Singapore Celebrates Team Singapore's Best Ever Medal Haul At The 15th Asian Games

Singapore Celebrates Team Singapore's Best Ever Medal Haul At The 15th Asian Games

The sports community celebrated Team Singapore's best-ever showing yet at the 15th Asian Games with the Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme (MAP) Presentation and Team Singapore Appreciation Dinner at VivoCity this evening.

Guests including athletes, coaches, officials and sponsors came together in celebration of Team Singapore's record medal haul of eight golds, seven silvers and 12 bronzes at the Asian Games since 1951.

A total of $4,750,000 in cash awards was handed out to 50 medallists from nine sports in recognition of their achievement at the Games.

The awards were presented by Guest-of-Honour Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence and President of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) with Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports leading the cheers in celebration of Team Singapore's strong performance at the Games.

Said Minister Teo, "We commend all our medallists. They have done the nation proud. All our athletes have done well and flew the Singapore flag high in Doha. They have epitomised the true spirit of Team Singapore - fighting spirit, teamwork and national pride."

"The record number of gold medals and overall medals at the 15th Asian Games in Doha shows that we have made significant strides in athlete development at the Asian level and have the potential to succeed at the international stage. We have the talent and the holistic approach for sports excellence," he added.

Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Mr Teo said, "The success at the Games is testimony to our focused and integrated Team Singapore effort - from athletes, coaches, sports medicine and sports science specialists, technical officials, team managers, and of course the strong supporters in Doha and back home. This is an exceptional achievement!"

"We will now focus our attention on the SEA Games in December. I am confident that Team Singapore will grow stronger and better at the upcoming SEA Games and other Major Games ahead," he added.

Mr Tan Soo Nan, Chief Executive Officer for Singapore Totalisator Board & Singapore Pools (Private) Limited, "We congratulate the achievements of our athletes at the Asian Games. Singapore Pools has been a partner in Sports for over 38 years and we are proud to be able to reward the accomplishments of our talented sportsmen."

Commenting on Tiger Beer's sponsorship of the SNOC Joint Tiger Beer and Singapore Totalisator Board and Singapore Pools Award for Asian Games Gold Medallists, Alan Gourdie, General Manager of Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore, said, "We are pleased to be the sponsor for this Award and contribute to this meaningful effort to recognise and reward our athletes for their outstanding performance at Doha. Team Singapore has done extremely well in the international sporting arena and we are proud to join them in celebrating their record medal win as our homegrown Tiger Beer turns 75 this year. We will continue to work closely with the SNOC to encourage Team Singapore to achieve greater success and develop Singapore into a world-class sporting nation."

MAP serves as an incentive scheme to reward medal winners in the Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth and SEA Games. Awards are sponsored by the Singapore Totalisator Board & Singapore Pools (Private) Limited and Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd and its flagship brew Tiger Beer.

Guests also toured the photography exhibition, 'The Moment' presented by Team Singapore and Nikon Singapore Pte Ltd. The exhibition, held from 30 January 2007, to 1 February 2007 features the inspirational moments captured during the 15th Asian Games in Doha.

For more information on Team Singapore athletes' performance at the 15th Asian Games, please refer to www.teamsingapore.sg.

Enclosures
Annex 1: Programme
Annex 2: Speech by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence & President of SNOC
Annex 3: List of MAP Award Recipients
Annex 4: Factsheet on Singapore Pools (Private) Limited
Annex 5: Factsheet on Tiger Beer
Annex 6: Factsheet on Photography Exhibition - 'The Moment'