June 30, 2008 – Singapore sports had an excellent year in fiscal year 2007, showing strong performances in competitive results and rising stature in the international sports world, said Teo Chee Hean, Minister of Defence and President of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) at the Annual General Meeting.
Winning the hosting rights for the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG), slated for summer 2010, was a huge achievement for Singapore, Minister Teo said. “Who in his wildest dreams would have thought that one day the youth of the world would gather on our shores to enjoy the fellowship of sports and compete in an Olympic Games?”
The success of Singapore’s campaign for the YOG demonstrated the country’s profound willingness to work together towards a common goal. That quality will be needed even more in the coming months as the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee prepares for 2010.
“We will need your whole-hearted support to deliver a Games that we can all be proud of,” Minister Teo said. “What makes the difference in any Games is not the grandeur of the facilities but the warmth and friendliness of the people who welcome the athletes and help them to feel at home and do their best.”
Looking ahead to the Beijing Olympics in August, “the games will have special significance,” said Minister Teo, “because of the extra effort that we are putting in through Project 0812.” Launched in late 2006, Project 0812 is a multi-agency programme by the SNOC, the Singapore Sports Council and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Approximately $7.5 million has been earmarked to provide additional aid for specific athletes in badminton, shooting, sailing and table tennis, to prepare for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
As of the AGM, 14 athletes had qualified for the Games. Lee Wung Yew is Singapore’s first shooter to qualify for the Games. Two sailors also earned berths for the first time at the Olympics in the 470 men’s and Laser Radial classes. The Project 0812 athletes can go into the Games with confidence and optimism, said Minister Teo. “If they are able to perform at their best, winning medals is a real possibility.”
At the 24th South East Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand in December 2007, Singapore placed an overall 5th of the 11 nations at the event, an improvement from 6th place at the 2005 Games in the Philippines. Singapore’s 432 athletes scored 127 medals, comprising 43 gold, 43 silver and 41 bronzes. The athletes competed in 35 of the 44 sports disciplines. At the Multi-Million Awards Program ceremony in January 2008, the SNOC awarded $520,000 to the athletes who won gold medals in 11 sports.
Helping athletes raise their chances to qualify for both the Olympic and SEA Game was the Special Training & Assistance Committee (STAC), run by the SNOC. Throughout the year, members from STAC visit the National Sports Associations to discuss athlete preparations for the Games. The visits signal the importance that the SNOC places on training.
Equally important, “they provide an opportunity for the SNOC and the NSAs to align their goals and objectives so that there are no surprises when it comes to key issues such as selection criteria, and the preparation and track record that SNOC wants to see when it makes its selection decisions,” Minister Teo said.
The SNOC stepped up its efforts in anti-doping this past year. The SNOC’s Anti-Doping in Sports Commission conducted 110 tests in seven competitions and two out-of-competition exercises. Only two tests were positive; both were from a foreign competitor at the FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup Championships, which were held in Singapore.
In October 2007, the commission held an anti-doping workshop to train 19 volunteers from the Health Sciences Authority, Changi General Hospital, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore Athletics Association and Singapore Bodybuilders’ Federation. Thirteen doping control officers were awarded a two-year certification, while another six will be certified once they have completed the practical experience requirements.
The SNOC also worked on its Athlete Career Programme with private service provider Adecco. The ACP intends to help athletes make the changeover from the sporting world to the workplace. Providing confidence and knowledge, the programme provides career counselling, resume advice, training for interviews, online assessment and mentoring support. (Please go to www.singaporeolympics.com for more information on the Athlete Career Programme.)
During fiscal 2007, three new sports associations were affiliated as members of the SNOC: the Singapore Weiqi Association, the Amateur Muaythai Association and the Singapore Xianqi General Association. However, the Singapore Underwater Federation lost its affiliation for failure to pay its subscriptions.
Elected as National Sports Asociations representatives to the Singapore National Olympic Council were Oon Jin Gee (Honorary Secretary of the Singapore Swimming Association), Jessie Phua (President of the Singapore Bowling Federation) and Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang (Vice President of the Singapore Hockey Federation).
Back
