Singapore youngsters make a splash in Niigata Sports School players find out how they are different from Japanese peers

Source From Today

NIIGATA (Japan) - They do not look Japanese nor speak a word of the language.

Yet the students from the Singapore Sports School - goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad, midfielders Amirul Adli, Muhaimin Suhaimi and Adam Swandi, and forward Andin Addie Djayady - have attracted plenty of interest from local media in Niigata, where they are on a 10-day training stint with J-League side Albirex Niigata.

The Singapore players were officially introduced yesterday at a media conference at the Japan Soccer College (JSC). Their presence in Niigata has attracted coverage from the likes of NST TV and TV Niigata, which broadcast a two-minute segment on the boys during their prime time evening news slot on Tuesday.

Leading daily Nippon Sports also carried a report and their correspondent Kentaro Nakade said: "We are always interested to find out more about the talented foreign players."

When Today caught up with the teenagers during a training session at the JSC yesterday, the five hardly looked out of place, but Amirul and Adam revealed their first training session on Sunday was quite a "shock".

"I didn't think their standard was different from ours until we started to play," said 16-year-old Adam.

"Their passing was so quick and they made split-second decisions. They already knew what they wanted to do before they got the ball, whereas we decide only after getting the ball. It was quite a shock, but I think we have adapted."

Despite freezing conditions where snow had to be cleared off the JSC's astropitch, the five looked comfortable going through training drills with their Japanese peers from the college - the JSC develop youth players for clubs like Albirex Niigata - and even shared jokes with them at the end of the session despite the language barrier.

"The players here are very serious about their football and take care of themselves off the pitch, and it's something that has impressed me," said 17-year-old Muhaimin, a member of the Singapore national under-16 side that lost last year's Canon Lion City Cup final to Flamengo.

The 10-day stint between Albirex Niigata (Singapore) - Albirex Niigata's satellite club in the S-League - and the Sports School was brokered by leading sports brand adidas, which sponsors both. The stint costs more than S$20,000 but about 80 per cent of it has been borne by the E W Barker Endowment Fund.



Tan Yo-Hinn's trip to Niigata is courtesy of adidas (Singapore) and Albirex Niigata (Singapore).