S'pore soccer boys back home after aborted training stint

All 25 Singaporean boys, who had their training stint at the Genoa International School of Soccer (GISS) cut short because of payment issues, are now back in Singapore.

The boys returned home on Thursday afternoon, much to the relief of their friends and families. Singapore football icon Fandi Ahmad, who helped select the boys, was part of the welcoming party but declined comment.

The boys, aged 17 to 21, now await the outcome of the dispute between Sembawang Soccer Academy (SSA) and GISS, to see if they will resume the second half of their five-month training stint in Vicenza.

K C Loi, SSA's GM, said: "It is not a shortage of funds, in fact there was a sponsor who wanted to sponsor SSA for this particular trip. The funds from our sponsor is being delayed. So because of the delay by the sponsor, so we have to hold back our fund to pay the people from GISS."

GISS have now given SSA an ultimatum to make good on half the total amount owed, some S$658,000.

Gloria James-Civetta, GISS' lawyer, said: "We are just going to give them till the 27th (of October) and if... they can't make any payment by then, my instructions is to proceed, because it is a breach of contract."

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