Promoting greater outreach of dragon and lion dance in the community

Mr Liang Eng Hwa, President of Singapore Wushu, Dragon & Lion Dance Federation
Mr Ong Teng Koon, Vice President of the Singapore Wushu, Dragon & Lion Dance Federation
Mr Ang Mong Seng and Mr Koo Tsai Kee, Advisers 
Chairman and the Management Committee
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen
A very good morning to all of you,

1. Let me say a few words in Mandarin before I go on in English.

   各位尊敬的来宾们
   先生们，女士们：
   大家早上好！

2. 我非常高兴今早能和大家一起庆祝新加坡武术龙狮总会新一届理事的就职典礼。

3. 去年呢我参加了总会举办的太极千人操 – 而在这大型的集体操练，有超过三千多名不同年龄、不同种族的太极爱好者一起练习太极拳十三式，可以所是一个令人振奋，而且令人难忘的一个经验。

4. 之后呢，有些参与者和我分享了他们对太极的热忱，譬如他们怎么通过太极增强自己的体格，通过集体操练，促进与其他学员的互动，从而加深了人与人之间的相互体谅、包容和尊重。这些价值观，在多元种族、多元文化的新加坡，是非常重要的。

5. 武术就是有这样的力量，不仅能培养个人素质、发掘个人潜能，更能培养团体精神。舞龙舞狮也一样包含了华人的美术、艺术、文化、传统及历史。而不同形式的表演代代相传，所展示的不仅是传统的艺术形式，也对传统价值观的发展、对建立社区的凝聚力，有着很大的影响。

6. 在这些年来，新加坡武术龙狮总会在丰富社会的多元文化和促进体育方面做出了不少的贡献。而在此，我对大家的奉献精神深表谢意。谢谢大家！

7. 我们的国家运动员，在参加国际赛时，无论是武术、散打和舞龙舞狮都取得了很好的成绩。

8. 如去年的东南亚运动会(我们的SEA Games)，还有今年三月举行的第五届世界青少年武术锦标赛，我们的武术国家队都有不俗的成绩。他们不仅获得奖牌，还创下个人纪录。在此，我也要对第二十三届理事会在过去两年领导总会及其运动员所取得的良好成绩，表示衷心地祝贺和感谢。

9. 值得一提的是，总会也努力加强武术在学校的推广活动，并在社区和工作场所推广武术和太极等活动。如今，武术在学校深受学生的喜爱。我们可以看到越来越多的学生选择武术为课外活动，而且并也得到许多家长的支持。我想信几个家长也在场。

10. 所以每年就有超过两千名学生参加全国锦标赛。我希望能看到更多学生继续参加武术的活动。我也欣闻总会通过基层组织的太极爱好群体，把武术和太极带入社区和工作场所。

11. 新加坡武术龙狮总会的这些努力，是值得赞扬的。总会的计划，让更多不同年龄层、不同种族的国人，有机会接触这项运动，意义非凡。所以我知道新一届的理事也有打算把这些计划，这些活动做得更好。

12. 我们的文化、社区及青年部也会给总会更多的帮助。刚才，连会长也说了希望我们文社青部会给多一些支援。我今天很高兴宣布我们的文化、社区及青年部和人民协会决定拨款十万元支持总会。这而外的十万元目的是协助总会在社区的推广活动和舞龙舞狮在新加坡的发展。

13. 我也要感谢在座的各位嘉宾和武林同道们，为本地武术，和舞龙舞狮发展所作出的贡献。希望大家在这方面的努力能坚持不懈,也希望我国的健儿们能在明年的东运会上，在我们的国土上，为新加坡争光！

14. 最后呢，我祝新加坡武术龙狮总会会务蒸蒸日上，在新一届执委的领导下，再创辉煌！谢谢大家。

15. It's very good to join all of you here this morning to mark the beginning of a new term for the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation.

16. The Federation has a very long history and it has come a very long way since its early days. Our traditional Wushu, Dragon and Lion Dance forms took root here in the last century, and it was brought in by our early immigrants from China.

17. Then, many of the martial arts groups were also affiliates of clan associations, which promoted mutual help and care among its members. And as the number of such clans and associations grew, it was then-Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew who had encouraged the groups to form a National Federation to develop the sport and also to contribute towards nation-building. And so in December 1967, the National Wushu Federation was formed and it has since grown from strength the strength. The Wushu Federation has very long history in Singapore and I am very encouraged to see how the history of the Wushu Federation has grown, how the Wushu Federation has developed in parallel with the development of Singapore.

18. Through the years, the Federation has worked tirelessly towards enriching cultural diversity and boosting sporting excellence. And our Team Singapore athletes are among the world's best in Wushu, Dragon and Lion Dance. They have competed in international events in all the different forms, and they have achieved glory not just for themselves, but also for Singapore.

19. I am also very encouraged by the Federation's effort to strengthen its outreach, in schools, in the community and even at work places. We can already see Wushu and Dragon and Lion Dance gaining popularity among students in schools. Every year, more than 2,000 students take part in the National Championships and many more take part in Wushu recreationally as their CCAs in school. So I think that this is a very good sign because if the young people are participating then you can be very sure that in 10, 20, 30 years' time, the Wushu Federation can continue to grow and continue to expand.

20. For the coming term, I understand that the Federation would like to do even more to promote Wushu, as well as Dragon and Lion Dance to the community, beyond just taking part in annual championships. For example, they are looking to build capabilities not just within the fraternity but beyond. They are looking to open up workshops and more activities to share the sport with even more people.

21. And I believe such efforts by the Federation are meaningful and will allow more Singaporeans, across all age groups and races, to take part in the sport. So I am very happy to announce that my Ministry and the People's Association will support the Federation in its effort. We are already giving significant support to the Federation, primarily for its Wushu, and that is something that Sport Singapore provides in terms of grants for the Federation to support its Wushu activities, particularly at the elite competition level but we think we can do more so we will support the Federation with a grant of $100,000 on top of what we provide today to the Federation. And this will help to support the promotion and development of Dragon and Lion Dance in the community.

22. I also want to just take this opportunity to congratulate some of the more senior members of the fraternity – the Advisor of the Federation, in particular Mr Ang Mong Seng, on his re-appointment as Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation. And I also congratulate Secretary General Mr Jeffery Tan on his election to the International Executive Committee as an Executive Committee Member. So this is at the international level and the fact that we have two representatives from Singapore who are in the International Federation, for the whole world, I think it shows that we are highly respected and we are on a high standing, and I think that is a good sign, something positive for us, small country and yet we have two senior members in the International Federation. I think this is a good sign for the Wushu Federation in Singapore and I hope that all of you will continue to support them and support the growth of the sport both here and abroad.

23. Finally, I would like to thank all of you here, whether you are in the Federation, you are parents, you are supporters, you are stakeholders, thank you all for your contributions towards nurturing Wushu, Dragon and Lion Dance in Singapore. To our athletes who are here, some of you are going to be competing in the Youth Wushu Tournament in Nanjing, China, there's some of you who will be competing in the Asian Games in Incheon, later, but more importantly we have the SEA Games next year in Singapore and I think that will be a highlight for all of us. Because next year in June we have the SEA Games, it will be hosted in Singapore – we have a new Sports Hub, and there's nothing like competing before a home crowd with all of us cheering for our athletes. So I hope all of our athletes train extra hard and prepare for the SEA Games next year.

24. And to the new 24th Management Committee, I congratulate all of you on your appointment and I wish you all the very best as you lead the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation to even greater heights. Thank you very much.