FAS Senior Official to Pursue Other Opportunities

SINGAPORE, 7^th April 2014: The Football Association of Singapore today announced that 65-year-old Jita Singh has resigned as Senior Head of Game Development to pursue other opportunities.

Jita created history by becoming the youngest Coach of the National Team at the age of 29 from 1979 to 1984 where he lead Singapore, in his very first assignment, to a famous win over defending champions Burma in the 1979 SEA Games Group Stage. He would then guide Singapore to the semi-finals in the 1981 SEA Games and to two silver medals in the 1983 and 1989 SEA Games.

Jita joined the FAS in 2007 as Head of Grassroots Development and spent the next seven years devoting his time and efforts to reform and enhance the youth development structure in Singapore, which has led to a significant and marked improvement in our youth developmental programme today. Apart from youth development, Jita was also heavily involved in other aspects of Singapore football; he was also overseeing Women’s football, FIFA Grassroots Course, Coaching & Development, National Football Academy (NFA), as well as Club and Junior COE (Centre of Excellence).

Mr Jita Singh said: “As a strong advocate of youth development, I am especially happy and proud to have been part of the team which, along with the management, had introduced several key programmes and initiatives during the past few years. These programmes, which have been singled out for praise by international footballing officials, would provide a strong foundation for the systematic development of our young players. This will in turn translate to better quality players representing the nation in the near future.

“The past few years have been especially rewarding for me, and I would like to thank President Zainudin Nordin, General Secretary Winston Lee and Technical Director Slobodan Pavkovic for their advice and support as well as relentless commitment towards raising the standards of Singapore football. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the team tasked to devise and subsequent implement the FAS Strategic Plan, of which youth development is a key component.

“Notwithstanding the lack of resources, including funding and facilities, required to implement the Strategic Plan fully, the FAS has done well to prioritise its programmes ‚Äì with a strong focus on youth development, an area in which we have achieved much success in recent years. That the abilities of our boys and teams at recent competitions, including the Lion City Cup, have caught the attention of international officials is a clear indication that the on-going implementation of our programmes has yielded results.

“I am glad to have learnt a lot from FAS General Secretary Winston Lee in my seven years at FAS and it has been an enjoyable and rewarding journey. I turn 65 this month and after much consideration, I have decided to explore other opportunities. However, I would want to continue contributing to Singapore football as a volunteer. I appreciate that the FAS management is always seeking to work around the constraints in pursuit of our footballing vision and goals. We have done well in most of the areas spelt out in the Strategic Plan although I must add that more resources and support are required in order for us to reach the next level.

“I am certain that the FAS management and technical department will continue to work hard and further raise our footballing standards, and  I look forward to my involvement in Singapore football as a volunteer.” he concluded.

FAS General Secretary Winston Lee said: “Jita is a key member of our team which has, in recent years, implemented key programmes aimed at facilitating the development of footballers from a young age. These include the launch of the Junior Centres of Excellence and the introduction of the National Football Syllabus which serves as a guide for coaches in Singapore.

“The endorsement of our youth development programmes by senior international football officials would not have been possible without the commitment and hard work of our colleagues including Jita, who has been involved in local football, in various capacities, for the past seven years. We would like to thank Jita for his contributions to both the Association and local football, and we wish him well in his future endeavours.

“We appreciate that Jita has informed us of his desire to serve as a volunteer and we certainly look forward to his continued involvement in Singapore football. We would like to extend our gratitude to Jita  for his commitment and contributions to Singapore football, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

FAS is in the midst of shortlisting from a pool of potential candidates to fill the position of Senior Head, Game Development. An announcement on the appointment will be made in due course.

-END-

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
7^th April 2014 

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