Plaza Singapura, July 10, 2008 – Singapore will field its largest contingent of athletes at the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games with contingents of 25 and six athletes respectively. Both the Games will be held in Beijing, China from August 8th to 24th, 2008.

This year's contingent is the largest since its representation at the Melbourne Games in 1956.

Commenting on this, Chef-De-Mission Dr Tan Eng Liang said, "Not only are we sending the largest Olympic contingent in 52 years, this is also the best-prepared team going into the Olympic games. We came so close to bringing home a medal in 2004, so expectations on Team Singapore this year will be high. Many of our athletes have improved tremendously in the last few years and I am confident Team Singapore will give their very best at the Games."

Singapore's top paddler, Li Jiawei, will be the official flag bearer at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on August 8, 2008.

Team Singapore will compete in six sports at the Olympic Games - athletics, badminton, table tennis, sailing, shooting and swimming. 24 out of the contingent of 25 athletes qualified on their own merit with swimmer, Tao Li being the first Singaporean to meet the ‘A' qualifying mark for the Olympic Games. The Singapore ladies table tennis team, Lee Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu, is the second seed in the competition.

At the joint flag presentation ceremony held at Plaza Singapure yesterday evening, Guest-of-Honour, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence and President of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), presented the flags officially to the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games contingents.

Said Minister Teo at the ceremony: “Let me take this opportunity to salute the men and women of Team Singapore. You have trained hard, prepared well, and sacrificed much in your pursuit to bring glory to Singapore. I encourage all of you to stay focused and positive, to display the highest standards of sportsmanship and fair play as you fly the Singapore flag in front of thousands of spectators and millions more on television.”