Singapore Sports Awards Honour Great Athletes

Singapore Sports Awards Honour Great Athletes

Singapore’s most prestigious sports recognition event, the Singapore Sports Awards, themed “Soar with our Stars”, paid tribute to more than 80 Team Singapore athletes, coaches and individuals who have contributed significantly to Singapore’s exceptional sporting performances in 2006 at an awards ceremony held at Swissotel the Stamford.

Today, these athletes received the highest accolades in sports from the Singapore National Olympic Council for their excellent showing in last year’s Melbourne Commonwealth Games and Doha Asian Games.

Guest-of-Honour President S R Nathan and Mrs. Nathan were among the distinguished guests who attended the gala event which saw approximately 500 Team Singapore athletes and guests gathering to celebrate a year of sporting accomplishments.

“2006 was an excellent year for Singapore. In fact, it was a year in which we proved we are capable of greatness in sports. At the two major games of the year, the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the Doha Asian Games we set new national records and we won more medals than we ever have in our history,” said Minister Teo who recounted the medal hauls achieved by the Team Singapore contingent including eight golds and 27 medals overall at the Doha Asian Games, five golds and 18 medals in all at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games last year. Minister Teo also highlighted the outstanding achievements of Team Singapore athletes, especially Table Tennis Women’s Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles teams, Tao Li, Remy Ong, Colin Cheng and Sim Shi Jie, amongst many others.

The message was further driven home by Mrs. Jessie Phua, Chairman of the Singapore Sports Awards Organising Committee, “They are indeed our nation’s Stars for these flag-bearers of our country reached out for the sky when called upon to fight for glory for Singapore. They showcased the passion, tenacity and spirit of Singapore: that we are intimated by past records, that size does not matter, that we are not hedged in by the shorelines of our little red dot, and, most importantly, that we can and do deliver. And deliver, they most certainly did. Magnificently.”

Together with the Guest-of-Honour, Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan presented awards to Team Singapore athletes from 12 sports disciplines at the Award ceremony. The 12 sports disciplines include Bowling, Swimming, Shooting, Table Tennis, Sailing, Bodybuilding, Golf, Wushu, Badminton, Athletics, Gymnastics and Karate.

Special mention was also given to three bowling coaches – Mervyn Foo, Henry Tan and William Woo for “Excellence in Team Coaching in 2006” and the national team from the Singapore Sailing Federation for “Extraordinary Team Performance at the 2006 Doha Asian Games”.

Minister Teo and Minister Balakrishnan also presented the 2007 IOC “Sport and Promotion of Olympism” Trophy to one of Singapore’s Sporting Legend Mr. C Kunalan.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) aims to reward individuals who have promoted Olympism and its values, particularly those of “excellence, respect and friendship” at a national or international level.

The Singapore Sports Awards 2007 has rounded up a fantastic 2006 for sports in Singapore, and signalled the beginning of another journey for Team Singapore towards this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and the next pinnacle: Beijing Olympics 2008.