AYG: Singapore's sailing gets thumbs-up
By Tan Yo-Hinn, TODAY | Posted: 07 July 2009 0647 hrs

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SINGAPORE: SingaporeSailing president Low Teo Ping said on Monday the performance of the local sailors and the progress of the competition off East Coast Park at the Asian Youth Games was good enough to obtain a grade "close to an 'A'".

So pleased was he with the event he claimed the sailing team and overall facilities would be ready for the Youth Olympic Games, if it were held today.

The Republic's sailors bagged one gold, one silver and one bronze in four events and Low attributed the success to the association's youth development programme.

"This is a space we're comfortable with because of the way we have structured the whole broadbase development pipeline leading into the Olympic classes.

"We believe we can host the Youth Olympics tomorrow and participate in it, if we have to," he said.

Darren Choy and Najwa Jumali took home the boys' and girls' Byte CII gold and silver medals respectively at the Asian Youth Games, while Audrey Yong won a bronze in the girls' Bic Techno 293.

It is understood that as one of the 26 sports in the Youth Olympics, sailing will receive an initial grant of about $100,000 from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to help prepare their athletes for next year's Games, which Singapore will host from August 14-26.

But there will be no tailor-made programme for the likes of Darren, who will have to battle 14 other sailors for a spot in next year's team.

Said Andrew Sanders, SingaporeSailing's chief executive officer: "Our principle is we coach the many, and not the few. We never put all our eggs in one basket." - TODAY