| 1. |
We are about to embark on our 14th Asian Games,
to be held in Busan, the Republic of Korea from the 29 September
to 14th October. |
| 2. |
Singapore first participated in the Asian Games in 1951. In
this 1st Asian Games in New Delhi we were represented in only
three sports, track and field, swimming and waterpolo. The contingent
was our smallest ever, made up of 8 athletes each in track and
field and waterpolo, and one in swimming. Inspite of our small
contingent we won 5 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals. Neo
Chwee Kok was our hero then with four gold medals, from the
400m Freestyle, 800m Freestyle, 1500m Freestyle and the 4x100m
Freestyle Relay, a feat yet unsurpassed by any Singaporean athlete
in the Asian Games. The other gold medal was won by Ng Liang
Chiang in the 110m Hurdles. |
| 3. |
Over the years the competition has become more difficult,
and medals, especially gold medals, harder to win. Since 1951
we have never won more than 2 gold medals at each Asian Games.
We have won the odd one gold medal at most of the Games, winning
2 gold medals only in 1978 and the last Asian Games in Bangkok
in 1998. It is worth recalling the gold medal winners here.
They are, the waterpolo team (Manila 1954), weightlifter Tan
Howe Liang (Tokyo 1958), shooter Frederick de Souza (Jakarta
1962), track athlete Chee Swee Lee (Tehran 1974), swimmer Junie
Sng (Bangkok 1978), swimmer Ang Peng Siong (New Delhi 1982),
yachter Benedict Tan (Hiroshima 1994), and yachters Siew Shaw
Her and Colin Ng, and Joan Huang and Naomi Tan (Bangkok 1998). |
| 4. |
Our contingent to Busan is made up of 92 athletes and 48 officials
in 13 sports. This is smaller than the contingents we sent to
the last three Games but still much larger than our contingent
of 22 to the first Games in 1951. You will probably ask me for
my gold medal expectations for the Busan Asian Games. We should
be happy with one or two gold medals, anything more is a bonus.
At the end of it all how well we do in Busan will not be measured
by gold medals or medal tally alone, but how the contingent
as a whole faired. Take the Manchester Commonwealth Games for
example, of the 26 athletes who participated, 25 either made
the final, bettered their season best times, personal best times,
broke National records or won medals. This has been our best
showing from a contingent so far and I will be very happy if
our contingent to Busan can perform a similar feat. |
| 5. |
In today's ceremony we have invited young athletes from the
NSA Centres-of-Excellence. We hope with your participation in
the torch relay, or even as a spectator here in this solemn
flag presentation ceremony you will be inspired to work harder.
Winners are all motivated to give more than is required, your
philosophy therefore should be, 'Do what you're required to
do, and then do a little more'. Amongst you here are past and
present athletes who have been winners, seek them out and learn
from them-those who have succeeded before you. Your dream should
be to be a winner like them. |
| 6. |
On this note it leaves me to wish Dr Tan Eng Liang, the Chef-de-Mission,
and each of the athletes in our contingent success at the 14th
Busan Asian Games. I look forward to joining you at the Games
and cheering you on. |
