SINGAPORE - In the past six years, Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) president Hing Siong Chen has worked closely with his team to develop the sport and build up the outfit that runs it.
Now, Hing, who was elected as one of the three national sports association (NSA) representatives of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) at its annual general meeting on Wednesday (Sept 29), hopes to use his experience to help other federations build their capabilities.
He told The Straits Times: "I hope to leverage on Sport Singapore (SportSG) and SNOC's shared services initiative for the benefit of both emerging and established NSAs.
"I am fully aware that there are many emerging NSAs who either have a very lean secretariat team or none at all. I would like to see how best I can help assist these NSAs by organising shared support services for them."
Basketball Association of Singapore president Koh Koon Teck and Singapore Gymnastics president Patrick Liew were also elected NSA representatives on Wednesday.
Hing, Koh and Liew will serve in their new roles from 2021 to 2023.
Koh, an associate professor at the National Institute of Education's physical education & sports science department, hopes to provide a platform for NSAs to come together to discuss and work through their problems together.
The 54-year-old said: "Through my conversations with the presidents of other NSAs, currently most of the NSAs are operating very individually.
"I'm very sure some of the issues that NSAs face will be very similar, which NSAs who have the solution to can help solve. For some problems that we will need SNOC and SportSG to look into, we can also help to bring them forward."
Liew added: "I believe that as SNOC committee members, we can all work as a team to strengthen the ecosystem for high-performance sports. In the larger scheme of things, we share a goal to improve the sporting culture, so that through sports, we can further unify Singapore."
In Wednesday's AGM, which was held via electronic means this year due to the Covid-19 situation, former national shooter Lee Wung Yew was also elected to serve as treasurer, replacing the late Edwin Lee. The term for this post is one year.
However, the vice-president's post left vacant following the death of Milan Kwee in March will be filled only next year, when the SNOC holds its elections. The VP terms are for four years.
The AGM was attended by 197 delegates representing 41 ordinary members, eight associate members and six provisional members NSAs.
SNOC executive committee 2021-22
President: Tan Chuan-Jin
IOC Member: Ng Ser Miang
Vice-presidents: Benedict Tan, Jessie Phua, Juliana Seow
Honorary treasurer: Lee Wung Yew
Members (NSA representatives): Hing Siong Chen, Koh Koon Teck, Patrick Liew
Members (co-opted): Lim Teck Yin, Tan Chen Kee, Mark Chay (chairman, athletes' commission), Lau Kok Keng, Forrest Li
Secretary-general (ex-officio): Chris Chan
Assistant secretary-general (ex-officio): Edmund Lim
