Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Acting Minister for Community Development and
Sports
Distinguished Guests, Athletes Ladies and Gentlemen
| 1. |
On behalf of the Singapore National Olympic Council
I extend a warm welcome to all of you to this Multi-Million
Dollar Award and Appreciation Dinner for the Singapore Team
to the 14th Asian Games, 2002. |
| 2. |
The 14th Asian Games has ended on a high note with the Singapore
Team's haul of 5 gold, 2 silver and 10 bronze medals. In gold
medals we have equaled our previous best of 5 medals achieved
at the 1st Asian Games in New Delhi. In total medal tally the
17 medals won in Busan is the highest we have achieved so far
in the fifty-one years of Asian Games participation. |
| 3. |
Well done to all the medallists. You deserve mention here.
Bowling triple gold medalist Remy Ong, bodybuilding gold medalists
Abdul Halim and Simon Chua, the bowling gold Men's Trio Team,
silver medalists bodybuilders Mohd Ismail and Ibrahim Sihat,
bronze medalists taijiquan exponent Liew Yin Yin, table-tennis
player Li Jia Wei, swimmer Joscelin Yeo, optimist sailors Teo
Wee Chin and Sarah Tan, 470 men's pair Tan Wearn How and Chung
Pei Ming, 420 women's pair Joan Huang and Toh Liying, bodybuilder
Amir Zainal, the sepak takraw regu team, and the women's table-tennis
team. You have all contributed to this haul of 17 medals. |
| 4. |
There were others who came close but yet missed out on a medal.
They also deserve mention here for their effort. 8-Ball pool
player Tan Tiong Boon who lost in his singles semi-final, and
then in the play-off for third placing. Penelope Foo who despite
her impressive time in her qualifying race in the light weight
single scull, battled the winds bravely in the final to come
in fourth. Then there were sailors Stanley Tan and Stanley Chan
who also missed out on the medal, coming in fourth in their
respective classes after eleven races, and bodybuilder Mohd
Nazarudin who came in fourth in the Light Weight class. Although
you just missed out on a medal, being fourth best in Asia is
something you should be proud of. |
| 5. |
Then there were those who made it into the finals of their
events. Among them swimmers Gerald Koh, Gary Tan, Mark Chay,
Jacqueline Lim, Nicolette Teo, Christel Bouvron, Ng Cheng Xun,
bodybuilder Augustine Lee and single scull rower Elsie Lim.
I also wish to commend the water-polo team for putting up a
gallant fight against their bigger and stronger opponents. I
saw you do battle with the team from Kazakhstan and although
you were outsized and outclassed by them and lost, you showed
determination and tenacity. Even our young swimmers Chan U-Nice
and Rebecca Heng despite their inexperience achieved their personal
bests in Busan. At the send-off ceremony, I said that Singapore
expects gritty performances from you, and I am glad to see that
you have all displayed true grit and determination. |
| 6. |
To those who just missed out on a medal, to those who were
outlasted and outfought. I encourage you to work even harder.
Success and victory tastes even sweeter when you have made the
long struggle and come back from defeat. For those who have
come home with medals, your challenge is to keep your focus
and do even better. There is still 12 months to the SEA Games
and another 4 years to the next Asian Games, so go for it. |
| 7. |
As we pay tribute to the many people behind the success of
the athletes I wish to single out two special groups of people
tonight. Firstly the sponsors of the Multi-Million Dollar Award
Program for the Asian Games, Singapore Pools and Tiger Beer.
Thank you both for your generous cash awards in the Multi-milliion
Dollar Award Programme, a SNOC program to motivate our athletes
to come back with medals from the Games. |
| 8. |
The second group of people I wish to single out are the employers
of the athletes and officials. We have specially invited them
to this event and I know many of you are here tonight. I wish
to record our appreciation for your effort in granting valuable
time off not only for the athletes for their training but also
the volunteer officials of the NSAs. Unless the athlete trains
twice a day, six days a week it is difficult for them to compete
with the best, so we are appreciative of employers who make
this happen for the athlete. As for the officials of the NSAs
we know most of them are volunteers, and have to balance their
time between their work and volunteer duties, many a time taking
leave for sport assignments. I hope you will continue to give
them your support. |
| 9. |
As a closing remark let me just add that 2002 has been a very
successful year for sports, with our stirring performances at
the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. So tonight is really
a special night, as we celebrate not just our success in Busan
but a good year for the sports fraternity. Have an enjoyable
evening. |
Thank you.
