Football West is looking at ways of developing closer ties with the Singapore FA after a successful Singa Cup campaign last week.
Football West sent three Gold Fields Regional sides to compete at the popular international youth tournament, with the Girls U14s and U16s both finishing third in their age groups.
It was also a productive trip off the pitch, with Football West General Manager - Football Perry Ielati and Business Development Manager Alex Novatsis holding discussions with the Singapore FA.
The pair met Singapore FA General Secretary Yazeen Buhari, Technical Director Michael Browne and Head of National Teams Eric Ong to explore a number of opportunities.
Mr Ielati said: “Football West is delighted to be sending teams overseas again and the boys and girls were a credit to their respective regions.
“It is always an exciting and rewarding experience for the players to compete against teams from other countries, and it is also enjoyable for those of us there as coaches and team managers.
“It was great seeing these young players from across WA making memories with teammates they had met just days before.”
Mr Ielati added: “Now we can travel overseas once more, it is a chance to explore how we can work with organisations such as the Singapore FA.
“They were keen to hear about the opportunities the State Football Centre will present, with a view to setting up possible training camps and sporting and cultural exchange visits.
“We also discussed female football development opportunities, and they were interested in hearing about Perth hosting games at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Singapore have stated their ambition of qualifying for future World Cup tournaments and it would be good to work with them in any way we can.
“We also discussed similarities and differences between juniors, men’s and women’s league structures in Singapore and Western Australia.
“Mr Buhari lived and studied in Perth over 20 years ago and played amateur football in our competitions, so he has an affinity and personal connection with WA.”
The discussions with the Singapore FA are in line with the Football West Asian Engagement Strategy, which is supported by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
