It was another rainy day and he looked tired. There was no
denying that. He had a look of a man that had travelled a beaten
path; but to that end he sat up proud across the table from
me.
For Sporting Afrique coach R Balasubramaniam, he has nothing but
faith that sunnier days are ahead for his dreams at another
shot.
Its never been easy.
And who can say otherwise? After the executive decision was made
that the Flamingos were to sit out next years S.League to sort
out administration, Coach Bala has been relentless in trying to
secure another posting elsewhere. However, dishearteningly, and
surprisingly to not just this writer but fellow journalists across
the island, he is still looking.
Balas year had begun brightly. He had fought off a number of other
applicants for the Sporting job which could have in turn thrust
himself in a more enviable light.
I was a rookie coach. There were others who wanted that job (the
Sporting head coach position), and for that I have to thank Collin
Chee (Sporting Afrique chairman), he said.
But in truth, I was never overwhelmed by the prospect. I have the
passion to sustain whatever would come my way and the confidence to
rise up to the challenge.
Before taking up the hot seat at Sporting, Bala had spent three
solid years working in two well-run organizations Gombak United
in 2003 then Balestier Khalsa in 2004 and 2005 as head coach for
their respective Centres of Excellence (COE).
It was during his time at Balestier that he found that drive to
perhaps push and challenge himself further.
When I was heading up the COE at Balestier, coach (Abdul) Karim
called me aside one day and asked, Bala, we were thinking of
having someone be an analyst for us. Help us scout and break down
future opponents. Would you like that? And I thought, Yes.
Definitely.
It was no surprise then that coupled with Balas input, Balestier
Khalsa had one of their best seasons in the league, finishing top
of the table after the first trimester even.
It was during that time, making my rounds in the stadiums and
seeing how my help aided in results, that I asked myself Why not
try for this?, you know? Reach out and coach an S.League
club.
Confidence aside, make no mistake, R Balasubramaniam is
well-qualified. The 33-year-old is a qualified AFC A License
coach and has the ambition to reach the top.
I have always had the passion. For the game and especially for
local football. I aspire to be a good coach. And I am not ashamed
to say that one day hopefully, I want to be our national
coach.
Strong words for a strong-willed man. Coach Bala acquitted himself
well in his rookie season. He still remembers though, how
bright-eyed he was when it all began.
For one, I want to thank (FAS Technical Director) P N Sivaji for
approving me to be the head coach. I learned a lot from him and
also from Robert Lim and John Yap from my time in Gombak. Karim was
excellent when I was in Balestier and my brother (former national
player R Sasikumar) was a huge influence too.
My initial thoughts when I got the job were, other than utter joy,
I had to prove a point to a lot of people, especially those who
were passed over. But all that scepticism only boosted my morale
further.
He recalls with a smile, the day he stood in front of a roomful of
journalists to claim that he felt Sporting Afrique could well
finish top three in the league.
When I first met my players and started training, I looked at the
calibre of the team and the way we played. It was, a belief I still
think true, that a top half, top five finish was possible.
The Flamingos welcome-to-the-S.League game was a Live against
defending champions Tampines Rovers.
Perhaps it was the all those lights, Bala joked. But the boys
never made it easy for them. And we scored two goals against the
defending champions. So for me, that was a good result to take
home.
In the next match, Sporting stunned everyone when they felled
giants Woodlands Wellington 2-1.
That is still one of the best results for me, he beamed. Here I
was, a rookie coach with a rookie team. On the other side was Karim
Bencherifa. A successful and experienced coach with an all-star
squad. That win was very satisfying to say the least. A huge
victory.
The Flamingos managed a few more good results including a win
over eventual champions SAFFC at Choa Chu Kang to justify coach
Balas faith in his team. And at a time when the Young Lions were
scorching everyone else around them, Sportings scalp
remained.
The results against the Young Lions please me a great deal, he
calls to mind. They were the top at the time. Full of confidence.
But we held them to two draws, and even though we lost in
extra-time against them in the RHB Singapore Cup, that still ranks
as one of the best team performances weve had.
But somewhere in June, things started to grow not so well at
Sporting.
One thing I feel everyone has to understand, said Bala. Coaching
a squad full of foreigners is very different from coaching
locals.
I think our season, as a whole, went downhill when the players
began to split up so to speak. The situation was as such: the
players were initially boarded in a huge bungalow. For me, it was
more than sufficient. From bedding to living conditions, facilities
and all it was a really good place to live in.
But as the season wore on, I think the players themselves had
issues with one another. Youve got the Cameroonians, the
Nigerians, the Kenyans all with their eccentricities. Plus I
think more than few started to compare their personal situations
with the foreign signings of the other clubs.
To me, I was disappointed the players did not understand the
situation. In the end, Collin acceded to their requests, got two
more houses for them to stay and to me, that living apart from one
another reflected in the morale of the unit which was so tight when
everyone was under the same room, and communication was tight on
and off the field.
Since then, results had been disappointing for Coach Bala. Sporting
showed some spirit but in the end, the commitment levels and
attitudes shown by some of the players were just not up to standard
for a professional league.
Towards the end of the season when few around the league started to
question his tactical nuance, Bala responded to all the criticism
by highlighting that he had the responsibility to play the best
side that would have been able to compete.
With all the social problems happening and the mental and
psychological beings of my players, I did what I had to do play
my strongest squad. I had that responsibility, not only to the
players and their families far away, but the fans as well.
And responsibilities Bala had aplenty. His job scope at Sporting
Afrique was not just head coach he was his own assistant, the
club trainer and physio all-in-one. But to his credit, Bala
performed all those duties with dignity and distinction.
Even at the COEs, I was handling a number of tasks all at the same
time. Most head coaches would raise hell to their clubs management
if they were asked to do what I did this year, but I was already
conditioned. I had my passion and I knew I could rise up to the
challenges.
In addition to my roles at the club, I also had to be the friend
and father figure to these boys. Sometimes, when they send too much
money home and dont have enough for themselves, they come to me
and I try as much as I can to help. Most of them are good
kids.
To single-handledly take care of a professional club was not easy,
but, he says with a smile, Im much stronger for it.
To make things harder, the players that he did have who were up to
par and could depend on, left the club.
Harrison Muranda and Nicolas Muyoti. Those two were big,
disciplined players whom I felt could have lit up the scene.
Muranda especially, I was proud of. When he first came to
training, he was a little overweight and lacking in fitness. So we
worked on them and I spent a fair amount of time working with him
and he turned out to be a very good striker. A very good
footballer. And Nicolas was the quiet leader in the team and when
he left, the others struggled to lead the side.
But I am proud and very happy for them. Muranda left for Maldives
and he messages me from time to time. Hell be playing for
(Malaysian side) Negeri Sembilan next year. Nicolas is doing well
under coach Karim Bencherifa in Goa.
But to that end, Bala feels that he has fulfilled another target
when he first took up the position at the club to mould these
rough diamonds and turn them into polished gems.
Kaze Teffo has secured a contract with Balestier and at least three
more players are having trials with the various S.League
clubs.
That was one of the challenges I had set for myself to make
these players sellable, so to speak. I wanted to aid in their
development and now that some of them have moved on, given the
situation of the organization, I am very proud and very
pleased.
Back to the now, coach Bala is working the lines hard in his quest
to continue his education.
In the beginning, I had a tough time convincing my wife. Shes not
a big sports fan. But she believed in me when I left the Navy to
pursue this career and now I am not going to disappoint her.
The most important thing for me is that I continue my education.
It is sometimes disheartening for me when I know that there are
some in our own league who dont have as much faith in local
coaches but the clubs need to know that they are good local coaches
and these coaches need their support.
I want to continue being involved. I am not restricting myself to
just another head coaching job, although that would be nice, but
the most important thing is that I continue to learn, I continue to
contribute as much as possible to local football in whatever
capacity.
So all you clubs out there looking for a passionate, qualified and
above all virtuous man to be involved in yours look no
farther.
His enthusiasm will engulf you. His passion will invoke you. His
love for the game will make you a believer all over again.
Coach R Balasubramaniam. Good luck!