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http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090330-131941.html
Mon, Mar 30, 2009
The Straits Times
Sport's more about passion than career
By Lin Xinyi
VALERIE Teo is an Asian Games gold medallist and a world youth champion.
But, for all her sporting achievements, the National University of Singapore final-year medicine undergraduate never thought of becoming a professional bowler.
'My choice was always going to be medicine. I've wanted that since I was 12,' said the 24-year-old, who quit the national bowling team two years ago to concentrate on her studies.
'I want to work in a hospital and help people, but I still enjoy bowling over the weekend - it makes for a balanced life.'
Teo has not lost her competitive edge and features in local competitions.
She said: 'I might have quit the team, but I didn't quit the sport.'
While she sees bowling as a passion, rather than a career, she believes there is no better time for budding athletes to turn professional.
'For the many aspiring athletes out there, they should take the opportunity if they have it because things are so different now compared to 10 years ago,' said the World Championships trios silver medallist.
'The amount of money in sports, the increase in sports sponsorship and prize money are greater than ever before.'
Last year, the sports industry in Singapore crossed the billion-dollar mark for the first time. It is on course to meet the target of contributing $2 billion to the country's gross domestic product by 2015 and bringing employment in that sector to 20,000, up from the current 14,000.
A recent Straits Times street poll of 100 Singaporean parents showed that 59 per cent of the respondents were willing to back their children's sporting ambitions.
But most respondents also felt that more needs to be done for Singapore to boast a stronger sporting culture, and to unearth, retain and support local talent.
Among a host of recommendations, they called for more government funding, more sports facilities and for schools to play a greater role.
This would mean exposing children to various sports in primary schools, channelling efforts and resources not just to potential athletes or school team players but to all students, and have a better balance between sports and academics.
Ronnie Goh, a 45-year-old director, said: 'The ideal strategy is to nurture talents from a young age and to rely more on local talent in the future.'
For business manager Hubert Ng, 37, the local sports scene will take a great leap forward when it has a more professional set-up.
'National sports associations should be run by full-time staff and not volunteers,' he said.
But the most common item on the wish-list was for more government funding and incentives for aspiring professional athletes.
Bank officer Yeo Wee Guan, 33, said: 'More money has to be injected into the sports industry to make it profitable here.
'Athletes have a very short shelf-life. You cannot expect people to do it as a career if it's not going to pay well.'
Additional reporting by May Chen, Daniel Wong and Jonathan Wong
Mon, Mar 30, 2009
The Straits Times
Sport's more about passion than career
By Lin Xinyi
VALERIE Teo is an Asian Games gold medallist and a world youth champion.
But, for all her sporting achievements, the National University of Singapore final-year medicine undergraduate never thought of becoming a professional bowler.
'My choice was always going to be medicine. I've wanted that since I was 12,' said the 24-year-old, who quit the national bowling team two years ago to concentrate on her studies.
'I want to work in a hospital and help people, but I still enjoy bowling over the weekend - it makes for a balanced life.'
Teo has not lost her competitive edge and features in local competitions.
She said: 'I might have quit the team, but I didn't quit the sport.'
While she sees bowling as a passion, rather than a career, she believes there is no better time for budding athletes to turn professional.
'For the many aspiring athletes out there, they should take the opportunity if they have it because things are so different now compared to 10 years ago,' said the World Championships trios silver medallist.
'The amount of money in sports, the increase in sports sponsorship and prize money are greater than ever before.'
Last year, the sports industry in Singapore crossed the billion-dollar mark for the first time. It is on course to meet the target of contributing $2 billion to the country's gross domestic product by 2015 and bringing employment in that sector to 20,000, up from the current 14,000.
A recent Straits Times street poll of 100 Singaporean parents showed that 59 per cent of the respondents were willing to back their children's sporting ambitions.
But most respondents also felt that more needs to be done for Singapore to boast a stronger sporting culture, and to unearth, retain and support local talent.
Among a host of recommendations, they called for more government funding, more sports facilities and for schools to play a greater role.
This would mean exposing children to various sports in primary schools, channelling efforts and resources not just to potential athletes or school team players but to all students, and have a better balance between sports and academics.
Ronnie Goh, a 45-year-old director, said: 'The ideal strategy is to nurture talents from a young age and to rely more on local talent in the future.'
For business manager Hubert Ng, 37, the local sports scene will take a great leap forward when it has a more professional set-up.
'National sports associations should be run by full-time staff and not volunteers,' he said.
But the most common item on the wish-list was for more government funding and incentives for aspiring professional athletes.
Bank officer Yeo Wee Guan, 33, said: 'More money has to be injected into the sports industry to make it profitable here.
'Athletes have a very short shelf-life. You cannot expect people to do it as a career if it's not going to pay well.'
Additional reporting by May Chen, Daniel Wong and Jonathan Wong
