couple of sports, had a little bit of fun at some game booths and had the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere at the new home of the Sailors – with the Sailors first-team players and Academy trainees going through their paces on both pitches even as the event took place.
It was a blazing hot morning, but it was clear that MacPherson residents enjoyed a meaningful morning and showed even greater warmth in their interactions with one another at a facility which was designed to support more than just elite sports.
Apart from having a world-class facility to hone the skills of budding footballers, the newly-constructed Training Centre was aimed to facilitate service to residents and bring greater vibrancy to the Mattar neighbourhood and the MacPherson community.
The Training Centre which includes a viewing area for the public, a café, as well as community-friendly spaces at Level 2 has started on good footing.
Less than two weeks after its official opening on 28 July 2022, the Training Centre has already opened its doors to family, friends and the community across two events.
Earlier on 31 July, the integrated facility opened its doors to families of players, coaches and staff from both the Sailors first team and Academy for its inaugural Family Day, offering all a first-hand look at the new home of the Sailors, as well as to soak up the fun and games on offer.
After viewing the various facets of the Training Centre such as the Academy’s locker rooms, first team changing room and recreation room, the kids and younger ones had the chance to participate in an inflatable penalty game, four 1v1 stations and a bouncy castle – and also enjoyed treats like popcorn, candy floss and ice cream in what was a carnival at Mattar.
One thing is for sure – the Sailors’ firm commitment to serving the grassroots and bringing the community together through football.
“It has always been our aim to sink roots into Mattar and embrace the community around our new home. We’ve started regular discussions with our neighbours and the grassroots organisations here on possible collaborations, and we’re grateful that they’ve made us feel very welcome,” said Sailors Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang.
“Through football, we can bring people together and do our bit to build a cohesive and united society in Singapore. And this will be the heart of everything we do, especially because football is one of the best vehicles to drive cohesion.”
MP for MacPherson SMC, Tin Pei Ling was similarly looking forward to more collaborative efforts between the Sailors and MacPherson grassroots organisations in the future.
She said: “Chun-Liang and his Sailors have been fantastic neighbours, from collaborating with our grassroots organisations in MacPherson for a Grant-a-Wish initiative in November 2021 even before they moved into Mattar Road, to now hosting a significant event like the NDOC.
“We’re delighted that the Sailors have embraced the MacPherson communities as much as they have, and I look forward to further deepening our relationship with the club as they settle down here.
“The Sailors’ wonderful facility opens up several options for various grassroot activities, and we’re delighted that they are so open to working with our grassroots.”
A furious start and a second-half flourish did the trick for the Lion City Sailors on Saturday (6 August) evening as they thumped Balestier Khalsa 4-0 to return to winning ways in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
An early Kim Shin-wook penalty conversion was followed up by three goals in seven minutes – Maxime Lestienne, Saifullah Akbar and Song Ui-young the scorers – in the latter stages of the game as the champions went four points clear at the top of the SPL standings, although second-placed Albirex Niigata (S) could narrow the gap against Young Lions next Wednesday.
In the absence of Hariss Harun and Shahdan Sulaiman who were missing out due to minor knocks, a much-changed Sailors lineup led by Amirul Adli put up a commendable performance that pleased Head Coach Kim Do-hoon.
“Credit must go to the boys today – several of them haven’t played in a couple of games, but they’re the heroes of the night,” said the 52-year-old.
“Thank you to the fans as well and I hope we brought them happiness tonight. It’s the weekend before National Day so it’s an important win for all Singaporeans and most importantly, we’re back to winning ways.”
Kim rang the changes in the starting lineup, with Shin-wook one of five players brought in following last Friday’s 4-2 defeat to Albirex and he would put the Sailors ahead after just five minutes.
After Diego Lopes drew a foul from Madhu Mohana with his trademark pirouette turn, the former Ulsan Hyundai striker confidently dinked his effort down the middle for his 13th goal of the season.
Shin-wook then went close on another two occasions in the first half but was thwarted by Balestier goalkeeper Hairul Syirhan.
The Sailors maintained the 1-0 lead till half time and Balestier did grow into the game after the break, but there was to be no breakthrough for the away side.
Wearing the captain’s armband for the Sailors for the first time, Adli hardly put a foot wrong at the heart of defence and kept the Tigers’ Japanese trio of Ryoya Taniguchi, Kuraba Kondo and Shuhei Hoshino largely at bay.
Meanwhile Adam Swandi filled the Shahdan-shaped void in the middle of the park perfectly with an all-action display, consistently regaining possession and dictating the tempo.
A triple substitution was then made in the 69th minute to inject impetus and it made all the difference for the Sailors.
Faris Ramli made an immediate impact just a minute later as he slipped Maxime through before the latter curled home a neat effort beyond Hairul to double the Sailors’ advantage.
Saifullah – another sub – then joined in the party as he made a lung-bursting run from midfield to finish off Diego’s perfectly-weighted squared pass to complete a great counter-attacking move in the 72nd minute.
That was the 23-year-old’s first goal of the season and it came against a side led by his father Akbar Nawas.
“It wasn’t about my dad’s team – what pushed me to make that extra run to score was that I’ve yet to score this season and I knew I needed to add more goals to my game,” he emphasised.
“As I’ve said in previous interviews, this has not been a smooth year for me but I’m doing everything to get back to form and I’ve been on a good run lately. But I’m not satisfied with just this – I want to do more to help the team retain our SPL title.”
The victory was rounded off on 77 minutes, with Maxime turning provider as he produced an inch-perfect cross across the six-yard box for Song to tap home at the far post.
There was still time for late drama with Balestier earning a contentious penalty in the 89th minute after Kondo was adjudged to be brought down by Hafiz Nor, but the former’s effort from 12 yards out was denied by Izwan Mahbud – who kept his first Sailors clean sheet in his fourth appearance for the club.
A good all-round display has now given some food for thought for Coach Kim ahead of the Sailors’ next task – an away game against Young Lions next Saturday (13 August).
“Hariss and Shahdan have played many minutes, so we’ll assess them again before the next match,” said Kim.
“I have players who proved themselves tonight, I have players who’re hungry to play – whoever is fit and ready will play in the next game.”
The Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against Balestier Khalsa at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday (6 August) evening is set to make a little bit of family history – pitting son against father.
Sailors midfielder Saifullah Akbar is set to go up against a side led by his father, Balestier head coach Akbar Nawas, for the first time.
Saifullah played under the tutelage of Akbar in national age-group teams as well as at Tampines Rovers in the early days of his football career, but the 23-year-old never had to face his father as an opponent.
The pair enjoy a closely knitted relationship and often discuss the Beautiful Game, but things have been just that bit different in the build-up to this game.
“My dad and I talk a lot about football and discuss the game together, but at the same time we are professionals in the sport so we know the boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.
“As our teams are going to play each other, we don’t talk as much as we usually do – so that we don’t say or share things that should not be discussed between the two of us,” revealed Saifullah, who missed the Sailors’ earlier two encounters against the Tigers this season – 4-0 and 6-1 victories – due to injuries.
After a difficult first half of 2022 that saw him fail to make a league appearance between mid-March and late June, things are looking up for Saifullah. He has fought his way back into first-team contention and is now looking to make a stronger impact in the business end of the season.
“Personally, it hasn’t been a good year with injuries and non-selection, but I know I cannot simply walk back into the team with the quality we have in our ranks. I told myself that I need to stay patient, work hard and perform whenever I’m given the opportunity to play.
“I think I’ve done decent enough in the minutes I’ve been given recently, but of course I have to do even more to show Coach Kim (Do-hoon) that I deserve to be in the first eleven,” said the midfield playmaker.
July was not the best of months for the league-leading Sailors who won just one of their last four matches, with second-placed Albirex Nigata (S) closing the gap to two points while still having a game in hand.
August will see Kim’s men taking on Balestier, Young Lions, Tanjong Pagar and Hougang United – and Saifullah revealed that the team’s target is to collect the maximum of 12 points.
“No disrespect to our opponents, but everyone expects the Sailors to beat every team in the league and we obviously must maintain our high standards. Our results haven’t been good, but in my opinion the performances have been quite good.
“Several times we were unable to convert our chances and that’s clearly an area we need to improve. With 10 games left, it’s important that we stick together and maintain our focus. What’s past is in the past – we cannot let what happened bring our spirits down and we just have to keep going till the end to retain the league title,” he stressed.
The Sailors’ immediate focus is to take down seventh-placed Balestier and get back to winning ways – a target Saifullah is confident of hitting.
“My dad has been trying to build an identity with Balestier to play out from the back and I believe they will likely play in the same manner against us,” said Saifullah.
“It could be a tricky game for sure and we can’t take things lightly, but if we play to our standards and Coach’s philosophy, we should be able to get the win.”
The Lion City Sailors got back to winning ways last night (3 August) as they secured a 4-0 win over Balestier Khalsa in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL).
A four-goal blitz in the last 30 minutes of the second half – courtesy of Danelle Tan, Nur Syazwani Ruzi, Dorcas Chu and Nur Izzati Rosni – ensured the Sailors picked up all three points against the Tigers.
However, the match was once again marked by the Sailors needing to overcome a deep, defensive line that Balestier used to great effect to keep their goal from being breached in the first half.
It did not help that the match – which was previously postponed due to cases of Covid-19 in the Balestier squad – was re-arranged to be held on a weekday, which meant that many of the players went to the match directly after work or school.
“A few players looked tired and sluggish even during the warmup as they were rushing in from a day of school and work,” explained coach Yeong Sheau Shyan. “So there was definitely some uncertainty as to whether we could put in the type of performance that was needed to get the three points.
“The girls knew what we needed to do better following our last match (a goalless draw with Tanjong Pagar United), but it wasn’t well executed in the first half. I was pleased to see the change in approach by the players after the break, so overall, I’m very happy with the win.”
The result means that the Sailors now have a three-point buffer at the top of the seven-team WPL standings, between themselves and second-placed Tanjong Pagar.
With half the season played, the Sailors women remain the only team in the league yet to taste defeat. While this augurs well for the Sailors’ title ambitions, Sheau Shyan was quick to emphasise the need for her players to remain firmly on top of their game.
“The three-point lead that we currently have doesn’t mean much, as I expect the second half of the season to be much tougher,” Sheau Shyan mused. “Our biggest challenge is still to find a way to overcome the compact block, without compromising our own defence.”
While the Sailors have a bye in this weekend’s round of WPL fixtures, they will not be sitting idly by. Instead, the team will travel to Malaysia for a practice match and sharing session with their counterparts from Selangor FC.
And Sheau Shyan is excited for what her team will be able to glean from this trip.
“This trip is going to be very interesting. We are pitting ourselves against a top team in the Malaysian women’s league, and it will give us an idea of how our playing style works when the opponent comes out and attacks us,” she said.
“We aren’t looking for results. We just want to gauge what our starting point is, as well as learn and improve from the experience.”
A need for speed
It has been a common sight in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) this season to see teams sit back and defend deep in a compact block when playing the Lion City Sailors.
Despite the fact that the Sailors are currently the top scorers in the WPL with 16 goals in five games, playing against such ultra-defensive sides has been a constant source of frustration for the team.
Indeed, Sailors head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan had remarked in the aftermath of their goalless draw with Tanjong Pagar on Sunday (July 31) that it was “tough” to play against teams that only looked to defend against them, and expressed her disappointment at the seeming lack of attacking intent shown by the opposition.
As one of the forwards in this Sailors squad, Dorcas Chu knows first-hand just how difficult and vexing it can be.
The 20-year-old, however, insists the onus is on the Sailors to find a way to overcome these teams. And she believes the best way to do so is to move the ball quicker in the final third of the pitch.
“We need to play faster football with one or two touches. It’s hard to play fast when you take unnecessary touches,” said Dorcas. “The aim is to draw the defenders out of their position. This will leave gaps in their backline, which we, as attackers, must then be able to exploit with our vision and creativity.
“But the space will only be left open for a few seconds, depending on how quickly the defenders recover. That’s why it is so important for us to react and play faster. So we need to be wise with the passes we make, and the touches we take. This is crucial if we want to overcome a low defensive block.
“We need to work on this as a team – how to quickly attack the gaps that are open, be more creative with our passes and touches, and make dangerous runs into the box.”
With three goals and one assist so far this season, Dorcas has been one of the standout players in the team. It is no surprise that she is often one of the first names on Sheau Shyan’s team sheet, and has started four of the Sailors’ five games this season.
Reflecting on her performances so far this season, Dorcas said: “I think so far, it’s been pretty good. I’ve tried my best to follow my coach’s tactics and plans for each game.
“There were some moments where I could’ve done better, but ultimately I gave my best for every game, so I’m pretty happy and satisfied because that’s all one can really do.
“It is important that I don’t allow the mistakes I’ve made to define how good or bad I am. Instead, I make sure to learn from them, and not allow it to happen again. Overall, though, I really enjoy playing for the Sailors because I believe that Sheau Shyan is an amazing coach, and I’m so glad to be playing under her because I’m learning a lot.”
Indeed, Dorcas is determined to make full use of her experiences with the Sailors this season to improve as a player.
“Growth can’t happen when you’re still in your comfort zone. I’d like to step out of my comfort zone through the way I play, so that I can ultimately improve as a player,” Dorcas mused. “Personally, as a forward, I want to learn how to take more risks when I attack. For example, this might mean attempting a more ambitious pass to try and break the opposition defence, rather than playing the safer option. I believe that this skill is essential if you want to create more scoring opportunities for your team.
“Playing for the Sailors, however, we can sometimes be so caught up in achieving our goals that we forget the reason why we are doing what we are doing in the first place – playing football. So, I hope that even though there might be pressure and some weight on our shoulders (to deliver the WPL trophy), we can all still enjoy playing football together as a team.”
For now, Dorcas will turn her attention to helping the Sailors overcome Balestier Khalsa on this (3 Aug) evening.
The match – which was previously postponed due to a few of Balestier’s players coming down with Covid-19 – will afford the Sailors a chance to go three points clear at the top of the WPL table.
And Dorcas knows this is an opportunity that they will have to grab with both hands.
She said: “It is incredibly important that we get all three points against Balestier, as it means we stay top of the table.
“We were all very frustrated from the draw with Tanjong Pagar as it was the first time we failed to score. That has fired us up, because we don’t want it to happen again, so we’re working even harder to get the goals this time around.”
In all five of their Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) games this season, the Lion City Sailors have found themselves going up against compact, defensive blocks designed to nullify their attacking threat.
While the Sailors were able to breach the defences of the first four teams they faced, they were finally stymied at the fifth time of asking, drawing a blank in a 0-0 draw with Tanjong Pagar United on Sunday (31 July) evening.
Up against a Tanjong Pagar side that for large periods of the game showed little to no intention of attacking, the Sailors simply could not find a way past a resolute Jaguars defence that played out of their skins to keep a clean sheet.
It was, in all, a frustrating night for the Sailors, who dropped points for the first time this season.
Reflecting on the result, Sailors head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan said: “We expect most of our opponents to combat us with compact blocks, but to be honest, we didn’t quite expect Tanjong Pagar to play so negatively today.
“When they set up in an ultra-low block with the intent to just boot up long balls to counter-attack, I knew it was going to be a tough game.
“We had possession for long periods in the match and the girls did their best to create width and get forward in numbers. But it just wasn’t our night, as many of our attempts were wide of the target or saved by their goalkeeper, who had a very good game.”
Nonetheless, Sheau Shyan refused to make any excuses for her side’s failure to break down the Tanjong Pagar defence.
“Breaking a compact, low block is something even top teams in the world have problems with,” Sheau Shyan mused. “That’s why it’s such a popular tactic with many of the bottom teams in most leagues.
“And for the past two years, our girls (in the Singapore National Team) have been the ones implementing that defensive block whenever they go up against international opponents. They were never trained to be proactive in attack, and to take the game to the opponent. This is an obstacle we must overcome, but there are no excuses from us – we will not stop working hard and improving on the attacking aspect of our game until we break through this barrier.”
Sheau Shyan, however, admitted that she had hoped for Tanjong Pagar to deploy a more expansive, attacking style of play, so as to make it more of an exciting game for all.
“When you have the top three opponents in the league parking the bus against you, it can be very frustrating. After all, we want to play good football, and we want to help progress women’s football in Singapore,” Sheau Shyan said.
“There are very good players in Tanjong Pagar. I was really hoping we’d have a good match like how they played against Tiong Bahru. But I guess all they wanted was to get a point off us.
“Anyway, this game is over. We will now turn our attention to the game against Balestier Khalsa on Wednesday night, where we know we must pick up all three points.”
The Sailors will take on Balestier at the Yishun Stadium at 7.45pm this Wednesday (3 August) – in a match rescheduled from June – before travelling to Malaysia to play Selangor FC women’s team in a friendly match over the weekend.
Sailors go down in six-goal thriller
Despite controlling early proceedings and taking the lead, the Lion City Sailors fell to a 4-2 defeat to title rivals Albirex Niigata (S) in a thrilling top-of-the-table Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash at Jurong East Stadium on Friday night.
M Anumanathan drew first blood for the champions, but Albirex came back and led at half-time through a lethal brace by Kodai Tanaka.
The White Swans extended their lead through Kan Kobayashi before Kim Shin-wook came off the bench to pull one back for the Sailors, but the night belonged to the home side – who added a fourth through Tadanari Lee to seal the three points in front of a sell-out crowd.
The result meant Albirex closed the gap on the table-topping Sailors to two points with a game in hand, with Sailors Head Coach Kim Do-hoon left lamenting the critical mistakes that led to the loss.
“One of the disappointments tonight was not being clinical and precise enough to finish the chances we had. Another one was conceding too early after scoring the first goal. If we had been able to keep the lead longer, it could have been a different game.
“This was a game that we really wanted to win, but the result turned out otherwise – so huge apologies to the fans who were giving us awesome support till the final whistle,” said the 52-year-old.
In a game played under rainy conditions, the Sailors looked sharp in the opening exchanges as Diego Lopes and Hafiz Nor drew excellent stops from Albirex goalkeeper Takahiro Koga within the first 20 minutes.
Kim’s men duly took a deserved lead in the 21st minute, with Anumanthan benefitting from Diego Lopes’ cut-back to fire home albeit via a deflection for his first goal for the Sailors.
However, the joy proved to be short-lived as Albirex equalised just two minutes later – with Tanaka popping up at the back post to nod home Masaya Idetsu’s deep cross from the right.
The 22-year-old – who scored the match-winner the last time both sides met in June – proved to be the standout performer once again. In the 38th minute, he cut inside Amirul Adli before unleashing a curling shot from the edge of the box for his second goal of the night.
Tanaka then turned provider to tee up Kobayashi to lash low past Hassan Sunny in the 56th minute to make it 3-1 for the hosts. But the Sailors rallied and reduced the deficit in the 74th minute, courtesy of substitute Shin-wook who came on 11 minutes earlier.
After intercepting a loose ball, captain Hariss Harun drove forward to release Song, who in turn laid it off for Shin-wook to thump an emphatic finish past Koga and spark hopes of a Sailors comeback.
Hassan then produced a stunning save to deny Kobayashi from point-blank range in the 79th minute, but the 38-year-old was left helpless for Albirex’s fourth goal five minutes later. Idetsu floated an excellent cross into the area for former Southampton man Tadanari Lee to head home.
The Sailors battled to the finish, but eventually went down to their third defeat of the season in what is turning out to be an enthralling SPL title race.
But a bullish Coach Kim refused to look too much into the current title equation and preferred to focus on the 10 remaining games left in the season.
“Obviously it’s a huge disappointment tonight, but it’s too early to make any judgement (on the title race). We just have to shake this result off, keep our heads up and get ready for the next match.
“We’ll evaluate and go through the match videos to see where we didn’t do well and try not to repeat the same mistakes again. What I want to tell our fans is that we’re going to fight and give everything to become champions again,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
The Sailors will host Balestier Khalsa in their next SPL match next Saturday (6 August).
She spent seven fulfilling years playing for Tanjong Pagar United’s Women team, before finally deciding to take the leap of faith to join the Lion City Sailors in November 2020.
And this Sunday evening (31 July), for the first time since moving to the Sailors, goalkeeper Beatrice Tan will finally face her former club in competitive action, with the two teams set to duke it out in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL).
Unsurprisingly, given her lengthy affiliation with Tanjong Pagar, Beatrice admits that she will head into this top-of-the-table clash with “mixed feelings”.
“I’m feeling excited, but also a little nervous to be playing my former club,” said Beatrice. “After all, I was with the team since 2013, back when it was still known as the H2O/ITE Dream Team.
“But I made the difficult decision to leave them and join the Sailors because I felt that moving to another club would help me to continue to grow as a player by playing with different teammates, and under a different coaching style.”
Putting sentiments aside, Beatrice insists she is fully focused on ensuring that the Sailors come out on top against their WPL title rivals at the Yishun Stadium this weekend.
The Sailors are currently top of the WPL and level on 12 points with Tanjong Pagar, who have played a game more.
“All of us are definitely ready for the challenge (of Tanjong Pagar),” Beatrice declared. “We know how important getting the three points will be, and there will be pressure on us, of course.
“But we’re all just focusing on what we can control, which is to play the game we want to, with quick combination plays. I think that will be key in breaking down the Tanjong Pagar defence and scoring the goals that will win us the game.”
While the Sailors are better known for their sleek attacking prowess, their recent run of good form – they remain the only team with a perfect record in the league – also owes a lot to their sturdy defensive unit that Beatrice is a key part of.
Indeed, with just two goals conceded so far this season, the Sailors currently boast the best defensive record in the league.
But Beatrice knows that their defence will be pushed to the limit against Tanjong Pagar, who are the league’s second-highest scorers with 14 goals – two fewer than the top-scoring Sailors women.
Nonetheless, Beatrice believes the collective manner with which the entire team defends will be key in shutting the Jaguars out.
“Tanjong Pagar are a good team with talented players like Manami (Fukuzawa) and Captain Nuriah (Mohd Noor), who are very comfortable with holding the ball, have the vision to distribute it effectively, and are good with their finishing.
“But our solidity in defence so far has been built upon teamwork, where everyone, including the attackers, work hard to win the ball back. That has to continue against Tanjong Pagar, while our backline has to be switched on at all times and not get complacent, or we can get punished,” said Beatrice.
“It won’t be easy, but if we all play our part and do our best, I’m confident we can get the win.”
Home of the Sailors officially opens
The Lion City Sailors Training Centre was officially opened yesterday (28 July), with club Chairman Mr Forrest Li joined by Guest of Honour, Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law at the opening ceremony at 8 Mattar Road.
This is the first-of-its-kind integrated football training facility in Singapore. The Training Centre that features physiotherapy rooms, a gym, an analysis room as well as study facilities for academy trainees alongside five top-of-the-line football fields, is the new home of the Sailors first team, Under-21 side, academy trainees as well as its women’s team.
A tangible manifestation of the Sailors vision
The training centre is the most tangible manifestation of the Sailors’ commitment to excellence as the club drives towards its vision of reinvigorating Singapore football.
In addition to providing the club with a sturdy platform to launch the next phase of its growth, the Training Centre will facilitate the establishment of a pipeline of footballers as it aims to boost youth development as part of the national project: “Unleash the Roar!” (UTR!).
“This training centre is a symbol of our commitment to revitalising local football, and to pursuing excellence for the Lion City Sailors, now and in the future. We built this centre because infrastructure is the basis of any good ecosystem,” said club Chairman Mr Forrest Li.
“Singapore’s urban planning shows how excellent infrastructure can lay the foundation of a thriving society and economy – and it is the same with football. We are excited to be a part of the UTR! initiative announced by SportSG and the FAS, which has infrastructure and youth development as two of its key pillars,” he added.
“We hope this training centre pushes the football scene a bit further along that journey.”
A vehicle for the larger sporting fraternity
In line with the objectives of UTR! there is a clear national drive to create opportunities for more young Singaporean boys and girls to undergo structured high-quality football training, with talent pathways for those who aspire to play professionally. This perfectly aligns with the vision of the Sailors, with the Training Centre poised to act as an effective development platform.
The Sailors are hosting sessions for the Sailors Development Centre that is a part of the ActiveSG Football Academy, while also providing an avenue for the development of talent in auxiliary sporting industries like sports medicine, physiotherapy, and strength and conditioning.
A beacon of community cohesion in MacPherson
The Lion City Sailors Training Centre is designed to support more than just elite sports.
The facility includes a viewing area for the public, a café, as well as community-friendly spaces where grassroots activities for residents of MacPherson can be hosted. These features come as part of the facility’s secondary goal to serve and support the residents in the community, with the aim of bringing greater vibrancy and cohesion to the MacPherson community as an inclusive sports hub in the neighbourhood.
“Our thanks go to MacPherson, Ms Tin Pei Ling, and the community as a whole for welcoming us so warmly into Mattar. At the end of the day, anything we do on the field means little without the passion of our fans and support from our community,” said Mr Li, pointing to the Sailors’ efforts in MacPherson that have already kicked off even before the official opening of the Training Centre.
The Sailors collaborated with grassroots organisations in MacPherson for its Grant-a-wish initiative in November 2021, further solidifying the partnership by collaborating for the MacPherson Cares Carnival last weekend, on 24 July.
“Our hope is to bring people together through football, giving people of all ages and backgrounds something to unite around. We will continue to work closely with our community partners on fun and exciting initiatives for residents,” added Mr Li.
“These are still the early days, but we are in this for the long haul. I have been happy to see the Sailors take steady steps in our first two years, and look to the future with great optimism.”
Key facilities at the Lion City Sailors Training Centre:
- 5 football pitches
- 1 hybrid 11-a-side pitch
- 1 artificial turf 11-a-side
- 3 7-a-side pitches
- 5 Academy changing rooms, including one for female trainees
- 3 Study rooms
- 3 Meeting rooms
- Fully equipped gym
- 2 Physiotherapy rooms
- 2 Briefing rooms
- Office space for up to 48 staff
- Café – Sailors’ Galley
- Rooftop public access and event spaces
