MORE IS STILL NEEDED
But the focus on high performance pathways and development is just one part of the puzzle when it comes to building a true sporting nation.
I was especially heartened to hear Mr Tong say that there will be “strengthening of partnerships with national sports associations (NSAs) on athlete and pathway development, and closer working relationships with NSAs to professionalise sports administration and technical capabilities”.
Many NSAs are currently run by volunteers who may not possess the full range of professional expertise and capabilities required to operate these federations at a high level of efficiency and effectiveness.
While the government typically refrains from intervening directly in the running of these associations, it will be beneficial if it works with them to enhance the professional capabilities of their boards and secretariats, especially given that taxpayer funds are involved.
At the same time, the building of an ingrained and holistic national sports culture remains a work in progress.
A thriving sports ecosystem requires athletes, parents and families to see sports as a viable career option. Continued education and awareness-building are essential in communicating this.
With broader societal support, public interest in sports entertainment and events would grow. This, in turn, could potentially help to attract more financial and sponsorship interest, and increase the resources and funds available to athletes.
At the same time, the local sports industry must also step up to develop more creative and innovative sporting intellectual property and value propositions that could help put Singapore on the regional and international sporting map.
This would entail moving away from tried-and-tested (but boring) concepts like mass runs to explore ideas that potentially showcase Singapore’s urban environment, unique culture and local iconic landmarks, in formats that are growing in popularity such as urban obstacle races and fitness competitions.
Such initiatives could potentially wean Singapore off a dependency on bringing international events here, often at significant cost.
At the same time, there could be efforts to explore upcoming sports such as padel and pickleball to see if exciting spectator events could be developed to further encourage people to appreciate sports as an entertainment option alongside cable TV, concerts and movies.
If these can be achieved and combined with the multiple government efforts to support current and future sporting heroes, then we may see a true sporting Singapore come to life in the years ahead.
Nicholas Fang is a former national fencer, triathlete and sports administrator, and was Team Singapore’s chef de mission at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. He is a former Nominated Member of Parliament and currently runs local sports consultancy Novastella.