By MCYS and SSC
The world as we know it is changing rapidly, both at home and overseas. A strong sporting culture can help us navigate the challenges to come. We must not take advances made in the past 10 years for granted.
Sporting culture must be seeded with new ideas, impetus and investment. Most recently, SSC launched a ground-breaking new programme to train preschool teachers and caregivers in Fundamental Movement Skills for children as young as 18 months.
It is critical that we engage people beyond our sporting community in the Vision 2030 process if we are to use sports as means to better the lives of all Singaporeans. Everyone has a sporting spirit, a sporting life.
Thus, Vision 2030 is neither a beginning nor an end for Sporting Singapore. It is a renewal of our government‘s commitment to sport. Moreover, it is a clarion call for our population, as individuals and communities, to make their voices heard on where we need to go in future.
What should our sporting landscape look like to best serve Singapore and Singaporeans?
Sport is not an end in itself. Sport is one of Singapore‘s best strategies for nation-building.
Vision 2030 is about Real People, True Sports: Tenacious and resilient, passionate and
compassionate, and always willing to be an inclusive society with opportunities for everyone.
The seven broad areas of the Vision 2030 exercise:
Generation Z
To explore how sport can engage and develop youth.
Balance to the Rhythm of an Urban Lifestyle
To explore how sport can help bring balance to our increasingly urban and fast-paced globalised world.
Silver Generation
To explore how sport can contribute to active ageing.
Spirit of Singapore
To explore how sport can contribute to building the Singapore spirit, the spirit of determination, trust, competence, quiet pride and discipline, which makes Singapore work the way it does, and which makes Singaporeans special.
Future Ready
To explore how values developed through sport can help Singapore and Singaporeans be better prepared for the challenges of the future.
Futurescape
To explore innovative and creative sporting spaces of the future.
Organising for Success
To study how the public, private and people sectors can work together more effectively to deliver the objectives of Vision 2030. We will identify critical policies, structures, processes, and systems that need to be in place. This includes but is not limited to: policies regarding relationships between government and sport governing bodies, structure of the government‘s sport agency, resource allocation processes as well as planning and capability development systems.
Dear Minister Chan, I’d like to bring your attention to the horrible and disgusting state of accessibility of being able to view the major sporting events on TV and how this will have a significant and major detrimental effect in promoting interest in sports in Singapore and ultimately igniting that sporting talent, interest, and spark in those heartland kids who may develop into a world beater and sporting superstar. Bjorn Borg, Zinedine Zidane, and countless other sporting superstars always say one thing in common when interviewed about how their sporting passion developed- they all say ‘I watched my idol on TV and imagined myself to be them when playing my sport and dreamt of becoming like them in future’. Many Wimbledon champions say they dreamt of one day winning Wimbledon when they watched Wimbledon on TV as A kid. I was extremely frustrated last month when I could not watch Wimbledon on TV last month despite subscribing to StarHub sports channels- you have to pay extra to watch these major events despite subscribing to these cable sports channels ( which show mainly insignificant sports). Some events are shown on MioTV and some on StarHub, and even then have to pay extra to watch many of these more significant sports. I was excited to watch the Womens World Cup soccer final last week between Japan and USA when read on newspaper that is showing on StarHud channel 210. Alas, when I turned on my StarHub at the time, found channel is missing unless pay extra! Same thing happened for last week’s British Open golf championships. When I visited my parents in Johor Bahru, the cable TV in Malaysia (Astro) showed Wimbledom every single day of the tournemt and many matches lilive telecast- at no additional subscription charges. Is the general public in Singapore (especially the less affluent) expected to subscribe to BOTH StarHub and MioTv and order to be able to watch proper sports? During the World Cup soccer last year, Astro have 5 dedicated channels on 24 hours showing live matches, replays, and highlights. In Singapore, number of channels showing World Cup: Zero channels. How is sporting interest and sporting talent going to be sparked in our kids in Singapore when they don’t get to see any sports ?!