Latest news with #FAS
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Russia's cartel office proposes complete gasoline exports ban, sources say
MOSCOW, June 26 (Reuters) - Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has proposed a complete gasoline exports ban to tackle high fuel prices, three industry sources told Reuters on Thursday. Currently, there are restrictions only for a small portion of gasoline exports by re-sellers, while oil companies still have licenses to sell the fuel abroad. The restrictions are in place until August 31. FAS declined to comment. The decision on possible exports ban is taken by the government, while the regulator is able to put forward its proposals. The proposals to tighten the restrictions came as Russia's domestic gasoline wholesale price on a commodity exchange jumped to a two-year high earlier this month to around 65,000 roubles ($828.55) per metric ton. Russian government has several times applied temporary gasoline exports bans for the past two years to fight off the fuel shortages and high prices. The current restrictions exclude supplies to the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, a group of five former Soviet states, and to countries such as Mongolia with which Russia has intergovernmental agreements on fuel supplies. The biggest importers of Russian gasoline include Nigeria, Libya, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. ($1 = 78.4500 roubles)
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Singapore to face Cambodia, S. Korea and HK in inaugural U-16 girls' competition for Lion City Cup
Yeong Sheau Shyan, who won back-to-back Women's Premier League titles with the Lion City Sailors in 2022 and 2023, will lead the Singapore Under-16 girls at the 2025 Lion City Cup. PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE SINGAPORE – Supported by the Asian Football Confederation's Enhance Programme, the Lion City Cup's first Under-16 tournament for girls will see hosts Singapore take on Cambodia, South Korea and Hong Kong at the Jalan Besar Stadium from July 8-13. In a media statement on June 26, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) also announced that the 29th edition of the youth tournament will continue to feature an U-16 boys' category, with Singapore, Cambodia, Hong Kong and the Philippines taking part. The teams that finish top after three matches in the round-robin tournament will be crowned champions. FAS general secretary Chew Chun-Liang said in the statement: 'This year's edition marks an exciting new chapter in the Lion City Cup story. We are excited to have our girls involved in what is an important platform to showcase their ability to Singapore. 'Introducing the girls' tournament not only raises the profile of the women's game here, it also ensures that the Lion City Cup remains at the forefront of regional youth development.' The Singapore U-16 girls' team will be led by Yeong Sheau Shyan, the Lion City Sailors' head of women's football. Yeong, who won back-to-back Women's Premier League (WPL) titles with the Sailors in 2022 and 2023, said: 'We are making headway in improving the women's game here, and I'm delighted that we are expanding the space to include our young girls, and provide them an opportunity to compete at this level, in front of their family and friends. 'I'm looking forward to putting in the work to prepare our girls to grab that opportunity with both hands. Despite their tender age, some of our players already have a couple of seasons' experience in the WPL and I look forward to them displaying their quality in the Lion City Cup.' Calling it a huge honour to be part of the first competition for girls at the Lion City Cup, Singapore U-16 girls' captain Tyan Foong said: 'This is a fantastic platform for us to show what we're capable of, and we're really excited to play in front of our friends, family and local fans at Jalan Besar Stadium.' The girls will kick off the competition on July 8 with Cambodia taking on Hong Kong at 5pm, before Singapore play South Korea at 8pm. The following day, the boys will take to the pitch with Hong Kong meeting Cambodia at 5pm before Singapore face the Philippines at 8pm. Ashraf Ariffin, who is the Lion City Sailors' academy manager, will be the Singapore Under-16 boys' coach at the Lion City Cup. PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE Ashraf Ariffin, who is the Sailors' academy manager, will be the Singapore U-16 boys' coach. He said: 'We have some exciting talent coming through the ranks and this tournament is a platform for them to showcase their abilities. Results are important of course, but what will be most important is the team growth and individual development during the tournament.' Singapore U-16 boys' captain Zaki Jumlan said they are looking forward to testing themselves against quality opposition and see how far they have come as a group, adding: 'It will also be a good gauge of where we stand as we prepare for the AFC U-17 qualifiers.' While both coaches are from the Sailors set-up, FAS deputy president Desmond Ong said in a separate statement announcing their appointments that they have earned their place. 'They're there because they're the best in class here, and the Sailors had the resources to bring them to the club,' said the former BG Tampines Rovers chairman. 'If they can do with our national teams what they have done with their own teams, we should lean on them so we can get our teams up to a competitive level quickly, then build from there.' Tournament tickets, priced at $12 for adults and $6 for concession card holders, are available through Ticketek and the FAS website. First staged in 1977, the Lion City Cup was the world's first international youth football tournament for national teams, and was widely recognised as the inspiration behind the U-16 World Championship, now known as the U-17 World Cup, which was introduced in 1985. Over the years, the Lion City Cup has attracted youth sides from national teams as well as top clubs such as England's Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and Brazil's Flamengo. Players who have gone on to become top professionals include Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Girona midfielder Donny van de Beek. Singapore Under-16 hat-trick hero Ikhsan Fandi shooting at goal in a 3-3 draw against Liverpool U-15 in the 2015 Lion City Cup. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER On the home front, the tournament also served as a launchpad for many Lions including Fandi Ahmad, his sons Irfan and Ikhsan, Hariss Harun, Safuwan Baharudin and Izwan Mahbud. After an eight-year hiatus, the competition returned in 2023 with Thailand's BG Pathum United beating Malaysia's Selangor, Indonesia's Borneo and Singapore U-15s to the title. The Thai side lost to Japan's Tokyo Verdy in 2024, with Johor Darul Takzim and the Singapore U-16s also taking part. David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. 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Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
When it comes to appointing the next Lions coach, history is a great teacher
With the departure of Tsutomu Ogura, the FAS is on the hunt for its fourth national head coach in six years. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG When it comes to appointing the next Lions coach, history is a great teacher Here we go again. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is searching for its fourth national head coach in six years after Tsutomu Ogura's resignation was made public on June 24. The next step will be the most critical yet for the FAS and comes as the first major test for its new president, billionaire Forrest Li and his leadership team. Sure, there can never be a guarantee of success when hiring a new head coach (just ask the Manchester United hierarchy), but the FAS must do all they can to appoint someone who can give the Lions the best chance of flourishing. Before Ogura's appointment, sources indicated that Park Hang-seo, who had led Vietnam to the Under-23 Asian Cup final in 2018 and the Asian Cup quarter-finals in 2019, had been available, but FAS was ultimately unable to meet his salary demands. But word coming out of its Jalan Besar headquarters is that the best man for the job will be hired. ST understands that Li's priority is to ensure that the Lions are best-equipped, something that he had intimated strongly during an internal townhall. So we can assume that no stone will be left unturned and no expense is spared in this search. Even with increased resources, I hope the selectors remain level-headed. The temptation to opt for a headline-grabbing name – someone who dazzles because of his playing career – is strong. But that path is a slippery slope. Former United captain Bryan Robson had a spell to forget as Thailand coach from 2009 to 2011 and ex-England manager, the late Sven-Goran Eriksson, had a brief stint in charge of the Philippines, where they finished with three losses in as many matches in the 2019 Asian Cup. He left the post soon after. So the FAS does not need to pursue a marquee name, but the choice must convey a serious intent. Although Ogura came with plenty of experience in Japan, his two predecessors and compatriots – Takayuki Nishigaya and Tatsuma Yoshida – had also never managed a national team or a side in this region. They underwhelmed even before they started their tenures. On June 24, the FAS said in its media statement that it is looking for a candidate who 'possesses the vision, expertise, and leadership qualities to elevate Singapore football to the next level'. Internally, I hope they have a clearer and more specific criteria. The next coach must have the experience and knowledge of the region and Asian football, the personality to get the best out of our players, the ability to convince with his ideas and communicate that effectively enough for the Lions to hit the ground running. Former Johor Darul Takzim head coach Bojan Hodak, currently excelling at Indonesia Liga 1 side Persib Bandung and former Thailand tactician Mano Polking, who is with Viet side Cong An Ha Noi, have the credentials and the regional know-how to thrive as Lions coach. There are also other coaches who have excelled with national teams in this region. The hiring of South Korean tacticians Park or Shin Tae-yong, who led Vietnam and Indonesia respectively in recent years, would also represent a clear ambition. Besides getting this appointment right, the FAS must also do it quickly. The selectors must learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. When Yoshida stepped down in December 2021, it took the FAS four months to appoint a replacement in Nishigaya, which left him with having to fight a losing battle from day one. The Lions were presented with a kind draw in a single round-robin tournament for the Asian Cup qualifiers in June 2022. It was not until May 26 that year that Nishigaya held his first training session and the team had just one friendly against Kuwait six days later 1 before the Asian Cup qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan a week later. They lost 2-1 to the hosts, were defeated 1-0 by Tajikistan and beat Myanmar 6-2. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan both made the Asian Cup. The Lions and Nishigaya went home. The Lions circa 2025 are top of Group C in their Asian Cup qualifying campaign on goals scored, ahead of Hong Kong (four points), Bangladesh and India, who have a point apiece. Only the group winners will advance to the Asian Cup in 2027. They have four matches left, starting with back-to-back matches against India in October. There may not be a better time to make history with a maiden qualification to the Asian Cup for Singapore, whose only appearance came as hosts in 1984. When he was confirmed as the new FAS president in April, Li outlined his mission to 'bring joy and pride back to Singapore football'. FAS and Li, your next step could go a long way in reaching that objective. Over to you. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Independent Singapore
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Lions head coach Tsutoma Ogura quits his role in the national team, Gavin Lee steps in
SINGAPORE: For the fourth time in just six years, the Singapore national football team is in search of a new head coach. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) confirmed on Tuesday (June 24) that Tsutomu Ogura has stepped down from his role as national team coach, citing personal reasons that require his return to Japan, similar to his predecessor. Ogura's departure comes 16 months after his appointment in February 2024, during which he was tasked with leading not only the senior squad but also the U-23 and U-22 teams, in a bid to ensure better synergy between age groups and the potential for promotion of budding youth. A tenure of mixed results The 61-year-old Japanese coach brought with him experience as a former assistant with the Japan national team and sporting director of J-League 1 Yokohama F. Marinos. Despite his relatively short stint as a head coach, his only previous managerial role being a short stint with J-League 2 team Omiya Ardija, Ogura's arrival sparked cautious optimism following the underwhelming tenure of predecessor Takayuki Nishigaya. See also Can Wearing the Same Clothes Every Day Make You More Successful? Ogura's first game in charge saw a spirited 2-2 draw against China in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. However, momentum shifted quickly when the Lions were battered 7-0 by South Korea. The team did manage to reach the semifinals of the 2024 ASEAN Championship, defeating Cambodia and Timor-Leste, but results were often narrower than expected, and fans remained unconvinced. Friendly match losses to lower-ranked nations like Chinese Taipei and Nepal further frustrated supporters hoping for visible progress. While Singapore currently sits joint-top in Group C of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers after edging Bangladesh 2-1 in Dhaka, questions remain over the consistency of the team's performances under Ogura. Gavin Lee steps up Taking over on an interim basis is Gavin Lee, one of Singapore's most promising young coaches. The 34-year-old recently left his role at BG Tampines Rovers and had already been serving as an assistant under Ogura. Known for his data-based approach, analytics and tactical awareness, Lee is regarded by many online as a potential long-term solution. Whether Lee remains at the helm beyond the upcoming doubleheader against India in October will likely depend on both his performance and FAS' broader strategic direction. Foreign or local coach Speculation is already swirling over who could replace Ogura permanently. Names like Kadir Yahaya and Noor Ali have emerged as credible local contenders, while the FAS may also consider foreign coaches with regional experience, following in the footsteps of successful appointments like Vietnam's Park Hang-seo and Indonesia's Patrick Kluivert. Whoever takes over will face a pivotal challenge, capitalising on Singapore's current position in the Asian Cup qualifiers and building a team that can finally return to the continental stage after more than four decades. For now, as the Lions prepare for crunch fixtures in October and November, all eyes will be on whether Gavin Lee can steady the ship or if FAS will make yet another turn in its coaching carousel.
Malay Mail
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Tsutomu Ogura steps down as Singapore Lions coach for personal reasons
SINGAPORE, June 25 — Tsutomu Ogura has stepped down as head coach of the Singapore national team for personal reasons, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced yesterday. The Japanese coach took charge in February last year, guiding Singapore to the semi-finals of the Asean Championship. 'Mr Ogura informed the FAS of his decision several weeks ago, citing the need to return to his home country to attend to pressing personal matters,' it said in a statement. 'The FAS respects Mr Ogura's decision and extends its sincere appreciation for his professionalism, commitment, and contribution to Singapore football during his time at the helm.' Following Ogura's departure, former Tampines Rovers head coach Gavin Lee will step in as the country's interim manager. — Reuters
