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SINGAPORE: Tech company Sea will donate S$50 million (US$38.7 million) to support the long-term development of football in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The Singapore-based firm, which runs e-commerce platform Shopee and owns digital bank MariBank, <\/span>announced the donation on Tuesday (Mar 31).<\/p>\n It said S$40 million will be progressively disbursed to support “meaningful initiatives that can broaden participation, strengthen development pathways, and contribute to a more vibrant football ecosystem in Singapore”.<\/p>\n The other S$10 million was already donated to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) at the start of 2026, Sea noted.<\/p>\n The firm added it will work closely with the government and the football community to deploy the funds effectively.<\/p>\n Sea CEO and chairman Forrest Li, who is also FAS president, said: \u201cWe believe football can play a powerful role in bringing communities together, building character, and opening up opportunities for young people.<\/p>\n “Football has a unique ability to forge connections and inspire pride and joy through a shared sense of purpose.<\/p>\n “With Sea\u2019s S$50 million donation, we hope to support the long-term development of football in Singapore and give back to the community that has played such an important role in Sea\u2019s journey.”<\/p>\n Sea, the parent company behind gaming platform Garena, has invested in Singapore\u2019s football ecosystem for over a decade.<\/p>\n In 2016, Garena sponsored the Young Lions <\/span>and in 2020, Sea acquired Home United and changed its name to Lion City Sailors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Two years later, the Sailors opened Singapore’s first integrated training football facility at Mattar Road, with the<\/span> state-of-the-art<\/span> training centre costing\u00a0S$10 million.<\/span><\/p>\n The Singapore Premier League outfit, in a historic run, made it<\/span> to the final of last year’s AFC Champions League Two, before losing 2-1 to the United Arab Emirates\u2019 Sharjah.<\/p>\n In November last year, Li also announced a S$2 million payout for the Lions after the national team qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup on merit for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n