Foreign athletes welcomed if they raise standard of Singapore sports
By Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 23 November 2009 2219 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Singapore will continue to embrace talented foreign athletes who want to represent the country, as long as they raise the standard of sports here, according to Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.

Nominated Member of Parliament Joscelin Yeo on Monday questioned if there was a need to set a minimum ratio of local athletes versus athletes who graduate under the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) Scheme to ensure Singapore-born hopefuls have the opportunity to realise their full potential.

In a written response, Dr Balakrishnan said: "We (the ministry) would only recommend an FST for approval if our assessment is that the FST will help raise the overall standard of play in Singapore, thus benefiting the entire sports ecosystem.

"We also ensure that the respective national sports associations formulate a systematic programme to enhance opportunities for local-born athletes to fulfil their potential.

"The elevation of standards and availability of sparring partners will certainly benefit our local-born athletes who are groomed for international competitions at the highest levels."

Dr Balakrishnan revealed that FSTs currently make up 4.6 per cent of the total number of athletes among the development and national squads of the seven key sports in the country.

Bowling and sailing do not have FSTs in any of their squads, but badminton and table tennis have the most number of FSTs in their teams.

There are currently 19 FSTs out of 97 badminton players, and 11 FSTs out of 85 table tennis players.

Dr Balakrishnan also laid down the three principles that guide the FST policy: openness to global talent, fairness in treatment of FSTs and local-born athletes, and ensuring the integration of the foreign-born athletes into society.

He said: "Each FST application is processed individually by my ministry and the Singapore Sports Council, and Ministry of Home Affairs' final approval is required for athletes to gain Permanent Residency and subsequent Singapore citizenship."

While Dr Balakrishnan said there was no need to set a ratio on the number of FSTs in each sport, he revealed that the Singapore Youth Sports Development Committee is working on growing the pool of young local athletes by spotting young talent early and nurturing them, and giving them greater exposure to competition.

30-year-old Yeo, a four-time Olympian and former star swimmer who plundered 40 gold medals in eight Southeast Asian Games also asked the minister whether elite athletes would be considered for deferment from National Service to ensure minimal disruption to their training programme.

Dr Balakrishnan reassured Yeo that both his ministry and the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) were well aware how NS enlistment could impact an athlete's performance.

"Under the Singapore Sports Council Sports Excellence Talented Elite Athletes Management (spexTEAM) carding system, NS athletes who are graded B2 and above and have strong medal potential may be placed under the SAF Sportsmen Scheme (SSS).

"Athletes under the SSS are eligible for time off and full-pay unrecorded leave during their full-time NS. This arrangement allows our top athletes to train and participate in major competitions... without having to defer from their NS obligations."

The minister added that Mindef would consider a sportsman's request for deferment to train for major competitions on a case-by-case basis.

- CNA/yb