The inaugural JSSL Singapore FA Cup concluded on Sunday, 12 December after three days of exciting 4-a-side football on display at Our Tampines Hub. The final day of the youth tournament, which featured 133 teams of vaccinated boys and girls aged 12 to 17, was graced by JSSL Singapore FA Cup Guest of Honour Peter Schmeichel, who presented the winners’ trophies.
Boys’ 13 Cup winner Royal Vikings received their prize from Schmeichel and their captain Harith Danish, 13, said: “I’m a Manchester United fan and it’s an honour to meet Peter Schmeichel in person and have him give us the trophy. He said ‘Well done, boys’ to us and also told us to keep it up. It feels good to win because on the first day we didn’t perform well, so we bucked up and our boys put up an excellent performance today.”
Lion City Sailors FA 1 goalkeeper Giselle Blumke, whose team clinched the Girls’ 17 Cup title with a 3-0 win over JSSL FC 1, said: “We trained for a long time; we had some difficulties in the semi-finals but we pulled through, and it feels great to win, especially with a clean sheet in the finals. A few of us played in the last JSSL 7s and we won that too, so it feels great to win again.”
The 16-year-old also had praise for safety procedures and event staff at the JSSL Singapore FA Cup, saying: “The ARTs that we took at the beginning were good, they were fast and we got in to our pitch quickly. We always had to keep our masks on including during warm-up, which was fine. The medics helped us through a lot whenever we had any injuries on the pitch. The event crew were always very helpful too, including in reminding us to put our masks on.”
JSSL Singapore FA Cup Guest of Honour and Danish football legend Peter Schmeichel said: “It’s been lovely to see boys and girls playing football and having a great time on the pitch. I got the chance to speak to some of them this weekend and again after their games today, and to see them come out here and to see the joy on their faces has been great. It doesn’t matter whether they’re winning or losing because you can see how happy they are to be playing. The JSSL Singapore FA Cup is a great tournament for these kids who love football, and I’m very glad to have been invited.”
Mrs Rina Salleh, Director, JSSL Events, said: “JSSL Singapore is pleased to have brought youth football back to Singapore in style with a successful staging of the first-ever JSSL Singapore FA Cup. We hope all participants had an enjoyable experience, and we thank the Singapore Tourism Board, our Guest of Honour Peter Schmeichel and event partners for their support of our tournament. We are also appreciative of our players, coaches and officials for cooperating with our event’s Safe Management Measures and playing their part to practise social responsibility. JSSL Singapore has always looked to offer new and exciting experiences for Singapore’s footballing community, especially our youth. We look forward to creating more fun and competitive opportunities for young footballers to pursue their passion for the sport.”
The event is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, following earlier support for the JSSL Singapore International 7s from 2017 to 2019. The JSSL Singapore FA Cup is the first tournament by JSSL in two years, after the 2020 edition of the Singapore International 7s was cancelled due to the pandemic. The JSSL Singapore International 7s, Asia’s premier youth 7-a-side football competition, is set to return in April 2022. More details will be shared when available.
For more information about the JSSL Singapore FA Cup, visit https://www.jssl-cup.com
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