Singapore Foreign Talent... Are they helping the country?

**taneepak** · 10-14-2010, 12:41 AM

2009 Asian champions Pohang Steelers came third in the FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona crowned world club champions and South American champions Estudiantes second.
How does the Singapore S-League compare? I hope Loh is not trying to convince everyone, which he appears to unashamedly, that the S-League is in a league of its own and a class act over the FIFA Club World Cup level. Please don't belittle clubs like Barcelona, Inter Milan, Pohang Steelers.

**Loh** · 10-14-2010, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by taneepak

You must be joking, trying to make a demotion as a great promotion for Singapore soccer.
The Asian Football Confederation Champions League is the highest level in which Asia's best 32 clubs plus 2 lower-level clubs who come through from playoffs are included. Singapore has in the past come through as one of the lower-level playoffs qualifier but it did not do well, hence it "backed" off before being kicked out.
How can you compare Singapore's league champions with the likes of Kore'a Pohang Steelers, Japan's Gamba Osaka, Adelaide United, Al-lttihad?
Do you know that the champions get to play in the FIFA Club World Cup and the prize money is in the millions (US$)?
In comparison, why be so "kia su"? It will be better to be humiliated in the Asian Champions League than to be called "chicken" by running away?

I don't like to compare, it was you who try to stir things up by making useless comparisons, not only here but elsewhere. Trouble is that you try to be "kay kian" all the time.

As I have hinted, what's so great about Asian football and the world rankings are there to prove it.

**heqingbluesky** · 11-15-2010, 12:29 AM

Many sports in developed countries face this dilemma since some of people born in local don't want to take this sport as a career.
It require too much energy and sacrifice for the personal sake.

**extremenanopowe** · 11-16-2010, 10:04 AM

If table tennis can do it, I am sure badminton can too. So, who is in charge of doing this? Perhaps, SBA should get the TT head to lead?

**george@chongwei** · 11-17-2010, 01:34 AM

Table tennis still can't beat the MIGHTY china la..

LOL

**weeyeh** · 11-17-2010, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by george@chongwei

Table tennis still can't beat the MIGHTY china la..

LOL

WC2010 Women Team... China Team 2 (representing Singapore) beat Team 1.

I take a very pragmatic view about development. We could have tried to re-invent semi-conductors in the mid 70's or encourage foreign investments to help us. We took the easier (more pragmatic) route. It is not unlike how Thomas Friedman argued that "The World is flat". The fastest way to improve is to learn/adapt from people out there who are already successful.

I'm proud that Singapore is humble enough to accept that there are folks out there that does TT and badminton much better than us and we should learn from them. In fact, we went one step further to open the doors to infuse these talents into our society. The benefit is that we get an instant boost in specific performance that will, hopefully, bring up the local standard -- that which must be the long term objective.

What I am not happy with is that there is not enough presence of locals (as an effect). I will be even less happy though if there are any sort of protectionism like system imposes any quota of sort based on specific demography. Fortunately, the system is still largely meritocratic and local players have specific indirect advantages at least in terms of family support and exit should they not perform well in the sport. For those who choose to excel in those sports, what this presents is a frequent exposure to competition at a higher level than previously possible.

Afterall, the competition should be in the world stage and we just made it flatter.

**Loh** · 11-23-2010, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by weeyeh

WC2010 Women Team... China Team 2 (representing Singapore) beat Team 1.

I take a very pragmatic view about development. We could have tried to re-invent semi-conductors in the mid 70's or encourage foreign investments to help us. We took the easier (more pragmatic) route. It is not unlike how Thomas Friedman argued that "The World is flat". The fastest way to improve is to learn/adapt from people out there who are already successful.

I'm proud that Singapore is humble enough to accept that there are folks out there that does TT and badminton much better than us and we should learn from them. In fact, we went one step further to open the doors to infuse these talents into our society. The benefit is that we get an instant boost in specific performance that will, hopefully, bring up the local standard -- that which must be the long term objective.

What I am not happy with is that there is not enough presence of locals (as an effect). I will be even less happy though if there are any sort of protectionism like system imposes any quota of sort based on specific demography. Fortunately, the system is still largely meritocratic and local players have specific indirect advantages at least in terms of family support and exit should they not perform well in the sport. For those who choose to excel in those sports, what this presents is a frequent exposure to competition at a higher level than previously possible.

Afterall, the competition should be in the world stage and we just made it flatter.

Can't agree more.

**extremenanopowe** · 11-24-2010, 08:22 AM

I can see many younger students keen in coaching. But, what I can see is not many will take the professional path. The hunger is just not there when there are better opportunities or easier ways to make money.

The physical (then later mental) is just to difficult to handle. However, there's still 1 or 2 who will try like what we see at the moment. Good on them.

The really have to slog hard to reach world physical level.