Edwin Tong outlines six key strategies to build Singapore’s sporting excellence 

16/10/2024
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong outlined six key strategies to build Singapore’s sporting excellence. These strategies reflect PAP Government’s clear commitment towards supporting our athletes and shifting the baseline of performance levels.

Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 16) also voted to honour Team Singapore athletes who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Moving the motion in Parliament, Mr Tong said the first strategy is to drive broad interest and participation in sports. Second, strengthen Singapore’s high performance sports system to focus on athletes, preparing them as best as possible.

Third, he said, to enhance Singapore’s institutional capabilities in every aspect of sporting sport, from cutting edge sports scientists to world class coaches to technical officials.

Fourth, bring world-class sporting events to Singapore to provide opportunities for national athletes to compete against the best.

Fifth, he noted, strengthen support for disability sports to promote participation and develop excellence. Details of the disability sport master plan will be announced next month.

Sixth, deepen partnerships between sporting institutions in Singapore. The government will gradually professionalise sports administration talent.

During his speech, Mr Tong also commended Team Singapore athletes, in particular Maximilian Maeder, Jeralyn Tan and Yip Pin Xiu  who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Maximilian Maeder, 18, won a bronze medal in kitefoiling at the 2024 Olympics. It is only Singapore’s sixth medal at the quadrennial Games.

At the Paralympics, 10 athletes achieved the country’s best-ever performance with two gold medals and a silver medal. Jeralyn Tan won a historic silver medal in the boccia competition while swimmer Yip Pin Xiu defended her titles in the 50m and 100m backstroke S2 events, bringing her total gold medal haul at the Games to seven.

Let’s not lose sight of how much we support our para-athletes as we call for parity: Edwin Tong

During the debate, several MPs, including Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC), called for equalising cash awards for para-athletes and able-bodied athletes to demonstrate that Singapore truly offers equal opportunities.

Currently, there are two distinct cash award schemes: the Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme (MAP) for Olympians and the Athletes Achievement Awards (AAA) for Paralympians. Both programmes are managed by separate non-governmental organisations and privately funded.

In response, Mr Tong said non-government entities determine appropriate funding levels for incentive schemes, which may not be comparable. Paralympians, for example, receive $500,000 for each gold up to three, while Olympians receive $1 million for one gold.

Mr Tong noted that Nominated MP Usha Chandradas pointed out Singapore’s incentive scheme for Paralympians is amongst the highest, if not the highest, in absolute terms. The amount has increased over the years. While he understands the MPs’ call for parity, he said: “Let’s not lose sight of the amounts in absolute terms and how much we support our athletes.”

Concluding his speech, he said that the strategies he outlined demonstrate a clear commitment” towards a comprehensive plan that is “bold, ambitious, and in some cases also unprecedented in the context of Singapore”.

“These plans, we believe, will help us lift the entire base altogether. We will find a new baseline. We want to permanently shift the baseline (of performance levels upwards) so that we are no longer looking at vagaries or depending on each year, whether there are certain sports that may be in major games or otherwise, performances may then vary.”

“My colleagues and I at MCCY are convinced that the best years of sport lie ahead of us.”