Singapore Aquatics’ “Empowering Lives Through Aquatics” programme is a collaboration with the South East Community Development Council (CDC) to offer a free Learn-to-Swim program for children and youth from vulnerable homes. The program aims to equip them with water survival and swimming competency skills, using the national water safety syllabus, SwimSafer. The goal is for children and youth between the ages of six and 14 to complete the first three stages of the syllabus within 52 weeks. The program was launched by South East District Mayor Fahmi Aliman and Singapore Aquatics President Mark Chay at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. So far, almost 40 children and youth have enrolled, with plans to reach 100. The program also serves as a platform for coaches to identify talented aquatic athletes, and Singapore Aquatics hopes to expand it to other districts and include other aquatic disciplines over the next three years.
In other news, Singaporean Nigel Tan became the first Singaporean to win an Olympic Esports Series event, specifically the taekwondo event in the live finals of the Olympic Esports Series 2023. The inaugural Olympic Esports Week showcased virtual sports and featured exhibitions, show matches, and an education forum. Approximately 500,000 players participated in the qualification rounds, with 131 players from over 60 countries competing in the finals.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has launched the FAS Players’ Concierge, a new initiative aimed at helping national team footballers with their retirement plans and career transitions. The initiative, developed by ex-international defender Baihakki Khaizan, focuses on various areas, including recognizing players’ achievements through an international cap bonus system, offering scholarships for further education, facilitating job opportunities and professional networking, providing educational programs in partnership with Republic Polytechnic, offering coaching pathways, and offering support to current international players facing challenges while playing overseas.
The draw for the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2023 took place in Singapore, where the tournament will be held in September. Six teams were drawn into two groups, and the winners of each group will compete for the Intercontinental Cup championship. The event also featured a clinic conducted by international basketball players Vlade Divac, Yi Jianlian, and Ian Mahinmi.
The inaugural Tasek Sailors charity football fundraiser raised $265,000, bringing together 24 corporations and organizations. The funds raised will support a holistic development program for disadvantaged youth in Singapore. The event included a charity football tournament with participation from corporate supporters and schools, as well as a presence of Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Lastly, the Eurasian Association (EA) hosted the inaugural multi-racial football camp for children aged seven to 12. The three-day camp brought together nearly 100 children from self-help groups and included a finale tournament. The event was sponsored by Singapore Pools and supported by Sport Singapore and ActiveSG Football Academy. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua launched the event and emphasized the role of self-help groups in bringing children from different cultures together.
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