OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The rest of the suggestions are:
- A list of players in the U23/22 squad to be developed at the start of the two-year SEA Games project, and those on the list to have individual development plans
This will allow the coach and his team to improve the individual abilities of players over the two years of preparation, and monitor their progress, even while many are playing for their respective clubs.
- The U23/22 will focus on two “priority” tournaments: SEA Games and the Asian Football Confederation’s U23 tournament, which also serves as an Olympics qualifier
All other tournaments will be regarded as “developmental opportunities”, said FAS.
- A minimum of two weeks’ preparation for these U23/22 priority tournaments, which comprise multiple matches in a single window
To be implemented as a standard operating procedure, with the preparation including two to three warm-up games before the start of each tournament, with one week spent playing domestically and one week in the country of competition.
- Mandatory mental preparation and team-building activities
A sports psychologist “did not play an active part in the preparations for the players for SEA Games”, said FAS in its press statement. “This should not be optional moving forward.”
A trained sports psychologist will be involved in pre-tournament preparation for both individual players as well as the collective squad.
- Players’ diets will be planned when the FAS has control of meals
Only hydration is monitored at the moment, with players merely “advised” on healthy eating.
Players’ diets were not controlled at the SEA Games hotel, said FAS, attributing this to the host country deciding on the menu. Players thus ate the food on offer – as did other competing teams.
- A comprehensive analyst team at the national level
Analyst teams are now part of modern football, said FAS. These provide pre-game opponent analysis, in-game analysis and recommendations, post-game review and objective feedback.
At the SEA Games, the team was supported by only one analyst.
- All injured players during tournaments have to be verified and signed off by a medical doctor
A medical certificate must also be issued for players unavailable for selection, to cover a period post-tournament. Control of players, including those leaving early, should be cleared by the head coach, said FAS.
It added that there was “limited availability” of players during the final game against Malaysia at the recent SEA Games.
“The objective in developing recommendations was to build a better future and not attribute blame,” said FAS.
“This approach was crucial throughout the review to ensure that there was proper soul-searching amongst participants, and so that everyone could be honest and constructive in a safe space.”
Speaking to CNA separately, FAS’ acting president Bernard Tan said: “If we really want to win the SEA Games, it will take a lot more than this. It will take an entire generation of kids actually preparing and moving forward.”
He said a realistic timeframe to see results would be the 2029 SEA Games, with the 2025 and 2027 editions used for players to build on the new procedures and recommendations.
Hopefully, this will lead to players turning up at the SEA Games “in much better condition”, said Tan.
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