there are constant reports of singapore being short of sporting talent to compete at olympics level and about how singaporeans are overly obsessed with academic and career achievements that they do not see sports as a career. on both counts, i beg to differ. firstly, singaporeans are not overly obsessed with academic and career achievements! yep, you saw that right. singaporeans are not overly obsessed with academic and career achievements! (repeated in bold just so that you would stop rubbing your eyes and rereading the previous line!) in fact, all singaporeans are guilty of, is being too obedient.
people tell us don't litter (or they will hit you with a fine of $1000, present you a nice shiny yellow bib on your first day of (corrective) work and if they are in the mood, even throw in a short jail term as a bonus), we don't litter. just like that, no questions asked. people say they help you manage your cannot profit finances (or you may end up with nothing left for your retirement or in a worst case scenario die without a coffin and either way you don't really have a choice!), we let them manage our cannot profit finances. just like that, we don't even ask what are the interest rates like or "can grow or not?"! which part of cannot profit finances don't you understand? still grow simi! go get an education! and so we go get an education which leads to a higher education which leads to a job which leads to a career which leads to retirement which leads to us finally being able to access our cannot profit finances (profits sold separately). sports? well, teacher always say "don't play so much. wait ball hit your head become stupid!".
on the other hand, our lack of "talented" sportspeople may just be down to lousy scouting. maybe they are just not looking in the right places! the common saying is that we need to develop our sportsmen and women from young. but then, aren't most singaporean kids these days sent for piano, ballet and poetry classes from young? and look how many world renown pianists, ballerinas or poets we have? the closest i can think of is vanessa mae, the famous violin player but even she is "imported"!
so i determine that it is all a matter of psychology and context. it does not matter where you are born or how young or old you pick up a sport. all you need is a certain trigger and a new sporting sensation is born. in simple terms, it's all about mindset and what tempts the mind most. based on that, you set the perfect environment.
need a national sprinter to break the world record faster than marion jones can gulp down her steroids? don't go looking in schools or stadiums or sports clubs! just take a walk to the bus stop during peak hours! there, you will see all of singapore's sprinting talents in their full glory! no matter how impossibly faraway they seem from the bus, next thing you know they are on it! like i said, all it needs is a certain trigger, in this case, the bus. the singapore sports council should collaborate with sbs for this sprint project. singapore will be so spoilt for choice we may have to send in three sprint teams to compete - singapore, temasek and raffles city!
how about hurdles? smrt will solve that one for you! how many times do we see people leaping up stairs 2 or 3 at a time, get on the platform and leap into the trains just before the doors close?
or darts? well, our singapore team can do without hands and still thrash the opponents hands down (pardon the pun). just gather a group of uncles, put the darts in their mouths and watch them spit it out! what about china you ask (that country of renown spitters)? well, they are nowhere near our uncles! singaporean uncles aim before they spit (if not kenna caught by police!), china people anyhow spit!
there are many other scouting grounds unexplored by the singapore sports council and so many untapped talents roaming the streets waiting to be picked up (if they don't get on the bus before you get to them!). who says singapore has no talent? i get uncle to spit at you ar!
people tell us don't litter (or they will hit you with a fine of $1000, present you a nice shiny yellow bib on your first day of (corrective) work and if they are in the mood, even throw in a short jail term as a bonus), we don't litter. just like that, no questions asked. people say they help you manage your cannot profit finances (or you may end up with nothing left for your retirement or in a worst case scenario die without a coffin and either way you don't really have a choice!), we let them manage our cannot profit finances. just like that, we don't even ask what are the interest rates like or "can grow or not?"! which part of cannot profit finances don't you understand? still grow simi! go get an education! and so we go get an education which leads to a higher education which leads to a job which leads to a career which leads to retirement which leads to us finally being able to access our cannot profit finances (profits sold separately). sports? well, teacher always say "don't play so much. wait ball hit your head become stupid!".
on the other hand, our lack of "talented" sportspeople may just be down to lousy scouting. maybe they are just not looking in the right places! the common saying is that we need to develop our sportsmen and women from young. but then, aren't most singaporean kids these days sent for piano, ballet and poetry classes from young? and look how many world renown pianists, ballerinas or poets we have? the closest i can think of is vanessa mae, the famous violin player but even she is "imported"!
so i determine that it is all a matter of psychology and context. it does not matter where you are born or how young or old you pick up a sport. all you need is a certain trigger and a new sporting sensation is born. in simple terms, it's all about mindset and what tempts the mind most. based on that, you set the perfect environment.
need a national sprinter to break the world record faster than marion jones can gulp down her steroids? don't go looking in schools or stadiums or sports clubs! just take a walk to the bus stop during peak hours! there, you will see all of singapore's sprinting talents in their full glory! no matter how impossibly faraway they seem from the bus, next thing you know they are on it! like i said, all it needs is a certain trigger, in this case, the bus. the singapore sports council should collaborate with sbs for this sprint project. singapore will be so spoilt for choice we may have to send in three sprint teams to compete - singapore, temasek and raffles city!
how about hurdles? smrt will solve that one for you! how many times do we see people leaping up stairs 2 or 3 at a time, get on the platform and leap into the trains just before the doors close?
or darts? well, our singapore team can do without hands and still thrash the opponents hands down (pardon the pun). just gather a group of uncles, put the darts in their mouths and watch them spit it out! what about china you ask (that country of renown spitters)? well, they are nowhere near our uncles! singaporean uncles aim before they spit (if not kenna caught by police!), china people anyhow spit!
there are many other scouting grounds unexplored by the singapore sports council and so many untapped talents roaming the streets waiting to be picked up (if they don't get on the bus before you get to them!). who says singapore has no talent? i get uncle to spit at you ar!