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Published on November 18, 2007

Suree Sukha's signing of a contract with an English Premier League team is, from a footballing perspective, an occasion that the whole country shall celebrate. It is a dream come true for him and would be for any young footballer anywhere in the world. Whether he will really be able to play for Manchester City anytime soon remains to be seen, but the contract itself marks a historic chapter in Thailand's sports development, something that was unthinkable even four or five years ago. There is a long way to go for the 25-year-old full-back, but we should be happy for him all the same.

We wish him, as well as the two other Thai players who were signed to City's reserve team, the best of luck, and hope politics will not get in the way too much and affect their progress or future. The timing of these signings, however, has raised speculation that the move could be more for Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra's political interests than the sake of Thailand's sports development or the club. And critics can be forgiven for being cynical, as City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's visit for the contract signing coincides with the election campaign heating up in Thailand.

On the one hand, it does a good job at promoting Thai talent. On the other, it's unusual for the top coach of a European club to travel across the world to sign a player who surely will not go straight onto the first team. The manager and the club's website have virtually dismissed political motives, describing the trip as part of efforts to promote the City brand among Asians. It seems like a fine business strategy, and the planned recruitment and scouting of Thai talent has been generally accepted among City fans, who are impressed with Thaksin's first few months in charge of the club.

Thaksin has always dreamed of bringing Thai players to the Premier League. This ambition was first made known when he pondered buying Fulham, and then Liverpool while in power. At that time, he was criticised for not understanding the "tradition" of English soccer, in which owners, especially those with limited knowledge about the game, keep a good distance from team selection. But with his City investment having brought the Blues to third place on the Premier League table at the moment and cases of owners interfering with team selection getting more frequent elsewhere, Thaksin's role in City recruitment appears more than justified in many people's eyes.

Thaksin is at the stage where he can do no wrong as far as City fans and British sport media are concerned. In a personal address to City supporters on Wednesday, he detailed his dream of making the Blues a dominant global force. An integral aspect of the strategy that he spelt out was to be in a position to bring the cream of Asia's young talent to the club. He cited the successful transition of City's Chinese defender Sun Ji-hai to English football as an example to which other young Asians could aspire, and the former Thai prime minister also announced a plan to eventually establish Manchester City Football Club academies in Asia, first in Thailand, then in China.

Like almost everything else Thaksin does, it sounds like a noble plan but people are wary of "ulterior motives". However, for the time being, everyone is happy for the three Thai players who, if they work hard and keep their feet on the ground, can be in a position to raise the profile of Thailand in the world's most popular sport. The timing of their recruitment may be controversial, and the presence of Thaksin's children at Friday's press reception for the Manchester City manager invariably brings to mind the old question of whether sport and politics should mix.

Things have been uncommon in Thailand, so in this case perhaps we should accept the unusual circumstances under which three Thai footballers are joining the world stage.

Thaksin probably should be given the benefit of the doubt on this one. After all, if any of the three players manages to set foot on a Premier League field, it will be a great moment for that person and everyone will share his pride. And maybe this is the acid test for everyone involved to determine whether they can really forget politics when it comes to sports.