Tech giant Sea to donate S$50m to boost football development in Singapore
Sea, which runs e-commerce platform Shopee, said it will work closely with the government and the football community to deploy the funds effectively.
The Lion City Sailors, who are owned by Sea, celebrate after winning the 2024-25 Singapore Cup at the Jalan Besar Stadium on May 31, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Lion City Sailors Football Club)
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SINGAPORE: Tech company Sea will donate S$50 million (US$38.7 million) to support the long-term development of football in Singapore, in what the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) called the “largest corporate commitment" to the sport here.
The homegrown firm, which runs e-commerce platform Shopee and owns digital bank MariBank, announced the donation on Tuesday (Mar 31).
It said S$40 million will be progressively disbursed to support "meaningful initiatives that can broaden participation, strengthen development pathways, and contribute to a more vibrant football ecosystem in Singapore".
The other S$10 million was already donated to FAS at the start of 2026, Sea noted.
The firm added it will work closely with the government and the football community to deploy the funds effectively.
Sea CEO and chairman Forrest Li, who is also FAS president, said: “We believe football can play a powerful role in bringing communities together, building character, and opening up opportunities for young people.
"Football has a unique ability to forge connections and inspire pride and joy through a shared sense of purpose.
"With Sea’s S$50 million donation, we hope to support the long-term development of football in Singapore and give back to the community that has played such an important role in Sea’s journey."
Responding to CNA queries, FAS said it was "grateful" for Sea’s S$50 million donation to support the long-term development of Singapore football.
"As the largest corporate commitment towards the sport locally, the contribution is expected to have a meaningful impact across the football ecosystem," it added. "FAS looks forward to further updates on how the remaining donation will be disbursed and to supporting the wider community."
Governing body Sport Singapore (SportSG) told CNA on Wednesday that Sea's "landmark S$50 million contribution to football development is a significant boost for the sport in Singapore".
"We welcome contributions from individuals, corporates and the wider community that support the growth of our sporting ecosystem," a SportSG spokesperson said.
"Initiatives like this complement our ongoing efforts to broaden access to quality training, strengthen youth development, and create more opportunities for athletes to realise their potential."
Sea, the parent company behind gaming platform Garena, has invested in Singapore’s football ecosystem for over a decade.
In 2016, Garena sponsored the Young Lions and in 2020, Sea acquired Home United and changed its name to Lion City Sailors.
Two years later, the Sailors opened Singapore's first integrated training football facility at Mattar Road, with the state-of-the-art training centre costing S$10 million.
The Singapore Premier League outfit, in a historic run, made it to the final of last year's AFC Champions League Two, before losing 2-1 to the United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah.
In November last year, Li also announced a S$2 million payout for the Lions after the national team qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup on merit for the first time.
Sea said its latest donation builds on its broader efforts to support communities in Singapore, such as its S$50 million gift to the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2021.
The donation was pledged to support research and education at NUS' School of Computing.
"Sea firmly believes in the power of football to meaningfully engage communities; bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds as we unite behind a shared passion," said the tech company, calling on other "like-minded philanthropic" partners and sponsors to help take Singapore football to the “next level”.
Speaking at an FAS ceremony on Tuesday ahead of the Lions' final AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying match against Bangladesh at the National Stadium, Mr Li said that continued support for Singapore football will be critical to sustaining the national team's momentum.
"In January 2027, Singapore will compete in the AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia," he added. "This is the greatest opportunity our national team has ever had to play on the regional stage. FAS will do everything possible to prepare our Lions for it.”
Mr Li also thanked insurer MSIG for offering FAS a three-year sponsorship starting in April.
"I greatly hope to see many more companies and stakeholders step forward to help Singapore football. We cannot do this without you."
SportSG previously told CNA that donations to the sports sector increased from S$7.9 million in FY2021 to S$13 million in FY2023.
But this was the lowest among all sectors, accounting for less than 1 per cent of all donations that financial year.
A scholarship supported by Singaporean tycoon Peter Lim has given out more than S$11 million to thousands of local athletes since its inception in 2010.
However, there is no publicly available data on the overall split between private and government funding for sport in Singapore as of August 2025.
