Ho Wai Loon

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ho Wai Loon

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Ho Wai Loon

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|8|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Singapore

| height = {{height|meters=1.69}}

| currentclub = Albirex Niigata (S)

| clubnumber = 24

| position = Central-midfielder / Left-back

| youthyears1 = 2011–2012

| youthclubs1 = Balestier Khalsa

| years1 = 2011–2016

| clubs1 = Balestier Khalsa

| caps1 = 21

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2017–2018

| clubs2 = Warriors

| caps2 = 37

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2019–2021

| clubs3 = Lion City Sailors

| caps3 = 20

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2021

| clubs4 = → Balestier Khalsa (loan)

| caps4 = 8

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2022–2023

| clubs5 = Balestier Khalsa

| caps5 = 47

| goals5 = 4

| years6 = 2024–

| clubs6 = Albirex Niigata (S)

| caps6 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2019

| nationalteam1 = Singapore U23

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2017–

| nationalteam2 = Singapore

| nationalcaps2 = 7

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update = 21 March 2023

| nationalteam-update = 23 March 2023

}}

Ho Wai Loon ({{zh|s=何维伦}}; born 20 August 1993) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a central-midfielder or left-back for Singapore Premier League club Albirex Niigata (S), whom he captains and the Singapore national team.{{cite news|url=http://www.espnfcasia.com/singapore-s-league/story/2530227/sleague-ho-ready-for-albirex-rematch|title=S.League: Balestier's Ho Wai Loon ready for Albirex rematch|date=21 July 2015|access-date=22 July 2015|work=ESPNFC|author=Kenneth Tan}}

Education

Ho studied at Canberra Primary School, Canberra Secondary School and ITE Yishun.{{Cite web |last=Leong |first=Kelvin |date=2015-05-08 |title=Ho Wai Loon chases family wish |url=https://www.espn.com.sg/soccer/blog/football-asia/153/post/2439298/wai-loon-determined-to-fulfill-grandmas-wish-for-singapore |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} He later joined the Home United Academy.

Club career

=Balestier Khalsa=

Ho started his football career in 2011, playing for Balestier Khalsa.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} Ho was released in 2013 but signed for Balestier again in 2014 for the 2014 S.League season.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

In 2015, Ho tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which kept him out of play for more than a year.{{Cite web |last=Auto |first=Hermes |date=2021-07-30 |title=Football: After 506 days of waiting, Ho Wai Loon is just happy to be playing ball again {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-after-506-days-of-waiting-ho-wai-loon-is-just-happy-to-be-playing-ball-again |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-08-24 |title=S.League: Tigers wary of Geylang wingers |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/blog-football-asia/story/2936375/balestiers-wai-loon-warns-of-speedy-geylang-wingers-in-sleague-clash |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

=Warriors=

He then signed for Warriors FC ahead of the 2017 S.League season.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} That was where he gained his first national team call up.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

=Home United=

In January 2019, Ho joined fellow S.League club Home United.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsportsasia.com/football/asian-football/singapore-football/1010409/home-united-unveil-singapore-left-back-ho-wai-loon-as-latest-signing/|title=Home United unveil Singapore left-back Ho Wai Loon as latest signing|work=Fox Sports|date=2 January 2019|access-date=5 February 2019|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412154509/https://www.foxsportsasia.com/football/asian-football/singapore-football/1010409/home-united-unveil-singapore-left-back-ho-wai-loon-as-latest-signing/|url-status=dead}}

In March 2020, Ho fractured his right ankle during training.

In April 2021, Ho returned to training with Lion City Sailors (formerly Home United) but found himself out of the club squad.{{Cite web |last=Chin |first=Nigel |date=2021-07-02 |title=Having learned how to walk again, Ho Wai Loon hits restart button on career {{!}} Youthopia |url=https://youthopia.sg/read/having-learned-how-to-walk-again-ho-wai-loon-hits-restart-button-on-career/ |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=youthopia.sg |language=en-US}} During the mid-season transfer window Ho moved to Balestier Khalsa on loan from till the end of the 2021 season to regain his match fitness.{{Cite web|date=12 June 2021|title=Ho Wai Loon leaves Lion City Sailors to complete Balestier loan|url=https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/ho-wai-loon-leaves-lion-city-sailors-to-complete-balestier-loan/|access-date=18 July 2021|website=Lion City Sailors FC|language=en-US}}

= Balestier Khalsa =

Ho later moved to Balestier Khalsa{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} where he was named the team's captain.{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=David |date=2022-03-16 |title=S'pore Premier League to implement video assistant referee in 'near future' |url=https://www.tnp.sg/sports/singapore-football/spore-premier-league-implement-video-assistant-referee-near-future |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=The New Paper |language=en}}

International career

=Youth=

Ho played at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games football tournament, although he was sent off for his second yellow card offence in Singapore's must win game against Indonesia U23.{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Carissa |title=SEA Games Football: Ho Wai Loon sent off as Singapore fail to qualify for semis after losing 0–1 to Indonesia |url=https://www.redsports.sg/2015/06/11/sea-games-football-singapore-indonesia-2/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=RED SPORTS |language=en-US}}{{cite web|author=Kelvin Leong|url=http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2486686/singapore-out-of-sea-games-after-shock-defeat-to-indonesia|title=Hosts Singapore out of SEA Games after shock 1-0 defeat to Indonesia|date=11 June 2015|access-date=22 July 2015|work=ESPNFC.com}}

=Senior=

Ho was first called up to the senior side in 2017, as a standby player for the friendly against Afghanistan and the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Bahrain on 23 and 28 March 2017 respectively.{{cite web|title=Call up for national team|url=http://www.fas.org.sg/news/national-team-face-afghanistan-afc-asian-cup-qualifier-against-bahrain|access-date=14 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315085100/http://www.fas.org.sg/news/national-team-face-afghanistan-afc-asian-cup-qualifier-against-bahrain|archive-date=15 March 2017|url-status=dead}}

After being included in the national set-up for a year, Ho finally won his first cap for Singapore in a friendly against Fiji on 11 September 2018, coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/singapore-put-two-past-fiji-record-first-win-under-fandi-ahmad|title=Singapore put two past Fiji to record first win under Fandi Ahmad|date=11 September 2018|work=FourFourTwo|access-date=11 September 2018|language=en-SG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911150233/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/singapore-put-two-past-fiji-record-first-win-under-fandi-ahmad|archive-date=11 September 2018|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/sg-ratings-baihakki-hariss-and-mahler-seal-victory-fandi-ahmad?page=0,3|title=SG Ratings: Baihakki, Hariss and Mahler seal victory for Fandi Ahmad|date=12 September 2018|work=FourFourTwo|access-date=12 September 2018|language=en-SG}} Ho made his first start and second appearance for the national team against Cambodia on 16 October. However, he scored an own-goal and was eventually substituted early in the 46th minute.

Ho was called up in September 2022 by head coach Takayuki Nishigaya for international friendlies against Vietnam and India on 21 and 24 September.{{Cite web |title=WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Sports happenings in Singapore (12-18 Sept) |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/weekly-round-up-sports-happenings-in-singapore-12-18-sept-233002553.html |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=sg.news.yahoo.com |language=en-SG}}

Others

=Singapore Selection Squad=

He was selected as part of the Singapore Selection squad for The Sultan of Selangor's Cup to be held on 6 May 2017.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fas.org.sg/newsroom/press-release/singapore-selection-squad-sultan-selangor%E2%80%99s-cup-revealed |title=SINGAPORE SELECTION SQUAD FOR THE SULTAN OF SELANGor's CUP REVEALED | the Football Association of Singapore |access-date=2 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628215629/http://fas.org.sg/newsroom/press-release/singapore-selection-squad-sultan-selangor%E2%80%99s-cup-revealed |archive-date=28 June 2017 |url-status=dead }}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="2"\|Singapore Premier League !colspan="2"\|Singapore Cup !colspan="2"\|Singapore League Cup !colspan="2"\|Asia !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="6"\|Balestier Khalsa \|2011 \|0	0	0	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	0	0
2012 \|0	0	0	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	0	0
2014 \|5	0	2	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	7	0
2015 \|9	0	0	0	4	0	5	0	\|18	0
2016 \|7	0	3	0	4	0	0	0	\|14	0
Total !21	0	5	0	8	0	5	0	39	0
rowspan="3"\|Warriors \|2017 \|18	0	0	0	5	1	colspan='2'\|—	23	1
2018 \|19	2	2	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	21	2
Total !37	2	2	0	5	1	0	0	44	3
rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="2"\|Singapore Premier League !colspan="2"\|Singapore Cup !colspan="2"\|Community Shield !colspan="2"\|Asia !colspan="2"\|Total
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="4"\|Lion City Sailors \|2019 \|19	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	\|25	0
2020 \|1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	\|1	0
2021 \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total !20	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	26	0
rowspan="1"\|Balestier Khalsa (on loan) \|2021 \|8	0	0	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	8	0
rowspan="3"\|Balestier Khalsa \|2022 \|24	0	6	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	30	0
2023 \|23	4	1	0	0	0	colspan='2'\|—	24	4
Total !55	4	7	0	0	0	0	0	62	4
rowspan="2" \|Albirex Niigata (S) \|2024–25 \|14	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	15	0
Total !14	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	15	0
colspan="2"\|Career Total !147	6	14	0	14	0	11	0	186	7

=International statistics=

colspan=4\|Singapore national team
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Year	Apps	Goals
2018	2	0
2022	1	0
2023	1	0
Total\|\|4\|\|0

== International caps ==

class="wikitable" ! No !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition
align=center\|1	11 September 2018	Bishan Stadium, Bishan, Singapore	{{fb\|Fiji}}	align=center\|2-0 (won)	Friendly
align=center\|2	16 October 2018	Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia	{{fb\|CAM}}	align=center\|2-1 (won)	Friendly
align=center\|3	\|21 September 2022	Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	{{fb\|VIE}}	align=center\|0-4 (lost)	2022 VFF Tri-Nations Series
align=center\|4	23 March 2023	Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong	{{fb\|HKG}}	align=center\|1–1 (Draw)	Friendly
align=center\|5	26 March 2023	Macau Olympic Complex Stadium, Macau	{{fb\|MAC}}	align=center\|1–0	Friendly