I declare my interest as a parent of a child in a high performance sports programme run by Sport Singapore (SportSG).
I congratulate Yeo Jia Min and Loh Kean Yew on their stellar performance in the recent German Open badminton tournament. They and other Team Singapore athletes have blazed a trail for many more young athletes to follow.
The level of competition in world-class sport is fierce, with elite athletes dedicating their youth to training and competing. Winning at the highest level requires early talent identification, top-tier coaching and strong athlete support.
These student-athletes take a different path from their peers in mainstream schools. Training 20 to 30 hours a week and travelling frequently for competitions while studying is extremely demanding. Not all can enrol in the Singapore Sports School because its 10 academy programmes may not match the athletes’ sport. SportSG and National Sports Associations (NSAs) must work more closely with mainstream schools to give student-athletes greater flexibility in their schedules while ensuring they keep up academically.
Finances are a major hurdle to developing world-class athletes. Most costs, especially in the early years, fall on parents. Joseph Schooling’s parents reportedly spent some $1 million on his training, education, accommodation and travel on his road to winning an Olympic gold. How many families can afford that? Without external funding, we risk limiting our talent pool to the wealthiest households. Funding need not come solely from the government; corporate and private sponsors can help. SportSG and NSAs should play a bigger role in securing and connecting athletes with sponsorship opportunities. Even modest sponsorship of equipment, clothing or travel can help to develop potential talent.
Young athletes and their parents need clearer guidance and structured pathways so that they don’t navigate the system alone. More support should be provided to help parents make informed decisions about their child’s sporting and academic future.
Smaller NSAs may lack the expertise and resources for world-class coaching and athlete development. In such cases, SportSG should provide more guidance and oversight to support athletes and help them achieve their full potential.
World-class athletes are developed through years of rigorous training, not talent alone. If we are serious about competing on the world stage, we must put the right structures, pathways and financing in place for our athletes to train, develop and win.
