Singapore Rowing Association eyes its first full-time head coach since 2015

SINGAPORE – Singapore Rowing Association (SRA) president Paul Supramaniam needs no reminder of an unwanted record – the Republic’s rowers have not stepped onto a SEA Games podium since 2015.

But he hopes that will change soon, as he eyes the 2029 edition in Singapore as a realistic target for ending that long drought.

To achieve this, the SRA intends to hire a full-time head coach, which it has not had since 2015.

Irishman John Holland was hired on a short-term contract to be full-time coach for the SEA Games on home soil that year and he continued on a part-time basis till the 2018 Asian Games.

Japanese coach Goken Sakamoto, who also had a stint with SRA from 2012 to 2015 as a volunteer, is the current national coach on a consultant basis.

Supramaniam said that it had mainly relied on the expat community, volunteer coaches or consultants, as cost had been a factor. A full-time coach would cost between $100,000 and $150,000 a year.

In 2015, Singapore bagged a silver and three bronzes in SEA Games rowing. But it was not represented in the sport at the 2019 edition and its rowers returned home empty-handed from the Games in 2022. The sport did not feature at the 2017 and 2023 Games.

While Supramaniam did not specify a timeline for the coaching hire, he confirmed that discussions with several overseas candidates are ongoing.

“We’ve got to find the right candidate,” said the 67-year-old lawyer, after he and his team were elected unopposed at the SRA’s annual general meeting at their Jalan Buroh headquarters on Sept 28.

“We are in a hurry to bring in the right person, but we will not rush to bring in the wrong person.

“A full-time coach is the obvious next step in our progression. A head coach will help us widen our talent base, as we need more top athletes and the coach will also create a coaching framework to train other coaches.”

He acknowledged that neighbours Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia are far ahead.

“They have remarkable bodies of water and can train full time for months. We don’t have that luxury. Just medalling will be a big ask, but we will and must aim high,” Supramaniam added. “Realistically, we hope to get medals in 2029.”

With about 250 rowers in the local community, he also revealed efforts to revamp the Pandan Reservoir training area and scout for new blood as it seeks to boost its talent pipeline following the successes of Joan Poh and Saiyidah Aisyah.

Aisyah, Singapore’s first Olympic rower, competed at Rio 2016, retired in 2017, and made a comeback for the Paris Games at 36. Poh, 33, represented Singapore at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

SRA has also provided input for a training venue to be part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Long Island project, which could create 800ha of reclaimed land off East Coast Park. It has also held preliminary discussions with the Singapore Sailing Federation for some shared access at East Coast Park for coastal rowing.

Supramaniam, who took over as president in 2022, and his team will have a fresh mandate to work towards.

While the last election was held only two years ago, with members elected till 2026, it convened one this year to adopt a new constitution in consultation with national agency Sport Singapore (SportSG).

Supramaniam said: “We adopted a new constitution as we are going to be applying for IPC (Institutions of a Public Character) status, which will help us with fundraising for things like infrastructure upgrades.”

As elected board members, president Supramaniam will serve a new four-year term till 2028, alongside vice-president Steve Davies, honorary treasurer Toh Han Chong, former Singapore Sports Council (now SportSG) chief executive Oon Jin Teik, who is honorary adviser, and honorary secretary Rajeev Duggal.

Members Matthew Brittain, Rupesh Sharma, Elizabeth Fuller and Jason Humphries will serve a two-year term.