January 22, 2004
It will be Korean ginseng for Balestier Khalsa in 2004 as they look to put their miserable 2003 debut season behind them. All 4 of the Tigers imports will be Korean.
Balestier Khalsa, a merger of 2 clubs Balestier Central & Clementi Khalsa, was expected to show the rest of the league the way forwards, as they appeared to have got both the management & financial strength to be a force in the league. However they just managed a disappointing 11th position of 12 teams in the league. They also did not make any impression in the Singapore Cup as they were knocked in the quarter-final by Geylang United.
Their Korean coach Jang Jung had try to strengthen his squad with English & Australian imports during the off season but the standard of those players were disappointing forcing him to go back to his homeland for the Tigers foreign imports.
His search has hail 3 players from the K-league & K-2.
Kim Chan Zoong, a defender, was with Taegeon Citizen in the K-league while both Hea Se Gyu, midfielder, & Lee Ho Sung, a striker, were from Kuk Min Bank in the K-2.
Jang Jung is glad he has his fellow Korean countrymen as he felt discipline & attitude would not be a problem with them. He however feared that his new imports would have problems adapting to Singapore & communicating with the local players so he will be looking at ex-Jurong striker Park Tae Won to show them the way.
Park Tae Won has been with Jurong since 2001.
The capture of the Korean imports is not Jang Jung only good news as he has also secured the services of ex-international or current international players like Winston Yap (SAFFC), Zainal Zainuddin (TPUFC), Sazali Salleh (TPUFC), Shariffudin Mahood (Tampines Rovers) & Bashir Khan (Jurong).
With a more balanced team, Jang Jung has admitted that must be an improvement in results from last season & he will not tolerate a repeat performance from last season.