Speaking separately but on the same Talking Point special, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Bernard Tan also said the past had shown that naturalisation alone was not a sustainable strategy, and that the pause in the movement showed up a lack of focus on domestic youth development.
The success that Singapore was having on the field probably masked the urgency to build a youth development system which other countries in the region paid attention to, he added.
“We find ourselves now in a situation where we have to really focus and really build this up,” said Mr Tan
To that end, national project Unleash the Roar (UTR) was announced in 2021.
Aimed at raising standards of local football across all levels, the project also hopes to create a structured development system that can fuel the dreams of young players.
Describing UTR as a “passion project” for Singapore, Mr Tong said progress would not happen in a “straight line”.
“Which team has not seen a dip? You look at the top international teams, look at the top clubs,” he said. “It’s not so much the dip that is the worry per se, it’s how you respond that is critical.”
Initiatives under UTR include the establishment of School Football Academies, overseas scholarships and an islandwide Singapore Youth League.
The league gives kids a platform to play regularly to grow the base; the academies along with National Development Centres help to “marshal” talent into one space; and eventually some of the best are offered the scholarships, said Mr Tong.
