Young Lions ‘outmuscled, outpaced, outlasted’

Outmuscled, outpaced and outlasted these were the choice words used by Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary-general Mark Chay on Dec 20, when he delivered his verdict on the national men’s Under-22 football team’s performance at the SEA Games.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

He did not mince his words when asked about the Young Lions at the Team Singapore review at Bangkok’s Grand Fourwings Convention Hotel, noting that there was a “systemic problem’.

He was part of a three-man panel, alongside Singapore chef de mission Lawrence Leow and High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI) chief Su Chun Wei at the press conference.

Responding to a question on whether there were regrets in allowing the team’s participation at the Games, he said: “I wouldn't say that there are regrets. We need to give our athletes opportunities to shine, it is regrettable that the athletes were not able to and the results showed.

“I was there for the Timor-Leste (match). They (Singapore) were outmuscled, outpaced, outlasted. And these are not... things that are to do with talent or skill.

“I think the attitude was something which FAS (Football Association of Singapore) needs to look at.

The athletes just walked off the field, didn’t acknowledge the crowd, there were 2,000, of which 500 of us were Singaporeans.