Sports during Independence

An image of Singapore's Founding Father Lee Kuan Yew giving a speech at an old rally.

When Singapore attained independence in 1965, the Government called on the nation to build a rugged and robust society through sports participation. Sports was also seen as a way to bond people of different races.

To boost the promotion of sports, a Sports Division was created in the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1966, with Encik Othman Wok, the then Minister, in charge. In the same year, the first pile for the construction of the National Stadium was driven in. 

In 1969, The National Fitness Exercise (NFX) was introduced to encourage physical fitness among the whole population.

The promotion of sports was further enhanced with the establishment of the National Sports Promotion Board (NSPB) in 1971. Its responsibilities were “to promote, assist and organise international competitions in consultation with national sports associations and the Singapore National Olympic Council and to manage and maintain sports facilities and sports stadia”. In the same year, the National Stadium Corporation (NSC) was formed to operate and manage the National Stadium. 

All these initiatives set in motion the Government’s call to promote sports to the masses. The culmination of the efforts was consolidated with the amalgamation of the NSPB and the NSC to form the Singapore Sport Council (SSC).