Singapore cerebral palsy football team ‘disadvantaged’ but ‘have done well’: Coach
Team Singapore Cerebral Palsy footballers (in blue), together with coach Mohamed Zainudeen (with cap), team manager Leonard Tan (behind Zainudeen) and support staff Yip Siu Ming (far left), pose for the cameras with their food creations. They are joined by sports dietitians from Singapore Sports Institute (in red). (Photo: Bryan Kwa)
By Bryan Kwa
Two weeks before the start of the 8th ASEAN Para Games (APG), Team Singapore cerebral palsy (CP) football coach Mohamed Zainudeen has mixed feelings.
Speaking to Yahoo Singapore on the sidelines of a nutrition workshop for his squad at the Singapore Sports Institute on Wednesday night (18 Nov), Zainudeen revealed that two of team's best players, captain Khairul Anwar and vice-captain Muhammad Mubarak, are being rested because of knee injuries.
Describing them as "pillars of the team", Zainudeen said Khairul is a defender and "scores a lot of goals from set pieces", while Mubarak is the team's "top goal scorer".
"Sadly, they are injured. That's because they have been through a lot of work.” said Zainudeen.
Zainudeen explained that his team is "disadvantaged" even before they step on the pitch due to the classification system. He explained that CP football employs a classification system based on the athlete's condition – from C5 for the "weakest" player to C8 for the "strongest" player.
While other teams have one or two C5 players, Team Singapore has six, Zainudeen said. The team also has no C8 players.
Both Khairul and Mubarak are C7 players. Zainudeen said that both have not been ruled out for the Games.
"We have been advised that they can do light training, non-vigorous work for now, and they should be ready for the Games."
While his team won Silver in the previous edition of the APG, Zainudeen is circumspect about his charges’ chances this time round.
The Team Singapore squad remains largely the same, with 10 out of 13 players having competed in the Games before. However, the other teams – Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia – have refreshed squads with a new slate of players, said Zainudeen.
He pointed out that while Singapore beat Thailand in the last APG, his team lost to Thailand during a recent training tour. Still, he is “really looking forward” to the upcoming competition and is “really satisfied” with his charges. “They all have worked so hard,” he said, explaining that the team had to balance training with other commitments such as work, school or national service.
“Even with all these constraints, they have done well,” he said.
Footballer Muhammad Shafiq, 22, who joined the team two years ago and competed in the previous APG, said, "We are feeling great because it's getting closer and we are really ready for it, although there are some things we really need to work on.”
Newcomer Abdul Mahdi, 31, who joined the team in August, is “excited” for the Games and is looking forward to a medal, although he is “a bit nervous” as this will be his first APG.
Shafiq added, “As long as we enjoy and we do our best, that’s all that matters.”
The 8th ASEAN Para Games takes place from 3-9 December. Admission to all sports events is free.
