Choo Zheng Xi / Editor-in-Chief
TOC Op-ed
It’s hard trying to explain the heady excitement I felt watching yesterday evening’s table tennis match. My friends and I were having our dinner at Jumbo Seafood and watching the live telecast of the match. Pieces of chili crab were flying as we cheered the Singapore team on, pumping our fists at every point scored, and thumping them at every one lost.I must admit I’m not a big sports fan, and I’m more knowledgeable about cabinet ministers’ idiosyncrasies than the rules of table tennis, but my friends and I were inspired enough to briefly contemplate picking it up recreationally.
Later in the evening over supper, patriotic fervor fading like a half-remembered dream, my friend turned to me and asked: “What do you think about this foreign talent thing ah? Quite cheapskate right?” The jingoistic pride we’d felt over chili crab had given way to a hardnosed discussion on our sports’ foreign talent policy.
If we rationalize our objections to importing foreign talent to win Olympic medals, the criticisms would be legion. The logical extreme of our Government’s foreign talent spotting policy is this: that with Singapore’s wealth, we could poach top talent from any country in any sport. This could seriously erode the value of a future Olympic medal.
What pride would Singaporeans feel if we won the next Olympic table tennis finals by buying over the entire victorious Chinese team? We could become overnight marathon champions by buying an African marathon team, bring in a gold-standard Chinese gymnastics team to keep our paddlers company, and if we’re willing to dip into our reserves, might even be able to afford Michael Phelps.
Experiential patriotism
A purely mercenary sports foreign talent policy running unchecked is frightening. It runs the risk of devaluing what I’ve identified as that most important pillar of patriotism, experiential patriotism.
Part of the reason we feel a sense of belonging to the country is pure coincidence: it’s where we were born, and grew up. We identify with it because its landmarks, food, people, language, are all blended seamlessly into what we associate in our consciousness with our country. Our experiences form a strong basis of attachment to our country, and this what we call patriotism.
By extension, we feel a sense of kinship with those who share these common mental markers.
This explains why we instinctively feel a surge of pride in Singapore’s first Olympian medalist, Tan Howe Liang. In the 1950s, Tan had no cash-awash Singapore Sports Association to finance his weightlifting hobby. He paid for his own training and expenses by working as a clerk at Cathay Organisation. After his Olympic win, there was no bounty for him to take. Tan tried unsuccessfully to start a restaurant business, before becoming a taxi driver for a period of time. He now lives in a three-room Housing Development Board (HDB) flat.
If there was ever a sporting legend whose tale mirrored the gritty reality of the Singaporean Everyman, Tan Howe Liang is it. His fairy tale is of the Brother’s Grimm, not the Walt Disney variety.
Contrast that with our new Singaporean Olympians, Feng Tian Wei, Li Jia Wei, and Wang Yue Gu. All three were brought into Singapore in their teens for a very specific purpose: to help Singapore win an Olympic medal. Feng Tian Wei was only brought into Singapore in 2007, and all three became naturalised citizens to assuage Singapore’s hunger for Olympic success.
The discomfort many Singaporeans feel over our female Olympic table tennis team’s success essentially boils down to this: the paddlers haven’t shared the pleasure and pain ordinary Singaporeans have growing up in Singapore. At the Olympic final, they had far more in common experientially with their opponents than they did with Singaporean fans.
Regardless of race, language or religion
Personally, I don’t really care that they were born mainland Chinese. What matters most to me is that they now wear our national colours. And while our paddlers did not share the formative experiences of many Singaporeans, I see much of the Singapore story in them.
If our nation looked itself in the mirror, we might realize that their experiences mirror the sense of nostalgia and social displacement our forefathers felt first arriving on our shores. Even the quintessentially-Singaporean Mr Tan was born in a village in Shantou, China.
Moving ahead, the debate over their roots reflects an increasingly-evolving Singapore Experience. New migrants are coming into Singapore at an increasingly fast rate, not just to play sport but to enter universities as friends, our workplaces as colleagues, and everywhere, yes, as competitors.
The rate of this influx is definitely something we need to regulate carefully. My personal sense is that we are importing talent at too fast a pace. However, I think the principle of the foreign talent policy is sound: if we can’t beat them, get them to join us, and when they become citizens, welcome them without qualification as one of our own.
While the word “Singapore” might conjure up different memories and connotations for Jia Wei and her team, at the end of the day they are taking the field wearing our national colours. While they may not have shared our experiences, the table tennis team shares a common hope and dream all Singaporeans do: to bring an Olympics medal back for our country.
While I feel some discomfort at the policy that brought them here, I can’t help but cheer our Team Singapore on with pride, regardless of their race, language or religion.
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“45) Livin’it Up on August 18th, 2008 3.19 pm At the end of the day, we should integrate foreigners into our cultures and lifestyles.”
Hey, I agree with you but only to a certain extent. First, do not trumpet it too much if you can’t take care of your own backyard (e.g the recent 3b help as announced and much needed). People are not so blind on the local situation here that you can easily explain away that FT / migrant workers are the way to go. It is only good so far that they are having an effect of a net-job gains for Singaporeans and not here displace our local Singaporieans. Remember the statistics as presented by them, some of which have also been discussed in this site.
“if the tables are turned and we wanted to emigrate elsewhere, and citizens of the other country reacted in the same way as we are, towards you and me”
You must be joking my friend. Never have I seen such a liberal policy to convert foreigners into PR into citizen in such a short / quick time. Please please please correct me if I am wrong. Bear in mind, Singapore is full of foreigners and we do talk among ourselves about policies here and in their countries.
“But both you and me know that Singapore and the Singapore ethos is very different from 40 years ago,”
Well, it should be after 40 long years. But somehow not on the Numero Uno party which still continues to call the shot and with you around to perpetuate their ethos that seem to be perfectly right all the time.
“the younger generation don’t have the same stories of hobbies as the older generation, hence how much of the change is due to the influx foreign talent as opposed to a change in our times?”
Well, tell that to anyone who gets affected by it and I do not think they are going to take it kindly because of the former. That includes reasonable learned middle or old aged persons.
they didn’t seem serious during the final stand-off with china. it’s almost as if they wanted to give the gold to the chinese. but in the end, i don’t care even if they weren’t serious. i felt more in common with those who won and displayed their country’s flag proudly, those who won and kissed the flag on their shirts. we will never have such people in this country because we are Singapore Inc. and that’s all there is to say.
Many Singaporeans don’t realise that these are the seeds for future success that could involve local born Singaporeans.
In time, these players can no longer represent Singapore but their wealth of knowledge and experience is shared with other Singaporeans.
What was truly a loss is not what happened to Tan Howe Liang but how Singapore sports failed to capitalise and build upon his success.
Its more than just “importing” foreign talent. Its using it to build upon and add to Singapore’s ability to compete at the highest levels.
Rather than slamming “foreign” talent as some have done in a fruitless aim at self destruction, it should be a success story that inspires others in Singapore to take up sports and achieve what those that had gone before could not. That is the myopia of criticism.
“You must be joking my friend. Never have I seen such a liberal policy to convert foreigners into PR into citizen in such a short / quick time. Please please please correct me if I am wrong. Bear in mind, Singapore is full of foreigners and we do talk among ourselves about policies here and in their countries.”
We do have a very open policy, what I meant is our reaction to foreigners is rather adverse. Mind you I get rather exasperated when I go to restaurants for a nice Chinese meal or at the hawkers and the Filipino lady cant explain what the contents of the dish is or brings me a Chinese lady who cant speak English and I just want to throw up hands up in desperation and I miss having Singaporeans around who will talk to me in Singlish. I do believe we need to look into our immigration policy and obviously our foreign talent aint so talented, but I also think like you said as so long as we can have “net job gains/benefits” perhaps be a little more tolerant.
And to those who do give us some added value – perhaps we can help integrate them.
“Well, it should be after 40 long years. But somehow not on the Numero Uno party which still continues to call the shot and with you around to perpetuate their ethos that seem to be perfectly right all the time.”
politically, we have bounds and leaps to go lah…to make sure all of our people are truly taken are of.
While I generally agree with the criticisms of the “Foreign Talent” policy voiced on this site, I think the case for sports deserves different considerations.
Think back to your growing years. Imagine you picked up table tennis, excelled at it, and spent all your time playing this sport, maybe representing your school in competitions. What would a typical Singaporean parent have said? Words of encouragement? Perhaps… but how long will that last? More likely than not: “Ah boy, don’t spend all your time playing! Come and do your homework! Your test study already or not? Want to die ah? Whole day play play play! You think next time table tennis can feed you issit?”
Singapore does not provide the most nurturing environment for sports, especially sports as a career. And this is not just a fault of the system, but also of our own mentality. Sports? Exercise enough to be healthy can already lah! Any more is a waste of time, a diversion from more important things, like studying! Is this not the typical Singaporean mentality?
Can such discouragement, such disparaging views of sports ever produce great olympians? How many of us have really been given the chance to explore which type of sports we might do well at, and encouraged to pursue it further to a higher level? How many Tan Howe Liangs can such an environment produce? Not many, as history has shown.
But maybe, just maybe, with OLYMPIC SILVER splashed all over the media, our kids today can say to their parents: “But I want be like Li Jiawei and Feng Tianwei!” Maybe more kids will want to try their hands at table tennis and other sports – and grow up healthier than our generation.
So while you might not feel proud for Singapore for this olympic medal – and maybe even a little embarrassed – think of what it can potentially do for the Singaporean sports scene in the years to come, for our future generations.
And this, I think, is much more important than the somewhat tainted glory of “Singapore’s first olympic medal in 48 years”.
On the issue of foreignness.
Not every team B from China can get team silver when representing another country. Not every team B from China can get fourth in singles when representing another country. So if you don’t feel proud applauding them as representatives of Singapore, then applaud them as individual sportswomen who have strived to excel in their sport. I think the tremendous amount of effort they have put into their training can beat hands down what anyone who has spoken out in this forum has done for his/her profession. An olympic medal is a great achievement, no matter who they represent, and deserving of applause, not derision. Even if you think Singapore does not deserve the glory, they do.
I do not know how patriotic our national paddlers are to Singapore. But surely all these voices of dissent will murder any bit of patriotism they might develop or have developed for Singapore. If we treat them like money-minded mercenaries, then that is what they will become. Put yourselves in their shoes. If we show them welcome, warmth and encouragement, maybe, just maybe, they might grow to love Singapore, and stay to help nurture our future young sportsmen, and become true Singaporeans like our forebears.
So give them the standing ovation that they deserve.
Appreciation has my complete agreement; my own comments (No. 42) echo his/hers.
I applaud them making it to the final, but I do not take inspiration from their efforts playing against China. And I do not blame them. I would have felt really lousy being in their situation. Standing ovation ? too premature for me.
It is not about winning all the time. I am a passionate supporter of people who try against all odds in any field.
I believe we need to do more with our sports culture and not look for quick solutions. New Zealand and Jamaica can teach us that.
If these folks were born in Singapore, do you think they would be in table tennis or would they be trying hard to make ends meet in Singapore ?
Like most of us, taking the train and listening to the govt preach to you …… save money, get married , have children, upgrade yourselves, don’t be too dependent on the govt, work longer because you got not enough money in your cpf, don’t think of retirement, don’t be selective over low paying jobs, GST is good for you, Sky high mister is needed to prevent corruption, and last but no least….
vote the PAP…. because without them Singapore is nothing but mud flats.
I think scare mongering works …. .or does it ?
A rap tune with some hip hop dancing would be nice??
On a different story http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/08/foreigners-boost-singapore-economy-says-pm-lee/#comments
I responded to sarek_home’s points:
4) sarek_home on August 18th, 2008 4.36 pm He won the 1960 Olympic medal out of his love for the sport.
Two key points to take note:
Love for sport –
Would Singaporean parents support their children to spend hours and hours on certain sport just because of “Love for sport”?
Will Singaporeans be happy that we just participate the Game without winning anything?
1960 Olympic medal
No one repeated that history. If it were repeated, there might not be a need of Foreign Sport Talent program.
I have to wonder if Mr Tan Howe Liang won the medal for Singapore today, would people make issue with the fact that he came from China.
11) Kaffein on August 18th, 2008 7.16 pm Responding to #4
“Love for sport –
Would Singaporean parents support their children to spend hours and hours on certain sport just because of “Love for sport”?”
Yes. Living in Australia, I can see the how the parents emphsaize on sports. Also the government too. Every weekend, most aussie parents bring their kids to stadiums, football pitches, swimming pools, etc.
I don’t see how Singapore cannot be similiar.
“Will Singaporeans be happy that we just participate the Game without winning anything?”
Yes. What about those Australian athletes who came back home without winning a medal? They are still treated as heroes because they tried and did their best.
I remember I was cheering for Ang Peng Siong. Did he even qualify? Of course not, but I sure did feel patriotic that he is a Singaporean.
“No one repeated that history. If it were repeated, there might not be a need of Foreign Sport Talent program.”
Wrong. Because Singapore government doesn’t encourage local kids to have a life in sport. See how they treat Fandi Ahmad? Ask him now. He’ll tell you he regretted coming back when he could have lived his life out in Europe.
Because the government doesn’t value us and are willing to put in programmes which may or may not produce world class athletes.
They rather scout around in world and ‘purchase’ what other countries have already invested time and training on the youths for a particular sports.
“I have to wonder if Mr Tan Howe Liang won the medal for Singapore today, would people make issue with the fact that he came from China.”
This is a very valid point;. Haven’t thought about it. But then Mr Tan come to Singapore for an entirely different purpose.
Kaffein
I think we so import foreign talent to become our Prime Minister. Don’t you think is a good idea!
aiyah, must win matches without people talking bad lah. if really win by true blue suekapokeans will people talk neh? no right? the fact we set tongues wagging means something not right that’s why, people talk lor suay lor. worse hor, own people talk neber mind. but, koreans lost, koreans will sing suay us lah. where got glory like that? not only koreans lah, other world citizens may also say suay us, you not shy meh?
as for tan lh, aiyah, he is first generation immigrants, so can cut him some slack for the win lah. but we already more than 40 years old, and in this 40 over years, we backside born out 2nd and 3rd generation liao, you mean to tell me, we can’t raise legitimate sportsmen from our 2nd and 3 rd suekapokeans?
unfortuantely, it is true our priorities in this small dot leaves little room for a lot of other proud pursuits enjoyed by bigger countries but hey, what can you do ah? accept mediocrity with pride lor.
but no, our suekapokeans lifestyle( and gene pool) cannot produce top grade sportsmen,we must use our money to buy other countries sportsmen to win and let other people talk suay us, not shy ah?
aiyah, our problem is lifestyle here lah. if suekapokeans lifestyle cannot produce world class sportsmen, we cannot produce means we cannot lah. if can, we sure have one day – if it ever happens. but why so kunjiong now neh? old man must complete legacy of his success story for birthing this nation before go issit hehe?
truth is, some leading people, not all, are so obsessed with successful people in this country, we see losers no up lah that’s why, we can’t accept fact it is aright to lose in sport( on the international stage especially) after doing one’s best and here is the rub, it also explains our attitude towards our weaker fellowmen in our society lah.
if we can accept people as they are, why need to push them to some people idea of success neh? why? so we can justify successful people high pay? lol
it is not bad being not so good in life or just average lah because, many are that way in life. people just don’t see it is indeed BLESSED TO BE POOR! lol.
yes, I will respect the 3 girls MORE if they settle down get married AND THEIR KIDS SERVE NATIONAL SERVICE in singapore. Until then, we just sponsored them for a silver medal and I fully expect them to return home if their mom and pop calls them home ! and true I will not blame them but blame the singapore govt for their shortsightedness!!
‘Magi mee’ syndrome. Instant food anytime. These ping pong player started training at very young age in their country which supported them. By the time when their foundation in the sport is solid, our country get them over and put in some more training then they have to perform. Instant player. Why we don’t train our own youngster??? Too long to wait for them to be able to perform. Our leader can’t wait. impatient. Can’t take the feeling of them not able to deliver. Waste taxpayer money mindset on our own people. Rather spend money on FT than on singaporean. Sick place with sick leaders.
sad to say I can hardly feel a sense of pride in their winning…
The skeptical and unappreciative nature of Singaporeans prevails.
The fact is Singapore as a nation is made up mostly of immigrants, be it a 3rd generation or a 1st generation new comer. We can safer say that all who came were simply looking for better opportunities.
The paddlers and all other sportsman too came in search for the greener patch of grass and the truth is they too call it home and donned our colours.
I applaud these folks who have tried their best for Singapore and especially the 3 ladies who have won for themselves and us a medal. Besides just being great sportsman, they have shown extreme mental capacity, having to within criticism from their home nation to have ‘sold them out’ and worst off to withstand the new adopted countryman’s unhappy cries that they are not true blue Singaporeans.
Besides unhappiness with the people, we find a lot of complains about the policies. If we think about it, Singapore policies are all go-getter / target driven.
Do remember that it is why we are what we are today and we live in a ‘peaceful and free’ environment.
Some have mentioned that local talents are not given equal opportunities. I would agree to a certain extend.
Since we are all little kids running in nurseries or kindergartens we were taught ABCs, English and so on. I never heard of any place that teaches children to do stretching and learning how to build themselves up as a sports person.
Or even at home, parents will be telling kids to study hard for a brighter future.
How many of you have heard of anyone telling their children to concentrate on singing or drawing or to be a professional sports person?
The extremely high opportunity cost for Singaporeans to zero in on a certain sports since young is another factor why there are not that many ‘true blue’ athletes to make us proud. There are too many ‘what if’s to discourage the mainstream.
Before you raise more questions about how the paddlers are not ‘locals’ and policies are wrong or if opportunities are taken away from local boys, please ask yourself this question.
If these ‘new’ Singaporean wanted to be your friend, would you give them a chance to do so. Have you given them a chance to become a Singaporean and how can they prove it to you that they are trying their best to do so?
Should the pledge of loyalty to Singapore be done the old Chinese manner of drinking the bowl of blood? Or can they proof it to you by trying their best in doing what they tasked to do by our nation, to make us proud?
i spent almost 2 hrs reading through all the post in this forum. why did i do it? how did i even find this forum at the first place? well, singapore in gold medal finals is a big thing indeed! so i decided to watch the match. but, sad to say this but as i was watching it, i felt a certain discomfort in me. i almost was hoping that singapore would loose rather then win the match. and every point china got, i felt better. shocking isn’t it? BUT please, let me explain. i am a ‘pure’ singaporean, like many of you indicated. where as, my dad was an expat or foreign talent. he has been living in singapore for the past 30yrs, i think. and me practically all my life. i grew up as a child here. played at the playground with the malay, chinese and indian kids. ate the the coffee shop near my house. got into troubles at school and etc. i feel a belonging, a connection to this country. this is my country, my home. i feel safe here like no where else in the world, amongst my own people. that is why i can proudly hold up my head and say that i AM an Singaporean. BUT!! do you think these so-called foreign talents of singapore say the same thing and feel the same way i feel about singapore, MY homeland?? the answer is NO, my friends. the fact is that they will never feel the same way, and we have to face it. they did not grow up here. they did not grow up like we did. so HOW are we to feel proud of their achievements?? i myself am ashamed really to say that singapore won silver medal in the Olympics. because we did not! the china players did. no matter how we put it into language, it would always mean ‘the china and NOT the chinese players won the medal’ for us. i hope you people see where i am going with this. and even for the fact to bring in foreign talent to give them citizenship rights, how can the policy really be so open?? the fact im aware of is that it takes i certain number of years to even convert from a PR status to a CITIZEN for us normal people. and yes, the government has the right to do do as to allow FTs or expats to integrate to society, in simple term FEEL like a Singaporean themselves. but this players are getting this right too easily, and i bet they would not VALUE it!! like some of you said, they are as likely to run off to another country if it offers them more money! what i feel that FT policy is ok. but get the players here at a early age and GROOM them like many of you said. SO THEY BE LABELED “MADE IN SINGAPORE” AND NOT simply “MADE IN CHINA but ASSEMBLED IN SINGAPORE” or even “MADE IN CHINA, IMPORTED BY SINGAPORE”. and nevertheless, i really don’t see why singapore is so dying for medals in the olympics. for all i know is that MEDALS ARE NOT BRINGING DOWN FUEL PRICE OR THE COST OF LIVING here!!! fine if you are happy the way your life is, at least care to look at the aunties or uncles who collect cans from litter bins everyday to make ends meet. can’t all the money spent on these CHINA-PLAYERS be channeled to help them????? have a heart, make a change.
In the 70″s when the PM wanted to make Singapore a Garden City, the NP came up with the ingenious idea of using Instant Trees. These trees were planted somewhere and transported to whichever places that need them. The trees served its purpose in double quick time and Singapore became a Garden City instantly. It pleases the PM as well as the publice and looks good to the world. But 30 years down the road, these trees start falling like dominoes in a thunder storm. It cause traffice jams and damage to properties and even injury to people.
Will our FTs sports talent cause these problemsin time to come in the long term(30 years just like our investments)?
i can bet you all these FT paddlers will go back to china when they hit their retirement age.
“S’pore is a nation made up of immigrants” – That was true when S’pore was not even independent, no NS, no FTs, level playing field. Immigrants stayed on during/after WW2, japanese occupation. Yes, that describes our forefathers 40, 50 yrs ago. But it is completely different now, FTs/PRs will jump ship at the slightest problem while true blue S’poreans will have to stay to fight. So lets rest this talk abt us being an immigrants society, it is not applicable anymore. It is a globalised world, rats will swim to better food source n jump ship just as fast.
“S’pore is a nation made up of immigrants” – That was true when S’pore was not even independent, no NS, no FTs, every one work to on a level playing field. Immigrants stayed on during/after WW2, japanese occupation. Yes, that describes our forefathers 40, 50 yrs ago. But it is completely different now, FTs/PRs will jump ship at the slightest problem while true blue S’poreans will have to stay to fight. So lets rest this talk abt us being an immigrants society, it is not applicable anymore. It is a globalised world, rats will swim to better food source n jump ship just as fast.
Like this “Instant Trees” example, typical PAP.
However, “Instant Trees” or not, trees fall in thunder storms. But I don’t recall any instance of “falling like dominoes”.
“i can bet you all these FT paddlers will go back to china when they hit their retirement age.”
right on. If I am FT, I will surely return home enjoying natural scenery and travel big motherland with million dollars than to stay in a 99year leased pigean hole with superficial image and get condemned by the local. Why should a FT want to stay in a pigean hub forever when he is already make popular in his own motherland by our dear government ? Am I naive to think that China people is very pragmatic and realistic too ?
If you become Singaporean citizen, you have to give up yr China passport, correct?
Can still run back home meh? (remember got one sportsperson who did a couple of years ago, I tink)
AhKao – You can check with our athlethics association on whether FT can still run back home or not.
comment 56 – best comment in the whole thread IMO. You put it across perfectly.
One thing I’m wondering after looking at how everyone feels uncomfortable about foreign talent winning – about people who don’t have a feel of Singapore and have more experiences with their opponent than the countrymen of the state they’re reperesenting…
Looking at it that way, I can think of some like people who were born and bred in Singapore that come pretty close to this. Namely the sort of elite who lives in their own enclave, does not think about the “common man”, goes to private/international schools made up mostly of foreigners and in fact does not understand a jot of Singapore despite living here for ages. (And does not have to go out much for interaction and relaxation because they either go to exclusive places or stay at home and use the internet.)
I’ve known people like that and I feel really uncomfortable around them… especially when they get put into positions of power over Singaporeans and don’t know crap about how to deal with them and how to understand the way they think.
It’s still understandable if they’re expats but ironically they aren’t.
I don’t suppose such people would want to represent Singapore in sporting competitions though.
Responding to #60
“I have to wonder if Mr Tan Howe Liang won the medal for Singapore today, would people make issue with the fact that he came from China.”
“This is a very valid point;. Haven’t thought about it. But then Mr Tan come to Singapore for an entirely different purpose.”
Most probably not. With due respect to Mr Tan Howe Liang, he emigrated with his family from China in 1937. He won the silver medal 27 years later in 1960, by that time he should had been fully assimilated.
More importantly, he won the medal out of his love for the sport. In fact, he had to pay out of his own pocket to finance his training and expenses due to the lack of financial support.
Compare this to the present day, where imported athletes are promised a reward of S$1 million (S$1.5 for team event) for winning a gold medal at the Olympics, he did not receive any monetary rewards for his effort.
Lastly, there were no mass imports of foreigners, as opposed to the present, for people to make an issue of.
76) kero on August 19th, 2008 11.10 am
Assuming that this strategy of import-sporting-FT-and-win-medal is the way to go in order to lay the foundation for our own locally bred future sporting talent.
Do you think that our current system (be it educational and sporting institutions) is even structured for such talent to be produced – e.g groomed (from very young age), constantly nurtured through vigorous programmes, reasonably compensated during their useful peak-perforamance period and perhaps a coaching career to go with by when winning streak / peak-performance start to wane to start the next circle of grooming the next cohort – not compensation only until when they start to win medals.
It is hard not to feel that they like the short cut method in favour of expediency. FTs has somehow become the byword for something very good and even eclipsing your desire to even defend whatever liitle natural passion (maybe silly misplace or some even label it as xenophobia) you still have for being a Singaporean simply because you were born and brought up here.
74) AhKao on August 19th, 2008 10.22 am
yes FTs have to surrender their passports for exchange with our singapore passports, to be singaporeans. BUT!! the big but is that. they can always surrender their citizenship here when they have enough money or another country offers them better opportunity. let me explain further. we a singaporean surrenders his citizenship. he or she becomes ‘stateless’. as in belongs to no country. so people usually surrender their passports or citizenship only after another country has accepted them. BUT!!! for our dear FTs, they were not born here. BORN IN CHINA, so china has no option but to take them back. besides, with so much people living there, would anyone bother to check or inspect you??? i hope i have given you a clear explanation. yea? feel free to drop by my blog. cheers!
Dear sarek-home,
Sorry. old man already (No wonder people keep on sending me those enhancemnt pill like Vi…..) got all mixed up over the 70′s must be thinking of the communists moving down Vietnam. the Indo-China, when people say SEA will fall like dominoes. My sincere apologies.
Proud of Silver Medal?! I dont feel it at all. I’m proud for our local true blue Singaporean’s sportmen instead. They are the ones whom I will only recognised as our nation’s prides regardless they have won or not. I want them to know that they are not forgotten. Thanks for the hard work they did and courages they took in the Olympics games.
By the way, the foreign talent scheme for sportmen should be cancelled soonest. It’s our hard earned money!! It should be used in helping the needy ones; To help the hardworking/ excel students from poor families to further their studies. To help the poor and helpless elders in daily expenses and medical expenses.
One thing which I believe the majority of us are still pondering: How many of these foreigners(including PRs) are capped as talented? Not many as you can see. So, do we really attract the correct people in? Or are we attracting these foreign ‘talents’ in to create more social problems? If they are really talented, they will not come to Singapore.
Take table tennis as an example: Currently, we called winner, China table tennis team as ‘team A’- China talented ones. When players of team A were young, they are already so talented that China did not want to lose them. (China didnt want to release any of their talented players especially Zhang Yi Ning when Singapore went over to recruit player/s many years ago- for more details, pls look at the news in yesterday’s Lian He Zao Bao ).
Afterall, the same thing applies to other sports and jobs as well.
Dear Guys,
Thank you for postings – I suddenly remember Uncle Choo whose doggedness cost him his life early, and Tan Howe Liang – always on his own. The times have gone by – no matter how we try, the extraordinary passion of such an athlete as – Tan How Liang or one great coach as – Uncle Choo are no more around – cash motivation has taken over.
A few years ago I had the privilege to meet Tan Howe Liang when he was doing his menial work earning a living; I wonder if he is retired now.
I move for a special mention and award (to include a special one off cash grant) for Tan Howe Liang (as soon as possible) in conjunction with this year’s current National Day celebration to do Singaporeans proud as he did 48 years ago in Rome when our then national flag was raised.
Thank you TOC.
So how come only silver?
Now this is Div 1 govmen — its FT won GOLD. GOLD not silver.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/athletics/7569957.stm
Hi Tear in my eye,
I agree with you. We need to honour our national icons, and there are definetely more genuine Singapore heroes than LKY and grassroots leaders to give accolades to.
In fact, I am trying to put together a fuller feature piece on Tan HL, and would be grateful if anyone here can provide TOC leads to contact him direct.
Zhenng Xi,
Here’s my small contri abt our one and only true-blue olympic silver medallist. I understand he works in the national stadium (not sure of more details sorry), and he lives in kampong arang, a small hdb estate of approx only 12 blocks, somewhere in the vicinity of bmw performance motors workshop, dunman high school hostel, next to kallang river (if you dine at kfc or kallang big mac, you can notice the hdb flats across amongst where he lives).
ask around the little hwaker centre, and i am quite sure those folks can give you more info.
why not – get something out of our patriotic ministers’ pockets since they champion so much about buying foreign sporting talents to our shores.
Well to all. I believe by now the only certain thing we can feel comfortable will be at least we get the returns of investment (whatever $ put in for the foreign sport talents) within 2 years.
Unlike some others investment where we are looking at returns probably in a period of say 30 years !? no prize for anyone who knows about the investment I m talking abt. Haha
Haha…no wonder some people out there (quite shocking in this day and age) still think that Singapore, is a province in China.
Hi Whitley-gate,
Thanks very much for the info, every little bit helps, TOC will make our best efforts to contact Mr Tan.
87) GS on August 20th, 2008 1.11 pm
hahahaha.. its shocking, but might really be true huh? no wonder china was cheering so loudly wen singapore came out during the ceremony. hmm.. come to think of it, they weren’t cheering for us. they were just cheering for their CHINA-made FTs. trying to promote to the rest of the world, so they will BUY to.. sickening man!! im disgusted!!!
Money aside, given a chance will Li Jia Wei, Wang Yue Gu and Feng Tian Wei don Singaopre or China colours, i guess we know the answer. I am sure they did their best and helped us got our flag up there, but victory feels hollow. We bought our silver period and we are suppose to be proud of the fact we “talent spotted” them, why dont we apply the same acumen amonsgt our shore. The cost of raising our flag is $750K, now we know. Have we come down to this? Transactional? Win at all cost? Other countries may have the same policy. But it does not mean that its justified. I thought we always do this “our way” because we know whats best for ourselves, what happen here? Are we too eager to prove something? What are we proving? Who are we trying to prove? Rooting for our atheles suppose to bring national solidarity, but from the pieces that ive read, i think it may have just split our country. Sports about development, training and hard work. Winning is great, but more importantly its about participation and having to tried my best that should be paramount. We got our silver simply because we could afford it. Sports take time. I am for the foreign talent scheme, but keep it at the coaching level, continue to invest in sports facilities and training technology, use our edge in science and technolgy to achieve sporting prowess. The sports school is a step in the right direction, do it on our own, like what we have always been doing. Given time, i am sure we will find another Ang Peng Siong and Tan How Liang amongst us. I am sure victory then will be sweeter then.
We are not alone.
One Quarter of Beijing Olympics Table Tennis Players Are China Born
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2008/08/one-quarter-of-beijing-olympics-table.html
i don’t think the leaders give a hoot to what you guys think. they have already figured it all out and expected the usual protests and arguments. at the end of the day, there will be many others who would celebrate the victory with them – with or without your support.
that’s all that matter, the 66% who have given them the power to do as they please .
Will we end up in this stage when pursing for glory and power ?
Hacker Uncovers Chinese Olympic Fraud
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/20/1259253
US does it too. And IOC is worried abt trend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7574379.stm
What happens if rules tightened, and our FTs cannot compete for S’pore. Lose money like on UBS, ML, Barclays and Shin?
Oops. Drunk driving. :p
sorry wrong article.
Yes, I do agree with the ideas of the writer. Everytime I think of the victory, I am proud. But everytime I remember the people who won, I am ashamed of my country.
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Грузовые перевозки
Be proud of your nation’s pride and the winner of that rare contests.
Let me tell you a story.
It’s a parallel between this national level critique and a annual affair between junior colleges.
I came from a top ranked secondary school and was an excellent tennis player. Unfortunately, I did really badly for my ‘O’ Levels. Got into a bottom ranked school based on my results. Went to the affiliated top ranked junior college (JC) to appeal for entry based on sports merits but the principal said, “We already have enough tennis players!”
Disheartened, I heard about a trial at a neighbourhood JC just outside the top 5 rankings. I went down and gave the performance of my life. They took me in and I was happy. They paid me with an education I didn’t earn the usual way and I paid them with my talents.
I most definitely displaced one of the students at that JC who may have made the Tennis team if not for me. However, as we were all beginning the school year together, we began our experiences together – I had not come in the middle of the school term to replace existing players. There was no resentment, there was not jealousy. I was glad to have been offered the chance to perform at a high level for another school who were willing to give me a chance.
Similarly, anyone who emigrates to anther country to ‘sell’ their skills, whether sporting, financial, technical, etc, is looking for a chance to build something for themselves. If they are able to make friends and create a comfort zone, they’ll build something for the long term in their newly adopted country.
How should we treat these new residents? How should the government behave in how it treats us?
When a child is adopted, the adoptive parents go all out to make the child comfortable so that the adopted child does not feel like he does not belong. While this is taking place, the other children in that family should not be ignored. I suppose this is the perception many people in Singapore have of how the government is treating us.
I want more people to come to Singapore who can help our country shine.
I want more people who can actually make Singapore a better place.
I ALSO WANT our government to act more responsibly in who it allows into my country.
I DEFINITELY WANT a clear understanding of what the government is trying to solve by opening the gates of the immigration counter to willy nilly!!
I definitely believe that I should love the paddler but hate the policy. This is because the paddlers make my heart race for my country but the policy makes me want to throw bricks at the policy makers who don’t think enough to warrant their salaries and allowances.