Geylang set to partner Japanese side Yamaga
REPORTING FROM MATSUMOTO
Birds of a feather flock together and ambitious S.League side Geylang International (GIFC) are set to establish a close working relationship with promotion-chasing J2 League team Matsumoto Yamaga.
On Friday, Eagles chairman Ben Teng and GIFC management committee member Bambang Sugeng met with Ptarmigans president Fumiyuki Kanda and vice-presidents Yoshiyuki Kato and Tomonari Kamijo, as well as Epson representatives at the Yamaga office here in Matsumoto.
Seiko Epson Corporation sponsors Matsumoto Yamaga, while Epson Singapore backs Geylang International.
The New Paper understands that in Friday's meeting, the various parties discussed possibilities of training attachments and exchanges for coaches, senior and youth footballers, among other initiatives.
Teng said: "It was good to come and meet with the club president and vice-presidents to touch base and build a relationship with Yamaga.
"It was a progressive meeting and we are happy to play our part to help raise the standard of Singapore football at club and grassroots level."
POSITIVE
Kanda added: "We welcome our guests from GIFC and even though it is our first meeting, we had a good and positive discussion."
This is not the first time Yamaga have collaborated with Singapore football. Last June, three boys from the National Football Academy had a one-week training stint at Yamaga.
In March, Yamaga's youth academy director Takeshi Yamazaki, Under-18 coach Takahiro Usui, Under-15 coach Toshihiro Yahata and Under-12 coach Jun Hirabayashi visited Singapore as part of a three-day J.League exchange programme.
Six NFA boys - Under-15s' Ashley Yong, Christian Chiang Moroni, Elijah Lim and Nur Adam Abdullah, and Under-14s' Marc Tan and Vasileios Chua - are now in the midst of a one-week training attachment with Yamaga as part of a collaboration between Epson Singapore and the Football Association of Singapore.
Alvin Tan, Epson Singapore's general manager for regional business and marketing support, said: "We sense positive discussions on ideas of mutual football as well as community and youth-related activities between both clubs, and Epson is happy to link them together."
● David Lee's trip is courtesy of Epson Singapore, official partner of the Football Association of Singapore and the official office equipment partner of FAS.
It was a progressive meeting and we are happy to play our part to help raise the standard of Singapore football at club and grassroots level.
— GIFC chairman Ben Teng
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