Now all that’s left for you and your date to do is to hook on those diamond earrings, and shine up those leather shoes.

 Water: Sabio By The Sea

Nothing spells nautical glam in Singapore like Sentosa Cove does, and tucked in this intimate corner of Quayside Isle, alongside swanky docked yachts, is Spanish tapas bar and grill, Sabio By The Sea. 

Borne from the original Sabio at Duxton Hill since last December, Sabio By The Sea is fresh and vibrant, with a finely tuned marriage of traditional Spanish elements with contemporary art – perfect for the fun-loving and outgoing couple.

Inspired by the Spanish Mediterranean ambience, Sabio By The Sea features grilled seafood and meats from the Josper charcoal oven, specially flown in from Spain, imparting whatever’s popped into it with  a signature earthy flavour, and perfect drool-inducing crisp char marks.

The Espárrago ($18) is a medley of all things perfectly cooked. The grilled asparagus with paprika and sherry vinaigrette is sweet and tangy, and is topped with a generous serving of thinly sliced serano ham shavings, with a soft poached egg with molten yellow in between.

If your date and you aren’t fans of seafood, the La Carne ($39) is sure to satisfy. Forget skinny cuts of steak drowning in undifferentiated black pepper sauce or mushroom gravy—instead, expect a generously thick 300g of rib eye grilled medium rare, served with a side of Salsa de Tomate Picante.

Also perfect to have while you’re enjoying the sea breeze is a popular diner’s favourite- the El Pulpo ($19). Grilled octopus leg plated atop purple “Viola” mash potato is drizzled with paprika sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice. The octopus barely escapes being tough and chewy, but the texture of the sweet-savoury creamy mash is a delight.

But if you want to cut straight to the chase, then bring on the paella. Sabio By The Sea has a small variety of the rice dish synonymous with Spain, and perfect for this season of love, these are strictly for sharing. A serving for 2 to 3 people costs $25, while a bigger portion for a table of 3 to 4 people costs $43. UrbanWire tried the Paella de Pescado, and the only thing you could pick at is perhaps too big a portion of seafood: squid, mussels, clams, shrimps, and sea bass totally dominated the dish. A happy problem for all but those with cholesterol issues and tiny appetites.

End the date on a sweet note with Churros and a chocolate sauce dip ($11), Spain’s answer to soft American pretzels and doughnuts. The crunchy fried dough snack is rolled over with sugar and cinnamon and has a noticeably crispy outside that bites away to reveal a soft chewy inside.

Photos courtesy of Noel Teo and Deliciae Hospitality Management

Our favourite at Sabio By The Sea is the Espuma de turron ($9), a Spanish nougat mousse dessert. Served in a classy cocktail glass, it is a nougat and caramel fan’s dream. Molten caramel nougat at the base of the glass is followed by a scoop of nougat ice cream, and finally finished with whipped nougat and dusted with caramel bits to top. Don’t be afraid of getting a cavity, though; this dessert is surprisingly light and ends the meal on a perfect note.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day (and Chinese New Year), Sabio By The Sea is currently promoting 1-for-1 glasses of Sangria through the month of February.

Address: 31 Ocean Way, Quayside Isle, #01-02
Tel: 6690 7568

Opening hours:

• Mondays to Thursdays 12 pm to 10 pm
• Fridays 12 pm to 12 am
• Saturdays 12 pm to 12 am
• Sundays 10.30 am to 10 pm

Price rating: $-$$$$$

Earth: Graze

Old-school romantics may prefer to steal away from the urban landscapes to the charming black and white colonial bungalows of Rochester Park. There you’ll find Graze, a restaurant with a cosy and romantic ambience that serves contemporary Australian cuisine.

Photos courtesy of Graze

You can choose to dine with your date in the alfresco lounge surrounded by fresh foliage and water features, while soaking in the old Hollywood romance while the outdoor screen plays vintage classics. But if air-conditioning will better preserve your date’s expensive hairdo, then head on inside to almost farmhouse-styled furnishings, with plenty of conversational pieces for company.

Graze’s chef Timothy Maudson, who has worked as a head chef in South Coast at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, has crafted an exquisite 4-course Valentine’s Day set menu at $88++ for lovers, featuring 2 or more choices for each course to tickle your collective fancy.

For the amuse-bouche, or appetizer, UrbanWire had the scallop as we sipped on our glass of complimentary champagne (included in the set menu). Graze flaunts their mastery of a seared scallop plated with yarra valley salmon caviar, and, like a pretty bow to wrap up the dish, a white chocolate foam drizzled over that complements it beautifully with a romantic twist.

Moving on to the entrée—we had a taste of 2 of the choices offered. First up was beetroot with crushed black olives, port-soaked muscatel, and feta cheese crumbled over. While it’s an acquired taste, adventurous diners will rejoice with the variety of beetroots in this earthy dish.

Native to Australia is the angasi oyster, which we had in ginger wine emulsion with fresh almonds and samphire, a sea asparagus grown on the Australian coast. Smoked gently with burnt hay, this dish boasts tart and nutty flavours, marrying land and sea—just like how opposites attract.

Hold yourself from digging in mercilessly if you decide to pick the BBQ rib eye steak as your main course. As if the tender and juicy red meat with fennel and jus vinaigrette isn’t enough, Graze further indulges you with a lovely creamed polenta and foie gras, even thoughtfully adding a little sauce dish of rose salt for this special occasion. To show your readiness to sacrifice for your love, at least offer your date a small bite!

Or you can try the Aubergine: an eggplant-filled ravioli drenched in burnt butter truffle veloute with wilted baby spinach and charred zucchini flowers. This buttery and light dish is a spin on the ravioli on their à la carte menu.

Finally, end off the dinner date with sweetness on your tongue. This summer pudding of bread soaked in wild berries and rose with a hint of liqueur will stimulate your tongue and palette- perfect, we think, to close off an elegant dinner and head off for drinks.

Alongside its Valentine’s Day set menu, Graze is also holding private dining at its intimate balcony space for 6 couples at $188 per person with a bottle of champagne. Private tables are running out fast, so if you have like minded friends you’d like to celebrate the night with, call to reserve a table pronto.

Address: 4 Rochester Park
Tel: 6775 9000

Opening hours:

• Closed on Mondays
• Breakfast/Brunch: Sunday – 9.30 am to 3 pm
• Dinner: Tuesday to Sunday – 6.30 pm to Midnight
• Lounge: Tuesday to Sunday – 6.30 pm to 1 am

Note: Closing hours: Extended to 2 am on Saturdays and eve of public holidays.

Price rating: $$-$$$$$

Air: The Chocolate Bar

Sweets for your sweet? What could be more romantic than indulging in the Food that gives you the same buzz as Love on the luxurious rooftop deck of Marina Bay Sands, overseeing the Infinity Pool spilling into the city’s skyline? The Chocolate Bar at The Club at Marina Bay Sands will tend to a chocoholic’s every desire—the perfect place to bring your date for desserts and drinks.

At $78++ per person, with complimentary roses for the ladies, be prepared to surrender yourselves to over 50 chocolate-based creations at this buffet. Come by with a sense of adventure, because Executive Pastry Chef, Ryan Witcher, pulls out all the stops at attempting to create layers of textures and flavours in each dessert.

Each serving is thoughtfully portioned out individually, or in dessert shooter glasses that give you room to fill your stomach with all 57 desserts (if only you can handle all that sweetness).

The Chocolate Bar has a few specially crafted desserts that they’ve been publicising. One of them is the Botanica, made to commemorate the opening of the Gardens by the Bay. It consists of Sicilian Sáble with fresh raspberries, and a White Chocolate-Marigold Whipped Ganache to top. This milky and flowery dessert will blossom in your mouth and have you heading for a second or third serving.

The Warm Marbled Chocolate Brioche is a great alternative for those who tend to avoid cloying cocoa treats. The bread, although rich, has a fluffy texture to it, the way good brioche breads should. Break off a chunk, then pop it in your mouth and allow yourself to be transported briefly to Cloud Nine—if your date hasn’t done that for you already!—as it slides down your throat so smoothly. For the extremely sweet-toothed, pair the bread with the various chocolate and jam spreads available, like Nutella and marmalade.

Photos courtesy of Marina Bay Sands

However, if you’re a chocolate connoisseur, then we ought to warn you that not all of the desserts live up to their swanky names. The 35% Ivory Chocolate Ganache didn’t taste as decadent as it sounded, neither did the Strawberry-Basil Truffle Pop.

But for a few of the lacklustre desserts, The Chocolate Bar more than makes up for it with an extravagant variety of pralines, ganaches, macarons and soufflés, and a breathtaking view with your date to make you both feel on top of the world. Literally.

Address: 10 Bayfront Avenue 57th Floor Sky Park
Tel: 6688 8858

Opening Hours:

• Mondays to Sundays 8pm – midnight

Price Rating: $$$-$$$$

And he’s not just saying that to score points, he’s literally been to Singapore every year since 2009, even serenading local actress Jeanette Aw at the Star Awards in 2012. It’s clear how familiar he feels with his Singapore fans. At his recent Meet and Greet session, he gave almost every single fan queuing a warm hug.

“I’mma sing-and-pour my heart out… Singapore,” he cheekily enunciates in the middle of talking about his latest concert here.

But judging by the lukewarm response of the media at the press conference, he probably failed to crack a successful oronymic pun with the crowd. Nevertheless, the boyish singer’s spirits weren’t dampened.

At his press conference on Jan 17 at The Butter Factory, Jay Park looked the picture perfect poster boy of Korea’s hip-hop scene in a denim blue and grey ensemble, his left arm a canvas of tattoos, reminiscent of one of his musical influences, American hip-hop legend Eminem.

Unlike the politically correct and often humdrum tweets of other K-pop celebs like Se7en, and Taeyang from BIGBANG, Jay’s explicit ones, like this of his dog, Peatry,  allow him to keep things real with his fans, as do his postings on Instagram a couple of times every day. “I just want people to remember me as not just an artiste, but a humble and laidback guy- like I’m your friend, almost,” Jay expressed, as he thoughtfully took his time with each question from the media.

With 3 EPs and a full studio album New Breed released since 2009, Jay has been teasing fans about the release of his second studio album through his tweets and YouTube channel, with President of Seoul digital music distributor, DFSB Kollective, Bernie Cho branding him as “his own PR agent, fan club president and TV network”.

New Breed’s successes on Korean and international charts in 2011 (even reaching #1 on the US iTunes RnB/Soul chart) took Jay by surprise. “I was very honoured and surprised that I was even in the Top 10 because I produced the whole album myself, and just to have that accomplishment meant a lot to me,” he said.

Well, we’re sure he understands that also means higher expectations for his upcoming album, but he’s already got that covered. “I’ve sort of had writer’s block for a couple of months, but it’s been going good. I’ve had 11 songs done so far, and I’m planning to get about 5 or 6 more,” said Jay on the progress of his album. In addition to those who worked with him on New Breed, like Dynamic Duo, and Dok2, he’s hoping to rope in E-Sens from hip-hop duo Supreme Team, and fellow Korean-American K-pop star (and his old buddy), Ailee.

Speaking of collaborations, K-pop fans went wild when G-Dragon from BIGBANG, one of K-pop’s leading artistes, posted a photo of Jay and him on Twitter, and they’ll be glad to know this: “I’m definitely open to it, and he’s open to it. We just got to get the right song together, and hopefully in the near future, it’ll happen.”

Jay all dressed up at the Meet and Greet session for his fans

But between producing his album and bboy-ing with his crews, Art of Movement and Prepix, what’s a regular Jay Park day like? “I can’t stay still, I always have to move,” the strapping hunk tells UrbanWire. “I get stressed out if I can’t work out for more than a week or 2. I tan, because you got to make the muscles look good. I practise flips at night, which also incorporates into my bboy-ing and on stage, and I write songs, raps, and do Youtube stuff,” referring to his mini-series, Jay Park TV on his YouTube channel.

Although he claims his body isn’t in perfect shape, the wild screams from his mostly teenage female fans as he peeled his shirt off onstage at his concert on Jan 18 at The Star Performing Arts Centre, say otherwise. In the whopping 5000-seat venue (that’s 2.5 times bigger than Esplanade’s theatre), Jay performed nearly 20 songs for only about 200 fans. And even with the vast number of empty seats, the undeterred star continued the show with such overwhelming charisma that it would’ve been enough to fill a sold-out hall.

He started the show with “Nothing on You”, a rendition of B.o.B’s debut single that first started out as a viral YouTube cover in the bathroom, but catapulted Jay to his solo career with over 2 million views, according to NY1, in just 1 day.

Jay obviously didn’t need to dress to impress, in his T-shirt, black jeans, and a pair of shades, because every little thing he did drove the fans crazy. If you weren’t paying attention for a second and you heard a wave of piercing screams, you probably didn’t miss much because he only took his shades off.

With 4 fellow Prepix crew members as his backup dancers, Jay showed off slick dance skills, and pretty impressive vocal stamina too. Even after full dance choreographies in “Abandoned” and a couple of bboy stunts, Jay still managed to belt out slow jams like “I Got Your Back” and “Star”.

After pumping up the audience’s adrenaline, the fast raps and complex dances took a back seat as Jay turned up his sex appeal a few notches – just for the ladies.

“Sorry to the guys,” Jay coyly apologised, before breaking out in slow hip gyrating and shirt lifts in “Turn Off The Phone” and the sexually explicit “Do What You Do” from his free online mixtape FreshA!R:Breathe!T. The response? Let’s just say the girls were extremely appreciative.

The last slow song for the night was “I Love You”, a song featuring Dynamic Duo. Jay stripped his performance down to just him and a microphone stand, leaving the dancing to his crew. Boasting a little, he said, “Have you guys heard the new Justin Timberlake song? Same producer!” The crowd gave a big “Oooh” to Jay’s proud and boyish grin.

Between almost every song, Jay made the most of the concert with short candid talk sets about his upcoming album, and what he’s been doing in Singapore. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much audience interaction as the massive hall’s echo-ey acoustics didn’t help. It took a group of fans almost 5 repeated screaming of “Take it off!” before he heard and blurted out, “You perverts!”

Only 5 songs later, at the encore performance did he finally take that shirt off in “Body2Body” to parade his ‘chocolate’ abs, which prompted fans to finally leave their seats and charge to the front of the stage. It was indeed 2 mutual acts of gratification now that his latest gig here had come to a close, and as the fans filed out of the theatre giddy with ecstasy, Jay had once again managed to keep Singapore swooning over him.  

All photos courtesy of Agenda Events Management.

In just a few months leading up to the premiere of Part 2, leading lady Kristen Stewart’s affair with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders, left her off-screen romance with her on-screen husband Robert Pattinson in brief turmoil, sending waves of uproar among fans.

But now that Breaking Dawn- Part 2 is finally here, fans will probably be mourning hysterically (again), and its naysayers will say prayers of thanks that the Twilight Saga is finally over.

Breaking Dawn- Part 2 starts off immediately from where the first one ended, so if you didn’t catch Part 1, which was also directed by Bill Condon, you’re going to find it tough to catch up. The first of the two-part film left us with the married Bella Cullen (Stewart) as a newly transformed vampire after the painful birth of her half-human, half-vampire daughter, Renesmee.

Part 2 sees the first flourishing of Bella’s new vamp party tricks: red eyes ablaze with an insatiable thirst for blood, super strength, and agility. Long gone is the damsel-in-distress, who’s now sprinting alongside husband Edward Cullen (Pattinson), barefoot and enjoying her new HD eyesight and her nose of a bloodhound on her first hunt.

Bella finally gets to hold her beautiful, albeit creepy, CGI-animated baby, but her joy is short-lived when she finds out that her werewolf best friend and former love interest Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) has imprinted (i.e when wolves involuntarily find their soulmate) on her daughter Renesmee. What ensues is probably Bella’s first real spurt of emotion; Her rage/thinly disguised jealousy at Jacob for his pedophilic love for her child and the morose nickname of “Nessie” he’s given her will have you laughing, for the first of many more times in the film, at Stewart’s droll comic acting.

The lightning speed of Renesmee’s growth calls for almost 10 child actresses before Mackenzie Foy finally takes to the screen. Foy brilliantly brings to the role a childlike innocence and mystical aura, much like what child actor Pierce Gagnon brought to the role of Cid in Looper. The chemistry with her on-screen mother, however, is less natural and realistic. Stewart appears almost uncomfortable and too young to have maternal instincts, and they look far more believable as a pair of well-bonded orphan sisters.

No thanks to tattletale cousin vampire Irina (played by Maggie Grace of Taken), who alerted the Volturi that an immortal vampire child, illegal to the vampire world due to their lack of self-control, was borne from Edward and Bella, the enraged “royalty” clan of the vampires makes their way down from Italy to destroy Renesmee and the Cullens. As a result, the Cullens start to gather as many vampire allies as they can to defend Renesmee from a possible war waged by the Volturi.

Whatever that leads up to the climax of the film so far is tiresome monotony dressed up with special effects and a beautiful extended cast with primed and poreless pale skin. But once the Volturi rise from the horizon to the small army of vampires and werewolves that await them in the final fifth of the film, it’s finally time to sit on the edge of your seat.

The theatrically animated Michael Sheen, who plays Aro, the leader of the Volturi, brings life (pun intended) to the overall lukewarm performances from the rest of the Twilight cast. It’s a pity that even the multi-award-nominated Dakota Fanning hardly speaks more than a sentence in the entire film while playing Jane, a member of the Volturi who maintains order by mentally inflicting severe pain unto her victims.

While you might be hoping for a Gladiator-esque rampage of the vampires severing each other’s heads all at once (did we just hear a “Thank Goodness”?), they instead engage in tame negotiations. When the Cullens finally convince Aro that Renesmee is harmless, the look of enlightenment on his face is almost irksome. Wait, what? Is this really all you’re getting after paying $10 to see this? Thankfully, no. The Volturi’s execution of Irina for her mistake is a visual spectacle of bloodless gore which, in turn, leads to such an unpredictable twist ending that it could almost redeem the first bleak 90 minutes of the film.

However weak Melissa Rosenberg’s screenplay might have been, Twi-hards will grab what they can get, helping Breaking Dawn- Part 2 haul USD$340.9 million worldwide in its first week, instantly putting the highest-grossing Bond movie, Skyfall, into the second spot on the global box office. It’s clear as daylight that the undying love for the characters, the books, and the actors, will keep the Twilight Saga film franchise afloat, no matter what actually appears on screen. And even though the curtain has fallen for the last time, thousands of girls are still likely to be steadfast in waiting with their necks bared for their knight in sparkling armour.

Movie: Breaking Dawn- Part 2
Rating: 2.5/5
Release Date: Nov 22, 2012 (Singapore)
Duration: 116 minutes
Language: English
Age Rating: PG13
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Thriller
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Michael Sheen

The 1967 Aston Martin Mini Cooper Classic permanently parked in front, is a pricey prop that sets of Fullhouse cafe up like a friend’s 2-storey house you’d visit.

In its disarmingly welcoming approach lies the unique and homey character of this franchise café from Malaysia that is celebrating its official opening on Apr 16.

Fullhouse is nothing short of a girl’s dream house, within you’ll find Victorian décor, tasteful art pieces, warm white walls and parquet floors, built around 5 adorable characters the Fullhouse family- Dad and Mom Thomas and Tracy, children Tony and Tiffani, and pet dog Toy. Up on the second floor, you’ll find a lovely water fountain before the main dining area. There’s also a function room, which doubles as a great place for live band performances, or even movie screenings. Even more impressive is the “study room”, which comprises of lushly decorated rooms dedicated to private dining. For the ladies, there is a “bedroom” set aside solely for a little retail therapy, being stocked with the Spring/Summer collection from local designer Jo Soh’s brand, HANSEL.

Walk further in, and you’ll reach a quaint courtyard, with curious little doves perched atop lush hedges, where you’ll find the Fullhouse bar.

For the higher-end prices you pay, close to Fish & Co., Spizza and the likes, Fullhouse has every intention to make you feel of importance while you’re there; waitresses are dressed as chambermaids, while the waiters are dressed as chefs. However, Fullhouse has some room for improvement when it comes to customer service. While the staff are warm with great smiles, it seems they’re just a tad young and inexperienced- but that’s nothing some time and experience can’t change.

Apart from the décor concept, patrons will choose to come here for its quality fusion menu, which has culinary elements from French, Italian, and American, to Korean, Japanese and Chinese food. While the less adventurous might steer away from the sometimes tricky east-meets-west cuisine Fullhouse has a rather well put-together menu of tantalising creations.

The Salmon Salad ($16.90) is a great, although expensive, appetiser to start off with. The smoked salmon is just salty enough, and the tangy fresh blow-torched mangoes and boutique salad simply makes you salivate for your main course.

The best-selling dish here (as in all 5 branches in Malaysia) is the Wok-Sear Chicken Chop ($16.90). For sure, the chicken chop is a common dish, but Fullhouse lathers on a sauce that sets it apart from most – its black pepper raisin jus. Raisins sautéed in black pepper sauce are a sweet complement to the juicy grilled thigh meat, and with a side of mashed potato and their selection of daily vegetable, it’s a wholesome dish at a relatively affordable price compared to the other main course items in the menu.

The Braised Lamb Shank ($28.90) comes accompanied with a ratatouille and thyme emulsion and is lovingly braised for 3 to 4 hours every morning, and, according to Head Chef, Leo Sia, “each portion is heated up by slow-cooking it in gravy”. The hard work put into cooking this dish translates well on the palette; the meat is tender and carries the flavor of the sauce beautifully.

If you’re hankering more for pasta, their Alfredo Spaghetti ($17.90) is far better than most cream sauce pasta at this price. The al dente spaghetti, served with sliced chicken and shitake mushrooms, is served in a rich cream sauce that isn’t just about cheese unlike others, but is sweeter, and therefore more appetising.

Have a sweet tooth? Then you might enjoy the Smooties-Fruitees Fish ($22.90), which comes with a delightful passion berries fruit reduced sauce and sun-dried tomatoes on top. The pan-fried butterfish, however, was a little tough and overcooked when we tried it, and that, sadly, brings the dish down.

Drinks-wise, Fullhouse has a neat selection of creative ice blends. We tried the Peach + Yogurt Magic Ball Special Ice Blended ($8.90). The drink itself was alright, but what was great were the Magic Balls! Pop them in your mouth, and these little spheres burst into fizzy fun.

Soda Blueberry Peppermint (left), and Peach + Yogurt Magic Ball Special Ice Blended (right).

The Soda Blueberry Peppermint ($6.90) also has Magic Balls in them, but the drink didn’t really stand out for us. The soda was too fizzy for us to taste much of the blueberry and peppermint, which doesn’t do justice to its name.

What we loved most was the Peppermint + Chocolate topped with Chocolate Syrup ($6.90). Very reminiscent of childhood Mint Choc wrapped candies, this is refreshing, and does a pretty good side-job at cleansing your palette too!

For a café of just less than 2 months old, Fullhouse scores an A+ for effort, and it’s definitely worth coming back for more. We recommend calling in for reservations because it does become a full house (pun intended) from 6.30 pm to 9 pm. UrbanWire predicts this is going to be a hit for couple dates, girls’ nights, or just to wind down after a long day’s shopping.

Address: Rendezvous Galleria, Rendezvous Hotel,
9 Bras Basah Road, #01-04, #02-02/03
Telephone: 63366328
Opening Hours:

• 11.30am – 3pm
• 5.30pm – 9.30pm

Rating: ★★★★✩
Price rating (for a main course): $$-$$$

V Sundramoorthy, Head Coach of The Chance Singapore, with the selected 5

Just as the Idol series around the world promises a recording contract and super stardom for an amateur singer, The Chance 2012 holds out the offer of a pro football contract and fame on an international stage for the winners.

The hunt that has been spearheaded by Nike since 2010 is on in 55 countries. Each will field 5 football talents for a trial that will shortlist a mere 100, who will be flown to Spain for a final international showdown.

V Sundramoorthy, Lions XII coach, helms the coaching team in Singapore for The Chance 2012, kicked off the talent search by scouting 5 footballers during a match played between Meridian Junior College and Team Eastchester on Mar 30.

Talent is key in propelling young players all the way to the top of the sporting world. Sundram pointed out the qualities present in a successful footballer – “technique and ability”. He added, “Day in day out putting in hours in training, eventually you will make the cut if you have the talent. The talent is the most important factor.”

19-year-old Muhammad Hairi was elated at getting a shot at being among the top 5. He told UrbanWire “This means a lot to me for my football career especially in this school. Given this chance, I’ll see where it takes me to.”

Mohammed Naufal nur Hakim, 19, Mohd Amsyar, 18, Syabil Anwar 16, Mohd Khairul, 23, join him to be part of the 150 local talents who will undergo training and competition under Sundram in May- all to sieve out 5 of the country’s best amateur footballers.

Mohd Khairul was the only player from Team Eastchester to receive the invite

Photos Courtesy of IMSG.

Sundram stated, “Out of the 150, if you can get 1 or 2 players representing the nation in any level, it’ll be a success. I think The Chance has created some players for the country. That is important.” Ahmad Fahmie Bin Jamil is one such star, having emerged champion of The Chance Singapore in 2010.
The regional finals in Jakarta, Indonesia in June will see the 5 players each from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand whittle down to the best 4, who will attend the global finals in Barcelona, where they will get to play in world-class sports facilities and benefit from the best coaching.

As exciting as this prospect may sound, it also holds an immense load of pressure on these young boys. Hairi, however, shows a role-model attitude towards this. “Pressure is what makes diamonds,” he told UrbanWire. “I think intense pressure brings about your greatest abilities, and that is where you show your true qualities.”

However, in a country that focuses largely on academic ability, juggling school and playing football for leisure is especially tough, much less professional football. “Soccer and studies are very tough to handle in Singapore, you need to have good time management,” Naufal shared.

Sundram knows first-hand that this is not insurmountable. “I’ve been a national player, and I’ve played with players who were in university and played in the national team, so I think it’s more of just balancing their lifestyle- putting the right time for study and enough time for training, and they’ll eventually be successful.”

Future Lions XII players could even be identified from The Chance 2012. Says Sundram,  “I believe that if a player … is good enough, why not give him an opportunity?”

The Chance 2012 in Singapore is open to all players aged 16 to 24. To register, players can build a ‘team page’ for their teams on The Chance app via facebook.com/nikefootball. The Chance will also scout for players through a Football Festival from Apr 27 to 29 and players can register for the festival at the hotline, 6570 6315.