SINGAPORE: FIFA chief Gianni Infantino on Thursday (Sep 15) paid tribute to the late Football Association of Singapore president (FAS) Lim Kia Tong, saying that both the sport’s governing body and the world of football have lost “a great friend”.
FIFA said Mr Lim, who died aged 70, was a “devoted servant” to football in Singapore and across the wider Southeast Asia region, adding that he was “highly respected” in the fraternity.
“It is with great sadness and shock that we learned of the passing of Lim Kia Tong.” said Mr Infantino.
“(He) was a great man and a huge supporter of football in Southeast Asia. Both FIFA and the world of football have lost a great friend.”
The FIFA president added that Mr Lim was a trusted leader in the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, and that his devotion to developing the sport in Singapore was evident to him during his visit to the country late last year for the inauguration of the new FAS headquarters.
Mr Lim became the first Singaporean to assume a leadership role on a FIFA committee when he was elected as its disciplinary committee’s deputy chairman in May 2013.
As a mark of respect, the Singapore flag is being flown at half-mast throughout the day at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.