President Halimah for Athletes Committed to the Singapore Olympics: We Have Your Back, Sport News & Top Stories

SINGAPORE – He is the President of Singapore, he holds a Bachelor of Laws and has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws. But few know that President Halimah Yacob deeply appreciates speed on land and water.

As the Singapore team prepares for the July 23 Olympics, Ms. Halimah and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong visited Tokyo-bound swordsman Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman and badminton players Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min at the OstC Arena on July 1.

At the doorstep, he revealed to The Straits Times that his favorite Olympic sport is athletics and he still wonders Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, who broke the 100-meter world record in Beijing by 9.69 seconds and then the Olympic record in London in 2012 for 9.63 seconds.

Madam Halimah, 66, said: “Athletics has always fascinated me … It’s so amazing, it’s a test of a person’s endurance and spirit. When you see them running, it’s like watching people’s wheels running. Watching him (Bolt) is like an art form in itself. viewing. “

Still, the president’s most memorable Olympic moment was when Joseph Schooling won Singapore’s first gold medal on August 12, 2016 in the 100-meter butterfly in Olympic record time, 50.39 seconds.

He said, “After so many years, we were a bit in the desert (for the Olympic gold medals), and he brought a stream of rain by winning the gold medal.

“It was a huge feeling because it was shared by every Singaporean, including those who may not be very interested in sports and never watched sporting events. It is one moment of glory on the world stage in an area where the whole world was competing and we, Singapore, were small , but very excellent. “

On Thursday, Ms. Halimah spoke with Loh and Yeo and shared her experiences from London in 2012 and also tried fencing with Kiria.

Loh said: “We are very encouraging because the President and the Minister took the time to visit us and ask about our well-being according to their busy schedule.

“We shared with him how the coronavirus pandemic affected our training and how preparations are coming. We will do our best to make the Singaporeans proud.”

Although the president will not go to Tokyo due to travel restrictions, he will monitor their progress and urged Singaporeans to support the compatriots.

He said: “They need support … to feel confident and strong to continue the challenge.

“Their mood is very high, they are very motivated, which I find very encouraging. (My message to them is) take care of yourself, follow all health requirements, keep yourself safe and healthy. I know they are doing their best and they have our support and support. Although we are not there, we have their backs.

“It has been very challenging for them since the breaker interrupted their training. It has not been easy because they have had a lot of limitations on how they can train when they follow safety and health precautions.

“Despite all this, they’ve made it to the Olympics, and it’s really significant. It shows their commitment and resilience. That’s why we’re really grateful.”

So far, 21 Singaporeans out of ten sports have made it to Tokyo in 2020, and Sprinter’s Shanti Pereira is expected to receive a wildcard and a female swimmer named under a universal quota.

Miss Halimah noted that Singapore can be proud of its excellent athletic performance despite its low talent and that the government’s goal is to “continuously strengthen this ecosystem so that we produce the best athletes to compete internationally”.

He added: “It is always our dream – that we have athletes worldwide.

“We have to have a vision, we have to have a dream, but we also know that we can’t achieve this overnight. We have to work hard, we have to have very talented young people who are very interested who want to give their full heart and commitment to an interesting sport.

“It’s also important that we have the whole ecosystem to support them – the government, the national sports federations and the various agencies that come together to provide them with a profitable environment.”

The supported environment includes ensuring the safety of teams in Tokyo in the midst of a pandemic.

In a Facebook message on Thursday night, Mr Tong also said that MCCY, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council had worked together to plan scenarios, prepare, deal with unforeseen events and also commit to a table simulation to prepare for as many possible events as possible.

The Crisis Ops Center in Singapore has also started operations since table tennis players arrived in Shimada, Japan on Sunday to begin the final preparations for the Olympics, while technology and mobile applications are being used to communicate with and monitor conditional departments. well-being throughout the games.

He wrote: For the Singapore team, safety is the most important thing. We need to ensure a safe environment for our team as they compete in Tokyo, not only because of Covid, but also because of other potential crisis issues.

Our athletes and officials are subjected to a daily testing system, and our medical team monitors their condition and provides assistance. Sports scientists and psychologists provide support to ensure that our athletes stay physically and mentally in top shape and meet their nutritional needs.

We want our athletes to compete with peace of mind and for their families and loved ones to be guaranteed safety.

He added that the same support would be given to national athletes competing in the Tokyo Paralympics from August 24 to September 5.