STTA snags S$500,000 windfall

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) had expected to run a deficit of S$600,000 after experiencing a dip in annual grants from the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) for the current fiscal year. So STTA President Lee Bee Wah must have heaved a huge sigh of relief when the national sports association banked a total donation of S$500,000 from real estate firm Grace Shine and two private donors yesterday.

Indonesian businessman and philanthropist Dr Tahir, Founder and Executive Chairman of Indonesian conglomerate Mayapada Group, had decided to renew the sponsorship agreement his Singapore-based firm Grace Shine inked with the STTA last year. The deal, worth S$300,000 over three years from this December to November 2016, will go towards the national paddlers’ training and overseas tournaments, youth development plans and the STTA’s programmes to grow the sport’s popularity here.

Dr Tahir — who recently stepped down as Indonesia Table Tennis Association chief after a 10-year tenure — also persuaded Indonesian businessmen Cahyadi Kumala and Radius Wibowo to donate S$100,000 each to the STTA. In fact, Goodway Group boss Radius made a spontaneous donation after a trip to the STTA training hall with Dr Tahir yesterday.

“I wanted to do something for table tennis in Singapore,” said Dr Tahir, 61, who was appointed the STTA’s Honorary President during yesterday’s announcement at the STTA’s Toa Payoh headquarters.

“Sport is not limited to a country. My philosophy is that youngsters with prospects deserve to be supported ... More importantly, everyone can testify that Singapore is very committed to table tennis. I treat this donation as an honour … that I can do some good work.”

Although its SSC funding of over S$1.5 million this fiscal year was a slight drop, the STTA had managed to garner over S$4 million in sponsorship deals since 2011.

“Every year, we only get 50 per cent of our funding from the SSC …the Olympic Pathway Programme is no longer available and we are waiting for the spexScholarship amount to be confirmed,” said Lee.

“We had expected a deficit of S$600,000 this year and we can’t be digging into our reserves and now this sponsorship has come in ... This is an unexpected windfall for us.”