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Do what it takes to make more Olympic champs

Singapore has joined the group of nations that have produced Olympic champions. We must address some issues, however, if Joseph Schooling’s medal is not to be the last gold we get.

Joseph Schooling shows off his gold medal. Photo: AFP

Joseph Schooling shows off his gold medal. Photo: AFP

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Peter Loon Seng Chee

Singapore has joined the group of nations that have produced Olympic champions. We must address some issues, however, if Joseph Schooling’s medal is not to be the last gold we get.

First, his parents fought to help him get his National Service deferment. If we are serious about supporting sport, we can look into this to help those with true potential, say, by letting them do Basic Military Training first and then continue training.

Second, Joseph succeeded because he was supremely dedicated and put in arduous training. Are our other hopefuls willing to do the same? Will Singaporean parents put in the kind of support needed to nurture a winner?

Furthermore, nurture can only assist what nature has created. It is no surprise that most of the top swimmers, including Joseph, are well-built.

Unless we have the build for sports such as running and swimming, we should focus on sports that do not rely on power. Archery, shooting and gymnastics come to mind, although dedication is still needed to compete beyond the region.

Even watching the Olympics has a cost, and while I am grateful that we were able to see Joseph’s victory live, I wonder if the price was too high. Are delayed telecasts that bad?

I doubt it would have hurt to have waited to see his victory, and I wonder how many of those who clamoured for live telecasts stayed up in the wee hours to watch.

It is easy to demand that our Government spend whatever it takes to broadcast the Games, but what if it means taxes going up? Ultimately, if the Government pays, it is actually our money.

Finally, when a champion emerges, many would come out to celebrate with him, but how many of them assisted him on this long, tough journey to success?

It has been reported that Joseph’s parents spent S$1 million to support his training. I hope our officials put money where it matters and keep the gold medals coming.

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