SINGAPORE - The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) announced the appointment of Milan Kwee as Team Singapore's chef de mission for next year's SEA Games on Friday.

It will be the 70-year-old Kwee's first time leading the Republic at a major multi-sport event.

Kwee, the Singapore Taekwondo Federation's chief, was a former national taekwondo exponent. Besides multiple national titles in the sport, his accolades also include gold and silver medals in the first and second Asian Taekwondo Championships in the late 1960s and was a part of the Singapore national team at the first World Taekwondo Championships in 1973.

He also serves on the executive committee of the SNOC as a representative of the national sports associations, a position he has held since June 2012.

He said: "I would like to thank the Singapore National Olympic Council for the privilege and opportunity to lead Team Singapore at the 29th SEA Games.

"Team Singapore did very well at the 28th SEA Games, I hope they will continue to do their personal bests and fly Singapore's flag high at the Games.

"I look forward to a successful outing in Kuala Lumpur."

The 29th SEA Games will be held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia from Aug 19-31, 2017. Singapore claimed a record 84 golds at the SEA Games on home soil last year.