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Twenty years on, is the Singapore Sports School a success?

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There are critics who feel that it is still a work in progress as the school has not achieved all its goals. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Athletes welcome plans to bring more major international sporting events to Singapore

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More community events on iconic grounds – what Sports Hub will look like in future | THE BIG STORY

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More people in Singapore are exercising regularly: SportSG survey

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SINGAPORE - Multiracialism and multiculturalism may be values that Singaporeans hold dear. However, the training fields, indoor halls and hardcourts of popular sports here such as football, basketball, table tennis and badminton seem to tell a different story.

While they are all different sports, they share a common trait especially at the elite level - a lack of racial diversity.

A quick look at these sports' respective national teams is revealing. Of the 23 Lions called up for Singapore's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Group E qualifier against Taiwan in June, 18 were Malay. The rest: one Chinese, two Indians, and two Caucasians, who are naturalised citizens.

The SEA Games-bound national table tennis teams are made up entirely of Chinese players. It is almost likewise in the national basketball and badminton squads.

The national men's cricket team, on the other hand, consists mostly of Indian players, although the women's team has a fair mix of players of various races.

As such, the question arises: Why is there still this lack of ethnic diversity in certain sports in our multiracial society?

TODAY spoke to observers and sociologists, who identified several factors that play a part in determining why some sports in Singapore do not attract players of different ethnic groups.
RACIAL COMMUNITIES' CULTURE AND HISTORY
Dr Mathew Mathews, of the National University of Singapore's Institute of Policy Studies, believes the different cultures of racial communities are why some races gravitate towards particular sports. "Certain ethnicities (in Singapore) have built up a history in a particular sport," the senior research fellow explained.

"So the young people of that ethnicity are more inspired to follow in their ancestors' footsteps and try to excel in that sport ... so this is why football might be more celebrated among the Malays compared to the Chinese."

As football is the only sport in Singapore with a professional league, the viability of pursuing a meaningful career in sports here also becomes a factor, said NUS Associate Professor of Sociology Tan Ern Ser. "One may argue that Malays find football an accessible and viable career, with the potential to achieve some fame," he said.

"Chinese youth and their parents are less likely to see football as such, and would aspire for careers in the professions or management."

Mr Philippe Aw, the head coach of S.League club Hougang United, agreed. "The mindset of Chinese parents is that their children's studies will be affected if they spend so much time on football," said the former Home United player.

"So it starts from the parents. They tell their children football is not a viable career ... it's short-term and risky, compared to having a conventional job where you can build a career and probably earn better."

Mr Khairul Asyraf, who runs private football academy 2Touch Soccer, thinks Malays in Singapore are more inclined to follow their passions.

"I think we have a culture of encouraging individuals to pursue their passions," said Mr Khairul, who is also the head coach of National Football League (NFL) side Eunos Crescent FC. "There's more emphasis towards personal fulfilment and satisfaction, and decisions are made based on what they are passionate about.

"Football in particular allows one to make a decent living while doing something one loves, and so many do aspire to become professional footballers."

Mr Aw hopes parents will come to realise their children can pursue their sporting aspirations without compromising on their education.

"It is possible to balance both," he said. "In other countries, schools and football clubs work together to come up with the best plan for the athlete to train and compete while also ensuring that he does not miss out on getting his educational qualifications. Perhaps this is something we need to work on here."
SPEAKING DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
While most Singaporeans speak English, local sports observers admit that if most of the participants in a sport are from one race, they tend to speak in their native language instead of English.

Ex-national paddler Isabelle Li, 22, said this is apparent in local table tennis. "Internationally, the sport is very Chinese-dominated. This is reflected here as well, with the coaches, whether from Singapore or China, usually speaking only Mandarin to the players.

"I've only had one coach, (former national player) Tan Paey Fern, who spoke English. I think this communication barrier makes it very hard for other races to join the sport."

Singapore Slingers head coach Neo Beng Siang, who also runs the ActiveSG Basketball academy, believes that players or coaches sometimes feel more comfortable communicating in their native language.

"In a group of people of the same race, there is a tendency to revert to speaking in the native language because they're more used to it," he said.

"So other races may hesitate to join the sport because communication could be an issue. Otherwise, they may feel pressured to pick up the language.

"I think that's why you see a lot of Chinese and Indian footballers who speak and understand Malay."

Mr Neo feels that to ensure inclusivity, English should be the main language of communication for all sports in Singapore.

Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) president Terence Khoo cites the wide use of English in local rugby for its ability to attract players from all races.

"English is Singapore's main language after all, so this ensures that rugby here doesn't veer towards any one cultural or racial line," he said.
THE NEED TO KICK OUT RACIAL FAVOURITISM
Mr Khairul said football's lack of racial diversity can also be caused by coaches who tend to favour Malays because of their own pre-conceived notions and assumptions.

"I've seen a Malay coach selecting Malay players ahead of Chinese players who are of the same level, if not better, because he feels the Chinese players will probably drop out of the game without turning professional. So he doesn't want to invest the time and effort to groom them," he said.

"But such favouritism is hurting our sport. As coaches, we should select players based on their abilities. I grew up in a football environment that is predominantly Malay, and unfortunately, there is a mentality among some coaches and players that Chinese players usually don't make good footballers.

"But to me, a Chinese or Indian player has as much a chance of making it into the national teams."

Former national footballer R Sasikumar, who runs sports marketing agency Red Card Group, agreed: "Racial favouritism is a problem, especially at youth levels. I've seen such things happening first-hand, and it should stop. Coaches must put their hands on their hearts and say they've chosen the best player, but this sometimes doesn't happen. This all boils down to the lack of coaches' education here, which I think is one of Singapore football's Achilles heels."

Mr Aw, who recently promoted a few young Chinese players into Hougang's senior squad, said: "Players like Justin (Hui), Gareth (Chan), Gerald (Ting) ... I've seen them grow and train with the S.League players, I know they have potential and we should give them an opportunity to play professionally," he said.

"Now, will they stay on, or leave eventually? To ensure they stay, we have to create the right environment for them to thrive and break through to the next level."
INCREASING RACIAL DIVERSITY
According to former national swimmer Patricia Chan, the inherent nature of sport should be "colour-blind".

"Sport has never been racially conscious ... you are defined by your physique, your genetic make-up, interest, and opportunities, among other factors," she said.

"I was brought up completely colour-blind, and I don't measure my friends or team-mates by race and least of all, religion. We are all Singaporeans first, and sport especially welcomes people of every colour."

For Mr Sasikumar, the answer lies in having more local sporting heroes performing on the international stage, who, in turn, will inspire Singaporeans of all races and walks of life.

"The players of my era ... we watched footballers like Terry Pathmanathan, V Sundramoorthy, Fandi Ahmad, and all of us aspired to be like them." said Mr Sasikumar who played professionally from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s.

"Unfortunately, right now, there's no one except Joseph Schooling who can inspire the young ones to want to be like him. All kids are crying out for heroes ... and if we can create them in the sporting scene, then the diversity will naturally come."

Dr Tan believes it is also important to promote multiracialism not only at the elite level, but at youth and grassroots levels.

"Sport is a good platform for facilitating social integration," he said. "And it shouldn't be difficult to encourage a mix since ... recreational sport is about having fun and keeping fit, and not about turning professional and making a career of it.

"Of course, it would be good to do the same with professional sports. But until they can be viewed as viable careers capable of supporting a large number of professionals in Singapore, it will be difficult to enhance the extent of multiracialism in them."

Dr Matthews added that schools play a key role too.

"Schools are probably the best 'playground' for such inter-racial encounters to occur and for friendships to form," he said.

"So primary schools can possibly introduce a wide variety of sports to young students, and let them choose from there (the) particular sports they may eventually pursue."

Nonetheless, Dr Nicholas Aplin, a senior lecturer at the Physical Education and Sports Science Education Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, believes that encouraging steps have already been taken by the authorities to ensure that sport in Singapore is more open and inclusive.

Said Dr Aplin, whose son Anders plays for S.League club Geylang International: "In line with effective sports policies and more recent refinements in (Sport Singapore's) Vision 2030, people have opportunities to choose from a very wide range of recreational and competitive sports.

"They may not thus feel 'prevented' from vying for a spot in the activities. In fact, today, people can enter any activity if they are motivated to commit and sacrifice other options.

"Initiatives like ActiveSG and the media can help to establish even more positive coverage over all aspects of local sports, and social media can help in highlighting less superficial aspects, such as sporting spirit, true sporting potential and talent, and diversity."

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Racial diversity lacking in some sports here

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SINGAPORE - Multiracialism and multiculturalism may be values that Singaporeans hold dear. However, the training fields, indoor halls and hardcourts of popular sports here such as football, basketball, table tennis and badminton seem to tell a different story.

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My jaw dropped when I saw the price tag of a lightweight sports wheelchair.

"$5,000?! Are you kidding me? Is a wheelchair so freaking expensive nowadays?"

I badly needed a new wheelchair for my new ventures into recreational para-sports in 2022. I wanted to explore wheelchair running, para-fencing, and para-archery. I can't do all that with my heavy manual wheelchair, a loyal friend for 12 years.

It faithfully accompanied me when I was training as a para-table tennis player in 2014 and 2015. But let's just say that my ancient wheelchair has reached the point where it's more like a relic from the '70s rather than a functioning mobility aid.

Back in 2009, it cost me only $1,000.

Author's para-archery session at Salt And Light Archery Club. Image: @runninghour / Instagram

I'm not alone in sharing this sentiment about the high cost of being a para-athlete.

Here's the bitter truth. Para-athletes aren't getting enough funding for our equipment and competition expenses. And I believe it stems from a glaring lack of media coverage of para-sports in Singapore.

Take, for instance, the stark contrast in coverage between the SEA Games 2023 and ASEAN Para Games 2023. Over 60 news articles discussed the former; only 10 touched upon the latter.

During the course of the ASEAN Para Games this year, I reached out to para-athletes about their funding and training situation.

Para-shuttler and aspiring Paralympian Tay Wei Ming shares with me his financial struggles in his bid to realize his Paralympics dream. Para-rugby player and amputee Tan Whee Boon also lamented the lack of media attention.

"I believe that the media needs to shine more spotlight on players who need more attention and awareness to grow. Not just on those who win medals," Whee Boon sighs.

Why are para-athletes overlooked by the media, affecting their progress and potential for success? And how can Singaporeans better support our para-athletes?

We All Know Yip Pin Xiu. How About The Rest?

Granted, the media has done an excellent job portraying the achievements of our beloved Yip Pin Xiu, a true pioneer and trailblazer in the local para-sports arena. Up-and-coming para-athletes like Toh Wei Soong and the Soon siblings are getting some love too.

But what of other para-athletes? I ask some able-bodied peers to name a few. Almost immediately, they answer, "Yip Pin Xiu!"

"Any more?"

They shake their heads.

It was expected. But I lowkey wished they had also added Theresa Goh-she's a Paralympic medallist too.

Are people in Singapore into para-sports news in the first place? Just to get a sense of the vibe, I ran a poll on Telegram's sgAskEveryone platform. I asked 735 Singaporeans, totally anonymously, "Are you interested in news of disabled sports?" Most are in their 20s and 30s.

About 1 in 4 mentioned they were actually interested-a minority, but still a comforting response.

Image: Telegram screengrab

With a lower following and consumer-driven demand, it might make more commercial sense for mainstream news outlets to focus on able-bodied sports more than para-sports. There's only so much that you can cover in a day, after all.

From Benchwarmer to Cheerleader

Yet, the more important question is: Do Singaporeans care about the disabled community? And why should they care anyway?

So, here's my challenge for you to put yourself in the shoes of a para-chess player. Try playing a game of chess blindfolded.

I did. And it was downright difficult for me to know which piece I was moving while remembering the new board layout every time a chess piece was moved.

We are so accustomed to our abilities that many of us can't (or don't want to) imagine what life might be like on the other side. It's difficult to relate to their struggles-and where there's little resonance factor, there's little incentive to be acquainted with their affairs.

Image: Alfie Lee / SportSG via Facebook

Not many would know how despite being virtually impaired, national para-chess player Edwin Tan is able to overcome his personal challenges to represent Singapore at the ASEAN Para Games in 2015, 2017, and 2021. His determination and passion for international chess are truly inspiring.

But passion and the potential to inspire others can only do so much without the right backing.

The Singapore Spirit

Para-athletes get some funding from SportCares (SportSG's philanthropic arm) and SDSC. But the amount of financial support is limited due to tight budgets. Some would say that the funding isn't even enough to purchase adaptive equipment.

While some elite para-athletes are lucky to receive partial funding from the government-funded Sports Excellence Scholarship (spexScholarship), not all are so lucky.

As of 2023, only 11 para-athletes are spexScholars. This is less than one-third of the total pool of 37 local para-athletes that competed in the 2022 ASEAN Para Games.

Perhaps due to insufficient media coverage of para-athletes, many companies and donors aren't aware of the financial struggles of para-sports organizations and para-athletes. And with limited sponsorship, many para-athletes find themselves in a tight spot to continue training.

Edwin Tan at a training session. Image courtesy of Edwin Tan via Facebook

Para rugby player Tan Whee Boon is in a similar boat.

"I have to cover the expenses personally for customised safety belts and protection gears after I got my para-rugby wheelchair from SportCares," he says.

Tan Whee Boon playing wheelchair rugby. Image: Weixiang Schrödinger Lim / Facebook

I can attest to the importance of finances in our training.

In 2014 and 2015, I was a recreational para-table tennis player and took part in local competitions. During our training, the physically disabled players couldn't pick up the balls that fell onto the floor. So the coaches from the Table Tennis Association for the Disabled spent a large sum of money to purchase two robots that helped to catch table tennis balls.

When I went down to the recreational training venue at Bedok a few weeks ago, I talked to one of the coaches, Francis To.

"Do you still have those robots to catch the ping pong balls?"

"They're not around anymore in the elite and recreational training venues. The robots were spoilt after several years but we've not replaced them."

Looking around, I saw that the players were training in the sweltering heat without any fan or aircon. There used to be fans when I trained at the previous recreational para-table tennis venue, Yishun Sports Hall.

My heart sank when I saw the impact on para-athletes due to the lack of funding. No money means no robots, no fans, and no aircon.

A Race Against Time

Para-shuttler Tay Wei Ming has been aiming to fulfil his dreams of competing in the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Currently ranked #15 in the 'Race to Paris' global rankings, Wei Ming has to break into the top 8 to secure a spot in the Paris Paralympics. In order to push up his ranking, he has to compete and perform in more international competitions within the qualification period, which ends in March 2024.

Initially, he had almost zero financial support to train and take part in overseas competitions after his six-year spexScholarship contract ended in 2020. The pandemic also meant that the budget of the scholarship organisation had to be cut. As travel borders were shut, no overseas competitions could be hosted, which meant no results for Wei Ming.

His mature age also presented some challenges in progressing as quickly compared to younger para-athletes.

No funding, no progress. Yet determined not to give up his Paralympic dream, Wei Ming had been contacting corporate companies to seek sponsorship support, as well as raising funds on Giving.sg platform to cover various expenses to compete overseas. These expenses include flight tickets, travel insurance, accommodation, and competition registration fees.

Image: Giving.sg screengrab

"It has been really tough for me to soldier on with limited government support," he says.

"But more funding from the public is definitely a moral booster and motivation for me to qualify for Paris 2024."

Wei Ming's medals on display.

Beyond the Track

Wei Ming has thoughts on what can be improved for Singapore's para-sports community.

"Singapore's culture generally focuses a lot on academic excellence. Naturally, this means we focus less on sports. The pool of able-bodied athletes is small in Singapore, and the pool of para-athletes is even smaller!" he points out.

"Right now, we para-athletes have to deliver excellent results first before funding can be provided. But what we need now is funding to nurture young children with disabilities to excel in para-sports."

And he couldn't be more right.

During my childhood, there was almost zero media coverage given to para-sports, though I've heard about Yip Pin Xiu and para-swimming. But I can't swim due to insufficient strength and poor coordination in my leg muscles; I almost drowned in the water once. And I had never heard about para-table tennis, let alone other para-sports.

It wasn't until 2014, after I finished my GCE O-levels, when I first heard about para-table tennis. I decided to give it a try but stopped as I found that the sport wasn't for me.

Still, my heart broke when I saw that from a bustling pool of over 40 para-table tennis players in 2015, now there are only less than 20 players.

Image: Singapore National Paralympic Council / Goh Si Wei via Facebook

Granted, Yip Pin Xiu may never be able to beat Joseph Schooling's 2016 Rio Olympics 100m butterfly record of 50:39 seconds. However, para-sports aren't any less exciting. Some para-sports have playing fields that are almost on the same levels as able-bodied sports, including para-archery, para-badminton, and para-table tennis.

But maybe one young para-swimmer out there is training hard to hit 50:39 seconds. But is he or she training with well-qualified coaches, top-notch equipment, and the right infrastructure?

Young para-athletes need more funding and better training infrastructure to be nurtured into young para-sports champions. Yet at the same time, we need a larger pool of para-athletes to attract funding.

A Smile Runs a Mile

Juggling between challenges posed by our disabilities and a rigorous training schedule is exhausting for many para-athletes - both physically and mentally. While Singapore has no conclusive local statistics on the mental health of persons with disabilities, it is reported in the United States that adults with disabilities experience frequent mental distress five times more than adults without disabilities.

I used to feel drained after training. But my heart swells when able-bodied folks on the road come to me with a warm smile and compliment me on my achievements.

In the sporting world, physical ability and hard work are prized above all else. The disabled community might not have full control over physical attributes, but what we can do is train ourselves to push beyond our limitations. By showing what we can achieve despite our disabilities, we inspire others to embrace their own potential and break down barriers that limit their own possibilities.

Outside of the medals, awards and praise, what we seek is acceptance.

Showing support really helps any of us, able-bodied and disabled alike, to get through life's thunderstorms and scorching suns.

Will one year to the Paris 2024 Paralympics give us enough time to save some dreams?

It starts with getting to know our fellow para-athletes who may be (surprise!) our next-door neighbours. And reach a point where we can create an inclusive and supportive environment for our para-athletes to thrive and fly our Singapore flag high.

If you haven't already, follow RICE on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Telegram. If you have a lead for a story, feedback on our work, or just want to say hi, you can also email us at community@ricemedia.co.

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Singapore's Para-Athletes Aren't Getting Enough Attention, And It's Affecting Them

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Young para-athletes need more funding and better training infrastructure to be nurtured into young para-sports champions.

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World anti-doping benchmark taken into account in suspension of S'pore swimmers: SportSG

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Wada does not impose any sanctions for the ingestion or use of some controlled drugs - including cannabis - if the act took place outside of competition periods. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Citizens' unreceptiveness towards foreign-born athletes carrying the Singapore flag in international competitions could perhaps be mitigated or even eradicated if immigrant athletes can integrate into Singapore society and express their loyalty to the country. Commentary
LIKE ITS fellow first world countries, Singapore has the means and resources to import promising athletes to ensure and maintain sporting success. However, compared to counterparts in the developed world, it appears Singapore society is still facing challenges to the acceptance of immigrant athletes.

Some Singaporeans have been vocal about their aversion to the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) Scheme, with a significant number of citizens expressing their sentiments online concerning the absence of pride when foreign-born athletes representing Singapore win medals at international competitions. However, the public's reaction towards the recent retirement of Yugoslavian-born Singaporean footballer Aleksandar Duric indicates it is possible for citizens to appreciate and embrace immigrant athletes if such athletes undergo a traditional process of acquiring citizenship as well as display signs of being part of the social fabric.
Foreign Sports Talent Scheme
According to the Mulier Institute Centre for Research on Sports in Society based in the Netherlands, achievement in sports can rouse national cohesion and pride. Hence, some states invest in their national teams to ensure success in international competitions. Triumphant participation in international sport competitions not only directs acclaim and attention to nations, it also plays an important role in fortifying nationhood. Through shared victories in sports, a nation's anthology of shared experiences is augmented.

This route to fortify national pride by way of sport has been attempted in Singapore. Sports organisations were established to scout and train young athletes. However, due to the demographic challenge of having a small population for example, promising foreign athletes have been enticed to play for Singapore. Since 1993, the FST Scheme allows sports organisations to recruit foreign athletes to represent Singapore by fast-tracking citizenship. However, in the case of Singapore, based on the public's reaction to international table tennis success, it appears that international sporting success does not necessarily lead to a corresponding increase in national pride. It appears a number of Singaporeans attain a stronger sense of honour and pride from being represented by local-born athletes-whether they win or lose-than victories by foreign-born sportsmen.

For example, in this year's Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Singapore dominated the table tennis event by taking six out of seven possible gold medals awarded, but quite a number of Singaporeans reacted negatively towards this achievement. This negativity was displayed when a photo of the winning team was posted on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook page only to be followed by a barrage of comments voicing discontent.

The comments for the uploaded photo of predominantly China-born naturalised Singaporean paddlers suggest citizens prefer not winning with local-born athletes to attaining gold with foreign-born players. For the disgruntled commenters, national pride stems from being represented by who they consider born and bred Singaporean athletes regardless whether they win or not. Some netizens even coined the term "fake glory" in reference to table tennis success.

The hostility towards the sports scheme is so strong that even a local-born gold medallist at the recently concluded Asian Games in South Korea received the maligned "foreign talent" tag. Joseph Schooling's foreign-sounding surname led to his Singaporean-ness being called into question even though, like his grandfather and father, he was born and raised in Singapore. Schooling's father had to resort to stressing that the Asian Games medallist is a "true son of Singapore".

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Immigrant Athletes in Singapore: When Gold is Not Good Enough

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Citizens' unreceptiveness towards foreign-born athletes carrying the Singapore flag in international competitions could perhaps be mitigated or even eradicated if immigrant athletes can integrate into Singapore society and express their loyalty to the country. Commentary LIKE ITS fellow first world countries, Singapore has the means and resources to import promising athletes to ensure and maintain sporting success.

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Sports events give Singapore nation-building, economic and branding boost

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As a young nation that gained independence in 1965, Singapore's first taste of hosting international competitions included the popular Malaysia Cup football matches that regularly filled the 10,000-capacity Jalan Besar Stadium. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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1. What specific initiatives are being funded to support Singaporean athletes on the international stage?

2. What are the potential impacts on Singapore’s sports landscape?

3. How does this move align with broader national goals or priorities beyond sports development?

4. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. What benefits are expected from SportSG’s management of the Sports Hub?

2. How will this initiative contribute to broader goals of promoting sports and recreation in Singapore?

3. What potential impacts might this have on stakeholders such as athletes, event organizers and the public?

4. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. What are the key findings of the survey?

2. What demographic groups show the highest level of sports and exercise participation, and why? Are there notable trends?

3. How might the findings of this survey inform government initiatives to promote a more active lifestyle in Singapore?

4. What are some of the challenges in promoting a more active lifestyle in Singapore?

5. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. Are there particular sports where racial diversity is more pronounced or lacking? And why?

2. How do perceptions of inclusivity and representation within sports organizations & communities impact participation?

3. How does promoting diversity & inclusion in sports contribute to larger goals such as social cohesion?

4. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. What are the existing support systems and resources available for para-athletes? Are these sufficient? Why so/why not?

2. How does media portrayal and public perception of para-athletes contribute to their visibility & support?

3. What role can education & advocacy play in challenging stereotypes and help promote a more inclusive sports culture in Singapore?

4. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. What is the WADA benchmark mentioned in the article?

2. What impact did these suspensions have on the reputation and integrity of Singaporean sports?

3. In your opinion, to what extent are and should athletes in Singapore considered as role models?

4. How does SportSG collaborate with national sports associations and other stakeholders to promote fair competition?

5. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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SINGAPORE - The Commonwealth Games needs a major rethink to evolve with the times or risk losing its relevance, several experts have told TODAY.

This comes after Singapore and Malaysia both decided not to bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, despite being offered a £100 million (S$170 million) carrot, following the Australian state of Victoria's withdrawal as host.

A question mark now hangs over the future of the multi-sport event, which has struggled to find a host in recent years.

The city of Durban, South Africa, was supposed to host the 2022 Games but was stripped of its rights due to financial constraints. Birmingham, England, one of the candidates to host the 2026 Games, was then chosen to stage the 2022 edition.

Hamilton, Canada, was offered hosting rights to the 2026 Games in return for abandoning its plans to host the 2030 edition - the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Games which was held in the same city - but rejected it.

The developments have left the organisers in a race against time to find a host, with less than two years ahead of its planned opening ceremony.

TODAY takes a closer look at why the Commonwealth Games has yet to find a host, the possible reasons for Singapore declining to put in a bid, and whether the event remains relevant.

WHY IS THE GAMES STRUGGLING TO FIND A HOST?

The 2026 Commonwealth Games was slated to be held in the Australian state of Victoria, but it withdrew last July due to concerns over projected cost overruns.

The state originally budgeted A$2.6 billion (S$2.3 billion) but said the cost could spiral to over A$7 billion.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has offered £100 million to potential 2026 hosts, but experts said that the cost of hosting has increased significantly in recent years.

For instance, the cost of construction materials, transportation and labour has gone up since the Covid-19 pandemic, said economic adviser Song Seng Wun from financial services firm CGS International.

Agreeing, Ms Selena Ling, the chief economist and global head of research and strategy at OCBC, said hosting sporting events can be "expensive" if current infrastructure is not already in place.

Unless there is recurrent use of the built facilities, countries run the risk of these becoming white elephants, she added.

Mr James Walton, sports business group leader at Deloitte Asia Pacific, said that around S$1.2 billion to S$1.4 billion would be required to organise the multi-sport event "at the very minimum".

He added that countries have become "more wary" of hosting major games in the last decade, as populations question the benefit of playing host as they grapple with cost of living issues.

"In the current economic climate, public sentiment is not inclined towards taxpayer money being spent on projects that may be seen as a source of financial burden. If the government cannot demonstrate or explain the economic benefits of hosting such an event, it could become a political issue," said Mr Walton, who pointed to the Australian bid for the Games becoming a parliamentary issue there.

The runway of two years to the next Games is also "way too short", said Mr Jose Raymond, managing director of public relations consultancy SW Strategies, and it would be "almost impossible" for potential hosts to already have the requisite infrastructure ready for deployment.

"If Singapore had accepted to host the event, we would need enough hotel rooms to accommodate athletes and officials, and tourists as well. I doubt that we would have been able to get a Games Village ready in time, unless there was an alternative plan."

Mr Raymond was involved in the planning of the inaugural 2009 Asian Youth Games and served as press secretary to the Youth Olympic Village Mayor in 2010.

Agreeing, Mr Christopher Khoo, managing director of international tourism consultancy MasterConsult Services, said: "Hosting sporting events has never been a profitable proposition. What the host gets out of it is usually prestige and bragging rights.

"At short notice, it would be very difficult to secure major sponsors who would be looking for sustained positive exposure."

WHY DID SINGAPORE DECIDE NOT TO BID?

Experts said that the weighted cost versus economic benefits and prestige of hosting the Commonwealth Games may have played a part in Singapore's decision not to bid.

Singapore has most of the infrastructure needed to host a Commonwealth Games, with its various sporting venues and convertible spaces, said Mr Oon Jin Teik, former chief executive officer of the Singapore Sports Council (the predecessor to Sport Singapore) and the Singapore Sports Hub.

While making money as a host country of a major sporting event is an "almost impossible task", Mr Oon noted that the return on investment of being host is generally related to national branding, sports and tourism promotion, and industry development.

"What happens after the circus leaves town? If we cannot foresee legacy benefits and do not allocate a budget to build the legacy, then we must be honest to ourselves that the benefits of hosting the major event will likely not outweigh the cost of hosting the event," said Mr Oon.

For Singapore, which has never hosted the Commonwealth Games, hosting it may be less attractive given the limited regional participation.

Few Asian countries are represented in the Games, which would affect the level of interest in terms of potential audience from the region, beyond the athletic community.

By contrast, taxpayer dollars spent on hosting Formula 1 attract "global sporting headlines", while events like the Youth Olympic Games may generate "longer term returns" of showcasing the Singapore brand to young people across the world, said Mr Song.

Professor Abhishek Singh Bhati of James Cook University also pointed out that the international sporting calendar is "extremely busy" in 2026, with events such as the Fifa World Cup, the Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games projected to take place in the same year.

"Thus the Commonwealth Games may find little traction in attracting international visitors away from these other major events," said Prof Abhishek, who is regional vice president of the International Tourism Studies Association.

IS THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES LOSING RELEVANCE?

The experts also pointed to the decline in the prestige and global recognition of the Games.

The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, was inaugurated in 1930 as the British Empire Games.

Athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, an international association of 56 member states, many of which are former British colonies, are invited to participate.

Its most recent 2022 edition, held in Birmingham, saw around 5,000 athletes from over 70 nations taking part.

The hosts for the Commonwealth Games have mostly rotated between cities in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.

However, this underscores another common criticism of the Games, for its colonial roots and association with the British empire.

"The Commonwealth Games has lost its place among the global sports elite. At a time when countries are beginning to shun their colonial past, coming together every four years to pay homage to our colonial history and salute the Crown does not really go down well with many," said Mr Raymond.

Calling the Commonwealth Games a "relic of the past", Mr Khoo said that the Games now has limited prestige and media coverage and requires a "major rethink".

"In the past it was an opportunity for former members of the British Commonwealth to get together. Today there are so many other regional level competitions and various leagues that the cancellation of the Games would clear the tight calendar considerably," said Mr Khoo.

The urge to modernise and keep the Games relevant also extends to its sporting offerings, as the Commonwealth Games only offers "traditional sports" while other multi-sport events like the Olympics and the Asian Games have attracted younger audiences by introducing sports like speed climbing and eSports.

"Unfortunately, the Commonwealth Games has also not evolved or progressed as quickly as some of the other games have. There's a growing sense that the Commonwealth Games, unless it can adapt and evolve, is becoming less relevant," said Mr Walton.

Mr Raymond said that he does not foresee other major sporting events such as the Olympics, Asian Games or the World Cup having a shortage of potential hosts.

"The fact that the Commonwealth Games is currently in this predicament only means that the Games has lost its lustre among the Commonwealth nations, and it is time for a rethink and perhaps a reinvention," he added.

WHAT HAPPENS IF NO HOST IS FOUND?

Should the Commonwealth Games fail to find a host in time, the Commonwealth Games Federation has a few options, said Mr Walton. One would be to increase the amount they are willing to subsidise until a willing host is found.

"The second option is that they cancel the Games for the cycle, but this could spell potential danger for the future of the Games," said Mr Walton.

Barring two cancellations in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II, the Commonwealth Games has been run every four years since 1930.

"Another option would be to postpone it by one or two years. However, the challenge is that the international calendar for major sporting events is packed, with the World Athletic Championships, World Aquatics Championships, Olympic Games, European Games and more," said Mr Walton.

"A clash could pose real problems."

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Explainer: So far nobody, including S'pore, wants to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Why?

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SINGAPORE - The Commonwealth Games needs a major rethink to evolve with the times or risk losing its relevance, several experts have told TODAY.

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1. 'Valorant has also made headlines for reasons that are less than squeaky clean.' What were some of these reasons/incidents?

2. According to the article, how far is cheating a more common occurence in e-sports than traditional sports? Why is that so?

3. What measures are being taken to curb cheating in e-sports?

4. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. According to the article, why are some citizens unreceptive towards foreign-born athletes carrying the Singapore flag in international competitions?

2. In your personal opinion, how receptive are you towards foreign-born athletes carrying the Singapore flag in international competitions, and why so?

3. Evaluate the success of the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme in Singapore.

4. How can these immigrant athletes be better integrated into the Singapore society?

5. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. How do sports events contribute to Singapore's

(a) nation-building;

(b) economic prosperity; and

(c) branding.

2. Why then are countries not keen to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games?

3. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1. According to the article, how successful has the Singapore Sports School been in fulfilling its mission to “nurture aspiring national athletes into learned champions with character, champions in sport, for sports, and in life”?

2. What are the key factors that have contributed to its success?

3. "Recruiting the best talent (for SSP)" still remains a major challenge in Singapore. How is that so?

4. Which issue/concept in the passage(s) can I apply this case study to?

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1)the exercise rates of people have increased across all ages

teenagers and young adults prefer jogging or running as their most preferred activity

2)children, as seen as 10300+ children have signed up as new activesg members because of the 100 credit top up for people aged 4 to 12.

3)now that the government has conducted this survey, the government can more accurately target which age groups require more exercise and create initiatives catering to them to improve their fitness

4)Singaporeans too busy with financial/academic success depending kn the age groups and are less incentivised to prioritise exercise.

5)relates to the physical health issue brought up in passages 1 and 2

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1. a 20 million dollar fund to boost athletes, providing dollar to dollar matching of donations, outreach programmes at grassroots levels to search for talents, extra funding to hire coaches from overseas to boost local talents, Temasek Foundation commits $250,000 to augment Singapore’s High Performance Sports system by supporting promising athletes in emerging sports pursue their aspirations

2. Sports become more significant in Singapore’s society, where individuals care more about sports

3. achieve national goals, proud of our athletes

4. National prestige, unity and pride

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1. Football, basketball, table tennis and badminton. Evidence: Of the 23 Lions called up for Singapore’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Group E qualifier against Taiwan in June, 18 were Malay. The rest: one Chinese, two Indians, and two Caucasians, who are naturalised citizens.

The reason being, in the context of football, certain ethnicities, like malays, have built up a history in a particular sport so the young people of that ethnicity tend to be more inspired to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps and try to excel in that sport. hence, this is why football might be more celebrated among the Malays compared to the Chinese.

moreover, Chinese youth and their parents are less likely to see football as such, and would aspire for careers in the professions or management. chinese parents generally do not perceive football as a viable and stable career, hence, they are more likely to discourage youth from pursuing these careers

moreover, when the majority of football players are Malay, malay football players tend to revert back to their native language which they are more comfortable communicating with. however, there may be a language barrier between malay football players and chinese football players

racial favouritism may show up as malay coaches selecting malay football players instead of chinese players

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1. one incident was when 25 year old professional Valorant player Malcolm Chung purposely lost a match to win bets on an online gambling site. he was sentenced to 4 months in jail and a $400 fine

2. it is more prevalent in e-sports as cheaters can hide behind the safety and security of their monitor and keyboard

3. anti-cheat support programmes such as the one in Valorant

4. ethical issues and forced/engineered talent

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1. Malcolm Chung fined and jailed for match fixing by deliberately losing a match, in order to win bets on an online gambling site.

The use of a in game bug by the Singaporean team in the SEA e-sports game to win the game which led to disputed win.

2. Cheating is less common in E-sports due the communities zero tolerance to cheating and match fixing leading to severe consequences.

3. Strong anti cheating programs made by the developers “Riot Games” that cannot be turned off unless the player reboots the computer. If they successfully turn it off, they cannot play the game.

The presence of referees and officials checking players’ controllers and settings renders it “almost impossible” to cheat.  Phones provided by the developers with fixed settings and constant recording ensure everything is recorded and can be reviewed.

Equipment stored in safe places to prevent tampering.

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in a group of people of the same race, there is a tendency to revert to speaking in the same native language, making other races hesitant to join the sport as communication could be an issue. With diversity and inclusion in sports, a common language like English can be used to communicate so other races would feel more comfortable joining the sport

by promoting diversity and inclusion in sports, there would be less favouritism and players can be chosen based on their skills and abilities without being affected by coach's stereotypes and mentalities towards a certain race, resulting in everyone being more accepting

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stereotypes towards the different races about their ability of playing the sport affects the perspective and stances individuals in the society take, causing there to be friction in the social fabric of society

The coaches may be biased towards a certain race when choosing players to hone their skills on and impart knowledge and strategies to them

E.g. I’ve seen a Malay coach selecting Malay players ahead of Chinese players who are of the same level, if not better, because he feels the Chinese players will probably drop out of the game without turning professional. So he doesn’t want to invest the time and effort to groom them,” he said.

such favouritism causes the environment develop the mentality that Chinese players are less likely to become professional players

Hence, the athletes and even their families may be unwilling to commit to the sport and actively participate in the training sessions

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1. Badminton, table tennis —> mainly consist of Chinese players

Football —> mainly malays

Cricket —> Indians

Coaches who speak their native language (Eg Chinese, Malay, Tamil, etc) creating a communication barrier and deterring people of other races from entering a particular sports field.

People of a particular race has a history of playing that specific sport. Hence, that race is associated with that sport.

2. The minority would be intimidated from joining sports mainly dominated by one race, for the fear of discrimination and being left out due to differences in language and culture

3. Promoting diversity prevents stereotypes of races that are attributed to their performance in that particular sport

4. National prestige, unity and pride & inclusiveness

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I can apply this case study to the concept of character and virtues. This case study focuses on the ethical issues surrounding esports competitions where immoral acts such as cheating and purposely throwing the game plaque the reputation and legitimacy of the competition.

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Passage 2, Paragraph 5.

commendable that female sport is becoming more popular and recognised despite cultural barriers

This concept of promoting diversity and inclusion, of different groups within society, in sport can be applied to his case study which is about the need to expand the racial diversity of sport players

while the case study mentions that sport is about having fun and keeping fit rather than playing professionally.

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1. Para-athletes get some funding from SportCards (SportSG's philanthropic arm)and SDSC. But the amount of financial support is limited due to tight budgets. Some would say that the funding isn't even enough to purchase adaptive equipment. While some elite para-athletes are lucky to partial funding from the government-funded Sports Excellence Scholarship (spexScholarship), not all are that lucky

2. Media portrayal and public perception would bring attention and awareness to the para-athletes and as such garner support for them. Raising awareness and support for para-athletes can help them attain sponsorships and funding for better equipment and training resources to better help them prepare and achieve their goals of competing in national and international competitions

3. Through education such as media coverage of para-athletes, the public would know more about para-sports and more companies and donors would be aware of the financial struggles of para-sports organisations and para-athletes. There would be more sponsorships and many para-athletes would be able to continue training without worry. The para-athletes would also not worry on their travel expenses as their expenses would be covered by their sponsors.

4. This case study can be applied to the issue of national prestige, unity and pride as the para-athletes can represent Singapore by competing in international competitions such as the para-olympics.