Tampines Rovers’ chairman Krishna Ramachandra has called for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to make its position known, after requesting an advance of the annual subsidies due to S.League clubs.

Title-contenders Tampines have asked for help due to cash-flow issues, but FAS chief Zainudin Nordin made it clear yesterday that the national body cannot provide direct financial help.

The only way the FAS can help Tampines is by tapping on its network to help the club find sponsors and donors.

“The current situation is clear – we are an IPC (Institution of Public Character) and there are things we can’t do, it’s as simple as that. There are rules to abide by and clubs know how things work. It’s not like the S.League started just last year,” said FAS president Zainudin, who was speaking on the sidelines of the RHB Singapore Cup draw.

Zainudin explained that while subsidies are due to clubs, the system in place requires clubs to submit documentation before funds can be approved and released to them, a process that occurs every month.

Each club are due around $600,000 in annual subsidies from the FAS, which are paid out in monthly tranches of approximately $50,000, with an additional amount of some $300,000 to come should clubs meet predetermined targets.

“Up to the month of March, (Tampines) have been paid whatever that is due to them, that (monthly disbursement of subsidies) is the procedure and we have to follow it,” said Zainudin.

“But it does not mean we won’t help them, and the solution is a simple one – find money.”

Registered as an IPC since 2012, Zainudin revealed that the FAS has had experience aiding other clubs in the past, including an instance in 2009 when a senior official went personally to the Yishun Stadium to pay wages to personnel of former S.League side Super Reds – as a loan to the club – to prevent a situation where players refused to play until their salaries were paid.

Zainudin does not think the Tampines situation will deteriorate to such a level, especially since Krishna has already declared that the club will be able to meet their salary obligations.

“We have met (with Krishna) many times and we have to be confident in what the chairman has said,” said Zainudin, who added the S.League has been good this year with crowds returning to stadiums and growing rivalry between teams.

“He is trying to build a team that can play good football, and trying to motivate and encourage the sport here. But I’ve also lauded several chairmen like Teo Hock Seng (the former Tampines chairman) and (former Geylang International chief) Leong Kok Fann.”

STAR-STUDDED TEAM

Krishna became chairman of Tampines last November after Teo stepped down. He has assembled a team boasting former Liverpool and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant, along with a host of Singapore internationals.

Zainudin asserted that while the league has a standing practice requiring clubs to present their annual budgets to authorities before the start of the season, the Tampines cash-flow situation did not arise out of any corporate governance slip-up on the part of the league’s administrators.

“Budget projections are just predictions, and sometimes clubs don’t get everything that they were promised by sponsors upfront. Often sponsors keep coming in during the course of the season, so we have to trust (clubs) in their negotiation with sponsors,” said Zainudin, who does not buy into talk that Tampines’ issues could be put down to a management team that are wet behind the ears.

He said: “This team are not new, (Krishna) has spent five years at Tampines as their vice-chairman. But, in the 21 years of the S.League, I’ve seen several new management (teams)… even Geylang have a new management team, but they’re doing okay.

“Some clubs’ budgets work and others don’t work – you’ve got to be fair (to the FAS),” said Zainudin.

“We’ve got experience trying to help clubs in the past… and we are trying to solve this problem.”

This article was first published on April 25, 2016.
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Her bid to become Singapore’s first rower to qualify for the Olympics was dashed yesterday, but Saiyidah Aisyah has one final chance to carve out a place for herself in local sports history.

The 27-year-old has to win today’s B final at the Fisa Asia and Oceania Continental Olympic Qualification Regatta in South Korea.

Saiyidah, the 2013 South-east Asia (SEA) Games rowing champion and 2015 SEA Games double bronze medallist, narrowly missed out yesterday, when she clocked 8min 13.13sec to finish fourth in the first semi-final of the 2,000m women’s single sculls event at the Tangeum Lake in Chung-ju.

The top three – Taiwan’s Huang Yi-ting (8:01.86), Iran’s Mahsa Javar (8:05.08) and Kazakhstan’s Svetlana Germanovich (8:07.12) – booked their tickets for the event at August’s Rio Olympics and will battle it out in today’s A final.

They will be joined by the top three in the other semi-final – South Korea’s Kim Ye Ji (7:57.64), Vietnam’s Pham Thi Hue (8:00.53) and Indonesia’s Dewi Yuliawati (8:03.84), who also claimed an Olympic spot each.

With seven tickets available here for the Olympics, Aisyah has a final shot at glory in the B final, which starts at 10.10am (Singapore time).

RIVALS

She will be in Lane 4 and will take on the Philippines’ Joanie Delgaco, Thailand’s Phuttharaksa Neegree, Uzbekistan’s Sevara Ganieva, Sri Lanka’s Samaakhya Yavani de Zylva Gajanayake and Qatar’s Tala Aladin Abujbara, who appears to be her fastest rival.

From the times recorded yesterday, Aisyah is faster than all the other contenders in today’s B final, except for Tala Aladin, who finished fourth in her semi-final in 8:05.03.

However, competing three days in a row has taken its toll as the times recorded have been slower with each passing day.

Aisyah clocked 7:44.12 in Friday’s heats and then 8:06.23 to win Saturday’s repechage, but finished almost seven seconds slower yesterday.

She declined comment before today’s B final to focus on her difficult task.

A speedy recovery coupled with a strong will will be the order of the day, as she works to be part of the Copacabana contests held at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in August.

This article was first published on April 25, 2016.
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There were no surprises at yesterday’s London Marathon as powerhouse Kenya dominated the elite categories.

Eliud Kipchoge retained the men’s crown, while Jemima Sumgong carried off the women’s title.

It wasn’t a happy occasion for Singapore’s Soh Rui Yong, though.

The national marathoner finished in 2hr 37min 33sec, well short of the Olympic cut time of 2:19:00 for August’s Rio Games.

The 24-year-old, who was more than 11 minutes off his personal best of 2:26:01, set in California in 2014, is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to meet the qualifying mark by the closing date of July 11.

Labelling yesterday’s race a challenging experience, Soh revealed on Facebook that he struggled with cramps and white vision in the final stretch.

INJURY

“Did exactly what I wanted to do for 32.2km, but having barely trained since suffering an injury a month ago, the lack of fitness really showed in the last 10km,” he said.

“2:37 wasn’t what I was hoping for but I’m happy with my race today.”

Kipchoge retained the men’s title in 2:03:04, missing the world best by seven seconds.

His time was the second fastest in history, bettered only by compatriot Dennis Kimetto’s world best of 2:02:57 set at the Berlin Marathon two years ago.

Kipchoge broke clear of another Kenyan, Stanley Biwott, with about three kilometres to go and sprinted home well ahead of Biwott, with track legend Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in third.

Countrywoman Sumgong was equally remarkable, recovering from a fall to win the women’s race in 2:22:58, finishing five seconds ahead of last year’s winner, Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia.

Third place went to another Kenyan, Florene Kiplagan, who clocked 2:23:29.

Singapore’s Soh will know how tremendous the Kenyan runners are.

In February, he embarked on a seven-week training stint in Iten, Kenya, where he ran 160km a week to boost his chances of reaching the Olympics.

SOLE ISSUE

However, his progress was scuppered when he aggravated a plantar fasciitis injury in his left foot, after racing in the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff last month.

Despite facing calls to skip the London stop, the 2015 South-east Asia Games marathon champion went ahead with the race, finishing 211th overall.

“Raced London Marathon today worrying that every step could be my last,” said Soh, who opted to wear heavier shoes during the race to protect his foot.

“When I do my next marathon, I’ll be better trained, hopefully without injuries, and have a stronger finish.”

haziqm@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on April 25, 2016.
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