SINGAPORE: Forty per cent of Singaporeans polled in a survey consider football part of Singapore culture, but only 35 per cent said they support local football clubs or the national team.
The Yahoo Singapore Football Study provides an interesting look into how Singaporeans view football at international and local levels. More than 2,000 people participated in the study in July with international research firm YouGov.
One important insight gained is that while only 35 per cent of respondents said they support local football clubs or the national team at present, twice the number—or 70 per cent—said they’d be encouraged to support a local football club or the national team if it met one of their criteria.
And the top three criteria Singaporeans chose are the following: the presence of talented and skilled players (35 per cent), a personal hobby or interest (30 per cent), and a strong team spirit (28 per cent).
Interestingly, different generations showed roughly the same support for local football, with Gen Z leading the pack at 36 per cent, closely followed by Millennials (35 per cent) and Boomers (34 per cent). Gen Xers did not lag by that much, with 26 per cent expressing this sentiment.
However, the survey notes that Singaporeans could be more supportive of local football.
“An exciting narrative emerges as the younger generations could be potential catalysts to elevate the nation’s football enthusiasm to new heights. Gen Z (80 per cent) and Millennials (72 per cent) stand at the forefront, surpassing the national average (70 per cent) in expressing potential interest in local football — citing personal interest as the top criteria,” the report notes.
Survey respondents were also asked which leagues they watch the most, and here are the top three: English Premier League (EPL), UEFA Champions League, and Singapore Premier League (SPL).
Also, when asked whether Singapore can reach Goal 2034, which is for Singapore to qualify for the World Cup in 2034, 37 per cent of the survey respondents disagreed. While 44 per cent remained neutral, fewer than one in five —or 19 per cent—said they agreed that this goal could be reached.
/TISG
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