Singapore men’s under-22 football team and distance runner Soh Rui Yong have both been left off the provisional list for the upcoming 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.
It’s the first time since the SEA Games started in 1977 that Singapore hasn’t sent a men’s football team. The list of athletes was released by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on Wednesday, August 6.
What Happened with Soh Rui Yong?
Regarding Soh’s exclusion, the SNOC said in a media release that the selection committee has not supported his nomination at this stage.
However, they also mentioned that if Singapore Athletics chooses to resubmit its nomination, it will be reviewed by the Appeals Committee. The SNOC said that it sends athletes who not only meet the performance benchmarks but also uphold the values and behaviours expected of Singapore’s national representatives.
Soh, who turned 34 on Wednesday, doesn’t seem too worried. He thanked the Singapore Athletics president and deputy general manager for their help and said he’s not letting it get to him.
“I’m currently enjoying my birthday and not worrying about SEA Games selection,” he said, adding that he will leave it to Singapore Athletics to do the necessary.
Soh was left off the 2023 SEA Games squad, but got in after a successful appeal. He finished fourth in the 5,000m and set a national record, winning a silver medal in the 10,000m. But after that, he was left out of the Singapore team for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The Football Team’s Situation
At the 2023 SEA Games, the men’s football team recorded one draw and three losses, including a very rough 7-0 defeat to Malaysia. That was their worst loss in the age-group competition since 2001.
After that, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) came up with 10 recommendations to try to make things better.
The new FAS president, Forrest Li, has said he’s not giving up. He noted that the list is only provisional and that he would work with the SNOC to try to get the team into the 2025 Games. “We need to give our young players a proper platform, and the SEA Games is a great platform to play against your regional teams,” he said.
The team is even scheduled to play two friendly matches this month to help their case for inclusion.
The 33rd SEA Games will run from December 9 to 20.
A total of 762 athletes across 42 sports have been provisionally selected. This is Singapore’s largest group of athletes ever, partly because the host country, Thailand, chose to include so many sports.
The SNOC also said that some athletes and teams are still being considered as they try to meet the required benchmarks. The deadline for national sports associations (NSAs) to appeal for athletes who were not initially selected is Friday, August 15.
