The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) has just officially confirmed that it will not include the U22 men's U22 men's team in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand later this year.
The decision was based on strict selection criteria, in which the team was assessed as unlikely to win a medal.
Previously, Brunei confirmed its withdrawal, leaving the list of teams participating in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games with only 9 names. This poses a big challenge for the organizing committee, because the format was initially designed for 11 teams divided into 3 groups. If there is no appropriate adjustment, dividing the group and selecting a place in the semi-finals will cause many problems.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is trying to mobilize to reverse the decision from SNOC. FAS President Forrest Li affirmed that he will fight to the end and plan to organize friendly matches in August to convince the Olympic Council to reconsider.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, it will be the first time since 1969 that Singapore's men's football will be absent from a SEA Games. In history, this team has never won a gold medal, the best achievements are 3 silver medals (most recently in 1989) and 7 bronze medals.
As for Brunei, the withdrawal decision is said to have been made in advance, but only been clearly mentioned by regional media in recent days.
The 33rd SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 20 in Thailand, with men's football matches scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla. In the current context, the organizing committee may have to consider adjusting the competition format to ensure fairness and suitability with the number of participating teams.
