Mika Bazil Baihakki reportedly dropped from U-17 squad over N-level exam priority

Singapore national youth footballer Mika Bazil Baihakki was allegedly dropped from the under-17 national squad after informing the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) that he would be unable to attend an overseas friendly trip in Bahrain due to his upcoming N-level examinations.

Mika, 16, recently made his national debut and played a key role in the B Division boys’ football finals, scoring a hat-trick that led his school to victory. He is the son of former national defender Baihakki Khaizan and former actress Norfasarie Mohd Yahya.

In a Facebook post on 26 August 2025, Norfasarie alleged that Mika was removed from the squad after deciding to remain in Singapore during the September holidays to prepare for his exams, which begin on 15 September—just one day after the team’s return from Bahrain.

She said Mika was told to confirm his decision by 24 August or face removal from the squad, exclusion from the AFC U-17 tournament preparations, and a requirement to return his national team kit.

“This was not because of poor performance. Not because of indiscipline. But simply because he made the responsible choice to prioritise his education,” she wrote.

Claims of short notice and poor coordination

Speaking to Mothership, Norfasarie said Mika had informed team management weeks earlier about his academic commitments. She claimed that the Bahrain trip had been arranged at short notice and that there was no formal coordination with parents or schools.

At the time of writing, the FAS has not issued an official statement on the matter.

Allegations of double standards

Norfasarie’s post also questioned the fairness of the decision, alleging that players based overseas, such as those training in Spain, had not been penalised despite missing the same trip.

“This is not about one boy or one trip,” she wrote. “No teenager should ever feel cornered into saying ‘yes’ out of fear of being dropped.”

She also suggested that other students facing the same examinations had agreed to go on the trip due to fear of losing their places in the squad.

Public discussion on youth sports policies

The post quickly sparked widespread discussion online, particularly on Reddit, where users debated the pressures faced by student-athletes in Singapore.

Several users expressed concern over the rigidity of youth sports programmes. One comment read: “No slack to be cut? His absence ruins the team’s chances? Is the squad depth that bad?” Another added: “This is a national exam, not some end-of-year test.”

Others defended the FAS’s stance, arguing that consistency and commitment are necessary for team cohesion. “Commitment to the team is important for team harmony,” one user wrote, while another noted that “in high-level sports, sometimes sacrifices have to be made.”

Debate over fairness and favouritism

A few online commenters questioned whether Mika’s selection had been influenced by his father’s status as a former national footballer, claiming that favouritism might have played a role.

One user wrote, “It’s well known in the youth football circle that the boy was chosen ahead of others because of who his father is.”

Others used the situation to highlight deeper issues in Singapore’s sporting ecosystem, particularly the difficulty of balancing education and elite sports.

One user remarked, “Coordination between sporting bodies and schools has always been very poor, unless it’s an elite sport like swimming.” Another said, “FAS should have seen this coming. Exams happen every year, yet this keeps repeating.”

Balancing commitment and education

Not all sympathised with Mika’s situation. Some argued that missing an overseas training trip amounted to a personal choice with predictable consequences.

“Asking for a return to the squad after skipping a training trip isn’t fair to those who made sacrifices,” one user wrote. Others said that in a competitive sporting environment, commitment had to come first.

However, others viewed the punishment as disproportionate for a teenage athlete balancing academics and national duties. “You can’t have it both ways,” one user summarised. “But dropping a player entirely over one missed friendly? That feels excessive.”

The incident has reignited debate about how youth athletes in Singapore are supported to manage both education and sports commitments—a tension that remains unresolved in many national sports programmes.