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VIENTIANE - There are 45 gold medals on offer in athletics at the SEA Games, the most among the 19 disciplines featured here.
Yesterday, 40-year-old James Wong continued a remarkable run when he bagged his eighth gold medal in the discus at the Games since 1993.
Today, barring tragedy, shot put star Zhang Guirong will collect Singapore's second win in track and field. That will almost certainly be the only golds the 15-strong squad will have to show here.
One day after Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), urged the Singapore Athletic Association (SAA) to buck up, the message was repeated again on the sidelines of the penultimate day of competition in track and field.
Speaking to the media after Wong collected his gold, Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for MCYS, said: "For any multi-sports event like the SEA Games, Olympic Games or Asian Games, there are two important sports - swimming and athletics. If you look at athletics ... when was the last time we got a track gold?
"The last one was from Jayamani in the 1980s. How much longer are we going to use veterans like James Wong?
"We are standing still while others like Vietnam and even Laos are pushing ahead. We need to review the entire coaching system, training programme and selection process of track and field."
Added Team Singapore chef-de-mission Jessie Phua: "There are over 40 events here, and how many did we field? You have shared many a heart-stopping moment with me at swimming, how do you feel here as a Singaporean? I'm sure you feel this emptiness in you as much as I do."
Indonesia are currently second on the medal table in track and field, after collecting six gold medals from four days of competition.
Thailand lead the standings with 10 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze medals. With just one gold medal currently, Singapore stand a dismal seventh out of nine countries, only ahead of Laos and Cambodia.
The SAA have had their funding for FY2009/2010 frozen by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) for late submission of their training and development plans.
It has not resumed as the national sports association have not submitted proper plans to the SSC for review.
According to Teo, SSC are looking into funding track and field athletes and their coaches directly while the SAA get back on track. The programme will mirror the Olympic Pathway Programme, which was set up in May to support athletes gunning for glory at the 2012 Games.
"With all these issues, we will look at funding athletes and coaches with good plans," Teo said. "The SAA have to get their house in order first. We want to make sure that while the funds are frozen, it shouldn't affect the athletes." - TODAY
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