Poh Li San on achievements of Team Singapore Olympians and Paralympians

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.