SEA Games 2023: A time to celebrate Team Singapore 

03/05/2023

With less than 48 hours before the start of the biennial Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Cambodia (May 5 to 17), Team Singapore is raring to go.  

This year, 558 athletes will compete across 30 events – in the ones we have a regional dominance of (i.e. swimming) and those that sound easier to learn than it is to pronounce, such as pétanque.  

But whatever it is, we are sure all our athletes are ready to make Singapore proud.  

To boost morale, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong has been visiting our athletes at their training ground and sharing the dedication and sacrifices they have put in to represent Singapore.   

Similarly, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua found himself blown away by the team spirit and camaraderie of our Sepak Takraw and cricket teams.  

An ode to Team Singapore 

Over the years, our sporting community has experienced many ups and downs. What we don’t see behind each victory and celebration are the pain and tears from the hours of hard work, criticisms and maybe even self-doubts.  

In that light, when we root for Team Singapore, we are celebrating the triumph of the human spirit rather than being fixated on medals on a tally. By showing our support, that is where we can find common ground as a nation despite all our perceived differences.  

After all, Team Singapore is more than a group of individuals representing Singapore on the international stage. They embody strength and fortitude, teamwork and resilience. All of which sums up the essence of sports and our national spirit.  

In addition, athletes experiencing setbacks have opened up conversations about mental health and expanded our definition of success. Withdrawing from the SEA games this year, Joseph Schooling has set an example that there is no shame in admitting “it’s okay to not be okay”.  

Therefore, let us heed the call of Minister Tong and SPS Chua and rally behind our Team Singapore athletes to show them that we are behind them all the way.   

To catch Team Singapore in action, bookmark this link for all the highlights. And in case you do not know, Singapore will host the SEA Games for the fifth time in 2029! It might be six years away, but we are sure our athletes are already preparing for the future to reap the home advantage.  

Photo Source: Team Singapore/ Edwin Tong/Eric Chua Facebook