SINGAPORE – The Republic is set to be the sailing hub for the region, after the National Sailing Centre (NSC) was officially appointed the first World Sailing Approved Training Centre in Asia on Tuesday (March 14).

The appointment by World Sailing will see Singapore working with the international governing body to promote the sport in the region.

SingaporeSailing will join four other countries in its new role as an Approved Training Centre. They are the International Sailing Centre Medemblik in the Netherlands, Barcelona International Sailing Centre in Spain, Club Nautico, Mar del Plata in Argentina, and the Dinghy Academy in Valencia (for Finn and Laser classes only).

Singapore’s training centre will work on three areas: providing an effective training and development programme for athletes and coaches who are aiming to compete in Olympic and world-class events; increasing the number of nations who compete in World Sailing events; and assisting other nations with training to help their athletes qualify for and compete at the Olympic Games.

Countries in Asia who are looking to improve their sailing programmes will now be able to access training expertise, facilities and equipment at the NSC.

The NSC underwent a strict evalutation process last year to ensure that it delivered a world-class standard of programmes, equipment and safety for all Olympic classes of boats.

“Developing sailing in Asia is a priority for World Sailing and it is important to have a good Training Centre in Asia,” said World Sailing Training and Development Advisor Robert Holden.

“Singapore plays a pivotal role in assisting other countries and this Approved Training Centre is a very important step in this. NSC is as good as any of the top centres around the world. It has good coaches, programmes, safety procedures and a well-maintained centre.”

The Republic had also hosted two editions of the Asian leg of the World Sailing Emerging Nations Programme, a project aimed at closing the gap between established sailing members and emerging ones participating in major championships. The latest clinic held here from March 7 to 14 saw attendance from 10 sailors and three coaches from Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore.

Singapore will also host the 2017 World Sailing mid-year meetings in May, with the event to see sailing officials from around the world gathering here to discuss policies on the sport.

“SingaporeSailing is fully aligned with World Sailing’s mission and vision of promoting the sport globally, and with this support from our international governing body, we hope to do just that in this region,” said Andrew Tam, chief executive officer of SingaporeSailing.

“We are extremely excited to be working with World Sailing on these opportunities to play a big role in the development of sailing.”