Funding support for carded athletes participating in international competitions

*2822. Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in each of the past three years (a) how many carded athletes have to self-fund or raise private donations to participate in major international competitions; (b) what are the reasons such competition costs fall outside existing support schemes; and (c) whether funding frameworks will be reviewed so that participation in major competitions is not dependent on an athlete’s financial means or fundraising ability.

Response:

1. Carded athletes receive calibrated financial and programme support. This includes grants to defray training costs and loss of wages, support for local and overseas training and competitions, and sports science, sports medicine and other athlete support services. SportSG supports more than 1,700 carded athletes across more than 50 sports today.

2. SportSG provides these funding primarily through the National Sports Associations (NSAs). NSAs are the official governing bodies responsible for developing and supporting their athletes, including working with them to prioritise which local and overseas competitions they should go for.  

3. Athletes may also choose to participate in competitions beyond those prioritised by their NSAs through self-funding or donations. We do not track the number of athletes who do so.

4. The Government reviews our support to carded athletes regularly. We welcome support from private donors and sponsors, corporate partners and the wider community for our athletes.