Source: Shamir Osman
SINGAPORE - The Courts Young Lions (CYL) 2012 side in the S-League no longer feature Singapore internationals Hariss Harun, Safuwan Baharudin and Izwan Mahbud.
The under-23 side lost 13 of their biggest names when V Sundramoorthy's LionsXII ship sailed into Malaysian football territory.
And with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announcing on Saturday that Young Lions will be the only S-League club the LionsXII will turn to for reinforcements when the Malaysian Super League mid-season transfer window opens on April 2, the team could lose more key players.
But title sponsors Courts remained unfazed that the Young Lions have effectively been turned into a feeder squad for the LionsXII project and have pledged to continue backing the S-League club.
The two-year title sponsorship deal worth S$1 million - one of the biggest in S-League history - was signed on Jan 27 last year and will run out before the start of the 2013 season.
When asked if recent developments will affect contract renewal talks, Courts Asia chief executive officer Terry O'Connor said: "No, our objective of sponsorship is about supporting local football and raising awareness and its profile.
"With discussions still underway, it is still too premature to comment, (but) our decision will not be based on this announcement."
O'Connor, instead, drew inspiration from the Young Lions exodus, taking it as a sign of the success of the club's vision of player development.
"CYL has always been a team consisting of young upcoming players who have a great potential for bigger things in the football scene. Having players from CYL move into a regional level means they are now ready to step up to their full potential which is a great occasion for the players themselves," he said. "For the team, it now means that it can take on new players who also have the potential which will inject new excitement into the CYL matches."
The Young Lions are currently bottom of the 13-team S-League, having lost both their games. They have yet to find the net and have conceded four goals.
Today understands the LionsXII have their eyes on a few Young Lions, including skipper Hafiz Abu Sujad and Al-Qaasimy Abdul Rahman.
According to O'Connor, the partnership with the Young Lions, which has seen the likes of Pele, Manchester United hero Eric Cantona and Italian World Cup winning skipper Fabio Cannavaro come to Singapore, has been a successful one.
He said: "The primary objective of being a sponsor of CYL is about supporting a sport that is very close to the hearts of our customers and football is a very inclusive sport that many can relate to.
"At the same time, our customers also get the opportunity to see this interaction through in-store promotions, such as the football clinic with Cannavaro, which not only creates awareness for CYL but also enhances our customers' shopping experience at our stores."
When contacted yesterday, the FAS did not shed any light on a contract extension with Courts.
FAS deputy director for marketing and competitions Ridzal Saat said: "We are grateful to have a forward-looking and community driven company like Courts supporting the Young Lions which is our developmental squad in the S-League.
"Besides providing us with the financial muscle, Terry (O'Connor) and his team are constantly looking at fresh and innovative ideas to reach out to the community and engage fans ... We will continue to work closely with them to ensure every cent invested is translated to better fans experience and also makes community sense."
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