Commentary: Is modifying National Service for Olympians good or bad? It’s too early to say
Singapore is still finding its footing in becoming a true sporting nation - but it’s encouraging to see support from both the government and society at large, writes former national athlete and NMP Nicholas Fang.
Soldiers on a route march in Singapore. (Photo: Facebook/Basic Military Training Centre)
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SINGAPORE: Should the National Service (NS) programme be modified for athletes who have performed well at the Olympics or shown potential to do so?
I was heartened to hear Member of Parliament Poh Li San on Oct 16 raising the possibility in parliament as a way to better support Singapore’s talented sportsmen in their quest to achieve sporting excellence while also fulfilling their NS commitments and contributing to national defence.
More debate and discussion around such issues is a critical part of building a stronger and more robust sporting culture in the country, and hopefully becoming a true sporting nation in the future.
IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE
The key suggestion from Ms Poh was that in a modified programme, athletes who have already delivered good results at the Olympics, or who have demonstrated potential to perform at the highest stage of global sport, would be able to serve basic military training (typically three months), attend some specialist training, and then be seconded to SportSG where they would serve out their remaining NS commitments by focusing on training and competing in their sport.
Whenever their sporting journey concludes, they would then slot back into their NS training for the remainder of their commitment.
This would allow athletes in their physical prime to avoid missing out on opportunities to compete with the world’s best.
The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will come around faster than we realise and SportSG and the national sports associations must start to work closely with athletes, coaches and parents, said MP Poh Li San. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 16), she called for action on two fronts. Firstly, invest in world-class coaches with a track record of developing Olympians. Secondly, have a modified National Service (NS) programme for athletes who have competed at the Olympics and have the potential to excel at the next Games. It could include Basic Military Training, followed by a short specialist course. After that, the athlete can be seconded to SportSG to complete the remaining NS term. During this period, the athlete must focus on full-time training and competition in preparation for the next Olympics. Ms Poh stressed the need to give top athletes the maximum resources and “clear the roadblocks” for them so that they can go all out to compete on the global sporting arenas. “If our system does not provide maximum support to our top athletes, then we should not expect anything more from sports other than healthy living,” she said.
The objective is commendable, and is in fact something that policymakers in Singapore, including the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), have been trying to address through various efforts.
These include allowing more flexibility for full-time servicemen to take leave for training and competitions should they represent Singapore at major events, postponements or early enlistment into NS that may align better with athletes’ plans, and of course long-term deferments which have been granted to Olympians such as swimmers Joseph Schooling and Quah Zheng Wen, and most recently kitefoiler Max Maeder.
It's worth pointing out that the deferment for Maeder was offered even before he won his bronze medal at the Paris Olympics this August, and is in place until the 2028 Olympics regardless of how he did in the French capital.
These measures, along with others deployed by MINDEF in consultation with other ministries, have been welcomed by the sporting fraternity. Yet, the authorities have made no secret of where the priority must lie should it come down to a choice between national defence and sporting pursuits.
DEFENCE AND SECURITY COME FIRST
As a small, sovereign nation state, Singapore has never been under any illusion that its defence can depend on anyone but itself. This has driven military and defence policy since independence, and NS remains a critical pillar of the country’s defence strategy.
A key tenet of NS policy is that it must be universal and fair, and that it should be applied equally and equitably to all who are eligible to serve.
Beyond ensuring that NS is viewed as positively as possible by society as a whole and preventing unhappiness from forming over perceptions of unfair treatment, the universality principle of NS is also rooted in operational requirements.
While the Singapore Armed Forces is, like many militaries around the world, seeking to modernise by leveraging on new technologies that reduce reliance on manpower, the truth of the matter is that Singapore’s small population means that every serviceman matters. This challenge is further compounded by the country’s dwindling birth rates.
Recent geopolitical developments in Europe and the Middle East are stark reminders that no country can afford to take peace, safety, security and stability for granted. Many countries in Europe are now taking steps to reinstitute or extend military conscription amid fears of the Russia-Ukraine war spreading.
DRAWING THE LINE
Against this backdrop, it’s not hard to see how any special treatment for a specific group of individuals - or even the perception of special treatment - could open a can of worms that would not be easy to address.
Beyond general unhappiness over some receiving preferential treatment, there will likely be questions on why these privileges are not extended to those who excel in other fields such as arts, music, and academics. All these could weaken support for NS.
At the same time, a modified NS experience might also potentially lead to a lose-lose situation, with sub-optimal outcomes for the individual both as an athlete and as a soldier.
Much of Singapore’s military training is at the unit level, with regular assessments of a unit’s performance contingent on how the various personnel function together.
For an athlete serving NS to undergo some military training before leaving to continue his sporting pursuits and then dropping back into soldiering could dampen his ability to build strong proficiency in military skills and know-how. Something may also be lost in terms of esprit de corps – bonds that come from shared struggle and sacrifice formed during training with fellow unit members.
From a sporting perspective, undergoing basic military training and then specialist courses could potentially come at a time when disruption from sports training is not optimal for growth and development in a specific sport.
In such instances, a long-term deferment such as those granted to Schooling previously and Maeder currently would make a lot more sense.
TIME WILL TELL
These criticisms aside, it is probably too early to decide which approach would definitely work (or not).
Singapore remains in the early stages of its journey to becoming a true sporting nation - but there are encouraging signs that both the government and society at large are keen to see that journey progress.
These include the decision to build up facilities and capabilities at the Sports Hub to better support Team Singapore athletes, and new schemes to offer undergraduate scholarships to athletes, and boost Central Provident Fund contributions to those already being supported by the spexScholarship programme.
Perhaps only by walking the path will we find the processes and systems that work best for our own unique situation and environment.
For now, one thing is for sure: Having more discussions in parliament and on other national platforms about how we can better support athletes can only be a positive for Singapore sports and sportsmen.
Nicholas Fang is a former Nominated Member of Parliament and represented Singapore in fencing and triathlon. He helmed the national sports federations for fencing and modern pentathlon and was Team Singapore’s chef de mission at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. He continues to serve in the Singapore Armed Forces as an NSman.
