Voices TODAY FRiDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2011 26
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Today VOiCES ONLiNE i SAY
Funding a key hurdle
we set you thinking
todayonline.com No country can overhaul
Publisher Patrick Yong its entire national team
within a few months.
to Lions’ success
Editor Walter Fernandez
Associate Editor Richard J Valladares Now that the younger
Associate Editor
Editor-At-Large
Yvonne Lim
Conrad Raj
ones have proven their
George Quek
Night Editor Razali Abdullah capabilities in our national Among the many challenges facing
Singapore football, and other sports in
Digital Media Editor Edric Sng
colours, i am sure they
News Editor
Voices Editor
Loh Chee Kong
Derrick A Paulo
will form the core of the
Lions in the near future
A ny fan would be disappointed when
his team is knocked out of the quali-
fying stages of the World Cup.
general, the trickiest has to be the lack of
funds. Many fans are wondering why FAS
did not bring in the likes of Zico and Jose
Foreign Editor Trixia Carungcong
Sports Editor
Features Editor
Leonard Thomas
Phin Wong
... Who says the outlook But I also believe that a real football Antonio Camacho to coach the Lions.
Special Projects Editor Don Ong for Singapore football is fan would examine the issue objectively The hard truth is that we lack the fi-
Chief Sub-Editor
Senior Product Manager
Bachan Singh
Joni Ng
bleak? From Melvin Tan and not simply call for the head coaches
to be removed, as Mr Marcus Tan sug-
nancial muscle to attract these coaches.
Otherwise, why did FAS technical direc-
gested in his letter “Enough is enough, tor Slobodan Pavkovic double as head
ONLY AVAiLABLE AT
MediaCorp Press Ltd TODAYONLiNE.COM OR FAS should act drastically” (Nov 18). coach of our South-east Asian Games
today@mediacorp.com.sg
www.facebook.com/todayonline ON OuR MOBiLE APPS Let us explore three issues: The team?
www.twitter.com/todayonline state of Singapore football, relative to Like other fans, I believe the tech-
www.youtube.com/ToDAYdigital
that of our closest rivals; our potential nical director should focus on his core
caldecott Broadcast centre, Annex Building, Level 1,
Andrew Rd, singapore 299939 ¢ VOiCES ON RADiO and goals in the next five years; and the duties, which include youth develop-
Tel 6236 4888 | Fax 6534 4217
circulation Hotline 1800 698 6329 Fans have been disappointed challenges we are facing. ment, and not lead a national age-group.
by singapore’s performances In terms of current standards, the However, I am unsure if FAS was able to
MediaCorp NewsHub
mediacorpnewshub@mediacorp.com.sg in the World cup Asian quali- quality of our players is comparable afford hiring another coach just to lead
TV Building, 2nd Floor, caldecott Broadcast centre,
Andrew Rd, singapore 299939
fiers and the seA Games. to those of Indonesia, Thailand and the SEA Games team.
Tel 6251 7671 | Fax 6251 5352 What will it take for the Lions Malaysia. Like Indonesia and Thailand, In this regard, I urge genuine fans to
MediaCorp Advertising Enquiries
to succeed in the continent? A new head Singapore qualified for the third round do something more constructive instead
Tel 6333 9888 coach? More funding? Tune in to TalkBack of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers. of baying for the blood of our national
on 938Live from 8.15am to 8.45am today. Hence, how can some critics claim coach. Why not establish a campaign to
call us at 6691 1938 and share your views. that our standard is below that of these encourage and convince public-listed
countries? Since the launch last year of companies to support local football?
the Football Association of Singapore’s According to its website, FAS’ annual
five-year plan, we have been moving in income and, consequently, its expendi-
the right direction, toward becoming a ture fell from S$18.4 million in 2008 to
top Asian team in the near future. S$15.9 million last year. How will our
For instance, FAS became the first players gain the level of support needed
Asian country to ink a Memorandum of to compete against teams such as Aus-
Understanding with the Japan Football tralia and Japan?
GET THE Association, a positive development for The likes of Manchester City and
laTEsT Singapore, especially in coaching, as
JFA has seconded to FAS a top-quality,
Chelsea have demonstrated that fund-
ing is a key ingredient for success. Until
nEws renowned youth coach in Takuma Koga. our large corporations invest in local
TwiTTEr.com/ Under his charge, our national football, fans such as Mr Tan are barking
TodayonlinE Under-16 team finished as runners-up up the wrong tree. ¢
in the Lion City Cup, losing the final to
CR Flamengo only on penalties. The George Quek, 35, has been
FAS should bring in more of such for- supporting the Lions since 1990.
eign coaches who could share their
experience and expertise with our local >> S-LEAGuE FOOTBALLERS
coaches. NOT GOOD ENOuGH 64
¢ WHERE’S THE uPDATE, POSB? ¢ DEEPER ANALYSiS OF SuRVEY ON LOW-iNCOME FAMiLiES NEEDED
Two years ago, i asked “Why no i refer to the report “Most low- voluminous paperwork during appli-
Tamil on PosB ATMs?” (Nov 11, income families will not ask for help: cation, without adequate guidance,
2009) to serve this community, Halimah” (Nov 23). is a deterrent.
especially workers from india who i have doubts over the survey our system also turns away
do not have a basic understanding showing that 60 per cent of these needy old folks who have better-off
of english, which often results in families preferred to be self-suffi- children, the reason being that the
unnecessary, long queues. cient than to receive social assist- latter have a duty to care for their
May i ask our people’s bank for ance. Deeper analysis of the find- parents.
an update to “PosB exploring its ings may be necessary. But several old folks are trapped
language options” (Nov 16, 2009), or i know of families who have when their children do not maintain
is it still in the exploration stage with refused welfare assistance because them well and a nation must not
its service provider “as part of efforts of the trouble it takes to obtain shirk its obligation of caring for its
to serve customers better”? LETTER the money. These families gener- elderly. LETTER FROM JiMMY HO
FROM PAuL ANTONY FERNANDEz ally have low literacy levels and KWOK HOONG