TODAY reports: “My primary goal as club chairman is to support Singapore football and bring back the passion and belief that, in my opinion, have been lost in recent years,” says Tampines Rovers chairman Krishna Ramachandra.
SINGAPORE: He snapped up nine top players from the disbanded LionsXII side, secured a deal with Ronaldinho to set up the Brazilian legend’s football academy in Singapore and, if all goes to plan, he may soon make the S.League’s long-time dream of a former English Premier League star plying his trade here a reality.
That is the remarkable job Krishna Ramachandra has done in his short tenure as Tampines Rovers chairman since taking over from Teo Hock Seng back in November last year.
In just two months, the 44-year-old lawyer has created more buzz in the S.League than the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) could over the past few years — which is exactly what he wants to do.
“My primary goal as club chairman is to support Singapore football and bring back the passion and belief that, in my opinion, have been lost in recent years,” said Krishna in an interview with TODAY.
The father of three — two boys and a girl — said he grew up in the generation of the Kallang Roar and tries his best to watch matches at the National Stadium whenever possible. And he hopes to see that recreated in the coming years.
“Everyone loved the Kallang Roar,” said Krishna, who is the head of Duane Morris & Selvam’s Corporate Finance and Investment and Private Client Practice Groups. “If I can recreate the nostalgia and emotion felt in those days through Tampines, it would be remarkable.”
With such eye-catching collaborations and big-name signings on the agenda, one wonders where the Stags are getting all the resources from. “That’s a good question,” answers Krishna with a laugh.
“The FAS and the S.League have been incredibly supportive with their subsidies and, apart from that, we are still blessed to have the funding from our main sponsors, Hyundai.”
Taking over from Teo, who led the Stags to five S-League titles, was never going to be an easy task, but Krishna, who was recommended for the job by his predecessor five years ago and spent the subsequent years as his understudy, said he has been relishing the experience so far.
“Mr Teo was a great mentor and his style of leadership and management is inspirational,” said Krishna.
“So far, it has been exciting and I can feel a positive buzz around the club. The fact that there are volunteers who want to help out convinces me that there is an innate enjoyment and desire to embrace football, which makes my job much easier.”
BALANCING YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVING SUCCESS
He plans to focus on two main areas in the next five years in his efforts to bring back the lost glory to local football: Youth development and helping the current crop of National Football Academy and national team players to aspire and strive for greater things.
Said Krishna: “For me, these are two philosophies that work hand in hand. There needs to be a right balance of both and one must not be shunned for the other. Or else it won’t work out.”
With so many national players in the squad, and with Jermaine Pennant waiting in the wings, it is clear that Tampines are favourites for the S.League title.
The Stags finished second last season, ceding the domestic crown to Brunei side DPMM. Some observers have even tipped the Stags to make a real impact in regional competitions such as the AFC Cup this season, and the AFC Champions League in future.
However, Krishna is not getting carried away just yet.
“Enjoy the game, I say that to the fans and that’s what I always tell the players as well,” he said. “I don’t want to pressurise the players.
“In fact I would be more than happy if they set their own targets because, as a team, they know what they can achieve.”
