Parliament: New source of funding for elite athletes not covered under current system
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Powerlifter Matthew Yap, 20, welcomed the news of greater financial backing.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Nicole Chia
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SINGAPORE - An annual purse of $100,000 will be available to national athletes currently ineligible under the existing High Performance Sports (HPS) system.
The Temasek Foundation Inspire Fund for Athletes will be launched this year to provide campaign funding for these sportsmen, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng on Friday (March 6).
He highlighted the recent international achievements of the country's indoor skydivers and the national dodgeball and tchoukball squads and said the Government wants to support their aspirations. More details will be announced this year.
The Republic's tchoukball teams were third at last year's world championships while indoor skydiver Kyra Poh has won two junior world championship golds.
The MCCY allocates $70 million annually in the HPS system,which is distributed to the various national sports associations (NSAs) and also provides financial support for local athletes in mainstream sports like swimming, table tennis and football.
The new Temasek Foundation fund will be jointly administered by national agency Sport Singapore and the National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI), which operates a satellite facility at Kallang Theatre and will relocate to a bigger facility at the former Police Coast Guard Headquarters this year.
Powerlifter Matthew Yap, 20, welcomed the news of greater financial backing. He has been largely self funded, as his sport does not have an NSA, but he has broken world records and won medals at international competitions.
He said: "I also coach and I asked one of my athletes if he wanted to compete overseas because he had a very high chance of becoming an Asian champion, but he said he was unable to due to financial difficulties.
"This initiative will encourage more athletes because they will know their efforts won't go to waste and they won't face a roadblock because of financial difficulties."
Ultimate frisbee player and coach Benjamin Ho, 33, hopes the fund would lead to recognition of more niche sports like his. He was head coach of the Singapore team that clinched a bronze medal at last year's World Under-24 Ultimate Championship.
It can cost between $250 and $600 per player to compete in a regional tournament, he said, while expenses for bigger events, like last year's world championship in Germany, can range between $3,500 and $5,000.
Mr Ho added: "We have a few players whose parents pulled them out because it's still a relatively new sport and it's not fully funded."
Temasek Foundation Nurtures chairman Liew Mun Leong believes such stories will inspire others to pursue their passions. He added: "We are heartened that many budding athletes are going off the beaten path, choosing niche sports, and making great sacrifices to prepare for competitions in these sports."
