I count the number of medals that Team Singapore get during the SEA Games as a matter of national pride.

I also read with interest swimmer Joseph Schooling's recent comments calling for a national dialogue on managing the expectations of athletes undergoing national service ('Tough questions' needed about NS and expectations, May 19).

It is no secret that there are struggles that our national athletes face while juggling their NS commitments "versus the things that they can commit to in terms of training requirements or the time needed to do the things that they need to do" as national athletes.

All elite and competitive athletes aim to do their best at every event, at every stage of their competitive journey. Indeed, it takes a village to raise a child, and a nation to raise an elite athlete to represent it.

I look forward to an open and frank discussion involving athletes (past and present) and other stakeholders on the subject of how we can overcome the dilemma athletes face between serving their mandatory NS requirements and serving the country as part of Team Singapore.

Lee Mei Ling