Former national footballer S. Subramani believes that if Indian players have the dream and put in the effort, playing for the Singapore national team will definitely be within their reach.
He made the remark during a panel discussion involving Singaporean Indian footballers held on July 19 at the Indian Heritage Centre in conjunction with the World Cup.
“Currently, the number of Indian players in the national team as well as in Singapore Premier League Clubs is low,” he said.
Subramani believes that, despite many young Indian players being abundantly talented, they do not step forward to play football full-time.
“There are plenty of opportunities for us here. Reaching out and seizing them is entirely in our hands,” he added.
Founder of the Civilians United Sports Club (present-day Civilians Association) N. Narayanasamy, former national team coach P.N. Sivaji, Lion City Sailors youth player Marcus Mosses and national women’s footballer Ardhra Arul also participated in the event.
The speakers shared their views on various topics, including Singaporean players training abroad, the space and facilities required for youngsters to play football in Singapore, and raising the standard of local football.
“In the past, one could say all youngsters were crazy about football. But now, the situation has changed. In many households, greater emphasis is placed on education. As a result, their passion has also diminished,” said Narayanasamy.
He elaborated that, back in the day, football acted as a deterrent for youngsters from engaging in harmful activities.
“We used to stay in the Public Works Department (PWD) Quarters, with most of us being manual labourers who were not the most educated. They wanted to ensure that their kids were well-educated.”
“However, vices such as gangsterism and drug consumption were prevalent in the 60s, and kids were getting swayed easily. Hence, the start of the Civilian United Sports Club was warranted to give them a space to spend their leisure time meaningfully,” Narayansamy recalled.
He emphasised that the future of football relies heavily on support from the local Singaporean community and requested parents to allow youth to engage in the sport.
Beyond these early community roots, the 1990s marked a dramatic shift towards high-pressure professional football on the national stage.
The man behind Singapore’s Dream Team of 1993, Sivaji, reminded everyone of the “nightmare” team of 1992.
“We were relegated from the Malaysia Cup at the end of the season in 1992, and I had taken charge mid-season that year. I was afraid that I might be sacked but was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to continue and fight. We finished runners-up to Sabah on goal difference in the division, and made it all the way to the final of the Malaysian Cup as a Division Two team. A lot of pleasant memories but also turbulent times,” he said.
He urged supporters to back the Singapore national team through “thick and thin,” stressing that fans shouldn’t expect the national team to win every match, but to play their guts out with the “Singaporean spirit”.
Marcus shared his football journey and how he opted for early enlistment into National Service to take the leap and explore full-time footballing opportunities locally and overseas.
The Singapore youth team player aspires to play for the senior team someday at the National Stadium in front of his home fans.
The lone woman player in the event, Ardhra, was glad to share her unconventional route in football. Being someone who started playing the game after Covid to keep fit, she is now honing her craft at the IMG Academy in the United States under a scholarship.
She hopes to see greater growth and a larger prevalence of women playing football in Singapore.
