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Singapore Athletics faces Calls for Increased Investment After SEA Games performance
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Singapore’s athletics program is under scrutiny following a recent assessment of its performance at the Southeast asian Games, with calls for greater investment to elevate the nation’s standing in the region. A senior official recently stated that athletics needs to “come to the party,” pointing to a notable disparity in medal counts – three golds in athletics compared to 19 in swimming – as evidence of the need for enhancement.
Performance Disparities Spark debate
The call for action comes after a Games that saw successes for singaporean athletes, including shanti Pereira’s successful defence of her titles in the 200m and 100m events, and Calvin Quek’s historic win in the 400m hurdles – the nation’s first gold in the event since 1965. Despite thes achievements, the overall performance has prompted questions about the resources allocated to athletics compared to other sports. The official emphasized the need to “chase those events” and “get our athletes…up to par with the rest of the region” if Singapore aims to consistently rank among the top three nations in Southeast Asia and deliver a strong showing at the 2029 SEA Games, which will be hosted in Singapore.
Structural Differences and the “Late-Developing” Sport
Singapore Athletics president Lien Choong Luen acknowledged the concerns, stating that the official was “not technically wrong” in their assessment. However, he highlighted the structural differences between athletics and swimming, especially within the Singaporean context. According to Mr. Lien, athletics is a “late-developing” sport, citing Calvin Quek’s gold medal win at age 29 as an example. This late development, he argued, necessitates “a lot more commitment, a lot more faith, a lot more belief, a lot more investment.” He further explained that the diverse range of disciplines within athletics requires “specialised coaching, facilities and equipment.”
Singapore Athletics is currently focused on providing “bridging support” for young athletes, with the 2029 SEA Games serving as an “open call” to coaches and athletes. “For those that are in, stay in, and for those that are knocking on the door, please, we will support you,” Mr. Lien stated, adding that the institution has a “good pipeline” and is prioritizing fundraising efforts to expand support for a greater number of athletes.
Calls for Professionalization and Resource Allocation
The debate surrounding investment in athletics has also been fueled by criticism from within the sporting community. Marathoner Soh Rui Yong voiced concerns that Singapore’s team comprised athletes with diverse commitments – “a bunch of full-time students, software engineers, teachers, government employees, and corporate workers” – who were competing against fully sponsored professional athletes from countries like Thailand and Indonesia. he specifically mentioned thailand’s Puripol boonson and Kieran Tuntivate, as well as Indonesia’s Robi Syianturi, as examples of athletes benefiting from robust sponsorship programs.
“Singapore has the resources to fund a proper high-performance athletics program if this country wants to, but those resources don’t seem to be flowing into the sport,” Soh wrote, adding that expecting medal success while “bringing knives to a gun fight” is unrealistic. He also argued that athletics is not a “rich man’s sport” and that the level of competition is increasingly intense. Soh concluded by suggesting that focusing solely on medal counts is not a comprehensive measure of success at the Games.
The discussion underscores a critical juncture for Singaporean athletics,
