Six teens set for Albirex stint in Japan Sports School links up with S-League side to send young footballers on a 10-day attachment in Niigata

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SINGAPORE - In what could be a first for local football, six youngsters from the Singapore Sports School's football academy are on course for a training stint with J-League Division 1 team Albirex Niigata.

Final details are still being worked out between the Sports School and Albirex Niigata (Singapore), who finished fourth in last year's S-League.

The Japanese side have been playing in the S-League since 2004 and serve as a feeder squad to the senior team that compete in the J-League.

If there is no last minute hitch, the link-up will be the first that involves a foreign club in the S-League.

Today understands the six players are Muhammad Hazim Faiz Hassan and Muhammad Muhaimin Suhaimi (from the current under-17 squad of the National Football Academy), Adam Swandi and Muhammad Ammirul Azmi (U-16 squad) and Andin Addie Djayady Agustino Saman and Muhammad Zharfan Rohaizad (U-15).

Hazim and Muhaimin played for the Singapore U-16s and Adam and Ammirul turned out for the U-15s at last year's Canon Lion City Cup.

The U-16s finished runners-up to Brazil's Flamengo while the under-15s took third spot after beating Italy's Juventus 4-0.

Sports apparel giants adidas, who are sponsors of the Sports School's football and track and field teams, initiated the link-up between the two parties.

Speaking to Today, Trevor Teo, adidas' senior manager of brand and sports marketing (South-east Asia) said: "Where adidas comes from is we want to help attract the next generation of athletes ... and the Singapore Sports School is one of our key partners.

"They wanted a stint with an overseas club so we asked if they would want to work with Albirex Niigata, which is one of the football clubs that we sponsor in Japan.

"The club also wants to give back to Singapore football after playing in the S-League for so many years."

The youngsters will either be based at the Japanese club's training facility in Niigata Seiro Sports Centre or Ijimino Sports Park.

The group, led by the gifted Adam and attacking whiz Hazim - who led the Sports School's 'C' Division team to first place at the 2011 National Inter-School Football Championship and was awarded the Golden Boot - will be based at Albirex from March 9 to 18 and will train with the J-League club's age-group teams.

The cost of the 10-day stint will likely be borne by the Sports School and parents of the student-athletes.

Former national coach P N Sivaji said that the training stint with one of Japan's most popular professional clubs would be an eye-opener for the young footballers.

"Any exposure for these kids is very good. More importantly, Albirex Niigata has a strong pedigree as a J-League football team and the young players should grab the opportunity to learn and do as much as they can.

"Japanese clubs are known for their hard work and professionalism and the youths can see how they train and play," he told Today.

Tampines Rovers' veteran striker Aleksandar Duric also gave the initiative the thumbs up.

Said the national attacker: "I think it's a great opportunity for younger boys to try something different.

But the stint is too short - they should send the full team for a longer period of time to different countries.

"The Chinese have sent their team to Brazil and Spain for years to train. If you really want to improve football you need to send them on longer stints of six months or more."