SINGAPORE, 19 MARCH 2021 – Tampines Rovers FC (1) have been crowned champions of the ActiveSG-FAS Under-15 four versus four mini league that took place from 13 to 19 March. The tournament, held at Serangoon Stadium and Our Tampines Hub, was jointly organised by ActiveSG and Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

 

About 190 players from 28 teams participated in the competition, with 25 teams coming from the FAS Centre of Excellence (COE) Under-15 league and three teams from SportSG. They were divided into seven groups of four teams each.

After an intense week of competition, Tampines Rovers FC (1) triumphed over favourites Lion City Sailors (2) on penalties after recording a 0-0 draw during the final. Along the way, they topped Group B with six points after registering two wins and one loss, before defeating Lion City Sailors (1) during the quarter finals and then ActiveSG FA (1) in the semi-finals. The other finalist, Lion City Sailors (2), topped Group F with a one hundred percent record of three wins in three games, before dispatching Woodlands Lions (3) in the quarter finals and then Lion City Sailors (3) during the semis. In the third position playoff on the final day, Lion City Sailors (3) defeated ActiveSG FA (1) to earn third spot. Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, graced the event and also helped to give out the medals to the top eight teams.

 

Due to Covid-19 safe distancing measures, the number of players were kept strictly to eight on the pitch at any one time. Each match lasted for a duration of 25 minutes, which includes three periods of seven minutes with two-minute intervals in between. This represented the first time since the circuit breaker was introduced last year that students could play competitive football once more, and also acted as a pilot programme for the restart of grassroots football. The hope is that this will continue to help provide game exposure for youths amidst the pandemic and develop their passion for the sport.

Matthias Koesno of Tampines Rovers FC (1) was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league at the end of the tournament. The winger, who scored six goals from open play, said, “It feels great to win the MVP award, although the main prize of the day is still winning the mini league with Tampines Rovers! I am just very happy as it is a dream come true for me, and I guess this gives me a reason to go out and celebrate with friends!”

 

Caelan Cheong, also part of the Tampines Rovers FC (1) winning team, echoed Koesno’s sentiments and said, “I am so proud of my team for putting in a lot of hard work to reach the finals. I am especially happy that we defeated Lion City Sailors as the game against them was far from easy. This 4v4 tournament has helped me and my teammates understand each other better and also be clearer on how we want to play as a team. I am already looking forward to the next competition!”

 

S. Varatha Rajan, Head of Youth Programmes Administration of the FAS, reiterated the importance of the smooth organisation of the event despite strict safe management measures and said, “On behalf of the organising committee (ActiveSG and FAS), we would like to thank all clubs, schools and academies who took part in this pilot project of resuming competitive football. The 4v4 ActiveSG-FAS mini league is a promising start to having our youth players back on the pitch playing competitively, albeit in limited numbers. Moving forward, we are looking to having more of such leagues for different age groups during the course of the year.”