A New Path of Sporting Success in Singapore

Sectors

Sports

21 August 2024

Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, at High Performance Sport Ecosystem stakeholders' engagement session on 21 August 2024

First of all, a very good evening to all of you. It is wonderful to see this place filled to the brim with everyone from our sporting community. Thank you for being here
This evening, we have our
1. our Team Singapore athletes, including our Olympians – thank you for representing Team Singapore!
2. representatives from our National Sport Associations (NSAs),
3. spex partners,
4. colleagues and friends.
We heard some exciting news from National Day Rally last week. Let me elaborate and speak more on what we can expect.

Our vision for Singapore’s sports landscape

In the past month, we have been struck with Olympic fever, cheering our TeamSG athletes on at the Paris Olympics.
1. I was myself in France a few weeks ago. I saw many of our athletes in action on the Olympic stage, against the world’s best.
2. I joined up with fellow Singaporeans to cheer them on.
3. As you can see, I was also struck by the same fever!
4. Whether it is seeing Shanti Pereira on the track, Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min on the court, or Max Maeder in the waters on his kite,
5. Their stories of strength, resilience, and of excellence have instilled in all of us a deep sense of national pride.
6. I am sure this national pride will strengthen as we gear up to the Paralympics in the next few weeks.
7. And I will be in Paris to cheer them on as well!
Over the years, our athletes, both able-bodied and para-athletes, have not only done Singapore proud,
1. they also serve as tremendous role models,
2. who inspire many young athletes to walk in their footsteps,
3. and chase their sporting dreams.
In his National Day Rally speech, PM said that there is a need for major resets in policies and attitudes to achieve success for Singapore.
1. I think this must apply to sports as well.
Overall, mindsets towards pursuing a sporting career are changing.
1. More talented young Singaporeans are taking sports more seriously and want to excel at the highest levels.
2. They have serious aspirations to succeed in their chosen sport.
3. And I have seen many parents who are increasingly supportive of their children taking up a sporting career.
It is time for us to do more, to give these aspirations a further push towards success.
The government is committed to take steps to strengthen our sporting culture and have put in place a strong framework to achieve our next bound of sporting success and excellence for Singapore.
1. We will create a conducive and comprehensive sporting ecosystem,
2. One which makes sports a way of life,
3. where all Singaporeans can engage in sports at their own levels,
  1. be it competing at the Major Games,
  2. or for recreation.
4. Sports builds up the determination, discipline, and grit that comes with playing sports. This is something you can’t get in any other setting.
5. Regardless of where the sporting journey might take you, these are key qualities that will carry you through life.
These moves are also part of efforts to fulfill our larger, refreshed Singapore Dream,
1. to build Singapore into a society that supports individual and collective aspirations,
2. where there are many diverse paths to success.
3. This evening, I will expand on how we intend for sports to be one such viable pathway.

Building on our strong foundations of sporting success

We are building on already strong foundations and starting from a good position.
1. Singapore’s sporting scene has made significant strides over the years.
2. More people are now participating in sports at least once a week, up from 54% in 2015 to 70% in 2023¹. This sets us on a good trajectory.
3. Our athletes have also been performing well on the international stage.
  1. Since 2017, Singapore averaged 52 gold medals at each edition of the SEA Games, a significant increase from the previous decade at 38.
  2. In 2023, we achieved more than 200 medals in total at the SEA and ASEAN Para Games.
  3. This year at the Paris Olympics, we have Max Maeder, who at 17 years old became not just the youngest Singaporean athlete to win an Olympic medal,
  4. but the youngest in the world to win an individual sailing medal at the Olympics.
  5. But going beyond medals, we saw how Max represented Singapore brilliantly on the world stage –
    1. We saw his pride in being a part of Team Singapore,
    2. We saw his determination and fortitude, when he came up against the world’s best.
    3. And how he showed honour and respect for sports in the way he carried himself.
  6. Leaving aside medals, I think we came in first, in all of these sporting qualities!
These achievements – whether in podium success or in building up sporting qualities – are all commendable achievements for a small country like ours.
1. They were not obtained by chance,
2. but through years of hard work by the government, by all of you – NSAs, sporting federations, coaches, trainers and parents.
We have been shaping our sporting ecosystem in two main ways.
First, we invest in high-quality public sports infrastructure, as well as diverse and inclusive programming, to make sports accessible to all.
1. In the heartlands, we are building up a network of world-class sporting facilitiesfor Singaporeans to have easy access to sports.
  1. Some recent examples are the new sport centre at
    1. Bukit Canberra,
    2. and rejuvenated ones at Delta and Choa Chu Kang.
  2. And Singaporeans can look forward to more sporting facilities in the future:
    1. We will have the Punggol Regional Sports Centre in 2026,
    2. and the Toa Payoh Integrated Development by 2030.
    3. These two are major developments in the heartlands. We want to ensure that we promote sports and make sports accessible, not just with any sporting facility but with building high quality regional infrastructure.
2. We have also created diverse and inclusive sports programmes for different groups of Singaporeans to pursue their sporting interests.
  1. In 2016, we started the ActiveSG Academies and Clubs to provide quality and affordable programmes,
    1. For more Singaporeans to pursue their sporting interests beyond elite sport.
    2. It is good to take part in sports, and it is good to have such a habit from young.
  2. Located all over Singapore, these A&Cs serve about 8,000 regular participants in a quarterly season today,
    1. And they complement the programmes offered by private academies and clubs.
  3. All in all, we have 10 ActiveSG Academies and Clubs offering seasonal programmes for a wide range of sports –
    1. from football to athletics to water polo,
    2. and disability sports such as para swimming and wheelchair rugby.
  4. Every child can now take up a sport, discover his/her passion for sport, and while doing that, learn valuable life skills and core values.
  5. Besides ActiveSG, schools are also a key platform to expose children and youths across a range of different backgrounds and abilities to sports –
    1. through CCAs, the Physical Education curriculum, the National School Games, and other sports programmes.
    2. These are important as we try to grow the base, widen participation, and encourage more to take part in sports.
  6. Recognising this, SportSG works closely with MOE schools to expand broad-based sport programming in schools.
    1. For example, schools can work with ActiveSG Academies & Clubs to deliver tailored sports programmes.
    2. They can tap on a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $10,000 to take up sports programmes from an endorsed list.
    3. SportSG also supports the Strategic Partnership CCA (SP-CCA) programme, where secondary students from different schools come together to pursue sports that might not offered in their schools. We might not see all sports CCAs offered in schools, but through the programme, all students interested in a particular sport can compete under a combined school CCA.
  7. At the community level, we support National Sports Associations (NSAs) and private sport academies,
    1. To create a vibrant year-round calendar of community leagues and competitions, such as the ActiveSG Cup and Pesta Sukan.
    2. These provide opportunities for all Singaporeans from a young age to compete outside of formalised settings – not just in schools, clubs and academies, but through these community competitions as well.
  8. We also recognise that there are some niche sports gaining traction in the community, such as roller-skating and pickleball.
    1. The government will continue to broaden the opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue these sports.
    2. We extended the One Team Singapore Fund (OTSF) earlier this year to support the Athletes’ Inspire Fund. This will enable even more athletes from emerging sports to receive financial support to represent Singapore in international competitions.
    3. We hope this will encourage more grassroots participation and in turn catalyse more support for our athletes.
3. Moving forward, we will
  1. Expand opportunities for youths to engage in sports within our ActiveSG Academies and Clubs,
  2. Enhance our support to schools and private academies to run quality sport programmes in schools and the communities,
  3. So as to nurture the next generation of aspiring young athletes.
  4. In summary, the plan is for more to learn to play sports, and the quality of our pipeline will slowly but surely grow
Second, we have invested in a comprehensive high performance sport ecosystem.
1. Our sporting achievements come off the back of systemic investments in key sports institutions that support the development of sporting talent.
  1. These include the Singapore Sports School, Singapore Sport Institute, and National Youth Sports Institute and all the NSAs working in tandem;
  2. They collectively provide an infrastructure which gives layers of support for our athletes.
2. We will also enhance the professional capabilities and standards of our technical directors and sport coaches, where we
  1. Aim to employ and develop top quality coaches,
  2. Who can take our athletes and para-athletes to the next level.
3. For our elite athletes and para-athletes, the Sports Excellence Programme, or spex, plays an important role in unlocking their potential.
  1. Spex has come a long way since it started more than 30 years ago.
  2. In 1993, SPEX2000 was launched to provide financial support to athletes within a core group of 14 sports.
  3. Today, spex covers a wide range of customised support,
    - Across the different stages in an athlete’s life and journey,
    - And across different sports, including those that are not featured in Major Games.
    - For example, in 2022, we welcomed Kyra Poh, a World Champion in indoor skydiving, as our spexScholar.
4. Overall, we have seen positive results from this scheme.
  1. Our spexScholars have expanded from 61 in 2013, to 105 last year, our largest cohort ever.
  2. They form a growing proportion of the gold medal winners at the SEA and Asian Games.
  3. In fact, at last year’s Hangzhou Asian games, all of the gold medals were won by our spexScholars athletes and para-athletes.
5. We will continue to review our spex programmes to support for our athletes better.
  1. Earlier this year, we introduced spexPotential to support more promising youth athletes at an earlier stage of their career.
    1. We recognise that some athletes need support much earlier in their career to reach further. So spexPotential was started to ensure we support our athletes more upstream.
    2. Last year, we welcomed our first cohort of 48 spexPotential² athletes across 22 sports.
6. We place great value in nurturing a pipeline of new sporting talent in Singapore,
  1. We want to provide stronger upstream support for them to better reach their sporting aspirations.

Enhancing the Employability of our Athletes

We have done well, but we can do more for our current and future athletes.
1. Our athletes have similar aspirations as young Singaporeans,
  1. Of attaining higher education qualifications,
  2. Starting a career,
  3. And achieving financial stability.
2. But our athletes also face unique challenges,
  1. Such as the stress of struggling between academics or work.
  2. Their training and competition schedules also sometimes conflict with their school or work schedules.
  3. And sometimes, they have to sacrifice one for the other.
We understand their pain in making the hard decisions,
1. Whether it is giving up the sport they love to pursue their academics,
2. to make sure they have financial stability,
3. Or letting go of their academics to fulfil their sporting aspirations.
So, it is important that we try to neutralise this as much as we can, and to make this decision less painful.
1. What we want to do is to minimise the trade-off between pursuing sporting excellence and furthering their studies and careers,
2. so that they do not have to be forced to choose.
This is why we are implementing key changes to
1. enhance the employability of our athletes and para-athletes,
2. and to better support their post-athlete career transition.
3. The more we can support an athlete on his/her academic and employment path, the more likely it will be that an athlete will remain an athlete at the highest levels.
Let me elaborate.

SpexEducation

First, together with our current 16 partners, we are enhancing spexEducation, one of our flagship programmes,
1. This enables our athletes and para-athletes to attain higher education qualifications,
2. without at the same time compromising their competitive sporting career.
We are working hand in hand with all six autonomous universities to implement athlete-friendly practices.
All six universities have graciously and kindly committed to having
1. Aptitude-based admissions, where athletes are considered for other valuable qualities beyond academic qualification;
2. Flexibility in the schedule to better accommodate their training and competition needs, such as:
  1. Priority selection of course modules,
  2. Ease of applying for a leave of absence, sometimes for a prolonged period
  3. Rescheduling assignment deadlines,
  4. Option of taking up fewer modules in a particular semester,
  5. And the choice to complete their degree beyond the usual duration. So, you can take four years instead of three, or five instead of four, to better accommodate your training and competition schedule.
Many athletes have since benefitted from such practices.
1. For example, SMU granted Kimberly Lim, our TeamSG sailor, a four-year leave of absence from 2017 to 2021.
  1. This allowed her to train full time to pursue her sporting dreams,
  2. While having the assurance that she can still continue her tertiary education right where she left off.
  3. And her efforts have paid off.
  4. Not only did Kimberly become the first Asian to qualify for the medal race in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,
  5. She also graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy in 2023.
  6. Congratulations Kimberly! It is not easy to do this on a schedule that is packed, but our athletes have the determination and fortitude to do it, and we will support them on this journey.
2. SIT also granted Danielle Lim, our TeamSG wrestler, a gap year in 2022 and a leave of absence in 2023 to pursue her sport,
  1. This enabled her to train for the SEA Games in 2023 while pursuing her studies in physiotherapy.
  2. And she eventually won a silver medal at the Games!
Some universities have even gone beyond to support our athletes in more holistic ways:
1. NUS for example has provisions in place to support its student-athletes in their dreams of representing Singapore at the Major Games and competitions.
  1. One beneficiary is Ashlee Tan, our TeamSG diver, who was pursuing her medical degree.
  2. Ashlee spoke to me some time ago about taking some time off her studies in the middle of her course to train full time and make an attempt at the Asian Games and the Olympics.
  3. I encouraged her to. After all, how often do you get an opportunity to have a shot at doing it? It is often better to try and not succeed than to not try at all.
  4. NUS provided flexibility in assessment and exam arrangements. The faculty also approved her gap year so that she could focus on her Olympic campaign.
  5. While on academic leave of absence, Ashlee received a total of $10,000 of financial support through NUS’s University Support for Pursuit of Arts, Culture & Sports (U-SPARKS). This has sparked Ashlee on her journey.
  6. This enabled her to train and compete overseas for the lead-up to several major games, including the Asian Games and two World Championships.
  7. I think when she looks back, she will know that she gave it her all. And that is all we can ask of our athletes.
Let me thank the universities for recognising the value of sport and stepping up in so many ways to support our athletes.
1. We will work even more closely with you and other institutes of higher learning to enhance this support in our new path to sporting success in Singapore.
Another key way that we are enhancing spexEducation is in the launch of a new spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship which will start this year.
1. PM had first announced this at the Sports School’s 20th anniversary this year.
2. The scholarship seeks to provide assurance to our athletes and their parents, that their tertiary education can be taken care of.
We also understand that different sports have different requirements, such as training intensity and overseas competitions, as well as different ages where the athletes reach peak performance.
1. Therefore, some athletes want to concurrently pursue their academic studies while at the same time chasing their sporting ambitions.
2. Others such as our top badminton and table tennis players often have to travel overseas for long periods and gain ranking points for the Olympic Games. It is not possible to juggle that.
  1. In those cases, they may prefer to pursue sports first, finish their career, and embark on their academics later.
The government recognises this, and will support both these needs, via two scholarship tracks:
1. The first is the “Dual-Career” track, where you can do both at the same time, studying while training and competing;
2. Second is the “New-Career” track, for those who choose to embark on their studies after they retire from competitive sport.
3. For both tracks, we will provide a scholarship that will provide funding support for athletes to pursue their undergraduate studies, including tuition fees and course materials.
4. This gives you the assurance that you can go through your sport, finish your sporting career, give your best attention to your studies and build a new career.
To provide even more assurance for our athletes after they finish their academic journey,
1. for those who take up this scholarship and study sport-related courses, courses that help to contribute back to sport in Singapore,
2. Sport Singapore will facilitate job opportunities in the sports sector when they are ready to join the workforce. We have seen good examples
  1. They include Shakir Juanda, former two-time world champion Pencak Silat athlete, who is now working in Sport Singapore after retiring;
  2. And Low Jia Ren, a former national basketball player who is today Deputy Chief at the Singapore Sport Institute;
  3. These are two examples, but there are many more. We want them to bring their sporting expertise and experience back to Singapore and give back to the community.
3. We can see these examples and have greater confidence that there are many new career possibilities that await them even after they retire. Our athletes don’t have to worry – they can go into training feet first and pursue their new career after that.
I am happy to announce that from 1 September 2024, all athletes may apply for the spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship for studies commencing next year.
1. I encourage our aspiring young athletes to make full use of this scholarship to help you pursue your sporting excellence goals.
Second, what about athletes who finish school and want to start their career outside of competitive sport? For them, we will enhance our spexBusiness programme to help them on this journey.
Businesses today gain a lot by employing athletes, who are naturally more discipline, and are also more resilient and focused.
1. Some corporates understand this well and have taken advantage of this.
2. Deloitte, for instance, has employed more than 150 TeamSG athletes to date.
  1. Under the Deloitte Ignite Program, current and retired elite athletes can gain valuable work experience through flexible internships and employment opportunities in the company – from Finance and HR, Consulting to Marketing and Communications etc.
Today, we have 60 spexBusiness partners.
Going forward, we want to significantly enhance and expand this corporate network by
1. partnering more companies, so that our TeamSG athletes can join them and take advantage of the sporting culture and flexibility to train and compete overseas.
2. We will also provide more opportunities for our athletes and para-athletes to build their careers during and after competitive sports.
I encourage more corporates to beef up efforts to join us in supporting our athletes with the same mindset.
The support they give to our athletes through spexBusiness is a key component of an athlete’s path to success.

spexScholarship

Third, we want to bolster the financial stability of our athletes and para-athletes today. So, we will raise our spexScholars’ stipends.
1. We will also introduce monthly top-ups to their CPF accounts.
2. Let me explain.
We know that competing full-time at the highest levels means that sometimes athletes and para-athletes will forgo their opportunity to accumulate savings – including CPF, which is their nest egg and their foundation to build financial stability.
1. Current stipends also do not include CPF contributions today.
2. This affects their ability to purchase housing, support their healthcare needs, and save for their retirement.
So, starting from 1 April next year, SportSG will revise upwards the monthly allowance for our spexScholars.
1. To enhance their CPF savings, we will channel 20% of their increased stipend into their CPF accounts.
2. In addition, SportSG will contribute another 17% of their stipend to their CPF accounts.
3. We have sized this by taking reference from the prevailing CPF rates for employers and employees today.
4. Take spexScholar X for example.
  1. Today, she is drawing a stipend of $4,000.
  2. From 1 April 2025, SportSG will increase her stipend to $5,000 and channel 20% of that into her CPF account.
  3. In addition, SportSG will contribute another 17% into her CPF account.
  4. In effect, this means she will continue to take home the same amount of allowance of $4,000 as she does today,
  5. And also receive over $1,800 in her CPF account every month, which is substantial.
  6. This will help her find financial stability, build her nest egg, and build sufficient financial foundation to settle down when she retires.
5. Over time, there will be enough savings in their CPF to support their housing, medical and retirement needs.
We will also provide a milestone bonus to all spexScholars, to encourage them to remain in their sport, for longer.
1. For every four years of spexScholarship completed, our spexScholars will receive a further one month’s stipend.

Address to current and future athletes

To all our current and future athletes, we understand that many of you have made huge sacrifices to achieve your sporting dreams.
1. At the academic, career, and financial levels.
These initiatives reflect our commitment to better look after your needs, as you compete with pride for TeamSG.
1. Many of these spex enhancements that I have just shared are already in the works and will take place in the coming year.
2. I encourage all of you to make full use of these opportunities, be bold, be comforted that we are looking after what matters to you.
At the end of the day, we want you to be able to achieve both your sporting and career aspirations.
1. If you have the potential to go far, it should not be sports or academics.
2. It should and can be both,
3. without worrying that pursuing one will compromise the other.
All of you can count on us to support you, so that you can go higher, faster, and stronger. And you can put on that Team Singapore jersey with pride and conviction.

Kallang Alive Masterplan

Beyond what we do today, we also need to write the next chapter of Singapore sports.
1. We must also think longer-term, bolder, beyond refining our current framework and initiatives.
Where necessary, we must take bold, concerted and concrete steps,
1. To rejuvenate our sporting landscape and reshape the sporting ecosystem,
2. This serves not only our athletes, but all Singaporeans.
This is where the Kallang Alive Masterplan comes in.
The Kallang Alive Masterplan is the result of a multi-ministry effort over many years,
1. To make sure Singapore sports remain strong, and that we punch above our weight to chart the next bound of our sporting excellence
2. and achieve our broader social and sporting ambitions.
Back in 2022, I announced that the government will take over the ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub.
1. A key objective was to achieve greater integration with our Kallang Alive plans,
2. and maximise synergies across the suite of facilities that we are building.
3. Our vision was that the entire Kallang Alive precinct will be transformed into a vibrant sport, entertainment and lifestyle precinct.
With the new Kallang Alive Masterplan, we envisage that the precinct will become a true sports hub, comprising:
1. One single integrated ecosystem,
2. That is equipped to host world-class events,
3. And which will become the home ground for our national athletes to train and compete,
4. And for all Singaporeans to see this as a place they can call their own and come and enjoy with their family.
We are now starting to build this vision together, piece by piece, to make the ecosystem come alive.
PM announced some of the key features a few nights ago but let me drill down in greater detail.

Home Team of Singapore

First, we will have a new home for our TeamSG athletes in Kallang. We will call it our Home of Team Singapore (HTSG). This will be the home of high-performance athletes.
The new HTSG will integrate our sports ecosystem and further unleash the potential of our athletes.
For our athletes, the HTSG will have a dedicated, world-class training facilities for certain sports.
1. This will serve to level up our training and the support we give for athletes.
2. To complement the training facilities, the HTSG will also provide a full-board experience for our elite athletes, particularly those training full-time or studying at the Sports School.
  1. This will minimise their travel time and maximise their training mileage,
  2. And create an environment where our athletes are surrounded on a daily basis by like-minded people who are also striving towards the same goals.
  3. This helps to create a champion mindset.
  4. Visiting sports teams and foreign athletes can also make use of these facilities, train and compete with us, and overall help us level up.
3. We want to have as many youth and senior athletes, as well as para- and able-bodied athletes, living, training, and studying all together in one space as one Team Singapore.
4. This will be your home – the Home of Team Singapore!
For our para-athletes, the HTSG will also house their National Training Centre (NTC) and serve as the home of para sports.
1. The NTC will have dedicated training facilities to meet the needs of selected para sports.
2. This is also part of our larger Disability Sports Masterplan to enhance support for persons with disabilities.
  1. Since the first edition in 2016, we have been working hard to rejuvenate and refresh it and engage stakeholders on how we can improve this Masterplan.
  2. We are working closely with partners to update it. And when we are ready, we will share more.
But I wish to emphasise one key point. HTSG goes beyond facilities for our athletes.
TeamSG involves not just the athletes, but also the entire sporting environment and network of support –
1. Such as our coaches, sport scientists, sport administrators and all National Sports Associations –
2. You all play an important part.
3. And we want HTSG to also cater to your development to make sports in Singapore successful.
So, we will build an expanded sport science and sport medicine centre within the HTSG. We will invest in sport science in a big way with state-of-the-art labs and facilities.
1. Stronger sport science and sport medicine capabilities would provide a significant competitive advantage for athletes.
2. Countries such as Japan and Hong Kong have dedicated centres and have been investing heavily in dedicated sport science and sport medicine facilities to develop their athletes. And we can see the outcomes of their investments.
3. If we set ourselves on the same journey, we can also see similar good outcomes.
4. This new centre will allow us to:
  1. deepen the expertise of our sport professionals,
  2. grow a wider base of sport scientists,
  3. bring them closer to our athletes – where they train and recover from injury etc.
  4. and also enable greater research and innovation.
  5. And we will ensure that the centre will be nuanced to athletes’ needs.
5. And this centre will be open to all TeamSG athletes, regardless of whether they train at HTSG or elsewhere in Singapore.
For our NSAs, we will do more to transform and strengthen our partnership with all of you. You are important partners, because you work the ground and you help to nurture our athletes.
1. We will co-locate some of our NSAs in the HTSG, bringing them closer to each other and our athletes.
  1. You will be able to leverage synergies, foster knowledge-sharing opportunities and enable joint-planning and co-creation.
2. We will further professionalise our NSAs and enable them to be punching above their weight. We will centralise hiring of some key appointments, such as head coaches and sports administrators.
  1. and deploy them in and across NSAs.
  2. This will enhance our ability to attract a professional workforce that is skilled and dedicated to sports in the NSAs,
  3. and provide them greater opportunities for professional growth and career path development.
3. We will also look into providing shared services to take the burden off our NSAs. This will help them focus on what they do best,
  1. To improve their efficiency,
  2. and enable them to focus on their key mission of supporting our athletes, allow them to excel and grow the base.
Another critical player in the Singapore high performance sports system is the Singapore Sports School, or SSP.
1. Many of you would have witnessed how critical the SSP has been over the last 20 years.
  1. Starting out as a secondary school for aspiring student-athletes,
  2. It has broadened to offer much more: post-secondary pathways and other forms of academic support for student-athletes.
  3. It is a significant partner in the development of high-performance sport,
  4. having groomed 19 Olympians, 17 World Champions, and many more outstanding athletes.
2. So, integrating SSP into the HTSG together with our sport scientists, NSAs, and athletes, is a no brainer.
3. So, we will move SSP from Woodlands to Kallang to form part of the HTSG.
  1. Doing so allows us to support our national athletes and wrap academic support around their training and competition demands.
  2. This means more athletes will be able to study, train and play in the same place.
We will also more closely integrate all our sporting institutions in Singapore –
1. MCCY, SSI, NYSI, our NSAs and SSP, all these will be part of HTSG.
2. By bringing everyone together to exchange ideas and be inspired by one another, it will create a new refreshed sporting culture and mindset that goes beyond the infrastructure we are building,
3. and in turn reinforces our identity and pride as one TeamSG.
4. As they say, it takes a village to raise a champion. This village consists of all of you here – our coaches, sport scientists and administrators, NSA professionals, and the families and loved ones of our athletes –
  1. All of you come together to collaborate and work tirelessly to support our athletes.
  2. We want to ensure that you are also an important part of the HTSG.

Indoor Arena

The second key site in Kallang Alive is the new indoor arena, which will be built near the waterfront.
Indoor arenas are key drivers of sporting success because it allows us to host world-class events right at our home ground.
1. Cities around the world build iconic sporting stadiums to support top-tier events that in turn fulfil their sporting ambitions, such as the La Defense Arena in Paris, France, or the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
2. Our neighbours in ASEAN and Hong Kong will be catching up with us soon.
3. So, it is critical that we build this arena to keep up with our competitors, to ensure that one day, Singapore will be able to host more sophisticated and world-class events.
To do so, we will build a new state-of-the-art indoor arena.
1. One that will have a capacity of 18,000 fixed seats, larger than the current Indoor Stadium’s capacity.
2. It will have a multi-purpose design that can accommodate a whole range of sport, entertainment and lifestyle events.
  1. This design will enable quick turnaround between events, so that it can go from a sport event to an entertainment and lifestyle event quickly.
  2. This will in turn enhance the value and experience we can offer to spectators.
3. It will also strengthen Singapore’s position as an attractive destination for sports, entertainment and lifestyle events.
Today, Singapore are hosts of several major sporting events such as the Singapore Badminton Open, Singapore World Chess Championships, and Women’s Tennis Association 250 tournament.
1. Once the new indoor arena is built, we can bring in larger-scale events and a wider variety of sports tournaments that we would previously not have considered.
In addition, the indoor arena will allow for more top-tier sporting events to be played on home ground.
1. This will give our athletes opportunities to train and compete alongside top sportsmen from around the world.
  1. One example is Izaac Quek, who competed in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Smash as a wildcard entry in 2022.
  2. He was young but gained much needed experience and proceeded to climb quickly up the world rankings, and he also won three gold medals at his first SEA Games in Cambodia.
  3. This is one example, but there will be others where we can take advantage of hosting major events on homeground, get a wildcard, play against the big boys, and be a small fish in a big pond for a while before seeing growth.

Kallang Precinct enhancements

Ultimately, sports is for everyone.
We want the entire Kallang Alive precinct to be a place for all Singaporeans –
1. whether you are training competitively or playing recreationally,
2. a youth or a senior.
We are therefore making enhancements to enliven the precinct and complement the new facilities.
1. First, we will make the Kallang precinct more attractive for Singaporeans to come, make it sustainable, with a campus-like district.
  1. We will turn the existing Kallang Wave Mall and OCBC Square into something that is refreshed, to provide more exciting offerings for the public
  2. We will also design and activate the beautiful Kallang Alive waterfront area for Singaporeans to come, enjoy and relax.
  3. Families can bring their kids and pets during the weekend to play sports, picnic, or just enjoy the Kallang River.
2. Second, we want to bring Singaporeans closer to HTSG. Even though the HTSG will be for our athletes, there is no reason why Singaporeans cannot be part of it.
  1. We will pedestrianise the boulevard running through the Kallang Alive precinct, including the area in front of HTSG.
  2. And we will inject community sporting facilities and programming throughout this stretch.
  3. For example, school friends who play badminton together might be able to run into their TeamSG heroes.

Our commitment to sporting vision

Overall, this Kallang Alive Masterplan is a significant long-term investment that will require substantial resourcing over the next 30 years.
1. In fact, it is one of the most major developments we are doing for Singapore sports.
2. And one of the biggest steps we have taken collectively as a government, to uplift sports.
This shows that the government is fully committed to this endeavour, because we believe in the power of sport to foster camaraderie and bring people together and build a sense of national identity.
And we firmly believe in our vision;
1. For sports to become a viable pathway for all Singaporeans,
2. And for the Kallang Alive precinct to be the concrete manifestation of this vision.
1. It will be the centre of our sporting ambition,
2. We will bring together all pillars of success,
3. where it will form the beating heart of our sporting community.
As we look forward to all these changes, we are also making key changes today, as I mentioned earlier.
1. We will continue to better support our athletes who continue to train hard today.
And we are doing this so that every Singaporean, regardless of your background and abilities, will have the ability to pursue your sporting aspirations.
Most importantly, the core of why we embark on all these exciting developments,
1. is to strengthen our social tapestry through sport and to better shape our sporting dreams,
2. Where sports is not just a hobby but a career
3. and where sports is a way of life for everyone,
4. and one that brings communities together and is respected by the whole community.
Let me conclude by returning to our latest and youngest Olympic medallist, Max Maeder.
1. Max has become an inspiration to many since he clinched Singapore’s first Olympic medal in kitefoiling on National Day.
2. I met Max since he was 14 years old. At the time, he had already displayed great potential and great ambitions.
3. But unlocking Max’s full potential was the result of many critical factors all coming together –
  1. Max’s own drive and desire to excel, to train hard and measure against the world’s best;
  2. He needed his family, coaches and early mentors who cared for and guided him, steadfast in supporting him to pursue kitefoiling professionally;
  3. We wrapped him around with our strong support of our sporting institutions – NYSI, SSI and SSF –
  4. nutritionists and sport scientists who worked with him,
  5. And the private sector.
  6. It is a whole of village approach.
  7. All these different factors came together to provide a comprehensive and coordinated support system for Max to succeed.
Max’s example is a small glimpse of the immense effort it takes to help more aspiring athletes fulfill their sporting dreams.
1. It is not an easy feat.
2. Our PM has spoken about how the government cannot do this alone. Hence it is heartening to see so many of you coming together to support. Because with your support, we can really make the KA masterplan come to life.
3. For our partners – whether you are an NSA, an institute of higher learning, a company, or a parent –
  1. All of you are the backbone of the Singapore sports scene because you form the day-to-day support network for our athletes.
  2. Your efforts and strong support will pave the way to their success.
  3. So, we seek your commitment to come with us on this journey.
  4. For our athletes, it will be tough and there will be sacrifices.
  5. But if you can and you want to do it – we will be there to support you, each step of the way.
Our vision for sports is bold, ambitious and far sighted.
1. I am convinced we can make it work, and we can do well for Singapore sports.
2. Our best years in sport lie ahead of us.
3. But we have to all come together, pushing in the same direction as one united people,
4. with a renewed conviction that we can punch above our weight.
5. If we can do that, I am confident that this little red dot can continue to punch above our weight in sport in the time to come.
Thank you.

¹ According to the National Sports Participation Survey 2023.

² spexPotential is awarded to promising young athletes to be supported an an earlier stage of their sporting career.

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