Singapore Sports Council to undergo name change

SINGAPORE — In their bid to drive sports to the next level for all, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) has embarked on a rebranding programme in its aim to realise the country’s Vision 2030.

SSC chief executive Lim Teck Yin said the name change to Sport Singapore from April 1 will reflect their role to empower partnerships and communities as in the journey to achieve the goal of “Live Better Through Sports”.

To get there, he added, they wanted a fresher, vibrant identify that shed the image as a boring authoritarian body in the sports fraternity.

Lim revealed this to the media yesterday during a briefing on the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth’s 2014 budget presented in Parliament last week.

“When we did a brand audit recently in relation to what we put out there to be the purpose of the organisation under Vision 2030, it was felt that it’s time for not just for a name change, but it’s time to communicate what we stand for,” said Lim.

“We are the governing authority for the investment of public funds in Singapore, but more than that, we are in the ecosystem to partner our stakeholders, and this is what the (Sport Singapore) brand identity communicates.”

As key partners of Vision 2030, National Sports Associations (NSAs) will now also be given more flexibility in managing funds disbursed to them.

The associations will also be disbursed with baseline funding each year for a basket of fixed items, including national competitions and sports development, without the need to apply for them any longer, And they can also re-locate them without SSC approval.

For the current financial year a total of S$80.77 million will be distributed to them every six months, instead of quarterly previously.

A S$25 million Innovation Fund has also been set aside over five years to help NSAs and their respective sports to develop long-term capabilities.

But probably what is the best news was reserved for non-Spex Singapore athletes’ preparing for next year’s SEA Games here.

They will be funded for up to 12 months for the 2015 edition, an increase of six months from past Games.

Adult medal hopefuls training full time for the regional biennial event could be given a grant for loss of wages of up to $2,500 a month, while up to S$800 a month will be considered for students.