Singapore successfully 'appealed' and was allowed to participate in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games

The matter became complicated when, in the preliminary registration with the 33rd SEA Games Organizing Committee, the Singapore Olympic Council did not include the U22 team to participate in the men's football event. In addition, Singapore also did not send the women's team or the men's and women's futsal teams to compete in Thailand. This move shows that Singapore is completely out of the football game.

Singapore is facing the risk of being absent from the SEA Games for the first time since 1969. That means it has been 56 years since they have not participated in the most popular event of the Games: Men's Football.

This move is related to the series of declining results of the Lion Island U22 team. At the 32nd SEA Games, U22 Singapore ranked at the bottom of the table, below Laos. In the group stage, they were defeated 0-7 by Malaysia. A year before that, Singapore also suffered a 0-7 defeat against Vietnam at the U23 Southeast Asian tournament. Since 2022, Singapore has not participated in the U23 Southeast Asian tournament.

Those results reflect the serious weakness of youth football in the Lion Island. And SNOC has reason to withdraw the U22 team from the list of participants in the 33rd SEA Games despite facing fierce criticism.

But in a last-ditch effort, Singapore Football Federation president Forrest Li turned things around. SNOC announced: "The Singapore U22 men's football team will join 762 athletes selected earlier this month, bringing Singapore's total number of athletes to 980 across 48 sports - the largest number in SEA Games history."

The president of the Singapore Football Federation, Forrest Li, was the most influential figure in this decision. He pledged to cooperate with SNOC to “ensure the participation of the team”, and at the same time presented evidence that Singapore has prepared and improved to be ready to compete in the 33rd SEA Games.