Former national sprinter Amirudin Jamal appointed S’pore chef de mission for 2026 Winter Olympics

SINGAPORE – During his time as an athlete, former national sprinter Amirudin Jamal experienced first-hand the thrill of competing and winning medals at major international meets such as the SEA, Asian and Commonwealth Games.

But, for the 38-year-old, those experiences pale in comparison to the excitement he feels in his role as chef de mission for Team Singapore at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games.

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) announced his appointment on Feb 3, ahead of the Feb 6-22 Milano-Cortina Games, where the Republic

will be represented by alpine skier Faiz Basha

.

Faiz is just the second Singaporean to qualify for the Games, after short track speed skater Cheyenne Goh, who competed at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

The University of Strathclyde undergraduate is also the country’s first snow sports representative at the quadrennial event.

On his appointment, Amirudin said: “Personally, I feel that it’s more exciting because now I get to see the next generation taking off and it’s not just my sport now.

“I get to see athletes taking part in a variety of sports and all the more when they make great strides in the areas we’ve never seen previously.

“When I was an athlete, I would’ve never believed that we would have anyone taking part in the Winter Olympics, and now there is Faiz, who is the first in alpine skiing and the second from Singapore.”

“I think that is really a wonderful achievement and it makes me very proud to see how far Singapore has come,” added the 2013 SEA Games 100m bronze medallist, who also won four silvers in the 4x100m relay (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015) at the Games.

This is not Amirudin’s first stint as an official overseeing Team Singapore’s athletes at a major Games.

In 2022, he was the assistant chef de mission at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, alongside chef de mission and former gymnast Lim Heem Wei.

Back then, the duo were in charge of a contingent of 66 athletes across nine sports.

Amirudin believes his experiences in England have prepared him well for his role at the Winter Games.

The Institute of Technical Education sports studies lecturer said: “Being there as the assistant CDM the last time, I had a good sense of what goes on behind the scenes at a major Games – the planning, the protocols, the systems...

“It doesn’t feel much different – the only difference is that because there are not that many athletes this time – there’s only Faiz – I hope we can be more familiar with each other.

“We can get closer and have that personalised touch and see how we can best assist him in these Games.”

Faiz, who will be competing in the slalom and giant slalom events in Italy, said that qualifying for the Olympics was a “huge milestone” for him and the winter sports in the country. The giant slalom event is at Bormio on Feb 14, followed by the slalom two days later.

“To be able to represent Singapore in two alpine skiing events at Milano-Cortina 2026 is incredibly meaningful,” said the 23-year-old, who will be Singapore’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

“My focus going into the Games is to ski clean, be competitive, continue improving my international rankings, and deliver my best performances on the Olympic stage.”

The SNOC also announced that global sportswear brand Anta has committed to a five-year partnership to support winter sports here.

The company will serve as the official winter sports apparel sponsor of Team Singapore across the 2026 and 2030 editions of the Winter Olympics.

It will also be the official footwear sponsor of Team Singapore at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, 2026 Asian Games, 2027 SEA Games, 2028 Olympic Games and 2029 SEA Games.

In its announcement, the SNOC said Anta will work closely with the organisation to “support more than 10 Games and provide professional equipment and resources to Team Singapore” over the next five years.

SNOC secretary-general Mark Chay said: “This partnership with Anta reflects a shared belief in supporting athletes over the long term, including those competing in winter sports.

“We are very pleased to welcome Anta as Team Singapore’s apparel partner for the Olympic Winter Games and look forward to working together as our athletes prepare for Milano-Cortina 2026 and beyond.”