SINGAPORE, Nov 30 — Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Forrest Li has revealed that he personally paid the S$2 million (RM6.4 million) bonus to the men’s national team for their historic Asian Cup qualification, while calling on corporate Singapore to step up and invest in the future of local football.
The tech billionaire and Sea Limited founder said his financial contribution should only be the “first step” in a broader community effort to usher in a “golden era” for the sport, The Straits Times reported.
At a press conference to announce Gavin Lee as the new Lions coach, Li was asked if the S$2 million bonus had come from his own pocket.
“The S$2 million you mentioned — that is from my own pocket. That’s my personal money,” Li confirmed, before quipping with a laugh, “I hope this will not always be the case, because if Gavin keeps winning, you need to buy me McDonald’s.”
His tone then turned serious as he made a direct appeal to the nation’s businesses.
“When the national team does well, everybody is happy... it’s really full of pride and joy,” he said.
“If you have resources, if you are a big corporation, I hope you can come forward to contribute, and I will make sure, as president of the FAS, that every single dollar is well spent.”
Li said the call came amid a groundswell of public support following the Lions’ dramatic 2-1 victory over Hong Kong, which secured their first-ever qualification on merit for the Asian Cup.
He cited the 2,000 travelling fans in Hong Kong and the more than 100 supporters who welcomed the team home at Changi Airport as encouraging signs.
“Right after our Hong Kong game, the FAS email and hotline received many inquiries,” he said. “We got a lot of emails saying, ‘We want to contribute.’”
Elected unopposed as FAS president in April, Li has pledged the “beginning of a golden era for Singapore football.”
