The 3 silver medalists will B given a Public Service Medal

[Meteour]

Yes. thats how the miws operate. I believe past sport stars like Ang Peng Siong, Ben Tan, Joselyn......also receive public service medals. Xcept Tan Howe Liang.

 

[makapaaa]

And when they run road back to China, they would slide the medals under uneven table legs?

 

[wallace]

The 3 FTs must be calling the government "idiots"

 

[nicolewong]

At least they win a medal back

 

[splintuh]

At least they win a medal back

So did Lee Chong Wei for Malaysia. He's being conferred a Datukship in Malaysia. I would shake his hand if I saw him, and I'm Singaporean.

STTA imported an entire team, expedited their pink ICs and told me that they are my National representatives, and on that sole basis i should wave a flag and support them.

I don't buy that line, which does nothing to enhance the talent pipeline of the indv sports.

The fact is i'd rather they didn't win the medal. Save $750,000 and save the medal for a really meaningful win by a locally trained/spotted talent with a good attitude.

 

[tonychat]

They should be Knighted. And be named as Princess LJW.

 

[hughgrant]

public service medal machiam dividend shares, so easy to get do a bit here and there also can. valueless

 

[Ramseth]

They should be Knighted. And be named as Princess LJW.

A woman being knighted becomes a dame, not a princess. Li Jiawei may try to marry Li Hongyi if she wants to try to be princess. Anti-incest customs don't apply if there's a common surname but no traceable common lineage.

 

[tonychat]

A woman being knighted becomes a dame, not a princess. Li Jiawei may try to marry Li Hongyi if she wants to try to be princess. Anti-incest customs don't apply if there's a common surname but no traceable common lineage.

LOL!!!! Hey, thks for pointing that out. I dun really pay attention to royal formalities. But that post really need that reply.

 

[Ramseth]

On a more serious note, salaried civil servants and "achievers" being paid to train and prize money to win shouldn't be awarded any public service honour as a matter of routine. PA, CCC and RC volunteers who're not paid, for them there's nothing much to say against. But civil servants and athletes are compensated well enough, aren't they? In fact, many would say excessively. Why still the double reward?

 

[suteerak1099]

On a more serious note..... In fact, many would say excessively. Why still the double reward?

maybe there's too much unjustified monetary takings from the ppl in the coffer & cant find other legit means to offload.

 

[Bika]

they should declare a PUBLIC HOLIDAY!!!!

 

[Shi Jin]

they should declare a PUBLIC HOLIDAY!!!!

Now we are talking!

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

I wonder why Eric "the chiku" was awarded a pingkat this ND? Perhaps it is because of his sartorial sense, with dark colours and braces worn at NDR08'

On a more serious note, salaried civil servants and "achievers" being paid to train and prize money to win shouldn't be awarded any public service honour as a matter of routine. PA, CCC and RC volunteers who're not paid, for them there's nothing much to say against. But civil servants and athletes are compensated well enough, aren't they? In fact, many would say excessively. Why still the double reward?

 

[sunny302]

Aiyoh!!! Chicku got award cos he loyal grassrootttts mah:p

 

[jbsmith]

Good letter.

They are catalysts Foreign talent here tocreate local talent pool

Thursday • August 21, 2008


Letter from Ryan Huang


SO WITH an Olympic silver, our wait has ended. Or has it?

Let’s not forget what we are really aiming for. The big picture isn’t about dressing up our trophy cabinet.

Foreign talent are ultimately here to be a catalyst for creating a sustainable pool of local talent.

How much closer are we now?

There might be merits to the Foreign Talent Scheme, but at what cost? The continued “success” of foreign talent could serve as further discouragement — that it is impossible for anyone born here and subject to the mechanics of our society to succeed.

While the officials say the scheme is to provide a higher standard of competition for local athletes, this surely does not apply to every sport.

For example, it is quite hard to see how much our local sports scene will benefit by sending to the Olympics a 30-year-old China-born shot putter, who has technically spent less than 20 per cent of her life being a Singaporean.

Theoretically, if Michael Phelps becomes a “hired” Singaporean next year, how proud of his medals will we be?

What happens when Li Jia Wei, Feng Tian Wei and Wang Yue Gu retire? Do we hire more to replace them, and where does it end?

On that thought, what will become of those players themselves?

For many, home is where the heart is. That place is usually where they grew up, not here in Singapore.

While Tan Howe Liang himself was born in China, he came here at the age of four. It’s the growing up years when your values and beliefs are forged, under the pressures of Singapore society.

That is the common thread that runs through every Singaporean, and what we can all relate to.

It’s not something you get after staying here for, say, a year.

We need to be mindful not to use foreign talent as substitutes for our home-grown. The message this might send out is “don’t bother trying, we can find a foreigner who’s better than you to wear the jersey”.

While I welcome foreigners to work here, representing the Singaporean identity on my behalf is quite another matter.

Cheer for them, but don’t get carried away. Our real mission is not over.

Let’s take a closer look at how we can nurture our local talent from here. It’s not all about winning.

 

[jbsmith]

Another good one.

Silver medal: Do the ends justify means?

I WISH to express my deepest and most heartfelt congratulations to Singapore for winning its second Olympic medal after a long, long 48-year wait. This ended 48 years of intense hope, anticipation, disappointment, anguish and financial resources spent.

More importantly, it proves that even though we are not getting the creme de la creme of the sportsmen and women from overseas, as was reported last Sunday, ('The man behind the medal'), Singapore can achieve. This is surely a success of our foreign talent scheme in sports, despite the occasional hiccup - like when a national soccer player went Awol. After winning an Olympic medal, maybe it is time we revive our World Cup soccer dream of qualifying for the final rounds.

Perhaps by using the lure of a Singapore passport, we can entice half or even the entire Brazilian football team here. We can spot the young talents in the streets of Rio de Janeiro and groom them. Perhaps we can win a Formula One race by applying the foreign talent scheme to top drivers. Perhaps we can venture into new events like cycling, skiing and baseball. But before we go too far and high, let us hold our breath and get a grip on our adrenalin.

Do the ends justify the means? Would any self-respecting nation, sportsman and woman derive any pride in this manner?

Quek York Tong