SINGAPORE, 3 JULY 2018: Young Lions captain Taufiq Muqminin, Justin Hui from Hougang United FC and Mukundan Maran of Warriors FC were announced today as Values Ambassadors at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Singapore Pools-Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Inter-School Futsal Challenge (ISFC) at Our Tampines Hub.

 

In line with the FAS’s objectives of developing youth players and increasing participation at the grassroots level, the ISFC is Singapore’s largest school futsal tournament organised for the Under-10 and Under-14 age-groups with the support of Singapore Pools and the Ministry of Education.

 

A key focus of this tournament is to instil positive values in youths who are at the crucial stage of development. Identified as key for children at this stage of development, values of Respect, Teamwork and Passion will be encouraged throughout the tournament and highlighted by the ISFC Values Ambassadors.

 

FAS Deputy President Mr Bernard Tan said: “We are firmly of the belief that sports can go a long way in educating youths with many opportunities to pick up valuable lessons. From the way they play the game, to the way they treat their teammates and opponents, there are numerous lessons to be learnt on and off the pitch. It is with that in mind that we have decided to bring these values to the forefront in this competition.”

 

 

ISFC Values Ambassador Taufiq Muqminin added: “It is good for all the youths out there to know that these values are very important in football and of course, it can also apply to their daily life.

 

“The key to Respect is by displaying good sportsmanship towards one another, which includes your opponents. Keeping the field clean before and after the match is also a form of respect for the environment.

 

“As for teamwork, there is no “I” in the word “TEAM”. In a team game such as football, teamwork among players, coaches, parents and even the fans as a collective unit plays a part in order for a team to achieve their goal.

 

“Passion also plays a part in success. It is a motivation for yourself to be better as a player too. Speaking for myself, I knew right from the start that football is my passion and career in the future. I also knew that it was not going to be easy, and I will be facing ups and downs such as injuries throughout the journey. A major injury could discourage you from playing but when you have the passion for it, it keeps you going. No matter how many times you fall, you will still get back up.

 

“These values are the key to success and having these values in mind at a young age will surely help youths carry these values in whatever they do when they pursue their dreams.”

 

The Under-10s tournament, which officially kicked off today, will take place from 3 July to 18 July 2018 with 44 teams from 37 participating primary schools. The Under-14s competition is scheduled to kick off in August.

 

Looking ahead, the FAS aims to run this tournament as an annual event for schools and expand the game to include more age categories as well as a girls’ futsal tournament.