Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PRESS RELEASE
1
4 The Committee’s recommendations emphasise providing sports
opportunities for all – the young, working adults, families, seniors and the
disabled – and ensuring engaging experiences for active sports
participants, spectators and even volunteers. The recommendations
include the formation of a National Sports Strategy Committee to oversee
the implementation of the SCC’s recommendations, initiating the inclusive
multi-sports Singapore Games, supporting the development of sports clubs,
and creating more playing spaces in the heartlands.
Attachments:
Annex A – Composition of Committee
Annex B – Sporting Culture Committee report (Executive Summary)
ISSUED BY
2
ANNEX A
COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE
Chairman
Teo Ser Luck Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports
Members
Bernard Tan Managing Director (Fixed Income),
Development Bank of Singapore
Chairman for sub-committee looking at
“Demand and software – Developing a sporting
lifestyle”
3
Chairman for sub-committee looking at “Supply
and hardware – Catalysing sporting
opportunities in the community”
4
Oon Jin Teik Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Sports
Council
Ms Seah Jiak Choo Director-General of Education, Ministry of
Education
Ms Norma Sit Managing Director, RED ART Liveworks Pte Ltd
Ms Sum Chee Wah Director (Education Programmes Division),
Ministry of Education
Dr Benedict Tan Head (Changi Sports Medicine Centre),
Changi General Hospital
Tan Boon Huat Chief Executive Director, People’s Association
Tan Ju Seng President, Singapore Disability Sports Council
Ms Naomi Tan Co-curricular Officer (Co-curricular Activities
Branch), Ministry of Education
5
ANNEX B
Live Life.
Breathe Sports.
Guiding Principles
Targets
The Committee has proposed the following targets for Sporting Singapore:
6
• Attaining 66% sports participation by 2015, whereby 2 in 3
Singaporeans take part in sporting activities at least once a
week;
The Committee aims to raise public awareness and interest towards sports,
in particular local sports.
7
• Recommendation 5: Maximise usage of publicly-funded sports
facilities through efficient facility planning and innovative spaces in
town centres.
8
• Recommendation 17: Create the market to grow sports
enterprises, so that sports companies can anchor in Singapore and
expand into the region.
9
• Manpower: We would need passionate and competent personnel at
multiple levels to see through the recommendations.
The Sporting Culture Committee’s report is a start point, not an end point.
The Committee hopes that everyone will come onboard and work together
to build a Singapore Sporting Culture.
Live Life.
Breathe Sports.
10
Sporting Culture
Committee Report
1
C ontents:
Chapter Page
Foreword 3
Overview 5
Our National Sports Vision 14
Overview of the Four Strategies 20
• Strategy no.1 25
• Strategy no.2 32
• Strategy no.3 45
• Strategy no.4 61
Conclusion: The Path Ahead 66
Annex A: Members of the Committee 68
Annex B: Learning from Overseas 71
2
F oreword
Now is the right time to kick-start the second growth of sports in Singapore. There are
exciting developments ahead, with the construction of the Sports Hub and a new National
Stadium by 2012. The development of the sports industry and participation are set to grow.
This signals a new chapter in the sporting landscape of Singapore.
But without people to fill its seats, jog on its lanes, sweat in its gyms, and chase around its
courts, Singapore would only have ‘hardware’ to boast, without ‘software’ to back it up.
That is why I set up the Sporting Culture Committee, to take a hard look at the sporting
culture in Singapore and see how it could be further strengthened in order to bring sports to
everyone, to put the value of sports into every individual, family and organisation, to ‘Live
Life. Breathe Sports’.
Sports has the power to inspire people, whether watching an elite athlete excel after years of
relentless training, or a disabled athlete complete an Ironman distance triathlon, or seeing a
weekend warrior push themselves beyond their usual limits to complete their first marathon.
Sports has the power to bond people – families and friends gel through playing or watching
sports together. Casual soccer buddies catch up while indulging in their passion on weekends.
Sports has the power to create an emotional connection that few other activities can. Witness
the sight of complete strangers cheering in a stadium bound by one voice, one heart, one goal
– wishing the best for their team, or their nation, Singapore in the sporting arena.
3
Sports also has the power to galvanise people. Active participation in sports will lead to a
more robust, resilient, and healthy society. In an era of rising affluence and increasing
obesity, it is important that we create opportunities for everyone to be active and exercise.
What’s more, sports is synonymous with fun and sense of community.
For our youth, the leadership skills and character development that they gain from
participating in sports will stand us in good stead when they take on the challenge of leading
our nation in the future.
I would like to thank all my Committee members, the Secretariat staff as well as members of
the sporting fraternity and wider community for their invaluable contributions and
commitment to this project. Building a strong sporting culture will not happen overnight.
Rather, I hope the recommendations of the Sporting Culture Committee will empower and
guide our stakeholders in sports to grow our sporting culture from strength to strength over
time.
Thank you.
4
O
VERVIEW
5
The First Lap: Committee on Sporting Singapore
In 2001, the Committee on Sporting Singapore (CoSS), chaired by then Minister for
Community Development and Sports, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, released 40 recommendations
centred around three strategic pillars of Sports for All, Sports Excellence and Sports Industry.
The CoSS recommendations targeted 6 key areas:
Current Status
Today, two-thirds through the 10-year plan put in place by the CoSS, Singapore has
implemented 31 out of the 40 recommendations. The remaining 9 recommendations are work
in progress.
For Sports Excellence, Singapore is on track to be among Asia’s top 10 sporting nations. Our
athletes have steadily improved their performances at the Major Games1, most recently at the
2007 Southeast Asian Games, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2006 Asian Games. We
are on track to establish a new gold medal tally benchmark at the 2010 Asian Games.
The launch of the Singapore Sports School has laid critical building blocks for a sustainable
sports excellence system. The Sports School provides a world-class environment for students
who want to excel in the sporting arena, without compromising on receiving quality
education. For elite athletes who have completed formal schooling, the Singapore Sports
1
The term ‘Major Games’ refers to the following competitions: Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Asian Games,
Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.
6
Council (SSC) has introduced the Programme for Elite Athlete Career (PEAC), which
provides support to able-bodied and disabled athletes, allowing them to pursue both
professional and sporting aspirations.
The sports industry is growing steadily, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution at
an estimated S$696 million in 2003, up from S$581 million in 19982. The SSC has reached
out to the business community to increase marketing and networking opportunities. Now, we
have more local marquee sports events with naming rights sponsors, e.g. the Standard
Chartered Singapore Marathon, Aviva Badminton Open, Barclays Singapore Open and OSIM
Singapore Triathlon. We have also hosted major sporting events like the 117th International
Olympic Committee (IOC) Session that drew international recognition.
For our National Sports Associations (NSAs), the SSC has conducted regular NSA
networking sessions to support the NSAs as strategic sporting partners. Over the recent years,
the success of NSAs such as SingaporeSailing has proven that they can become true
champions for their sports, attaining organisational excellence and achieving world-class
outcomes.
Across all age groups, Singaporeans have become more active. As seen in the chart below,
the participation rates in sports in almost all age groups have increased between 2001 and
2005. Through the combined efforts of the SSC, Ministry of Education (MOE), Health
Promotion Board (HPB) and other agencies and partners, Singapore achieved a 48% sports
participation rate by 2005, a 10-percentage point jump from the 38% participation rate in
2001. The People’s Association (PA) as well as its Grassroots Organisations have also
organised numerous sports events that have contributed to the overall increase in sports
participation. Of notable mention is the SSC’s Sports Partnership Promotion Programme
(SPPP) that supports organising regular sports programmes and events for everyone. The
infrastructural front has also broken new ground with the innovative Dual Use School Fields
Scheme (DUS). This landmark collaboration between the MOE and SSC sees school fields
being opened to the public. As public schools are progressively being outfitted with indoor
sports halls, they will be made available for community use to facilitate and encourage
regular sports participation.
2
Based on data from the Economic Development Board.
7
Chart: Regular Sports Participation by Age Group and Year (2001 vs. 2005)
The Sporting Singapore blueprint drawn up by the CoSS has focused on setting up
infrastructure, systems and processes for our three strategic pillars of Sports for All, Sporting
Excellence, and developing the Sports Industry. While these ground-breaking strategies have
yielded great strides and monumental results, we need to think ahead to sprint the next lap.
8
The Next Lap: Sporting Culture Committee
Formed in September 2006, the Sporting Culture Committee (the Committee) is chaired by
Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
The Committee comprises representatives from the public, private and people sectors, from
within and outside the sporting fraternity. The full list of committee members is found in
Annex A.
• Review the Sporting Singapore vision, desired outcomes and development strategies
to strengthen and transform Singapore’s sporting culture;
Sub-Committees
The starting point was to identify key areas that contribute to a vibrant and self-sustaining
sporting culture. Five sub-committees were formed to examine these areas:
9
DEMAND AND SOFTWARE
Sub-committee 1:
Developing a Sporting Lifestyle
SPORTING
CULTURE
The Committee acknowledges that sports must compete with the multiple commitments,
pressures and alternative leisure options that Singaporeans face. Each sub-committee sought
opinions from invited international experts, general public and key stakeholders – within and
outside the sporting fraternity – to investigate the issues and lend a reality check to our
recommendations. Besides applying insights from previous visits to Australia, China and the
United Kingdom, the Committee made a study trip in May 2007 to Finland to observe the
Finnish experience in building their sporting culture, particularly their vibrant sports clubs
scene (see Annex B for details).
10
Looking Ahead
The 2005 National Sports Participation Survey (NSPS) shows that while considerably more
Singaporeans (aged 15 and above) are participating in sports, most take to individual-based
activities like jogging, walking, and swimming (please refer to chart below).
11
The Committee hopes to see more Singaporeans taking part in team-sports like soccer,
netball, etc. Team-sports will promote bonding across different ethnic and social groups, as
well as nurture social values in our young.
With a vibrant sports scene, Singapore will have international renown as both a business hub
and a city of recreation. A city that provides its people with an experience full of “oomph”,
Singapore can then attract more creative and mobile global talents to play, work and sink
roots in Singapore. Singapore will see the arrival of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2008, a
high-octane event that will be watched by millions all around the world, and one that
promises much buzz to electrify our island country like never before. Numerous other
12
marquee events will also be held, e.g. the FINA3 World Cup which Singapore will host from
2007 to 2009.
Culture cannot take root overnight. The Committee hopes that its recommendations will
catalyse a mass movement in Singapore. We hope to sow the seeds for a future whereby our
people will grow to embrace all facets of sports, from participation to spectatorship, from
community volunteering to corporate involvement and so on, such that sports can impact
each citizen in a positive and meaningful way.
3
Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – International Swimming Federation – is the International
Federation (IF) recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that oversees swimming and other
aquatic sports globally.
13
O N UR ATIONAL
S
PORTS V ISION
14
Our Vision
The Committee would like to build upon the current Sporting Singapore Vision – which
captures the key themes of resilience, bonding, national pride, economic well-being and
strengthening international friendships – and include the notion that sports is experiential and
a celebration of life.
Desired outcomes:
A strong sporting culture characterised by:
• A sporting community without barriers, where all can enjoy and bond – young and old,
able and disabled, seasoned enthusiasts and beginners;
• World-class sporting heroes who bring home international glory and inspire pride in
Singaporeans;
• A vibrant and professional sports industry that generates sporting and economic
opportunities in Singapore and for the region;
• Local and global audiences experience top-notch facilities, events and programmes that
energise and entertain;
15
National Sports Strategy Committee and its Guiding
Principles
At the macro level, our national sports policies serve to infuse sports into every aspect of our
daily lives. Our strategies and programmes aim to achieve this fundamental purpose, which
requires long-term dedication from multiple stakeholders to own, drive and evolve the
National Sports Vision.
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and SSC should
champion the alignment of all key stakeholders in the government, private and people
sectors. Not only can this commitment be strengthened through existing multi-stakeholder
discussion and approval platforms, it is proposed that a new National Sports Strategy
Committee be created and be led by MCYS and SSC. This proposed committee would take
ownership of the recommendations proposed by the Sporting Culture Committee and oversee
their implementation, as well as review and advise on national sports policies. This will
ensure continuity in both planning and execution of the recommendations and keep sports on
the national agenda.
We also propose the following guiding principles to establish shared values and nurture
strong multi-stakeholder commitment:
(ii) Think heartware, software and hardware – Sports is a total experience. When
we undertake sports development in big and small ways, we must be cognisant that a
combination of well-planned infrastructure, attractive programmes and passionate
people is critical to ensure success in galvanising all Singaporeans;
16
(iii) Sports as an investment – Sports yields returns at multiple levels. While it will
take time to build up our sports ecosystem to be economically self-sufficient, we
should adopt an investment-centric attitude, recognising that sports can bring
numerous tangible and intangible returns to the country;
(iv) Synergise and maximise our resources – Sports is a platform for stakeholders to
work together for the greater good. Recognising that sports must compete for funding,
sponsorships, people’s time and so on, a win-win attitude must be adopted to devise
policies and solutions to enhance the popularity of sports;
The Committee’s assessment is that we should stay the course with our existing strategy to
develop the key thrusts of Sports for All, Sports Excellence and Sports Industry. These three
areas are mutually reinforcing – Sports for All builds the base to funnel talent for Sports
Excellence, which in turn can inspire even more budding athletes to take up sports seriously.
A vibrant Sports Industry would provide the goods and services to support the virtuous cycle
between Sports for All and Sports Excellence, and in turn generate the economic value-add
and jobs to drive the entire sporting ecosystem.
The challenges ahead are twofold: first, to bridge areas of synergy across the three sporting
pillars; and second, to adopt a “many helping hands” approach to sports development. Areas
of synergy could include greater community involvement from our elite athletes to build up
sports participation at the local levels. A “many helping hands” approach would encompass
rallying key stakeholders in the government and non-government sectors – such as NSAs,
grassroots groups and sports clubs – to help drive sports.
17
The Committee proposes to enhance the targets for the three sporting thrusts as follows:
Sports Excellence
From Top 10 in Asia by 2010 to a broadened focus of (i) attaining medal glory in the
2012 Olympics and sustaining the success in subsequent Olympics as our pinnacle goal,
(ii) maintaining our position among the top 10 sporting nations in Asia beyond 2010,
and (iii) nurturing a steady stream of Singaporean athletes winning world
championships and achieving global rankings across a broad spectrum of sports.
Sports Industry
From a target of S$1.4 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution in 2010 to
S$2 billion7 GDP contribution in 2015. To achieve this target, Singapore must develop a
clear and unique value proposition in the global market, so that our sports industry would be
fuelled by local demand for sustenance and international demand for growth. In particular,
we have to identify areas of high value-add, e.g. regional sporting academies and institutions,
4
This translates to 2 in 3 Singaporeans taking part in sporting activities at least once a week.
5
According to the 2005 National Sports Participation Survey, 4.7% of the population aged 15 and above would
watch sports either at the event venues or both on TV and the event venues.
6
According to the Sports Index Study conducted by the SSC in December 2006, 4.5% of the 2,000 respondents
aged 13 and above said that they had volunteered to help at a sports event in the last 12 months. This includes
events at the community, schools, national or international levels.
7
The S$2b target for 2015 is an economic projection based on EDB and SSC’s joint plans to develop the sports
industry, e.g. boosting sports and leisure-related exportable services and products, particularly in the sub-
segments of retail/merchandising, media and broadcasting, professional services, education, and sports medicine
and sports science (SMSS).
18
world-class sports science and sports medicine centres (SMSS), event management and event
rights, and developing Singapore into a regional hub for sports-related companies and
organisations. The economic agencies must take the lead to chart the growth strategies and
lend their expertise, tools and networks for the industry to take off.
19
O verview of the Four Strategies
The lack of time and a lack of interest8 are commonly cited as Singapore’s main challenges
to participating in sports. The Committee believes that with a stronger sporting culture and a
mindset that sports is inseparable from our lives, Singaporeans will make both effort and time
to participate in sports. After careful deliberation, the Committee recommends four key
strategies to catalyse the development of Singapore’s sporting culture.
8
Based on data from the 2005 National Sports Participation Survey (NSPS) – 40% of non-sports participants
cited a lack of time due to family commitments as a major impediment to sports participation, with a lack of
interest being the second most cited impediment (34% of non-sports participants).
20
Strategy 2 –
Generating Sporting Opportunities for All
Our vision is to advocate sports as a choice lifestyle and leisure activity for Singaporeans
throughout all stages in life. In our holistic life-cycle approach, we are committed to boost
opportunities for all Singaporeans to be involved in sports at all levels – from recreational
athletes to elite competitors, from players to coaches, from spectators to volunteers, from
amateurs to professionals.
21
Strategy 3 –
Building a Flourishing Sports Ecosystem
To sustain a vibrant sporting culture in the long term, high levels of community involvement
and market participation are required. The Committee suggests that the government can play
an enabling and coordinating role to nurture more bottom-up and market-driven initiatives to
support groups, programmes and infrastructure.
Recommendation 19: Encourage the private sector to manage sports facilities and
programming
22
Strategy 4 – Developing Champions
The Committee recognises that our national athletes are an extremely powerful source of
inspiration and rallying point for Singaporeans. Sporting heroes not only help to promote
positive character values, they also inspire us to take up sports and lead active lifestyles.
Therefore, we ought to capitalise on our athletes’ performances on the international stage to
generate interest in sports and build national pride.
Coming Together
Together, the four strategies mutually reinforce one another to grow the sporting culture from
different angles. The following illustration shows how they converge in a synergistic manner.
23
Holistic View of Various Strategies/Pathways to Develop a Sporting Culture
OUTCOMES • Child is introduced to sports by parents. Also a good opportunity for family bonding
• Child learns to play more sports in school, clubs and with friends
• Child develops a love for sports and enjoys having a healthy and active lifestyle
• A vibrant sports scene. People • Demand for sports service • Our sporting champions
participate either directly or as providers and sports events become “sporting heroes” who
spectators at events inspire more people to be
• Skilled and trained coaches, interested in sports
• Healthy individuals, and sports administrators, sports
provides opportunities for medicine and sports science • Singapore’s next generation of
family and community bonding researchers, etc. sporting champions
SUPPORTING • Private & public sports facilities • Proper mindset that sports • Proper mindset that sports can
ENVIRONMENT that are affordable, accessible, provides a viable career be a viable career
and attractive
• Academic courses to provide • Sports schools to nurture top
• Skilled officials, coaches, trained skilled workforce, e.g. young sporting talent
organisers, promoters and coaches, sports administrators,
professionals in the sports etc. • Comprehensive support for our
industry top athletes (e.g. through a
Sports Institute model)
• Events for participation, create
the buzz to get people excited • Media coverage and media-
to participate savvy local athletes
Sports become part and parcel of our lives and feed into
the emerging sporting culture of the next generation
24
Strategy 1: Inspiring the Nation
Recommendation 2:
Current Status
Feedback from stakeholders and the public indicates that the media in Singapore gives good
coverage of the international sports scene, particularly for soccer and the English Premier
League. However, the feedback also suggests that more can be done to report local sports and
home-grown sporting heroes and personalities.
25
Prix and our Singaporean athletes’ preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The relevant
government agencies should work with the media industry to produce and air these
programmes. As this is a new initiative, the government would need to provide a seed grant,
but as viewership builds up, private sponsorship can come in to offset the cost partially or
wholly.
26
www.triathlonfamily.com and so on. The proposed social networking portal would
complement these sport-specific websites and serve as a first-stop shop for users to discover
and chat about the latest developments across all sports in Singapore, look for playing
partners, source for links to other sports-related websites, and even link up to other sports-
related social networking portals from other parts of the world. The model would be similar
to www.youth.sg, an online portal for youth in Singapore. This portal should integrate media-
rich content (as discussed in the preceding paragraph) to give users a seamless and satisfying
online experience.
Recommendation 3:
Current Status
Sports content in Singapore is generally created by two groups – journalists and media
professionals who write and produce for newspapers, television; and sporting enthusiasts who
create video clips and blog about local sports, usually on a pro bono basis. The Committee
feels that more can be done to support the creation of compelling sports content, both as a
means of building sports mindshare and developing a new industry.
27
a. Reaching out to schools and a broader audience
Imagine downloadable video clips, short films, e-brochures, audio streaming and comic strips
that cover the rich history of different sports in Singapore and our distinguished sporting
heroes. The Sports Content Creation Scheme can support development of such projects to be
distributed through various channels to youth and other demographic groups. The stories
could even be used for National Education purposes in schools, or for lessons on moral
values, discipline, resilience, and sportsmanship, educating our new citizens, etc.
28
II. Leading the way for the young
Recommendation 4:
Current Status
Results from the National Sporting Participation Survey as well as feedback from various
sporting stakeholders and the public highlight the need for a concerted effort to promote our
sporting champions to inspire our people, particularly the youth, to gain their mindshare and
promote the positive values of sports.
9
Dr Tan is the Head & Consultant, Changi Sports Medicine Centre. Dr Tan is a former three-time Sportsman of
the Year (’91, ’94, ’95) and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 1993 and the Public Service Star in 1995.
10
Mr Thum is a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar and represented Singapore at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
He was the first Singaporean to swim across the English Channel.
11
Dr Kua, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore, completed 10 Ironman triathlons in 10 days in
2006, and is a regular competitor at international triathlon competitions.
12
Dr Tan is a Harvard University’s Fulbright Scholar and Oxford University’s Chevening Scholar. He raises
funds for charitable causes through his participation in wheelchair ultra-marathons.
29
a. Increased Community Outreach by National Athletes
To increase the public’s identification with our local sports champions, there should be a
concerted effort to profile and market our athletes, particularly in the outreach to the youth,
e.g. having our athletes conduct regular talks and coaching clinics in schools and public
sports facilities. Some national athletes can even go back to their former schools to inspire the
new generation ‘schoolmates’. The SSC should strongly encourage all funded national
athletes, scholarship and award recipients to volunteer in the community and assist in
outreach programmes. At the same time, the SSC and NSAs need to persuade the athletes to
see the value in these community outreach efforts – ultimately, a more sporting nation would
generate positive economic and other spin-offs for all, including better endorsement
opportunities for the national athletes!
30
d. Showcase at the Sports Hub’s Sports Museum
The new Sports Hub will include a Sports Museum to feature the heritage of local and
international sports. The Committee recommends that the Museum have a spotlight on the
achievements of our elite athletes. One possibility is to integrate a sports-themed café with
the Museum, similar to how the Hard Rock Café franchise has rock and roll memorabilia in
all its outlets. The sports-themed café will enable more Singaporeans to connect with our
sporting history in a casual setting and be exposed to the positive ideals associated with
sports excellence. A second possibility is to have an entire park dedicated to honouring our
past and present local sporting heroes. The park would benefit from being placed in an area
with high foot traffic, where people could be reminded of our sporting glories and be inspired
to emulate our sports champions. We would also recommend setting up a Mobile Museum to
bring our sporting heritage to the schools and community. Corporate sponsorship, e.g. from
the bus companies, should be sought to defray the long-term cost of this mobile heritage.
31
Strategy 2: Activating Sporting
Opportunities for All
Recommendation 5:
Current Status
From the 2006 Sports Facilities Census, it is estimated that the SSC sports facilities comprise
less than 5% of the total sports facilities in Singapore. The owners of the other public sports
facilities are mainly schools, housing estates and parks. The Committee’s assessment is that
we can do better to maximise publicly-funded sports facilities for community use,
particularly since land is scarce in Singapore.
All government agencies should first study the option to use, co-share and co-locate with
existing sports facilities as a matter of due diligence before they can proceed to plan and build
32
new facilities. For instance, the Committee notes that every school has its own standalone
sports facilities, and this includes the to-be-introduced Indoor Sports Halls for all schools.
Bearing in mind that some schools are located within close proximity, it would be
advantageous for schools to pool resources to build shared and better-equipped facilities
which can be multi-storey in design to save on land take. The Committee notes that URA
currently requires all new schools and schools undergoing PRIME to allow the public access
to the playfield during non-school hours by ensuring that the direct access from the playfields
to the surrounding neighbourhood, with separate gates and fencing from the school. The
Committee is pleased to note that MOE is doing so for all its new sports facilities, wherever it
is technically possible to do so.
In addition, as new towns are built and existing towns rejuvenated, integrating sports and
recreational facilities into each estate’s town centre will add vibrancy and character. Why not
have a public gym located next to a town central’s hawker centre and bus or MRT
interchange? The availability of portable infrastructure opens up limitless opportunities for
events in the heartlands or in areas with high foot traffic. For example, climbing walls and
skateboard ramps can be built indoors. Having fun and novel events and facilities will help to
increase mindshare and ensure greater visibility and convenience for the public, thus
increasing traffic flow and the number of people to take part in sports regularly.
One concern could be the potential loss of government revenue if prime land in town centres
is used for sports, recreational or community facilities instead of commercial purposes. The
Committee’s view is that this need not be a zero sum game. A rich diversity of activities in
the town centre would attract more people to spend more time there, benefiting the
commercial establishments.
The Committee acknowledges that some incentives are necessary to encourage private
developers to include sports facilities and activities within their developments. Hence, SSC as
the national sports promotion agency could bring the National Sports Associations (NSA) on
board, and engage in dialogue with developers to explore areas of collaboration and achieve a
win-win scenario. URA has reviewed the guidelines for private commercial developments
that will allow a certain amount of additional floor space (GFA) to be used for sports if SSC
takes over the lease of the premises for the NSA to operate on a non-profit basis.
33
Recommendation 6:
Current Status
The Committee supports the various initiatives to provide more playing spaces for the public,
such as the Dual-Use Scheme to co-share playing fields in schools, opening up of State Land
for casual play, and so on. The Committee suggests that more can be done, so that all
Singaporeans will have easy access to play areas.
Besides adding more space, the facilities should be designed to cater to sportsmen of different
skill levels. For example, building smaller indoor soccer pitches instead of a full-sized field,
mini-putting greens within the housing estates, etc – these can be simple, low maintenance
and cost-effective facilities.
To encourage families to play together, there can be children’s playgrounds with exercise or
sporting equipment for adults living in the vicinity. This was something that members of the
Committee have observed in Beijing, as shown below:
34
The Committee notes that the signboards on state land play fields managed by the Singapore
Land Authority (SLA) have been very positive of late, advising “Casual play is allowed but
please do so responsibly”, instead of the less encouraging “Play at your own risk”. This
positive shift in messaging should be adopted for all state lands where appropriate.
Another idea would be for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to help identify lanes and/or
roads that could be closed at night or for a few hours on weekends exclusively for cyclists,
and in-line skaters. This would make it safer for these sportsmen and sportswomen on
“human wheels” to be active in their sports and go a long way to promote these sports.
35
Recommendation 7:
Current Status
Although there are sufficient public sports facilities in many parts of Singapore, one common
issue is the lack of supporting amenities like toilets, showers, water coolers, etc. Architects,
landscape architects and sports facilities planners need to be mindful that while the main
action takes place on the sports fields, courts, halls, etc., the entire sporting experience for
users and spectators extends to the viewing gallery, shower and toilet facilities, car parks, etc.
To strengthen the customer experience and extend it to television viewers, sports facilities
must be designed and fitted as great sports entertainment venues as well. For example,
selected public stadiums, as part of their cyclical maintenance and periodic upgrading, should
be equipped with input feed junction boxes and other media-friendly fittings for ease of
media production. These venues should have large LCD screens and excellent sound systems
to package the action into a complete and exhilarating sporting-entertainment extravaganza.
To bolster industry support and corporate buy-in at sporting events, organisers should
promote attractive packages for businesses to use sporting events and venues as platforms for
36
corporate hospitality and business networking. This will grow interest for naming rights and
other sponsorship opportunities, thus triggering a virtuous growth cycle for service providers,
sports media, sports event companies and industry players.
The Committee proposes the SSC work closely with agencies such as the National Parks
Board (NParks), Public Utilities Board (PUB), URA, HDB, and even private developers to
share best practices and pool resources to make Singapore a ‘City within a Playground’.
Recommendation 8:
Current Status
The school environment provides an important social setting for youth sports participation.
The Committee believes that every child should have the opportunity to play sports everyday
and that inculcating a love for sports through our education system is a crucial foundational
step to develop Singapore’s sporting culture. Furthermore, sports helps our children develop
confidence, positive self-esteem and resilience – these are all values which are synergistic
with Singapore’s educational philosophy of nurturing the whole child.
37
As a long term goal, every child should learn and be competent in at least four sports by the
time he or she finishes primary school. However, recognising that a number of primary
schools would face resource and logistical constraints, the Committee suggests that this target
could be phased in gradually say in the next 10 years. Alternatively, for youth who do not
have an opportunity to pick up the four sports during their primary school education, they
could be offered opportunities to learn when they are in secondary school.
The Committee strongly suggests that the primary schools work towards the long term goal to
provide opportunities for all non-swimmers to learn basic swimming skills. Swimming has
undeniable benefits to train up our children’s stamina and body strength, preparing them for
other aquatic and even non-aquatic sports. We support the National Water Safety Council’s
drive for more children to learn swimming as a life skill to develop water confidence and
reduce the risk of drowning. As for the other three (and hopefully more) sports, we suggest
that all schools have the flexibility to pick their sports. For instance, schools could pick sports
that are in line with their traditional niche specialities. Another possible approach is to choose
sports that fit a holistic physical developmental framework, e.g.
(i) Teamwork – Sports such as soccer, basketball, netball, volleyball, etc.;
(ii) Coordination and body movement – Sports such as gymnastics, swimming,
athletics, racquet sports, etc.;
(iii) Strength and stamina – Sports like athletics, swimming, canoeing, etc.;
(iv) Ruggedness and resilience – Sports like soccer, basketball, rugby, martial arts, etc.
Another suggested menu for the four foundational sports could be swimming, athletics,
gymnastics and soccer. Competed in all the Major Games including the Olympics, these
sports would provide a well-rounded foundation in water confidence, stamina, speed,
strength, body movement and teamwork for our children to learn other sports in future. These
38
sports could also provide a lively platform to teach children about Olympic history and
ideals. This would set the cornerstone for a more holistic sports development approach and
support Singapore’s aspirations to achieve Olympic glory.
Recommendation 9:
Current Status
Most schools offer sports Co-curricular Activities (CCAs) to their students, which take place
before and after school hours, and even on Saturdays. Based on public feedback, many feel
that sports CCAs in many schools are limited to a handful of youth athletes representing their
schools in inter-school competitions. The Committee believes there is an opportunity to
broaden the scope of play opportunities for more students to learn and enjoy sports.
A good model to follow is the Active after School Communities (AASC) Programme in
Australia, a national programme launched in 2005 and run by the Australian Sports
Commission. This programme provides all Australian primary school children free,
structured physical activities after school, and is designed especially for children who lead
sedentary lifestyles. All programmes are run after school from 3.00pm to 5.30pm within the
children’s schools or in approved out-of-school ‘care service environments’, which help to
39
address parents’ concerns for their children’s safety. Furthermore, all service providers under
the programme must be accredited by the Australian Sports Commission.
One idea is for the key stakeholders – such as schools, NSAs, SSC and People’s Association
(PA) and service providers – to organise year-round recreational leagues. The games could be
played in schools or community facilities, involving the schools or clusters of schools to
encourage student participation and even awarding the students Co-Curricular Activity
(CCA) points. Parents can be involved to plan, run and volunteer in these year-round leagues,
thus promoting family and community bonding.
13
According to the MOE, 24,000 students from primary and 33,000 from secondary and junior colleges take
part in the National Schools Sports Competitions annually.
40
c. Recognising students who promote participation in sports
The Committee suggests giving more recognition to schools that promote mass sports
participation. Although this is already a key performance indicator (KPI) for all schools under
the MOE’s Masterplan of Awards, we suggest that the MOE, SSC and PA should continually
collaborate to raise mass sports participation in and around schools, and pay particular
attention to set up targets, incentives and recognition schemes so that all schools would be
motivated to push for sports in a bigger way. There should be additional funding provisions
for community sports to allow more children the opportunity to participate.
One possibility is to involve and recognise students from secondary schools and junior
colleges as volunteers to teach sports to primary school students in the before and after school
sports programmes. Both groups of students stand to benefit – student volunteers would gain
important lessons in volunteerism, teaching and leadership skills; younger students would
have supervised lessons from passionate sports volunteers and have positive role models to
look up to. This can be introduced progressively to schools over the next 5 years.
To ensure good standards, all student volunteers must first undergo training and certification,
and lessons will be supervised by school teachers. The SSC and NSAs can help in the
training and certification of these student volunteers. Once approved, the student volunteers
should also be duly recognised in the form of credits for community service or sports
participation under their schools’ CCA scheme. Having student volunteers could help to
address any shortage of trained coaches or limited funds that schools might face. What’s
more, if the programme is met with enthusiasm, this will accelerate mass sports participation
in primary schools.
The Committee recognises that in order to sustain sports participation, it is necessary to allow
everyone to play at their own level, especially with regard to young children (e.g. little
41
leagues), the elderly and the disabled. These groups may require modified rules and
equipment so that they can experience sports in an enjoyable and fulfilling way.
The provision of inclusive sports leagues and sports events is a key factor in triggering broad-
base participation. After leaving school, adults have few opportunities to continue regular
participation in team sports. While some sports have formal leagues provided by service
providers such as BBAxn for basketball and ESPZen for soccer, many other sports do not.
This is an important issue to be addressed.
Recommendation 10:
Current Status
The participation trend in sports climbs significantly when individuals are in school, and
steadily decreases as they enter adulthood. While there are national ‘Open’ category
competitions in almost every sport, there lacks a national multi-sports competition to generate
buzz and get Singaporeans, particularly post-school generations, excited about local sports.
The Singapore Games would be the apex domestic competition to draw from various
competitions at the community or constituency level, such as the PA’s Inter-Constituency
Games. The SSC should work with various other stakeholders such as the PA, NSAs and
Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) to kick start the games in 2009, and
subsequently hold it annually at the Sports Hub once it is ready in 2011. This would dovetail
42
into the plans of the successful Sports Hub bidder – the Singapore Sports Hub Consortium –
to start its ‘Singapore National Games’ as part of the Sports Hub’s annual events calendar.
The Committee envisions the Singapore Games as a weekend-long schedule of finals in about
10 popular sports. The Games would be both competitive and inclusive in nature, and should
include modified sports for the disabled and seniors. For each sport, there can be separate
categories for the competitive and recreational athletes.
With emphasis on participation and fun, the Singapore Games can be organised in a festival
or carnival style to create an enjoyable and stimulating atmosphere for spectators. Other than
generating more sporting opportunities for all, these games would help Singapore develop
capabilities in running multi-sports events, which would be useful in bidding for and hosting
international sporting competitions. The long-term goal for the Singapore Games is to grow
in stature and popularity, with a steady state outcome of strong corporate sponsorships as
well as widespread public support.
Recommendation 11:
Current Status
The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, the OSIM Triathlon, the WaterFest Singapore –
these are events familiar to many Singaporeans. We now have a regular calendar of home-
grown marquee events capable of drawing top international athletes as well as attracting
thousands of local competitors and spectators.
43
global athletes and spectators. At the same time, we should position Singapore to host more
major international tournament circuits and multi-sports competitions, so that Singaporeans
can experience the buzz of major sporting competitions as a regular and island-wide affair.
Hosting major sports events will leave long-lasting impacts at many levels. From the
economic aspect, tourism dollars will be generated from foreign participants and spectators.
In addition, it paves the way for various collaborations between our local sports enterprises
and organisations and their international sporting counterparts, e.g. sharing of best practices
and allowing our athletes to chance to spar against the world’s best on home soil.
On the social front, Singapore as a young, dynamic city can play its role to promote
international understanding and harmony through sports. Hosting major competitions
presents a golden opportunity to galvanise and unite our people around a common passion.
The upgraded sports facilities and equipment can be enjoyed by the community after the
event. Major multi-sports events in particular will require stadiums and venues all over
Singapore to play host to different sports, thus ensuring that a large percentage of our
population will get to experience the passion and excitement of sports first-hand, and fuel the
dreams of future generations of potential sportsmen, sportswomen and ‘weekend warriors’.
There can be various innovative programmes to allow the broader community to get involved
as spectators, volunteers and officials. We could encourage grassroots groups or families to
play host to visiting athletes and build people-to-people ties as well.
44
Strategy 3 – Building a Flourishing Sports
Ecosystem
Recommendation 12:
Current Status
The SSC estimates that there are 1,600 sports clubs14 in Singapore, from established ones like
the Singapore Cricket Club to constituency-based ones such as the Constituency Sports Clubs
(CSCs), which organise various sporting events and programmes at the grassroots level. The
CSCs serve an integral role in attracting the young and old to regularly participate in a myriad
of sports, from Children's Leagues in football and basketball to brisk walking and pentanque
games for the elderly. Beyond these clubs, there are also informal groups, many of which
interact as online communities.
The Committee has observed that in Finland15, a vibrant and active community of sports
clubs is a necessary ingredient for a robust sporting culture. Unlike school sports, sports clubs
have the advantage of not being limited to any school or age group, and are open to players of
all skill levels. A Singaporean belonging to a sports club is linked to a sporting community
beyond the schooling years, National Service (NS) and tertiary education. Besides
encouraging adults to remain active, sports clubs also provide essential sporting opportunities
for the entire family and build sustainable communities with a rich sporting heritage.
14
This figure includes, but is not confined to, NSA-affiliated clubs and Constituency Sports Clubs.
15
Finland has some 8,000 sports clubs and 300,000 volunteers.
45
The Committee recommends
A comprehensive plan to help sports clubs start up, build up their membership, and offer a
wide range of sporting activities for the community. Over time, we hope to see more sports
clubs established as a key pillar of our sporting fraternity. The Committee recommends that
the SSC should set up a dedicated team to spearhead this critical initiative. Specifically, the
developmental plan can include the following:
46
NSAs as part of the SSC’s annual funding exercise for the NSAs to help build a community
of vibrant sports clubs.
d. Attracting volunteers
As demonstrated by Finland’s experience, vibrant sports clubs would require a steady stream
of committed volunteers who are willing to set aside time on a regular basis to manage the
club, organise activities, run programmes and so on. There has to be a concerted effort to
attract volunteers from various age groups – from students to working adults to seniors – so
that the clubs can have the manpower to sustain their activities and build the community.
Recommendation 13:
Current Status
While the SSC organises regular networking sessions for NSAs, feedback from some NSAs
indicates the need for a formal platform for the NSAs to come together, discuss areas of
common interest, and strategise ways of enhancing their capabilities.
47
The Committee recommends
The formation of an NSA Advisory Council, which will be a multi-stakeholder platform for
NSAs to raise their capabilities by accessing external expertise, sharing best practices and
devising collaboration plans. This initiative should be primarily driven by NSAs. The Council
would promote teamwork, cooperation and collaboration between NSAs to pool resources
and knowledge, specifically in areas such as:
(iii) Networking within the NSA community and with corporate organisations,
particularly on sponsorship opportunities and programmes; and
The Council could include key NSA representatives, CEOs of major corporations and
professionals from specialisations that are related to the issues which NSAs face. These
experts should be able to lend pro bono advice to the NSAs.
Recommendation 14:
Fortify NSAs’ sports management capabilities
Current Status
48
The Committee’s assessment is that NSAs’ capabilities and competencies vary widely. Some
have full-time and professionally trained staff, while others depend largely on volunteers to
manage day-to-day operations. Having a dedicated and capable executive committee, and
good full-time and part-time staff, would be mission critical to each NSA’s success.
49
d. Enhancing the NSA-SSC communication interface
The NSAs and SSC share a symbiotic relationship – NSAs are the agents of action and
change on the ground, while SSC plays a funding and facilitator role. As such, a strong
relationship of trust and regular dialogue is essential. To improve the current communication
interface, NSA Relationship Managers in SSC should be empowered to make more effective
decisions that cut across all the functional Divisions within SSC. Adopting a similar structure
to the personal banker model used by many banks will enable faster decisions and facilitate a
closer working relationship. For larger NSAs, the SSC’s senior management team should take
the lead in the account management function.
Hence, NSAs should develop capabilities to grow multiple revenue streams, e.g. sourcing for
sponsorships, encouraging greater contribution from the community, developing expertise in
running commercially viable events, etc. In particular, NSAs possess assets that can be
monetised in a variety of ways e.g. marketing their athletes, licensing their course content,
certification and other intellectual property. By developing secondary sources of income to
16
For financial year 2007-2008, NSAs had requested for funds amounting to S$86.3m while SSC allocated
S$38.4m
50
complement government funding, NSAs would be well-positioned to build up their financial
resources and attract more people into their respective sports. The Committee would also
suggest that the SSC could tweak their annual funding to NSAs to encourage the NSAs to
source for independent funding, e.g. by setting up a matching grant for each sponsorship or
donation dollar solicited by the NSA.
Having good coaches from recreational to competitive levels is necessary to encourage more
people to play sports more proficiently and safely.
Recommendation 15:
Current Status
The SSC manages the National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) to train local
coaches. There are three levels of NCAP accreditation, of which the highest level (L3) would
prepare a coach to train an elite athlete. The coach must show competence in theory and
technical components before he or she is certified at each of the three levels. NCAP-certified
coaches are listed on SSC’s National Registry of Coaches (NROC) for the public to find
qualified coaches in various sports.
The Committee’s assessment is that there is a shortage of trained coaches and instructors to
conduct sports lessons for children and beginners. The NROC database – particularly for
Level 1 coaches – is quite small. This could indicate that many “learn to play” instructors
find it too onerous or costly to be NCAP-certified. Under the present system17, the NCAP-
Theory Level 1 certification course requires a commitment of 10 lessons (total of 22.5 hours)
17
Based on SSC’s current NCAP coaching technical development guidelines.
51
over a period of one month and costs about S$200. Depending on the sport, coaches may
need to undergo further practical training and costs will differ.
The NSAs and SSC should look into offering this pre-NCAP course via online or classroom
settings, with SSC playing a facilitating and aggregation role to expedite widespread
deployment across different sports and joint marketing. The Committee recommends that the
pre-NCAP course be offered free of charge or at a nominal cost for at least one to two years
to encourage beginner instructors to undergo training. More importantly, this pre-NCAP
course must be recognised by key stakeholders such as the MOE, schools and PA in order to
ensure widespread adoption. The course must also incorporate a hands-on module in sports
safety, e.g. educating trainers on first aid, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR),
using the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and so on. With more people equipped
with basic sports safety training, we can then raise the overall awareness of safety issues and
develop broad-based capabilities to deal with minor accidents and contingencies in sports
events and activities.
Once a database of pre-NCAP instructors is formed, the SSC should encourage these
interested and committed individuals to pursue certification in NCAP, thus building up the
pipeline of trained coaches in Singapore.
52
Recommendation 16:
Current Status
Estimated figures from SSC’s NROC show that only a small percentage of coaches who
provide sports coaching or training in Singapore are NCAP-certified.
As the coaching industry matures in the long term, the Committee would recommend that
NCAP certification be made a compulsory requirement before any person can coach in
Singapore. This would be similar to the life insurance industry in Singapore where the
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) requires all sellers of insurance products to pass the
Certificate in Personal General Insurance and/or the Certificate in Commercial General
Insurance, depending on the products sold or advised.
We would like to emphasise the need to promote public awareness of the NCAP system and
accept it as the definitive quality assurance or trust mark. This could be done through a
sustained public education campaign through media channels and prominent advisory
signages at sports facilities. This campaign should specially target schools, clubs and parents
who employ coaches to teach beginner to intermediate levels, as they may be unaware of the
specific advantages of hiring a properly trained and certified coach.
53
The long term goal is to raise the level of coaching professionalism so that trainees can look
forward to more effective and safer sports education, coaches enjoy better rewards and
recognition, and the sports industry as a whole raises its capabilities and value-add.
Recommendation 17:
Current Status
The SSC is working with the economic agencies such as the Economic Development Board
(EDB) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to develop our sports industry as a growth sector
to anchor value-added and export-oriented sporting activities. This includes providing sports-
related products and services to meet local and foreign demand, as well as attracting visitors
to Singapore for sports-related conferences and events, sports medicine and sports science
services, etc.
54
events can be organised for companies to discuss sports-related business opportunities in
Singapore and the region. The Committee suggests that SSC should tap on SPRING’s and the
Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE)’s institutional knowledge and resources to
implement this idea, bearing in mind that SPRING and ACE promote entrepreneurship and
assist the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across various industry sectors.
c. Outsourcing functions
The SSC and even other government agencies should also look progressively towards
outsourcing its non-core sports-related functions to the private sector, such as operating and
marketing sports facilities, managing sports events and award ceremonies, and marketing
sports programmes, etc. This will not only create greater cost efficiency, but also enable the
private sector to build up their sports-related competencies and services, which can then be
offered internationally.
Recommendation 18:
55
Current Status
The growth of the global sports markets18 is an opportunity that Singapore should ride on.
Similar to the way that Singapore is a world-recognised air and sea regional hub, we can be
an international sports medicine and sports science (SMSS) centre of excellence. The SSC is
currently collaborating with the local hospitals in the area of sports medicine and related
services for athletes. There is further scope to transform this into a viable industry to serve
domestic and international demand.
Recommendation 19:
Current Status
18
PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that the global sports market will increase from US$96 billion in 2006, to
US$124 billion in 2011. The Asia-Pacific sports market alone is expected to expand at a rate of 5.3% annually
from US$13.7 billion in 2006, to US$17.7 billion in 2011. [Source: PwC report on ‘Global Entertainment and
Media Outlook: 2007-2011’]
56
The government’s policy – as implemented by SSC – has been to build and operate
accessible and affordable sports facilities at all major population centres in Singapore. The
Committee’s assessment is that it is timely to have greater private sector involvement to build
and manage the community sports facilities and programming, including the integration of
such facilities in commercial developments.
The Committee believes that a similar model can be extended to the community sports
facilities currently managed by SSC or other government agencies. For instance, a number of
existing sporting facilities can be aggregated together for a market sounding exercise
whereby interested parties are invited to bid to operate the sports facilities. To ensure that the
facilities remain affordable to the public, the bidders can ask for a government operating
subsidy in their proposals. The model could lead to a win-win situation whereby the
government maximises value for money in running the sports facilities (i.e. the subsidy given
to the successful bidder could be comparable to or even less than the government’s costs in
running the facilities directly), while the successful bidder would enjoy the upside in running
a wide range of sports, leisure and commercial events, activities and programmes.
57
The Committee recommends that the SSC undertake a pilot market sounding exercise. This
would be a good learning experience and stepping stone towards additional private sector
involvement exercises and approaches in the future.
The Committee understands that the URA has recently extended the C&CI scheme to include
sports uses to facilitate the integration of additional sporting space within existing and new
commercial developments. This is a very positive development, and the Committee hopes
that with this policy change, more developers will come forward to include sporting facilities
in their commercial properties. This way, consumers will be able to play sports and do
shopping under one roof, while mall operators would see increased foot traffic. The
Committee would recommend that the SSC and URA should inform all the commercial
developers about this policy change, and link the interested developers with suitable NSAs
and other sports organisations.
19
This is subject to a GFA cap of 4,000 sqm or 10% of the overall GFA, whichever is the lower.
58
Recommendation 20:
Current Status
Sports, not unlike other social or economic sectors, has its share of disagreements and
disputes between different stakeholders, particularly sports excellence issues like athlete
selection by NSAs for the Major Games. Currently, these disputes would either have to be
resolved internally within the NSA or proceed to the civil courts, which could result in a
long-drawn and expensive process. Compared to the more matured sports sectors in other
countries, our local sports fraternity is generally unfamiliar with the legal aspects of rights
management, content distribution, professional athlete management, etc.
With this system in place, the Committee hopes to see greater professionalism and speed in
the way disputes are managed and resolved. This framework is applicable for various facets
59
of sports, not just sports excellence. In the long term, this framework would be a critical
component of developing the sports industry in Singapore.
The Committee suggests that a working committee comprising legal experts and sports
management practitioners could be set up to study existing practices and the legal
frameworks that govern sports in other countries – particularly those with established sports
industries – so as to develop ways to educate the sports fraternity and even the wider public
about sports legal issues, as well as propose whether there needs to be new or revised
legislation to support Singapore’s growing sports industry.
60
Strategy 4 – Developing Champions
Sports excellence is a powerful medium to generate more interest in sports and build national
pride. Singaporean athletes have steadily improved over time at international competitions.
Combined with the right training programmes and facilities, and proper support from various
stakeholders, government agencies and the public, our national athletes have the potential to
achieve sustained medal success at the Major Games, including the Olympics and
Paralympics.
Recommendation 21:
Current Status
Supporting our elite athletes demands nothing less than the full alignment and cooperation
across multiple agencies. This ensures that our athletes can enjoy the best level of coaching
and infrastructural support, take leave of absence from school or work without worry, etc.
The Committee’s assessment is that there is a need to create a multi-agency platform to align
efforts and iron out cross-agency issues, so that our athletes can focus on their training and
preparation for the Major Games, particularly pinnacle competitions like the Olympics and
Paralympics.
61
In particular, the role of MINDEF would be to support the training and scheduling needs of
male elite athletes to balance their sports and national service commitments.
Other than looking after the able-bodied athletes, the ‘Glory for the Nation’ committee is
inclusive and should support our Elite Athletes with Disabilities (EAD) to compete
internationally, e.g. in the ASEAN ParaGames, FESPIC20 Games, Commonwealth Games
and the Paralympics. This committee could also be a useful multi-stakeholder platform to
continue the progress of Project 081221 which has been initiated by the SNOC to push for
Olympic glory in 2008, 2012 and beyond.
The MCYS, SSC and SNOC should take the lead to form this ‘Glory for the Nation’
committee, which would take an athlete-centric approach in identifying the enhanced support
needed to help our most promising elite athletes succeed at the Olympics and Paralympics.
This would represent the ‘turbo boost’ over and above the more systems-centric assistance
that SSC and NSAs are providing to the elite athletes.
Recommendation 22:
Current Status
The Sports Hub, when it is ready in 2011, will be an integrated venue to support all three
sporting pillars of Sports for All, Sports Excellence and Sports Industry. In particular, the
Sports Hub will provide top-notch training and competition facilities for our elite athletes.
Many countries such as Australia, Finland, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, have their
own sports institutes serving as a centralised, state-of-the-art facility for top athletes, coaches
and other sporting professionals to train, interact and share best practices. To a modest extent,
the success of the Singapore Sports School (the Sports School) has shown that a centralised,
‘hot-housing’ and well-managed approach is the way forward to pursue sports excellence.
20
The FESPIC Games will be renamed as Asian Para Games from 2010 onwards.
21
Project 0812 was announced by the SNOC in January 2007 to provide enhanced support for a targeted group
of athletes to win medals at the 2008, 2012 and future Summer Olympics.
62
The Committee recommends
A world-class Sports Institute to be started at the Sports Hub. To help our athletes excel at
world levels, this facility would have the best hardware and software, including top sports
medicine and sports science (SMSS) services. The Sports Institute would complement the
Sports School’s youth development focus by providing comprehensive support and
management for Singapore’s top senior athletes.
A successful Sports Institute requires the joint ownership by the SSC and NSAs. Hence we
suggest to set up a multi-stakeholder working committee – comprising representatives from
the SSC, Sports School, NSAs and external experts – to co-develop the working model,
including the sports to be included, management structure, resource and manpower
requirements. The Committee also recommends that this working committee study the Sports
School’s partnership models with NSAs. This is highly relevant because the Sports Institute
would similarly need to establish a close working partnership with NSAs.
While the Sports Hub will only be completed and operational in 2011, we recommend that
the SSC should work with the NSAs to establish a ‘virtual Sports Institute’ whereby the
working relationships, role clarity, respective responsibilities and hiring of key personnel
would be in place at least 2 years before the Sports Hub goes live. This way, the systems and
software can be tested and fine-tuned to world-class standards before moving seamlessly into
the Sports Hub.
Recommendation 23:
Current Status
A number of outstanding athletes who perform well at the school-level and may have the
potential to join national squads tend to stop competitive sports once they leave school. This
63
is a common occurrence in many developed countries. To ensure that we have a critical mass
of athletes with potential, there must be a broad feeder pipeline at the outset, hence the need
to improve our youth talent identification and management.
The Committee recommends building upon the MOE’s Talent Development Framework,
which focuses on three key strategies: (i) talent development of Primary school athletes
through the Junior Sports Academies (JSAs), (ii) increasing support for the Singapore
Schools Sports Teams (SSST), and (iii) enhancing the resources of schools to identify athletic
potential, e.g. in-house skills test for sports, and software to help identify students with
athletic potential and/or great interest in sports. In particular, the Committee suggests:
a. Developing a sound and rigorous process to identify and develop young sporting
talent
The Committee recommends that the MOE work closely with the SSC, Singapore Sports
School (SSS) and the NSAs to develop a sound approach towards the identification and
development of our talented youth. To achieve this, the Committee suggests that sport-
specific indicators be developed to allow for a rigorous process in the identification and
management of our young sporting talent, ensuring that they attain their highest potential.
Starting in one or two sports, the stakeholders – the MOE, SSC and SSS – should come
together to formulate a common set of criteria and protocols that reflect athletic ability among
young children. However, the criteria and protocols should strike a balance between
identifying those with potential and not sidelining the ‘late-bloomers’ in sports. These tests
will form the basis of a structured talent management system to nurture and develop the
talents of these youth through regular, high-level training. A major component of the talent
management system would be close and regular monitoring of the athlete’s progress to
64
determine how best to improve his or her performance in accordance with the athlete’s goals
and aspirations as well as bodily changes in the adolescent stage. Even if the identified youth
does not make it to the national teams eventually, he or she would have been exposed to
structured and high-level training, and this would at least inculcate a lifelong love of sports.
In future, this set of criteria can be modified and adapted for integration in the schools’
Physical Education curriculum, before and after school sports programmes as well as CCA
structure. This way, all Singaporean youth will have a better understanding of their own
physiological strengths and limits, thus helping them to appreciate sports better.
Since its opening in January 2004, the SSS has raised the standard for youth sports. Its
students have won many international honours for Singapore at the junior and senior athlete
levels. The Committee recommends that the SSS play an active role in knowledge transfer
and sharing vis-à-vis other schools and stakeholders in the areas of talent identification and
management. This could be done through holding regular workshops, staff exchanges and
even intensive training camps for students of other schools during the holidays.
65
The Path Ahead
The Committee hopes that this report will catalyse a broad-based effort to galvanise the
individual, family, community and nation. For these recommendations to take root and build
a great sporting culture, the Committee believes that 3 M’s are required – mandate, money
and manpower.
Mandate
First and foremost, for the Committee’s work to be effective in the long run, the report must
have the full backing of national leadership. In other words, a strong mandate must be given
to the MCYS and SSC so that they can champion the cause of sports, address issues with all
the various stakeholders, and see the Committee’s recommendations through to completion.
Money
The Committee on Sporting Singapore’s (CoSS) work has been effective in helping
Singapore run a major lap in sports development because of the generosity of the MOF and
Singapore Pools in starting up the S$500 million Sporting Singapore Fund (SSF) in 2001.
There has been a subsequent injection in 2005 to support the SSF until 2010. We have
estimated that over and above what is currently available in the SSF − essential to supporting
various ongoing sports programmes managed by the SSC, NSAs, Sports School and other
stakeholders − additional investments of S$39.8 million (for 2008 to 2010) and S$36.6
million (for 2011 to 2015) would be required to implement the Sporting Culture Committee’s
recommendations. The Committee hopes that the MOF would consider this additional
national investment favourably, so that Singapore can sprint the next lap.
66
Manpower
The MCYS and SSC, being the sector authorities on sports, must be the primary custodians to
execute the recommendations. Both MCYS and SSC will be the lead agencies must take
ownership of this report, assess the feasibility of the recommendations, and take up those
recommendations that can be implemented through to completion. As the recommendations
cut across multiple agencies’ areas of responsibility, MCYS and SSC need to tap on existing
inter-agency platforms through the proposed National Sports Strategy Committee to push the
sporting culture cause.
Members of this new National Sports Strategy Committee could convene regularly, e.g. in a
conference or workshop environment, to deliberate and review the progress of the
recommendations, think of new ideas and continually push the envelope of sports
development. This way, the Sporting Culture Committee’s legacy would not be a mere report
drafted by a once-off gathering of sports-passionate minds, but instead will evolve into a
something larger – an inter-agency platform to where views can be exchanges, ideas will be
generated and steady progress will be made towards the successful implementation of the
Sporting Culture Committee’s recommendations.
Ultimately, sports is about people. To run the next lap, we must have passionate and
competent individuals – from the volunteer coach who diligently trains his soccer youth
charges every week, to the national athlete who wants to be a world champion and achieve
glory for nation and self, to the sports administrator doing his part to help service providers –
who see themselves having a stake and taking responsibility to educate and encourage others
to live a sporting lifestyle.
67
Annex A
Committee
Chairman
Teo Ser Luck Parliamentary Secretary,
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
Sub-committee Chairman
Demand and Software
Bernard Tan Managing Director (Fixed Income),
Development Bank of Singapore
68
Benson Puah Chief Executive Officer, The Esplanade Co. Ltd
Increasing Mindshare
Alex Chan Chairman, Singapore Sports Council
Members
Ang Peng Siong Managing Director, APS Swim School
Warren Buckley Chief Executive Officer, Suntec Singapore (till 4 June 2007)
Chris Chan Secretary General, Singapore National Olympic Council
Chew Hock Yong Deputy Secretary,
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
Mike DeNoma Group Executive Director (Consumer Banking),
Standard Chartered Bank
Koh Ching Hong Managing Director, Toyota Borneo Motors
Dr Michael Koh Director (School of Sports, Health and Leisure),
Republic Polytechnic
C. Kunalan Asst. Professor, National Institute of Education
MAJ Lien Choong Luen Asst. Director (Future System Directorate),
Ministry of Defence
Ravi Menon Deputy Secretary (Policy),
Ministry of Finance (until 1 April 2007)
Darrell Metzger Chief Executive Officer,
Sentosa Development Corp. (until 1 April 2007)
MG Neo Kian Hong Chief of Army, Ministry of Defence
Ng Wai Choong Deputy Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Finance
(from 1 April 2007 onwards)
Niam Chiang Meng Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
Oon Jin Teik Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Sports Council
Ms Seah Jiak Choo Director-General of Education, Ministry of Education
Ms Norma Sit Managing Director, RED ART Liveworks Pte Ltd
Ms Sum Chee Wah Director (Education Programmes Division),
69
Ministry of Education
Dr Benedict Tan Head (Changi Sports Medicine Centre),
Changi General Hospital
Tan Boon Huat Chief Executive Director, People’s Association
Tan Ju Seng President, Singapore Disability Sports Council
Ms Naomi Tan Co-curricular Officer (Co-curricular Activities Branch),
Ministry of Education
70
Annex B
Introduction
Singapore is still in its infancy in sports development. There is much we can learn from other
countries such as Australia, China and Finland, which already have an established sporting
tradition and culture. As we learn from their best practices, we should also note the different
cultural and historical contexts, so that we can adapt accordingly to suit our purposes.
From 14 to 18 May 2007, the Committee undertook a study trip to Finland to gain insights
into the strong Finnish sporting culture and the critical success factors behind it. The key
learning points were:
As we compared the lessons from the trip with our knowledge of other countries with strong
sporting cultures, the Committee observed several key similarities and trends. The following
71
lists a broad overview of the lessons we have gleaned from the success of other countries’
sports policies:
It is crucial to have a clear vision for sports before we embark on any sports promotion
programmes. The vision should outline the benefits of sports to the nation, intended goals,
targets and well-tailored strategies. In most countries, the vision is encapsulated in a national
sports policy that expresses the government’s commitment and rationale to promoting sports.
For Australia and Finland − countries with well-established and rich sports traditions − their
national sports development policies22 clearly articulate the government’s aims and strategies
for promoting sports, and the benefits it would bring to their people. In Asia, Japan’s ‘Basic
Plan for the Promotion of Sports’ states the significance of promoting sports and charts the
relevant goals and measures from 2001 to 2010.
In Finland, the strong tradition of sports clubs is the cornerstone of their sports promotion
strategy. There are some 8,000 sports clubs and 300,000 volunteers involved in the clubs.
Sports club membership and volunteerism are integral to the Finnish lifestyle, and they stay
with the individual throughout his or her life. This strong civic participation is the bedrock of
the Finnish sports policy, and is a large part of the reason why the Finns are the most active in
sports within the EU today.
22
The Australian government has formulated a national sports policy, “Building Australian Communities
through Sport”, to guide its sports development strategies and the work of the Australian Sports Commission.
Finland has the “Sports Act” which articulates the overarching aim of promoting recreational, competitive and
elite sports as well as related civic activity.
72
For Australia, sports is a critical part of the Australian psyche and almost one in three
Australians play sports or exercise twice a week or more23. Due to the high regard for sports,
many Australians strive for sports excellence at the highest levels and there is a high demand
for sports events, thereby fuelling a robust sports industry. Together, these factors work in
tandem to create and sustain a strong sports culture.
For sports to flourish, the government must be committed to supporting sports development
as a long-term investment. Sports is an indispensable vehicle to achieve social objectives, e.g.
national pride and social bonding, but the benefits are usually only apparent in the mid to
long term. Therefore it is necessary that the national vision for sports be championed by the
government with a long view.
In Australia, there is non-partisan political support for sports across Australia’s three main
political parties and minority parties. Regardless of changes in the ruling party or coalition,
the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has been receiving stable and increased funding for its
elite programmes over the years. Furthermore, the appointment of the AIS Director by the
Prime Minister signifies the national importance of sports.
National will is even more pronounced in China, where the government has played a large
role to promote and develop sports. Physical fitness has always been an important aspect of
traditional Chinese culture, and since 1995, the Chinese government has embarked on a series
of ‘Sports for All’ programmes and initiatives to involve more people in physical activity.
The government has also placed great emphasis on sports excellence at the highest levels as a
tool for instilling national pride among the people. Since 1979, Chinese athletes have taken
part in five Summer Olympic Games, garnering a total of 80 golds, 79 silvers and 64 bronzes,
thus showcasing their prowess to the rest of the world. With its intention to advance its mark
in the international sporting arena as a showcase for the country’s progress on the global
stage, the Chinese government bid and won the right to host the Summer Olympic Games in
2008.
23
These figures were released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in Feb 2007, as part of the study entitled
“Sports and Physical Recreation, Australia 2005-06”.
73
Lesson 4: Adopting a multi-faceted and holistic approach towards
sports
Sports is a social activity that brings many benefits to the participant. Countries have
espoused the multiple benefits of sports, e.g. physical and mental benefits, social benefits
such as building national pride and social cohesion, and economic contributions to the
country. A coordinated inter-agency approach that gives public and private agencies a shared
responsibility in sports promotion and development is bound to yield greater success.
This is the case in Finland which uses a network of established links among the various sports
organisations and interest groups, ensuring that sports is represented at every level, i.e. the
national level (Ministry of Education), regional level (provinces), and local level (municipal
authorities, non-governmental organisations such as sports clubs and organisations). The
Finns also adopt a perspective whereby sports can impact beyond the individual to the family,
community and national levels.
In Japan, sports is regarded as a healthy pastime for all Japanese, young and old. Not only
does sports help build discipline, teamwork and fair play, it helps the elderly keep fit and
healthy. The Japanese government has been encouraging lifelong participation in sports by
setting up at least one comprehensive community sports club in each municipality from 2000
to 2010. These clubs offer a variety of sports for Japanese of all ages and skill levels, with
certified instructors on hand to assist participants at different skill levels. These clubs make it
possible for the local residents to engage in regular sports activities for life.
While a decentralised and networked approach is helpful to bring sports to the masses, it may
not be the ideal method to attain sports excellence at the highest levels. The Finnish Olympic
Committee had mentioned their need to increase professionalism and adopt a more
coordinated approach to enhance their sports excellence outcomes. The learning point for us
is to adopt different approaches for our sports for all and sports excellence plans, e.g. a
networked and ‘many helping hands’ approach would better support a vibrant club culture
and participation, while a more focused and structured approach is better suited to develop
our athletes into champions. These approaches would reinforce each other and ensure the
success of our participation and excellence efforts.
74
Lesson 5: Establishing and maximising partnerships between public
and private sectors
Adopting a public-private partnership approach should provide a win-win arrangement for all
parties involved in sports, particularly in the case of managing sports facilities and event
venues.
Australia’s sporting facilities are versatile and designed to be multi-purpose so that they can
host sporting, entertainment and social events. In the case of the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic
Centre (MSAC), the management effectively balances community needs and commercial
interests through creative scheduling and strategic marketing to various groups. For instance,
the MSAC has facilities open for community use and members-only fitness gyms and
wellness centres. Similarly, the Kuortane Sports Institute in Finland caters to the needs of the
elite athletes and the larger community. The Kuortane Sports Institute is jointly funded by
private, public and people sectors – the Ministry of Education funds 37% of the Institute’s
operating costs while the remaining funds are raised through room rentals and commercial
sponsorships.
A mix of revenue sources is common for many sports clubs in Finland, where a large
majority of their revenue comes from membership fees (80-90%), while the rest is made up
of local government subsidies, i.e. municipalities, and commercial sponsorships. It is through
this bottom-up approach that the Finnish sports programmes and schemes are able to flourish
and become self-sustaining in the long run.
75
[End of Report]
76