IN FOCUS: How can Singapore improve on its tally of six Olympic medals in 76 years?

SPORT AS A CAREER

Singapore’s top athletes have long struggled with the idea that taking their sport seriously could hinder their careers.

This has had a lasting impact on wushu expert Kimberly Ong during her time in the sport, especially when many of her national teammates dropped out to focus on their studies.

“There is definitely a societal stereotype that academics are more important than sports, and that the lead-up to a career is longer if you prioritize your academics over sports,” said the 21-year-old, who won a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games.

“I feel like a lot of our talent pool is being lost because of these kinds of considerations.”

The pressure parents face can be just as severe, although the prime minister said in his speech that parents are now more committed to supporting the dreams of top athletes.

Ong’s mother Pauline Sim recalls that when her daughter transferred from a mainstream secondary school to the Singapore Sports School in 2018, many friends came to the family to ask why they were “sacrificing her schooling for her sport”.

“We were very shocked at the time because it was never our intention for her to stop pursuing academic excellence. We just wanted her to get better support in her sports while continuing to study hard and achieve desirable grades,” the 51-year-old said.

It seems that the government also wants to achieve this by introducing a scholarship for student-athletes.

Although Ong already has a college scholarship, younger students, like her little sister Kassandra, can also benefit.

“We have always had to rely on external academic grants, such as from universities or other government departments,” Ong said.

“So I think (the new grant) would definitely take away (my junior’s) concerns about the future because in a way it reassures them that there is support academically.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth (MCCY) responded to questions from CNA, saying that the mentality towards pursuing a sports career is changing.

For example, talented young Singaporeans are taking sports more seriously and parents are becoming more supportive of their children’s sporting careers.

The spokesperson added that with the new arrangements the government wants to “ensure aspiring and current athletes that they can pursue sporting excellence without having to worry too much about training and employability”.

The initiatives “help athletes at different stages and in different areas of their lives – so they can flourish in both their sporting and non-sporting activities,” the spokesperson said.