Balestier Khalsa s Darwin Jalil joins FAS election fray

SINGAPORE – There is set to be a tussle for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) leadership after Balestier Khalsa vice-chairman Darwin Jalil submitted forms to contest in the elections just hours before the deadline on March 31.

Pending the FAS electoral committee’s checks on candidates’ eligibility, Darwin’s nine-member slate will take on the team headed by tech billionaire and Lion City Sailors chairman Forrest Li.

The deadline for nomination of candidates to the FAS general secretariat was 6pm on March 31 while the announcement of qualified candidates for the elections will be made on April 18, 10 days before the extraordinary congress to choose the office-bearers for the 2025-29 term.

Li, 47, founder of home-grown tech firm Sea Limited, threw his hat into the ring for the post on March 17, when nominations opened, while incumbent president Bernard Tan announced that he will not be seeking re-election for a second term on March 29.

The FAS elections will see teams put forward a slate of nine candidates – president, deputy president, four vice-presidents and three council members – with six other council-member positions to be contested on an individual basis.

Speaking to The Straits Times on March 31, Darwin, who is the executive director of events and facilities management firm Project Vaults Group and holds a Fifa diploma in club management, said he is looking forward to a battle to “steer Singapore football in the right direction”.

The 40-year-old added: “After serving two terms in football, I recognise that there have been a lot of promises made to the fraternity, which have not really been delivered.

“There’s more to football than just looking at the short-term success. We are focused on developing the men and women’s football, elevating the level of club management across all levels of football.

“Most