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Family support crucial, say Team S’pore athletes

SINGAPORE — Only two months ago, Singapore national netball player Pamela Liew contemplated quitting the sport as she found it difficult to take on additional training and competition on top of her school and work commitments.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (in orange) looks on as (from left) national pencak silat athlete Nur Shafiqa, national fencers Cheryl Lim and Samson Lee mingle with children from Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC at the luncheon yesterday. Photo: Robin Choo

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (in orange) looks on as (from left) national pencak silat athlete Nur Shafiqa, national fencers Cheryl Lim and Samson Lee mingle with children from Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC at the luncheon yesterday. Photo: Robin Choo

SINGAPORE — Only two months ago, Singapore national netball player Pamela Liew contemplated quitting the sport as she found it difficult to take on additional training and competition on top of her school and work commitments.

Fortunately, her brother, basketballer Larry, is also a national athlete, who understood her predicament and persuaded her not to miss the chance of competing at the coming South-east Asian (SEA) Games in front of a home crowd.

And that kind of strong family support was one of many examples shared by Team Singapore athletes with their families at a luncheon hosted by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Teo Chee Hean yesterday at the Pasir Ris Sports Centre.

There are 30 national athletes living in the Pasir Ris-Punggol neighbourhood, including sailor Savannah Siew and taekwondo exponent Jason Tan, who will be representing Singapore at the Games from June 5 to 16.

“Many of the athletes take part in sports from the beginning, because of the support from their families,” said Teo, who is also Grassroots Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. “Family support is not only (crucial) when you become an athlete representing Singapore, but also when you’re developing an interest in sports as you develop as an athlete.”

Larry, 22, shared how having a sister who is also a national athlete made it easier to pursue the sport at a high level. “Pamela and I are lucky because we understand ... and just push each other on along the way,” he said. “If one is not giving up, the other one cannot give up.”

Larry made sure that Pamela, a first-year part-time student at the Singapore Institute of Management, who also holds an administrative job, did not give up on her sporting dreams without a good fight.

In March, Pamela, who plays as a goal shooter or goal attacker and is one of the newer members of Singapore’s national netball side with three international caps, sought her brother’s advice if she should give up the sport as she felt that she could not keep up with her hectic schedule if she were to commit to national trainings.

“While I told her I would support her in whatever decision she choose to make, I encouraged her to give it a shot at making the 2015 SEA Games squad because it is on home ground, and it would be our first SEA Games together,” said Larry.

They will be among 749 athletes representing Singapore at the SEA Games, which will feature 402 events across 36 sports, and involve more than 10,000 athletes and officials from 11 South-east Asian countries.

Hosts Singapore are aiming to match its record haul of 50 gold medals achieved at the 1993 Games.

One happy parent yesterday was 50-year-old Saadiah Sanuse, who watched on as her three children, Sheik Ferdous, Sheik Farhan, and Nur Shafiqa, chatted with DPM Teo.

Sheik Farhan, 17, became a world champion this year when he took gold at the Pencak Silat World Championships in Phuket in the Class J (90-95kg) category. Now, brother Sheik Ferdous, 19, who will compete in the Class E (65-70kg) and men’s Ganda (doubles) at the SEA Games, wants to add to the family’s list of silat world champions at next year’s tournament.

Said Saadiah: “My husband (two-time world champion and Singapore Silat Federation CEO Sheik Alau’ddin) was the one who got the whole family into silat, and I am really happy the kids are following in his footsteps now.”

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