Forum: Sustainable pathways available for sporting excellence  

We thank the writer for his letter regarding athlete support (

Time to pay athletes, not just their managers, better, Dec 30

).  

The Government is committed to supporting Team Singapore athletes throughout their sporting journey. Sport Singapore (SportSG) provides comprehensive support throughout athletes’ careers, beginning from the early stages when they show potential, not just after significant wins at major games. 

Our tiered Sport Excellence Carding (spexCarding) system provides different levels of support upfront to help athletes achieve their potential.

The spexScholarship provides full-time athletes with training, coaching, bespoke sport science and funding support to pursue success at the Asian and world levels. We recently introduced the spexPotential programme and established the High Performance Sport Institute to ensure more seamless support as our athletes progress from youth to adults.

We have continuously enhanced our athlete support schemes over the years, including increased stipends and Central Provident Fund top-ups for spexScholars, and the spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship to help athletes pursue both sport and academic aspirations. 

Non-full-time athletes also receive support through spexGLOW (Grant for Loss of Wages), which compensates them for income lost during major games preparation. All spexCarded athletes have access to sport science, sport medicine and athlete life management services.

Collectively, these initiatives provide our athletes with certainty of support and development opportunities.

SportSG also supports the broader sporting ecosystem through grants to over 50 national sports associations (NSAs) covering organisational operations, outreach programmes, training facilities and long-term planning. These grants invest in coaching expertise, cutting-edge training equipment, and opportunities to compete at top-level competitions locally and overseas.

Building a sporting nation requires a collective effort. The Major Games Award Programme, administered by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), provides monetary rewards for athletes who win medals at major games.

SNOC determines reward structures in consultation with sponsors based on factors such as the level of competition and frequency of the games. The Government also matches donations raised by NSAs through the One Team Singapore Fund, while athletes not supported by existing grants or funding support may apply to the Athletes’ Inspire Fund.   

We encourage more private sector partnerships to support Team Singapore athletes’ pursuit of sporting excellence.

Low Jia Ren  
Deputy Chief, High Performance Sport Institute  
Sport Singapore