Indonesian rebels denied Singapore Cup entry
Reuters - Wednesday 02 March 2011, 09:11
SINGAPORE - Rebel Indonesian Premier
League (LPI) side Medan Chiefs have had their hopes of playing
in the Singapore Cup dashed by the city-state's football
association.
The LPI is an independent professional league launched in
January without recognition from world governing body FIFA or
the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), which has banned
the tournament's players from representing their national team.
Singapore national team captain Shahril Ishak and defender
Baihakki Khaizan resigned from the PSSI's Persib Bandung to join
the Chiefs and Medan had hoped their presence would convince the
Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to accept their
application.
"We were discussing the possibility of participating in the
Singapore Cup internally. So far, we have not submitted any
formal application," Medan Chiefs CEO Sihar Sitorus told Reuters
on Wednesday.
"The idea came to mind when we realised that we have five
players who recently played in the S.League. So, we thought it
would be good to have a reunion with the people in Singapore."
However, the FAS explained that because Medan are not
competing in a FIFA-recognised competition any application would
be rejected.
"FAS would only extend an invitation to foreign teams to
participate in any of our competitions, if these said teams are
affiliated to the member associations of the country the foreign
team is based in compliance with FIFA Regulations," an FAS
official told Reuters on Wednesday.
"All such invitations to foreign teams are channelled
through the member associations as these associations would have
to give their official consent to the participation of their
affiliates in overseas competitions or matches."
The Singapore Cup features 16 teams - 12 S.League clubs and
four foreign sides. The 2010 competition was won by Thailand's
Bangkok Glass and also featured Kitchee FC (Hong Kong), South
Melbourne (Australia) and Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodia).