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SINGAPORE: Two children were stopped by security personnel from bringing a poster in support of Singapore’s national football team into the National Stadium on Thursday (Jun 6), where the Lions were thumped 7-0 by South Korea in a sold-out World Cup qualifier.
In response to CNA’s queries, Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), which manages the Singapore Sports Hub, and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said on Sunday that the poster was larger than A3 in size and therefore did not meet the conditions of entry.
“Save for prior approved exceptions, our current rules do not allow signs or posters that are larger than A3 in size as large posters, when held up, may obstruct the view of fans behind,” they added.
KASM and FAS said it was “verified that the sign was larger than A3” and security personnel, who are trained to enforce this at the entry point, “had to, unfortunately, disallow” it as it did not meet the conditions of entry.
“This and other conditions of entry were made known to fans in advance of event day via an online event guide, event listings and an email to all ticket holders.”
KASM and FAS added the conditions of entry apply to “all football matches held at the National Stadium”, and this was “to ensure a positive collective fan experience” as well as for public safety.
“This includes a list of items which are not allowed inside the stadium for all football matches. These rules take reference from international guidelines set by (world football governing body) FIFA and are benchmarked with stadiums internationally,” they said.
“The Singapore Sports Hub and FAS are united in their goal to serve and provide a safe, memorable and enjoyable experience for all football fans at the National Stadium.”
Local sports outlet The Monitor first reported on Friday that the children’s father, who was not named, was unhappy “stadium security made us throw it away at the entrance”, and decried how they are “doing a good job of killing both the atmosphere and Singapore football”.
He added that the incident had left a sour taste as “my kids were watching the national team at the Sports Hub for the first time ever” and they were “in tears”.
The Monitor also queried why a female fan was able to bring in a poster of similar size in support of South Korea national football team captain and Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min on its Instagram page.
KASM and FAS told CNA that “we acknowledge that these checks may not always be 100 per cent accurate, in particular, when signs are folded and brought into the stadium in bags”.
“This was likely to have been the case for the Korean fan. We will work with our security team and strive to do better,” they added.
KIDS CAN MEET THE LIONS IN PERSON
On the two Singaporean children, KASM and FAS said they were “touched by their passion”.
“By preparing a poster to cheer our players, they indeed personify the spirit of our young Singaporeans who support our athletes through ups and down,” they added.
“We appreciate this support and invite them to reach out to us so that we can arrange for them a special experience meeting the Lions in person.”
The mauling by the Taeguk Warriors left the Lions rooted to the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and out of contention.
Singapore, who have one point from five matches, will next face Thailand in an away clash in Bangkok on Tuesday.
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