Singapore Sport Hall of Fame 2026

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1. Good evening.

2. It is my pleasure to join you for the Singapore Sport Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

3. The Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of Singapore sports accolades. We are honoured to have the President of Singapore present the medallions this evening.

4. The Singapore Sport Hall of Fame honours athletes and sports leaders who have given their best for Singapore and inspired generations of Singaporeans to dream bigger and reach higher.

5. Tonight, we welcome two new inductees who exemplify what this honour stands for — former hurdler Ms Tang Pui Wah and former swimmer Ms Tay Chin Joo. Both are outstanding former Team Singapore athletes who have made extraordinary achievements in their sports, and who continue to give back and make strong contributions to the sporting community after their competitive days. Their stories are the ones we need to carry forward — because the legacy they have built is the foundation on which Singapore's next chapter of sporting excellence will be written.

6. Ms Tang Pui Wah competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, at a time when the world was a very new place for women in sport. The hurdles she faced were not only the ones on the track. She had limited access to coaching expertise, and she was competing against the pressures of social norms, where women were discouraged from taking part in competitive sport. Yet, she stepped forward with courage, determination, and tenacity. She did not just represent Singapore. She showed the world what Singapore would be.

   1. Her competitive career was distinguished — having won multiple medals at the Asian Games and regional Athletics Championships — but her legacy extends far beyond her personal achievements. Pui Wah is a trailblazer who inspired a generation of women to pursue sport, laying the foundation that Singaporean sportswomen stand on today. Among them was Mary Klass, Singapore’s second female Olympian, who credited Pui Wah’s achievements and resolve as an inspiration for her own athletics journey, even in the face of her family’s opposition.

   2. After her sporting career, Pui Wah continued to give back to our sports community through her advocacy for better support for our athletes, and her efforts to encourage youth participation. Thank you, Pui Wah, your pioneering spirit is a gift to Singapore that keeps giving, across generations.

Giving back through experience, knowledge, and passion

7. Our inductees also remind us that sporting excellence does not end with retirement, and that some of the most important contributions can come after the competition is over.

8. Ms Tay Chin Joo’s contributions to the sport sector span more than six decades – first as a competitive swimmer, and now as a leader and a mentor in the aquatics community.

   1. In her competitive days, Chin Joo became the youngest Singaporean to win a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, at just 10 years old — a record that remains unbroken till this day.

   2. Beyond her competitive career, Chin Joo spearheaded the National Artistic Swimming Programme and has served as Vice President for Artistic Swimming at the Singapore Aquatics for more than eight years. She draws on her extensive experience as a former national athlete to advise the Artistic Swimming Committee, mentor emerging talents, and foster the development of the sport.

   3. Thank you, Chin Joo, for showing us that a life devoted to Singapore sport is one of the most powerful legacies anyone can ever leave.

Next Bound of Sporting Excellence

9. Singapore’s sporting success today is built on the hard work and dedication by our sporting legends like Pui Wah and Chin Joo.

10. On its part, the Government is committed to steadily invest in high performance sports.

    1. Since 1 April, we have consolidated our key sport entities under Sport Excellence Singapore, or SpexSG, to provide a seamless, end-to-end pathway for our athletes, from youth development to post-sport career planning.

    2. In April, we awarded the largest cohort of 246 spexScholars and spexPotential athletes ever, supporting a wider base of athletes training full-time, at a higher training load.

    3. We will continue to support even more athletes across a wider range of sports, especially as we prepare to host the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games in 2029, to ensure they get the support they need to train at a high level.

11. We are also taking steps to strengthen the wider sporting ecosystem.

    1. For instance, we are enhancing support to our National Sports Associations, strengthening their governance and operational capabilities so they can better support athlete training and development.

    2. We are also deepening our technical capabilities in sport science and sport medicine by increasing our specialist workforce by about 40% to 110 specialists by 2029, providing deeper scientific and medical support to help our athletes perform at their best.

12. And we are building the home of Team Singapore at Kallang.

    1. Training facilities, sport science and medicine facilities, boarding and academic facilities, and our National Sports Associations will be housed and integrated under one roof.

    2. This will ensure a high-quality Daily Performance Environment for our athletes, where they will have the support they need to compete at the highest level.

Conclusion

13. My heartiest congratulations to our two new Singapore Sport Hall of Fame inductees. Pui Wah and Chin Joo’s journeys remind us that success is not measured by medals alone, but by the relationships, communities, memories and experiences that endure. And the deep sense of purpose and national pride that binds us all together. These are the legacies that we want to pass on to the next generation.

14. I hope their stories will inspire not just our future athletes, but also our coaches, administrators, and every Singaporean, to press on together towards our next bound of sporting excellence.

15. Thank you and have a good evening. Congratulations once again!