What the One Team S'pore Fund is all about

We refer to the report (Confusion over matching fund; Feb 24) and would like to provide some clarity on the One Team Singapore Fund (OTSF).

The fund was launched last October, giving Singaporeans and corporate Singapore the opportunity to play a direct role in the sporting journey of Team Singapore athletes, with the Government pledging to match donations of up to $50 million up till 2022.

The areas OTSF will contribute to include competition opportunities, pathway development, coach development and sport science and medicine.

The Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) had communicated to all national sports associations (NSAs) of the NSA OTSF scheme last October on the intent and operations of the OTSF matching grants.

Subsequently, NSAs were further engaged during their NSA Multi-Year Sport Plans presentations over the last few months, where they could clarify further on the OTSF as well as determine which scheme their NSA would fall under.

NSAs are aware that the OTSF matching grants are to be utilised based on plans submitted through their respective NSA sport plans, specifically in the area of high performance sport, which is mutually agreed upon between the NSA and Sport Singapore.

The SSI has also reached out to NSAs to update on the donations they have raised or are projected to raise up to the end of the current financial year, ahead of them formally submitting their application to activate the matching grants for eligible amounts.

We were concerned that an NSA could have suggested that they have utilised funds they assumed they would be receiving in areas that were not mutually agreed upon.

We urge all NSAs to exercise proper governance, especially when it comes to utilising public funds.

Toh Boon Yi

Chief, Singapore Sport Institute

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.