Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the Singapore Ice Skating Association (Sisa) are "dismayed" to learn of the abuse suffered by former national figure skater Yu Shuran while she was training in China.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesman for the national sports agency said yesterday: "The well-being of all athletes is paramount to the legitimacy of sport. (Yu) has reached out to Sisa's safeguarding officer and the Safe Sport Taskforce, and we are supporting her as necessary."
The 19-year-old Yu, who was born and raised in Beijing to a Chinese mother and Singaporean father, on Wednesday opened up about the abuse she suffered while training in China, revealing in an Instagram post that the physical abuse started when she was 11.
The abuse inflicted by her personal coach, who was appointed by her parents, included her being hit repeatedly with a plastic blade guard till her skin was raw and getting kicked by the toe-pick of her coach's blade - the small, jagged edges at the front of the blade.
Once, during an overseas training camp, she was driven to a secluded area and dragged out of the car for a beating as punishment for a bad practice session.
Since going public with her account, she has received rallying messages and her father, who did not know of the abuse, has also been supportive.
The SportSG spokesman said: "Safe sport policies and measures continue to be enhanced for sport in Singapore. To date, nearly 100 safeguarding officers have been trained and a number of safe sport engagements for the sporting community on how we may collectively safeguard sport have been staged.
"All efforts are taken to ensure everyone in the fraternity - athletes, coaches and officials, understand how crucial safe sport is and are aware of the due reporting process for athletes to either a safeguarding officer or directly to the Safe Sport Taskforce.
"These efforts must continue unabated. Our national sports associations (NSAs) do keep our overseas-based athletes informed and updated on the support channels in place for them."
Sisa, which governs the sport here, thanked Yu for reaching out.
"We applaud her courage to be able to speak about her experience with being abused by her private coach in the hope that it will help others in a similar position," said Sisa president Alison Chan yesterday, adding that the NSA is in touch with the 2017 SEA Games champion and supporting her.
She noted that Sisa is in regular contact with its overseas-based athletes, who could be at greater risk of abuse if they are training in an unfamiliar environment, and Yu's revelation is "a timely reminder... to constantly check in on their well-being on top of their sporting progress".
Mark Chay, chairman of the Singapore National Olympic Council's Athletes' Commission, said if an athlete reaches out to them with such an issue, it would first contact the Safe Sport Commission.
"She's already in touch with Safe Sport and we'll step in if there's a need to, such as if there are any misunderstandings or communication issues," added Chay, who was shocked and sad to hear of Yu's allegations.
Yu, the first Singaporean to qualify for the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships in 2017, told ST on Thursday that she spoke to both organisations last week.
The Safe Sport Commission, which was launched last year to tackle harassment and misconduct against athletes, was set up by SportSG in partnership with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Police Force.
Having never lived or trained extensively here, Yu, who is now a student at Fordham University in New York, stressed that she is in no position to comment on whether athlete abuse is an issue in Singapore.
But she told ST: "If it is an issue in Singapore, I really hope that people can talk about it and that people feel that they can reach out to the Safe Sport Taskforce, and that they can, in a safe way, leave their toxic environment... without losing all of their hard work.
"And I think I would be thrilled if more people were able to speak up.
"I was silent for a long time and right now, I don't intend on being anything but loud about this, because if I'm not loud about it... this issue overall will still be ignored."
