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Sports Excellence
| A Winning Strategy |
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Sports Excellence is a leading indicator of Singapore's ever-strengthening commitment to developing a sporting culture. Hand in hand with the progress made in Sports Participation, Sports Excellence has advanced on several fronts, making huge strides in sports science, coaching, sports management and the development of winning strategies for athletes. All have been active contributors to Singapore's rising success in sports.
In 2006, Singapore qualified more athletes in more events and won more medals than ever before in regional and international arenas These achievements are a direct result of the integrated work done by the SSC, the National Sports Associations, the coaches and the athletes in systems, programmes and targeted financial support.
In today's age of high technology and commercial sponsorship, modern sports heroes are not so much born but bred. Even with an organisational machine of financial and logistical support, achieving sports excellence does not take place overnight.
However, a small country like Singapore has proven that we can achieve excellence if we remain true to our plans and convictions. Indeed, only five years ago, the Committee on Sporting Singapore produced the original blueprint that has since brought Singapore to the forefront of modern sports development in Asia.
Our strategy for Excellence has several fundamental components that must work together:
- Identify & invest in specific sports with medal potential; our resources are not limitless so we must maximise our investments by supporting our best hopes for medals
- Adopt systematic long-term development plan for athletes; we must provide systemic support for our athletes that extends through their competitive careers and beyond; it is our shared responsibility to groom athletes for success in life after sports
- Upgrade & expand the stock and capabilities of our coaches; we must provide our athletes with the best coaches available if they are to compete successfully in the world arenas
- Expand our use of sports science & medicine to maximise performance; we can improve our competitive edge by making use of the latest techniques and knowledge in training and athlete management.
- Increase the opportunities for our athletes to compete in international events overseas and in Singapore by hosting more world-class events locally; our athletes need exposure to stronger competitors if they are to improve beyond current levels
- Nurture national pride for athletes & coaches; we must formally recognise the effort and hard work put in by our athletes and coaches if we are to draw new generations into competitive sports
Separately each component can make a significant contribution to achieving success in Sports Excellence. However, when they work together in an ecological, integrated approach, they produce something that is far greater than the sum of their parts.
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