Singapore students can pick up football, up their game through ambitious programme by FIFA

SINGAPORE: Primary and secondary school students in Singapore will now have more opportunities to play football under an ambitious programme created by football governing body FIFA. 

The programme, called Football for Schools (F4S), aims to make the sport accessible to more students and teach them relevant life skills through fun football sessions. 

The move, which will incorporate football activities into the country’s education system, is in line with the Unleash The Roar! initiative, a national movement which aims to raise local football standards, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on Saturday (Mar 4). 

Observers said it is a strong boost for local football. 

Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, said the road to high performance football, as with most other sports, starts from young. 

“The top footballers that we know and love today – Ronaldo, Messi, and our very own Fandi Ahmad right here in Singapore – fell in love with the sport and found their passion from a very young age,” he added. 

“Therefore, Unleash The Roar! is working towards building a strong base of players… and developing them through coaching, structured guidance.”

Through the use of an interactive application, which is open to all to download, teachers and coaches can effectively teach players how to dribble and tackle, among other skills. 

The children also learn important life skills such as communication, leadership and managing their emotions, said FIFA’s Football for Schools director Fatimata Sidibe. 

“Emotions are really important. What we are training now is that when they win, they have to win with humility. When they lose, they have to lose with fairplay. 

“So we are teaching values, which are