Dennis Tan on motion calling for clear and achievable goals for sporting success
Singapore is indeed a “football-mad nation”, said MP Dennis Tan. It has a massive following of European football; many have a favourite English Premier League team or a European club. But many Singaporeans were disappointed with the results of their own team at the SEA Games and wondered “how we have gotten to where we are today”, he said in Parliament on Thursday (Jul 6). Mr Tan believes that beyond the disappointment and frustrations, there is a “national will” to see Singapore football succeed. He said Singapore can do better by starting with the basics and building a sporting ecosystem to harness this passion to improve. It can also do more to make the sport more accessible, build a larger pool of talents and increase buy-in from Singaporeans. To broaden the talent base, he said more should go into lower football leagues to encourage participation and improve quality. He urged the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to invest in its own lower football leagues, as well as generate interest, increase participation and improve standards. Mr Tan also stressed the need for clubs to reach out to new fans and cultivate a strong fan base. He pointed out that fans want to support teams which have history and identity. Clubs should build their own identity and branding, which may in turn improve their advertising and sponsorship income. He suggested setting aside funds for purposes such as marketing, merchandising and ticket subsidies. Mr Tan also urged the Government to promote street and void deck football culture, which has been curtailed by the lack of space and "no football" signs. While there are designated street courts in some neighbourhoods, the weather deters people from playing in the afternoon when many children may have free time. He suggested building sheltered courts at the top level of some multi-storey carparks. Mr Tan stressed the need for stronger and broader grassroots and youth development and infrastructure for football so that more Singaporeans can enjoy the “beautiful game”, while improving the talent pool in the long run.
Singapore is indeed a “football-mad nation”, said MP Dennis Tan. It has a massive following of European football; many have a favourite English Premier League team or a European club. But many Singaporeans were disappointed with the results of their own team at the SEA Games and wondered “how we have gotten to where we are today”, he said in Parliament on Thursday (Jul 6). Mr Tan believes that beyond the disappointment and frustrations, there is a “national will” to see Singapore football succeed. He said Singapore can do better by starting with the basics and building a sporting ecosystem to harness this passion to improve. It can also do more to make the sport more accessible, build a larger pool of talents and increase buy-in from Singaporeans. To broaden the talent base, he said more should go into lower football leagues to encourage participation and improve quality. He urged the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to invest in its own lower football leagues, as well as generate interest, increase participation and improve standards. Mr Tan also stressed the need for clubs to reach out to new fans and cultivate a strong fan base. He pointed out that fans want to support teams which have history and identity. Clubs should build their own identity and branding, which may in turn improve their advertising and sponsorship income. He suggested setting aside funds for purposes such as marketing, merchandising and ticket subsidies. Mr Tan also urged the Government to promote street and void deck football culture, which has been curtailed by the lack of space and "no football" signs. While there are designated street courts in some neighbourhoods, the weather deters people from playing in the afternoon when many children may have free time. He suggested building sheltered courts at the top level of some multi-storey carparks. Mr Tan stressed the need for stronger and broader grassroots and youth development and infrastructure for football so that more Singaporeans can enjoy the “beautiful game”, while improving the talent pool in the long run.
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