Sport Science & Medicine Experts Gather, Reinforce Commitment Towards Next Bound of Sport Excellence

• First time the Singapore Sport & Performance Conference and Sport and Exercise Medicine Conference are jointly held to create new synergies in the sport science and sport medicine field.

• The conference theme “Harnessing Potential and the Pursuit of Excellence” shines a spotlight on the importance of a holistic ecosystem in nurturing athletes.

Singapore, 6 November 2024 – The Singapore Sport & Performance (SSP) Conference returns for its second edition on a larger scale this year as it joins forces with the SingHealth Duke-NUS Sport and Exercise Medicine (SSEM) Conference. Happening from 6 to 8 November 2024 at the Singapore Sports Hub, this is the first time the SSP X SSEM Conference is jointly held, bringing together coaches, sport scientists, sport doctors and administrators, to create new synergies and contribute to more robust outcomes in the sport science and sport medicine field.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Harnessing Potential and the Pursuit of Excellence”, where it will explore the best practices from youth to elite sports, and how the ‘team behind the team’ comes together to provide holistic support for the athletes. The opening ceremony of the event was graced by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law.

Organised by the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI), National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI), and SingHealth Duke-NUS, the SSP X SSEM Conference features reputable speakers from across the world including Singapore, who will address topics such as managing injuries while delivering performance, the role of people in creating high performance environments, and integrated support systems to enhance performance and potential.

Dr Su Chun Wei, Chief of SSI, Sport Singapore (SportSG), and Director of NYSI, said, "It takes a village to raise an athlete. Sporting success is only possible when we integrate components of the high performance sport system to deliver targeted and coordinated support for the athlete effectively and efficiently. Through this conference, I hope that participants can enhance their understanding of this interconnected ecosystem and foster stronger cross-sector collaborations to uplift our athletes.”

Dr Benedict Tan, Head of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Sport & Exercise Medicine Centre, said, "Sport medicine and sport science are highly intertwined. Sport medicine stands apart from other medical specialties largely due to application of sport sciences in everyday clinical practice. For example, doctors can accelerate return to sport if they incorporate principles in exercise physiology in rehabilitation. Similarly, coaches will add much value to their athletes if they incorporate injury prevention and management principles during training. This is why it makes so much sense to integrate the SingHealth Duke-NUS Sport & Exercise Medicine Conference, and the Singapore Sport & Performance Conference into one holistic meeting, to reflect the day-to-day work of sport doctors, sport scientists, and coaches more accurately."

Enhancing athlete performance and resilience under challenging climate conditions

Apart from the keynote presentations and panel discussions during the three-day conference, the SportSG and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Heat Resilience and Performance Centre will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the second day of the conference. This MOU signifies the commitment of all parties in developing a common framework to collaborate in the area(s) of enhancing athlete performance and resilience under challenging weather climate conditions, such as joint research projects in areas of mutual interest, in particular maximising human health and potential, and mitigating the impact of environmental health or climate change on sport and human performance and safety. Other focus areas include collaborative events and information exchange, development of education and training programmes, and shared use of equipment and facilities.

Inaugural Best Student Investigator Award

On the third day of the conference, we will celebrate young talent in sport science and medicine through the crowning of the inaugural ‘Best Student Investigator’. Organised by SSI for the first time, the Best Student Investigator Award seeks to highlight promising young researchers and nurture them, as well as encourage new ideas in sport science and sport medicine. This inaugural award was open to students in sport science, sport coaching and sport medicine at both local and overseas institutions. The students are required to be currently enrolled or have completed their studies within the past 18 months and have obtained ethics approval in their research.

Out of 13 submissions, five finalists have been shortlisted by a panel of industry experts based on the quality of their research and its potential to advance Singapore sports. The winner will be determined following their presentations at the conference, and will walk away with a cash prize of S$1,000. The first runner-up will receive a cash prize of S$500 and third to fifth placings will each receive S$200.

For more information on the SSP x SSEM Conference 2024, visit the event website or SSI Sport Science’s Instagram page.