Sport in Singapore
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Singaporeans participate in a wide variety of sports for recreation as well as competition. Popular sports include football, swimming, badminton, basketball and table tennis. Most people live in public residential areas that often provide amenities including swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts as well as indoor sport centres which provide facilities for badminton, squash, table tennis, gymnastics, indoor basketball and volleyball, among others.
Living on an island surrounded by the ocean, the people also enjoy many water activities including sailing, kayaking and waterskiing. There is also a number of avid recreational scuba divers, a prominent diving spot being the southern island Pulau Hantu, known for its coral reefs.
In the realm of spectator sport, soccer is king. Singapore has its own professional football league, known as the S.League. Launched in 1996, the league now consists of 10 teams competing with each other in stadiums around the country. In 1998, 2004 and 2007 the Singapore national football team became the champions of the Tiger Cup, the premier football competition in South-East Asia.
While not a major sporting power, Singapore's athletes have performed well in regional as well as international competitions, especially in table tennis, badminton, sepak takraw, bowling, sailing, silat, swimming and water polo. To date Singapore has won only one Olympic medal, a silver medal at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics by weightlifter Tan Howe Liang. The country has come close twice (both times in women's single table-tennis, fourth-place finishes in 2000 and 2004). Some athletes such as Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo have become national celebrities. In the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Singapore won 5 Gold, 2 Silver, and 10 Bronze medals.
In 2005, the Singaporean team won the Asian Netball Championship with a win over the Malaysian team in the finals with a score of 53-39. [1] In the same year, the country hosted the 117th IOC Session, one of the biggest and most important sports-related events to ever be held in the city.
In 2008, Singapore was announced to be the host city of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games which will be held in 2010. This is believed to give the youths in Singapore a chance to experience the Olympic spirit.
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[edit] Government-sanctioned programs
The Government of Singapore sanctions a variety of sports-based programs for Singapore's education system in addition to normal physical education. The National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) was introduced in 1982, a scheme which requires the mandatory participation of all students within primary and secondary education. The scheme gives awards for a variety of physical tests for endurance, cardiovascular fitness and strength, including a medium-distance run of a few kilometers, and the results are reflected in each student's report book. As such, although gaining an award is not mandatory, students are often pressured to do so.
In addition, the government sponsors the Singapore Sports School which opened on April 2, 2004, combining a reduced curriculum with professional training in each student's preferred sport, in an attempt to nurture future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen. The concept behind the Sports School is that sporting talent should not be compromised when striving for academic excellence.
[edit] Individual Sports
[edit] Badminton
- Li Li
- 2002, Gold, Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Women's Singles
- Ronald Susilo
- 2004, Gold, Japan Open singles
- Wong Peng Soon
[edit] Bodybuilding
- Joan Liew Lee Ting
- 2006, 1st place, Asian Women's Open Invitational Championships in Singapore (Welterweight)
- 2006, Guest posing at Singapore Bodybuilding Championships in Singapore
- 2002, Gold, Asian Women’s bodybuilding Championships in China
- 2001, Guest posing at Singapore Bodybuilding Championships in Singapore
- 2001, 7th place, 6th World Games in Japan (over 52 kg)
- 2000, Gold, Asian Bodybuilding Championships
- Abdul Halim bin Haron
- Azman bin Abdullah
- Simon Chua
[edit] Bowling
- Adelene Wee Chin Suan
- Jesmine Ho
- 2001, Masters Champion, World Bowling Masters Championship in Abu Dhabi
- Jennifer Tan
- 2002, Masters Champion, World Bowling Masters Championship in Denmark
- Remy Ong
- 2002, won 3 Golds, Asian Games in Busan, Single, Trios, and Masters
[edit] Chess
[edit] Netball
In 2005, the Singaporean team won the Asian Netball Championship with a win over the Malaysian team with a score of 53-39 at the Finals.
[edit] Sailing
- Benedict Tan
- Joan Huang and Naomi Tan
- 1998, Gold, Asian Games, Ladies International 420 Class
- Siew Shaw Her and Colin Ng
- 1998, Gold, Asian Games, Men's International 420 Class
- Teo Wee Chin and Terence Koh
[edit] Silat
- Sheik Alauddin
[edit] Soccer (Football)
- Malaysia Cup
- 24 times Champion
- Fandi Ahmad
- 1983-1985, Played for FC Groningen. Scored in a shock 2-0 against Inter Milan. In 1999, was voted one of the best 25 players ever to play for FC Groningen, earning him a place in the club's Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was named in the club's best eleven of the twentieth century.
- 1988, Golden Boot Award, Malaysia Cup
- V.Sundramoorthy
- Played at FC Basel for Switzerland
[edit] Swimming
- Ang Peng Siong
- Neo Chwee Kok
- 1951, won 4 Golds, Asian Games in New Delhi, 1500 m, 400 m, 800 m freestyle, 4x100 m relay
- Junie Sng Poh Leng
- 1978, won 2 Golds, Asian Games, 400 m freestyle, 800 m freestyle, breaking Asian Games record in both events
- Joscelin Yeo Wei Ling
- 1993, won 9 Golds, 1 Silver, Southeast Asia Games
- 1994, won 1 Bronze, Asian Games, 100m fly
- 1995, won 7 Golds, 2 Silvers, Southeast Asia Games
- 1997, won 3 Golds, 1 Silver, 2 Bronzes, Southeast Asia Games
- 1999, won 6 Golds, 2 Silvers, 1 Bronze, Southeast Asia Games
- 2000, member of world-record setting and NCAA Championships, 200 m medley relay, with teammates from University of California
- 2001, won 3 Golds, 4 Silvers, Southeast Asia Games,
- 2002, won 1 Bronze, Asian Games in Busan, 100 m fly
- 2003, won 4 Golds, 1 Silver, Southeast Asia Games,
- Thum Ping Tjin
- Swam across the English Channel in August 2005.
[edit] Table tennis
- Li Jiawei
- 2001, Won 4 Golds, Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi
- Woman's Singles,
- Woman's Double, with Jing Jun Hong
- mixed doubles, with Duan Yong Jun
- Women's Team Champion
- 2002, Won 3 Golds, Commonwealth Championships,
- Woman's Double, with Jing Jun Hong
- mixed doubles, with Duan Yong Jun
- Women's Team Champion
- 2003, Won US Open
- 2004, Won US Open
- 2001, Won 4 Golds, Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi
- Jing Jun Hong
- Duan Yong Jun
[edit] Track and field
- Chee Swee Lee
- 1974, Gold, Asian Games, 400 m
- Ng Liang Chiang
- 1951, Gold, Asian Games in New Delhi, 110 m hurdles
[edit] Weight lifting
[edit] See also
- National sport records in Singapore
- Singapore National Olympic Council Awards
- Culture of Singapore
- Dance History of Singapore
- Theatre History of Singapore
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Singapore Sports Council Official Website
- Team Singapore
- Official website to support Singapore's bid for 2010 Youth Olympic Games
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