Muhaimin sees his attempt saved by Marko Kordic of Montenegro. (Photo 3 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Hanafi (left) scored the first two goals to set Singapore on their way. (Photo 4 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
A near-capacity crowd came out to cheer the boys on in their bronze medal game. (Photo 5 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Muhaimin, Hanafi, Ammirul and Jonathan do a lap of honour with the national flag. (Photo 6 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
The boys continue their celebrations with the Haitian-inspired sprinkler routine. (Photo 7 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
A bloodied Jeffrey Lightfoot had to go off early in the first half. He eventually required 15 stitches. (Photo 8 © Low Sze Sen/Red Sports)
[…] “If we put the supporting infrastructure, trainings and sports science, these boys can go as far as they can,” he said then. […]
[…] Youth Olympic Football: Cubs display grit and character to pick up Singapore’s fifth bronze medal […]
no doubt there were only 6 not so good teams and only a bronze to show for..but these boys really do show that they can play well and not some sitting duck for others to aim and pick on, hope to see them make the senior team some day!
Let’s be serious here. The YOG football competition had minnows participating, because of some FIFA suggestion to allow minnows their time in the sun. On top of that, Singapore got to choose its preferred group to be in. All these contributed to the bronze medal, other than the boys’ own efforts. Dont pretend that Singapore really won a bronze because we are 3rd best in the world.
It’s good that a bronze is won, but let’s not play this medal up. Singapore football still has a very long way to go. Can we now shift some attention back to the other sports? It is ridiculous that a bronze medal hits the headlines, while other athletes, like Rainer Ng’s silver gets less, or Audrey Yong’s bronze gets nary a mention
All medal winning stories on Red Sports get the same treatment. The football medal is given the same space and coverage as the other medals. We are not sure to what you are referring to when you say that “Rainer Ng’s silver gets less, or Audrey Yong’s bronze gets nary a mention.” Those medals were covered here on Red Sports as well.
the group wasn’t even chosen by us in the first place. it was through a draw which taken place 3 months ago. yes although we might be up against minnows. this is the most supported sport in the nation, this is the sport which unites the entire nation’s citizens as you can see from the attendances. and for people to really come out with antics like scaling carpark roofs, it just shows how much we football lovers really love these bunch of teenagers. the fans wouldn’t care less about who we play, they’re already proud enough for the boys and that’s as sweet as it can get.
I really think the boy deserve recognition for their bronze. Yes, the teams weren’t exactly of superstar status. True, we may not be the 3rd best in the world.
But the boy’s showed something we haven’t seen in a long long time, determination, grit, an un- willingness to give up. Their coach died a few months before YOG started, they had to cope with losing to Haiti unexpectedly, lightfoot their inspirational captain was rendered useless with that elbow to the face.
Instead of cowering into their shell, they decided to play with their all and did just that. What they lacked in size, they made up for with a lions heart and courage.
It’s not how much the medal weighs, in truth it’s how much our boys stood up in the face of adversity and how they stayed together that made the bronze all the more significant.
the penalty was given for a tuck of the shirt, not for handball
You’re right, realcool. Thanks for catching that.