Awards may have been given out — including to a royal and football great, Aleksandar Đurić — but it was not a handful of personalities that emerged triumphant, but the sport of football itself. Brainchild of Tampines Rovers Chairman and Managing Director of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP Krishna Ramachandra, the glitzy black-tie Pentagon Awards held at The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore in April sought to recognise the stakeholders and fraternity that contribute to football. Accompanied by his wife and sister to receive his Leader’s Leader award in person, for turning his team Johor Darul Ta’zim into a regional force, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said in his acceptance speech: “When you put in energy and passion, anything is possible.” Attended by 200 guests, the ceremony also included a fundraising auction of rare sports memorabilia, including a signed glove by the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali and a stand-up comedy performance by Kumar.
