When I heard of our women’s table-tennis team did the impossible by beating the unbeatable China team at the World Table Tennis Championships, I was of course elated and happy for the team and Singapore, but I wasn’t jumping for joy.
At the end of the day however, they’re professional athletes, plying their trade and skills for monetary gains.
Their roots are still with their home country, and will return to their respective nation once they’ve stopped or found greener pasture elsewhere.
I’ve seen such similar FT sporting scheme in athletics and it was a disaster. There were more drama rather than the expected success.
I’m not the only one with such a sentiment, do check out Temasek Review.
Of course it’s different in the case such as Tao Li, our national swimmer. Although not born here, her family was seeking better employment, and have since sink in their roots in Singapore permanently.
I’d say to our sporting body, please have faith and invest in our local talents instead.
No more of these foreign talent sporting schemes, for me personally they don’t bring pride when these professional paid athlete standing on the podium, whose affiliation isn’t truly wholly Singaporean.
How are we to progress and inspire the young athletes in Singapore, when we’re cultivating the shortcut method of wanting success by ‘importing’ and ‘buying’ World class talent.
I do truly believe we Singaporeans are world-beaters, we just need our sporting association behind us all the way. Ang moh, China, Americans, bring it on …
There should a change of mindset too of course by the government and people.
We should consider sports as a career, consider it as a profession, the whole works, CPF, medicare, or link-up with companies for to alleviate the athlete’s burden as they compete and train, and help in acquiring a job after their sporting career is over.
well said. I share the same sentiment as you but not elated or happy.