Sports Plan For All By All

“Sports Plan For All, By All”

Singapore, 18 July 2011 - Under a new initiative called ‘Vision 2030’, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will work with the Public-Private-People sectors to jointly develop proposals on how sport can best serve Singapore’s future needs.

1. Sports will be used as a strategy for individual development, community bonding and nation building in the next two decades. Vision 2030 will incorporate considerations of Singapore’s future challenges, including an ageing population; the pressure of living in an increasingly urban environment; higher expectations from individuals regarding the quality of life and a shrinking workforce with rising demands regarding job satisfaction.

2. Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth & Sports, said, “Sports can be used as a strategy for individual character development to prepare our people for a more complex and competitive environment. It can be a way for busy people to find balance; for the silver generation to age actively; for youth to be engaged and learn life skills. On the community front, sports can be a powerful tool to bond communities across genders, races and religions. Sports can also be used to build national pride, unite and ignite our people as we move forward as one.”

3. A Vision 2030 Steering Committee, consisting of a cross section of society, has been formed to lead the discussion, consider proposals and recommend policy development based on the ideas and feedback generated by the sporting community and the public at large (Refer to Annex A for the list of Steering Committee members).

4. Recommended strategies in seven broad areas will be formulated by the committee: (Refer to Annex B for details)
   i. Generation Z
   ii. Balance to the Rhythm of an Urban Lifestyle
   iii. Silver Generation
   iv. Spirit of Singapore
   v. Future Ready
   vi. Futurescape
   vii. Organising for Success

5. A website (Vision2030.sg) has been created for the public to share their ideas and feedback. It will go live on Tuesday, 19 July 2011, 12 noon.

6. Said Mr Chan, “We want the public to participate actively in co-creating Vision 2030 because we believe everyone has a stake in it. This brings us to the next lap for sports - by everyone, for everyone, and with everyone. The process is just as important as the final product (sports plan), and we intend to continue this journey with all stakeholders even after the plan has been developed.”

7. “As the national agency overseeing sports development in Singapore, we are very excited with what will come out of the Vision 2030 exercise. With this new approach towards sports planning, we hope the true value of sports can be felt in all quarters of society and not just amongst sports enthusiasts,” said Singapore Sports Council Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin.

8. The sports masterplan is expected to be ready in early 2012.

Quotes from V2030 Steering Committee Members

“I am happy to be part of the steering committee looking at exploring the full potential of sport for the community. I feel that sport should take root from the ground up. Sports participation rising from community level will help people see and feel the real benefits of sport. And, sports initiatives need not take a top-down approach. I have seen peer-led programmes have greater success. When a group of friends gets together to organise a sporting activity, the level of acceptance and engagement is far more reaching.”

Mr Andre Ahchak
Senior Director at VOX Group Pte Ltd

“Sport is not about chasing medals or glory. We should move away from this ideology of sport being a means to an end. Everyone, especially children, should be able to play sports. Not just one sport, but more sports. They should enjoy sports, and not feel pressured by it. This is a very important mindset change that will lead people to realise the true value of sport. The committee has convened at the right time and we want the public at large to share their ideas with us and be part of the change. At NVPC, we would also like to see a lot more sports volunteers and donors, as sports can truly engage the entire Singapore community.”

Mr Laurence Lien
CEO, National Volunter and Philanthropy Centre

“Whether you play sports with your friends on weekends or play at major competitions, the underlying reason why everyone engages in sports is because it is fun. The uniqueness of sports is that while it is fun, it teaches very important life-skills such as time management, critical thinking, creativity and teamwork, just to name a few. Sports really prepares us for the future. Sports also unites families, friends, communities and the nation as it transcends beyond barriers, like social status and, mental and physical abilities. That’s the beauty of sports. The committee, with the views from the public, will see how we can harness the values of sport and appreciate them.”

Mrs Jessie Phua
Council Member, Singapore National Olympic Council

Annex A: Vision 2030 Steering Committee Members