Latest news with #FAS
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lionesses' Asian Cup qualifiers in Jordan postponed amid escalating tensions in Middle East
Singapore's Danelle Tan (in red) going for a high ball in a friendly against Hong Kong at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on June 15. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR SINGAPORE – The Lionesses' 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers have been postponed amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, announced the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on June 19, a day before the team were scheduled to fly off to Jordan. The Group A matches, originally scheduled from June 23 to July 5 at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan's capital, is now expected to be played at another venue from July 7 to 19. In its statement, the FAS said the Asian Football Confederation cited the 'ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by several participating member associations as reasons for change'. The worsening security situation in the region shows no sign of de-escalation, as Israel and Iran continue to exchange heavy bombardments. On the latest developments, Lionesses coach Karim Bencherifa said: 'We have prepared well, the players have worked very hard, but these are things beyond our control. The team has shown resilience throughout our preparation phase, and we will regroup and stay focused.' He acknowledged that the postponement does affect their plans, with the availability of players, but said that the team will adapt to the circumstances. The Moroccan added: 'The staff and players are fully committed to the cause and while we will need to adapt – we are ready for when the competition resumes.' Other sports events that have been affected by the conflict between Iran and Israel include the Maccabiah Games, an international multi-sport event held in Israel featuring Jews and Israelis. Originally scheduled to take place from July 8 to 22, the quadrennial event, which was expected to welcome over 8,000 athletes from 55 countries, has been moved to 2026. World No. 139 Singapore had been drawn into Group A alongside the 75th-ranked Jordan, Iran (68th), Lebanon (130th) and Bhutan (171st), with only the group winners advancing to the final tournament in Australia. In preparation for the tournament, the Republic had played two friendly matches against world No. 80 Hong Kong at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium on June 12 and 15. The first match was played behind closed doors, while the second was abandoned early in the second half owing to inclement weather. The Singapore team had been set to fly off for Jordan on June 20, three days ahead of their first match against Bhutan. Farhanah Ruhaizat was initially disappointed by the change in tournament dates, but the forward has chosen to take a more optimistic outlook towards the situation. She said: 'Honestly, at first I felt disappointed because we had prepared everything and made a lot of adjustments for this tournament. 'But at the same time, now that it's been postponed, we have extra days to train and prepare even better for the tournament.' Lionesses captain Rosnani Azman shared a similar sentiment. She said: 'Of course we were looking forward to competing, but safety comes first. As a team, we've always believed in adapting and staying ready. 'We'll keep training hard and supporting one another, and make sure we're ready when the time comes.' The Lionesses last featured in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2003, before a qualification round was introduced from the 2006 edition onwards. The AFC has emphasised its intention to complete all qualification matches ahead of the final tournament draw on July 29. Only the top team in each group will advance to the tournament proper in Australia, where eight spots are up for grabs. The Asian Cup qualifying tournament is one of two major events lined up for the Lionesses this year, with the other being the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand. They were also initially slated to take part in the Aug 6-19 Asean Women's Championship in Vietnam, having qualified by finishing third at the Asean Football Federation Women's Cup in December 2024. But they withdrew their participation from the event as it clashes with the AFC Under-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, which will take place from Aug 2-10. Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Aspire Academy Workshop Tour – Asia concludes successfully in Singapore
Tribune News Network Singapore Aspire Academy 's innovative initiative 'The Workshop Tour' has been to Asia in its second edition, and more precisely in Singapore in collaboration with Football Association of Singapore(FAS). The tour is part of ongoing commitment of the Qatar based prestigious Aspire Academy under its worldwide programme, Aspire in the World Fellows. It aims at the development of youth football through the Aspire in the World Fellows programme continued this week with a stop on the Workshop Tour in Singapore. The workshop was hosted in collaboration with the newest Aspire Fellows, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) at their headquarters, Jalan Besar Stadium, with more than 200 guests in attendance. This latest event was the second of the Workshop Tour initiative launched last year by Aspire in the World Fellows, following a highly successful visit to Argentina. Thanks to expert input from many of the Aspire Fellows, the workshops aim to share knowledge with a larger global audience of coaches and technical staff. With His Excellency Saoud bin Jassim Al Jufairi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Singapore, in attendance, the workshop was officially opened by Ali Sultan Fakhroo, Chief Corporate Services Officer at Aspire Academy. His comments were followed by a welcome from the Executive Director of Aspire in the World Fellows, and Chew Chun-Liang, the General Secretary of FAS. In addition to theoretical and practical sessions, the delegates also enjoyed two Star Chats with former professional footballers. On day one, it was former Japan international and Asian Cup winner Tadanari Lee, who played for several Japanese clubs as well as English side Southampton, He shared his experiences of being a professional player, emphasising the importance of mental preparation for players aiming to reach the next level. 'In football, one of the most important things is information sharing, and European football has a long history, with the best technology and best methods in football,' he explained. 'So it's good for ideas from European football to be shared through this type of opportunity.' The first day's theoretical presentations included Professor Valter di Salvo, Aspire Academy's Director of Football Performance and Science, who offered his insights into using a holistic approach to dealing with injuries, highlighting the importance of integrated performance and recovery strategies. Manuel Toscano from Italian giants Juventus presented a practical model to illustrate effective communication with both players and coaches. On behalf of the FAS, Firdaus Maasar used examples of real data from the Singapore League to underline the importance of contextualising to give proper meaning to analysis. The evening sessions were devoted to more practical sessions, with local players used to demonstrate the ideas. Corne Groenendijk from the Dutch club Ajax and Lewis Nightingale from English Premier League Champions Liverpool offered two distinct coaching approaches, each with its own identity and methodology. On the second day, the Star Chat was with Mike Phelan, a former Manchester United midfielder and long-serving assistant coach at the club, best known for his role alongside Sir Alex Ferguson during one of United's most successful eras. He underscored the value of the teams that work behind the team in achieving success, as well as pointing out the changing nature of global football, where modern players are now as much brands as they are footballers. The day's theoretical sessions included Daniele Bonnano, Aspire Academy's Football Performance Coordinator, who considered how to define success in youth development, using Aspire Academy as a study and approach. While Matt Portas from the English Football Association argued that we cannot identify tomorrow's talent with yesterday's mindset. The final theoretical session was presented by Priscilla Castellani Tarabini of the Italian football association (FIGC) on the role of performance nutrition in contrast to medical nutrition in football. The practical sessions on the second day were led by Karim Bencherifa, the Football Association of Singapore, and Hugo Machado, who works at the Portuguese club FC Porto. The Singapore representative conducted several drills to focus on improving finishing in the final third, to refine timing, decision-making, and execution. Hugo Machado demonstrated FC Porto's playing principles, particularly how players react to their team losing possession, with an emphasis on intensity and collective response. There were also technological presentations from Fitogether, who were partners for the Singapore Workshop and have a continuing working relationship with Aspire Academy, developing GPS tracking units to provide a variety of crucial and useful data on players. Following the two days of main workshop events, there were activities for youngsters from the local communities, providing them with a unique opportunity to participate in practical sessions led by top coaches from the Aspire Fellows.
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Pakistan vs Israel: Who has stronger army and weapons? If war happens who will win?
Pakistan vs Israel: Who has stronger army and weapons? If war happens who will win? Pakistan Vs Israel: After witnessing defeat from India during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan is now supporting Iran and raising its voice for this Middle Eastern country. Pakistan, which is dealing with an acute financial crisis and struggling to make ends meet, is burdened with so much debt that it has to take loans to pay it off. This debt-ridden country wants to jump into a war with other countries. If reports are to be believed, Islamabad is thinking about helping Iran in its war against Israel. It has even threatened Israel with a nuclear bomb. But have you ever wondered if war happens between Israel and Pakistan, which country will win? Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons As per several media reports, Pak had around 170 nuclear bombs by 2023. But according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Federation of American Scientists, the country is continuously increasing its nuclear capability. In 2025, the numbers could be increased to 200-250. Israel's Nuclear Weapons Notably, Israel never shared information about its nuclear weapons. It always follows the policy of nuclear ambiguity. According to FAS, the country may have 90, and according to other sources, it may have around 300. Neither of these countries has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, so their exact number is not known. Military Strength of Pakistan Notably, the defence budget of Pakistan is USD 10 billion and currently it has as many as 6.6 lakh active soldiers and 2.91 lakh paramilitary police forces. The country has 812 fixed-wing aircraft, 322 helicopters, 4619 cannons, and 6137 AFVs. Talking about ballistic missiles, Islamabad is equipped with both long-range and short-range ballistic missiles. As far as the country's air force prowess is concerned it has a total of 1434 aircraft. It has 328 fighter aircraft, 57 attack helicopters, and advanced systems like F-16, JF-17 Thunder. Israel's military strength While Israel's population is smaller than Pakistan's, its military is significantly more powerful, aided by advanced technology and strong international alliances with the United States and several European nations. Israel maintains a substantial military force, comprising approximately 170,000 active personnel and 400,000 reservists, enabling sustained combat operations despite its smaller size relative to Pakistan. Israel's Air Power Israel's air force is loaded with 612 aircraft, which includes 146 helicopters and 241 fighter jets. Talking about the army's strength, Tel Aviv has 1,370 tanks and 43,407 armored vehicles, and 150 rocket artillery systems. Additionally, Israel has a total of 650 automated artillery units. It is worth mentioning that Israel is a smaller country than Pakistan, but its army is considered the best in the Middle East because all of them are equipped with state-of-the-art weapons. Israel also has America's support, which is clearly visible in the ongoing conflict between Tel Aviv and Iran. When it comes to support, US undoubtedly support Israel.
New Straits Times
14-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Tupong assemblyman wins FAS president's post unopposed
KUCHING: Tupong assemblyman Datuk Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman was today elected unopposed as the new president of the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) for the 2025-2027 term after sports consultant Dr Mohammed Syafiq Abdullah withdrew from contesting at the FAS annual general meeting (AGM) here. Fazzrudin, who is also Kuching City FA president, took over from Abang Zulkarnain Abang Abdul Rahman, who declined to seek re-election at the AGM today. Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim was also elected deputy president unopposed. The posts of five vice-presidents went to Sophie Shariee with 25 votes, Khairulddin Qalam Daud (24 votes), Khairul Anuar Adeni (23 votes), Hailcal Abdullah (17 votes) and Nichol Agoi (16 votes). Speaking to reporters later, Fazzrudin said his main task was to promote the Sarawak Premier League as his first major initiative to reignite the local football scene. He explained that the premier league was scheduled to kick off by September at the latest, explaining that the competition would adopt a 'home' and 'away' format, and feature teams from across all Sarawak divisions. He said the aim was to strengthen grassroots football by focusing on the development of players, coaches, referees and infrastructure. "In the long term, as our league grows stronger, we will be able to produce more high-calibre players with the potential to be absorbed into teams in the Malaysian League, or even Indonesia's Liga 1. "That is my dream—to see Sarawakian players competing on bigger stages. "It's not an impossible dream, but one that requires a clear strategy, proper planning and phased implementation. God-willing, with consistent effort, we can achieve this goal," he said. He said among the key priorities outlined by the new FAS leadership was the continued enhancement of coaching quality through courses initiated in the past . He added refereeing standards would also be improved through regular training and certification, while attention would be given to field facilities and infrastructure to ensure that every team had access to adequate and high-quality training venues. Fazzrudin said the state's premier league would be held annually and be limited to local players for now. "Although there are international students at higher learning institutions in Sarawak who are interested in taking part, their inclusion has not been considered at this stage. "That said, the possibility of involving them in the future remains open, depending on the needs and development of the league," he added. The age limit for players was still under discussion, but for the inaugural edition, there would be no age restriction to encourage wider participation.
Barnama
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Fazzrudin, New FAS President
KUCHING, June 14 (Bernama) -- Kuching City Football Club president Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman has won the Sarawak Football Association (FAS) president post uncontested at the association's Annual General Meeting today. Fazzrudin who takes over from Abang Zulkarnain Abang Abdul Rahman, will hold the position for the 2025-2027 term. Fazzrudin, who is also the chief political secretary to the Sarawak Premier, won uncontested following the withdrawal of another candidate, Dr Mohd Shafiq Abdullah, at the last minute. bootstrap slideshow Met with reporters after the meeting, Fazzrudin said that among his main agenda as FAS president is to bring football to the grassroots level by organising the Sarawak Premier League. He said the league would involve teams representing parts of Sarawak and it would be an annual event. "If the quality of the league is good, then we hope it can produce more quality players who may be approached by teams in the Malaysian League or overseas leagues. We want to see football players from Sarawak being able to play at a higher level. "I hope we can start this league by September at the latest as it may take three months," he said. At the same meeting, the position of FAS deputy president was also won unopposed by Datuk Hamzah Brahim. -- BERNAMA
