Story by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck and Clara Yuan/Red Sports

Team Singapore athletes reception Istana

President Tony Tan hosted a reception for over 300 athletes and presidents of the various National Sports Associations alongside Minister for Manpower and SNOC President, Tan Chuan-Jin (left), and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong (right). (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Istana, Saturday, February 14, 2015 — President Tony Tan Keng Yam hosted a reception for more than 300 Team Singapore athletes to celebrate and honour their achievements in 2014.

The invited athletes were made up of the contingents for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, 2014 Incheon Asian Games and Asian Para Games. The reception also served to encourage athletes for the upcoming 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the 8th ASEAN Para Games, which will be held at home.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong, and Minister for Manpower and Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) President, Tan Chuan-Jin, were also in attendance, alongside the athletes of the 36 National Sports Associations who will be involved in the upcoming SEA Games.

“Our athletes don our national colours and compete on our behalf at all the major Games. They put in a lot of effort and have done very well over the past year, making this an important occasion to recognize their efforts,” said Toh Boon Yi, Chief of Strategic Development and Marketing Group at Sport Singapore.

Toh added, “With the SEA Games coming over the next few months, it will be very rare for the athletes to compete in front of a home crowd, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It strengthens the concept that everyone is part of Team Singapore, whether or not it’s the taxi uncle, the cleaning lady, the coaches, parents and friends. We may play different roles, but everyone is a part of Team Singapore and that is very important.”

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