Sports Safety Committee Unveils Its Detailed Report

21 SEP 2007

Sports Safety Committee Unveils Its Detailed Report

The Sports Safety Committee announced its detailed findings and recommendations on enhancing and promoting sports safety in Singapore at a press conference today. Chaired by Dr Benedict Tan, Head of Changi General Hospital’s Sports Medicine Division, the 12-member Sports Safety Committee had been tasked to review current practices, and make specific recommendations to promote and enhance sports safety in Singapore. (Please see Annex A for the Committee’s full list of members).

Dr Benedict Tan said, “The Committee has put forth a comprehensive report on sports safety standards and systems to be in line with international best practices. We have reviewed the major aspects of sports safety, ranging from pre-participation screening to medical support plans. Now that the Committee has completed its work, we are looking forward to the government working with the people and private sectors to put into practice what the Committee has proposed.”

The Sports Safety Committee’s review has covered five key areas:

  1. Pre-participation screening
  2. Public education
  3. Safe sports facilities
  4. Medical coverage for sports events
  5. Surveillance, evaluation & follow up (Please see Annex B for details on the recommendations.)

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS) added, “Singapore is on track to becoming a world-class sports hub. More events, both local and international, are seeing higher participation than ever before. It is important that the sports safety guidelines are in place for NSAs, sports events organizers, schools and other organizations to ensure that everyone plays safely and sport is beneficial to health.”

Mr Oon Jin Teik, CEO, Singapore Sports Council said, “SSC is fully committed to raise the level of sports safety awareness in Singapore. The Sports Safety Committee’s work will help us develop comprehensive and cost-effective plans. Some of the Committee’s key recommendations such as promoting basic sports safety awareness to the public and making available self-administered questionnaires can be implemented in the short term. Other recommendations such as the proposed central repository for data collection and analysis would need further study and crystallization. But please be best assured that SSC takes safety very seriously.”

SSC will be launching a month-long online public consultation on 26 September 2007 to seek additional inputs and ideas from the wider sports community and members of the public on the Committee’s findings and recommendations. The public can give their views by accessing SSC’s corporate website www.ssc.gov.sg. Thereafter, SSC will review the comments received and assess the feasibility of the Committee’s recommendations before developing an implementation plan by the end of the year.

Related Links and Downloads
Download Sports Safety Committee Report

For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr Quah Soon Aun
Manager, Group Communications
DID: 6340 9663
HP: 9762 7601
Email: quah_soon_aun@ssc.gov.sg

Gayle Wong
Assistant Director
Group Communications, Singapore Sports Council
DID: 6340 9820
HP: 9753 3273
E-mail: gayle_wong@ssc.gov.sg

Sports Safety Committee
Formed in July 2007, the sports safety committee was appointed by MCYS and SSC to review sports safety practices in Singapore and make recommendations to minimise the incidence and consequences of catastrophic injuries, and sudden unexpected death during sports participation, be it during training or competition.

About Singapore Sports Council
The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) was formed on 1 October 1973 as a statutory board of the Government of Singapore, established by an Act of Parliament under the SSC Act of 1973. It comes under the umbrella of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. The SSC operates various sports facilities located all over Singapore, and its main function is to promote sports participation to all Singaporeans.

Please visit the SSC website at www.ssc.gov.sg for more information on SSC.