Opening Ceremony of the Singapore Para Sports Championships 2026

1. A very good morning, to everyone.

2. We are here today to celebrate our 506 athletes who are our future Team Singapore athletes.

   1. We are here to tell you to dare to dream and dare to do.

3. Also, a very good morning to Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President of the Singapore Disability Sports Council, partners, officials and of course our athletes who are with us here today.

4. I am very delighted to catch up with many of you. I met some of you over the last few months, whether at the ASEAN Para Games or at various community platforms.

5. And today, I am especially delighted to be here with you, your family and supporters for the opening ceremony of the Singapore Para Sports Championships 2026.

Reflection on Para Sports Achievements

6. Echoing what was mentioned earlier, the next one month will be exciting. But I hope that our 500 plus athletes would not limit yourself to just the competition event. I understand that there will be trials for other sports and try-outs for various sports.

   1. For all you know, today you may be interested in swimming, but you may have talents in other sport as well.

Achievements of our Para Athletes

7. The energy in this auditorium echoes what we all saw at the recent Asian Youth Para Games and ASEAN Para Games—that distinctive, bold spirit of athletes our ready to give their all.

8. At both Games, we saw how our TeamSG contingent made us very proud.

   1. They returned with 41 medals – 15 Gold, 13 Silver and 13 Bronze.

9. But beyond these medals, many of us will agree – just watching our Team Singapore Para athletes compete is already inspiring.

   1. And in all the medals, what stood out were the stories of grit and resilience, and the triumphant determination that inspire us all.

Impact of National Para Sports Championships

10. The spirit to overcome and a strong resolve to conquer all odds are hallmarks of both our Team Singapore champions and all of you who are putting yourself forward to compete in the next one month. In fact, many of our top para athletes began their journey at this Championships.

    1. They started their journey here like you. This was where they felt the thrill of competition and formed that steely determination to push beyond their limits. They dared to dream of fulfilling their wish to one day represent Singapore.

11. So, I say to our 506 athletes, do not limit your ambition. If you push yourself beyond the comfort zone with the support of your parents and coach, one day, like Pin Xiu, Nurul, and Jovin you can potentially fly the Singapore flag high at the various games.

12. Athletes like Yip Pin Xiu, Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha, and Jovin Tan were once in your exact position. They started the journey like you, walking in during the opening ceremony. Back then, they felt the same butterflies and nervousness like you, having the same anticipation and the same burning desire to excel and win.

    1. Let me share Nurul’s story – I understand from Nurul that about twenty years ago, her  remarkable sporting journey started here. She discovered boccia at the Championships in 2004, became our first Boccia Paralympian in 2012. After training for 8 years, she built that confidence and earned the credentials to represent Singapore in 2012, making us proud. Most recently, she returned from Thailand with an ASEAN Para Games gold medal.

    2. Can we put our hands together again and congratulate Nurul and the rest of the contingent for their ASEAN Para Games success!

13. Nurul’s consistency, dedication, and achievements over two decades demonstrate the extraordinary possibilities that lie within the reach of our para athletes.

    1. So do not limit your ambition. If you dare to dream, you can do it. I am happy that Nurul is here with us today, taking part in the Championships.

14. Each of you like Nurul can reach for the stars and  have the potential to excel. Your participation today in the Championships is a milestone to be proud of.

    1. You can really sense the pride and smile on your family’s face when you step forward to compete and we are proud of every one of you. I hope you too will follow in the footsteps of our champion para athletes.

Launching the NextGen Para Talent Programme

15. Stories like Pin Xiu, Nurul, Jovin and team inspire us to keep investing in our young generation of sportsmen and sportswomen. We know that the talents of our young athletes need nurturing, committed resources, and strong support.

16. We want to thank the ambassador and all the various partners for supporting the Council.

17. This is why I am delighted that the SDSC will launch the NextGen Para Talent Programme today. This is made possible through seed funding from the Temasek Foundation.

    1. The NextGen Para Talent programme will identify young persons with disabilities who show sporting promise. It will provide them with structured training and holistic support to help them flourish as athletes and individuals.

18. On behalf of MCCY and SDSC, we want to say thank you to Joanne and the team in Temasek Foundation for your support, and for sharing our conviction that early intervention through sport can be truly life-changing and game-changing. We seek to give our young people plentiful opportunities to realise and maximise their potential.

Government’s Commitment to Para Sport

19. I want to use this platform to assure everyone that the Government is committed to advancing para sports and has taken significant steps to strengthen our para sport ecosystem.

20. We have amended the Singapore Sports Council Act to formally recognise the Singapore National Paralympic Council as SportSG's key partner. This accords the National Paralympic Council the same level of recognition as the Singapore National Olympic Council. I want to thank SportSG for working closely together with Sock-Miang and team to make this happen.

21. At the community level, we are supporting 21 projects under the Enabling Sports Fund (ESF), benefitting over 8,000 persons with disabilities across more than 20 sports.

    1. Launched last year, the ESF is a key pillar of the Disability Sports Master Plan that broadens access to sport. It supports community-led efforts that create opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in sports and nurture their sporting aspirations.

22. We are committed to start sport young and  further enhance our high-performance capabilities. We recently consolidated our key sport entities on 1st April. The High Performance Sport Institute, Singapore Sports School, and Unleash the Roar! have been integrated into Sport Excellence Singapore, or SpexSG.

    1. SpexSG will deliver an athlete-centric, whole-of-life support system for all our national athletes—both able-bodied and para athletes—throughout their sporting journeys. I think this is meaningful and impressive.

23. Looking ahead, the upcoming home of Team Singapore will also house the National Training Centre for para sport, where athletes with and without disabilities train alongside each other in a fully integrated environment.

Well Wishes for the Competition

24. All these initiatives—the programmes, the facilities, the support, and the partnerships with corporates and foundations—exist for one reason: to ensure that every Singaporean with sporting dreams has every chance to pursue them and maximise your potential.

25. We do it because we believe that sports, with its power to unite and inspire, will continue to be a catalyst for creating an inclusive Singapore.

26. Today, we have more than 500 athletes who are going to compete in the next one month in 6 sports.

27. To all our 506 athletes, I wish you all the best for the competition ahead. You will carry with you the pride of having competed at the Championships. That is something to be proud of. I hope the lessons of striving and pushing outside your comfort zone for excellence will motivate you further, just as your relentless efforts to achieve inspire us all.

28. I know amongst 506 of you, one day, you will wear the Team Singapore jersey and one day, we will hear our Majulah Singapura anthem play at international and regional podiums because you’ve won.  

29. Thank you!