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| Letter from Pirapong See De Liang 05:55 AM Nov 27, 2009
I READ the comments ("Much better home-made" by sports editor Leonard Thomas, Nov 21-22; "How to save football", Nov 24) made on the sports scene in Singapore with interest. Some have said foreign talent should be pursued more aggressively, and that more money should be pumped into football.
In my view, the Singapore Sports Council should completely revamp its emphasis on what are deemed the "core" sports, which in turn affects the varying levels of funding for different sports.
Why is football given such high importance and recognition when we continue to fare poorly on an international level, beyond the odd regional tournament victory? The support and publicity given to football is grossly disproportionate to the achievements in the sport.
The national junior dragon boat team were champions in the 2009 World Junior Dragon Boat Championships in Prague, against highly-rated, physically stronger European competitors. But how many Singaporeans know of this achievement?
It is not every day Singapore tops a sport on the international stage! We've done so in bowling and silat, and are coming close in sailing. But never football. Mr Thomas: This is the home-made success you wished for.
Singapore is surrounded by water. With the completion of the Marina Barrage and the Government's encouragement of more water recreation, shouldn't we refocus our attention on water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, dragon boat, water skiing or even canoe-polo?
I am a competitive dragon boat paddler and I'm sure many in the community would join me in lamenting the lack of publicity and improvements to the infrastructure in this arena. Anyone familiar with the Kallang Sea Sports Centre would agree.
Last year, I competed in the 1st Putrajaya International Dragon Boat Festival in Kuala Lumpur, where they have just constructed a permanent water-racing course of world-class standard. Singapore has nothing even close to that, despite being a pioneer in the international dragon boat arena.
Different sports require different sets of skills and qualities. Technical and infrastructural competencies are what Singapore is best at. Let's make use of these advantages when it comes to sports. Some may argue that the culture here is not conducive to the development of sporting excellence, but note that our champions in Prague are all full-time students.
If football does not deliver, I am sure other "lesser" sports can do so given the right support. | | |
| This team is not a team anymore. I say this with a lot of sadness and disappointment. There is no combined willed, no more co-operation, no more love for the sport. Its more like a club, where people come and go, where opinions are contrary to the captains. sigh.. this has been bothering me as the season progresses.
It's not easy to run a team. Unlike individual sports like track and field, canoeing or tennis, we have so much more stakeholders to answer to. Just to conduct one training, you have to answer to a whole lot of issues- coach, sports officer, juniors, seniors, coxwain, numbers, timing, school timetable and worse, the weather. Without one of each, its almost impossible to have a session.
You have to balance out all the options and the interests involved, which many people do not see. Now i understand how the ex-captains felt. I wished I was more proactive when i was junior. Sadly as we progress, many have their opinions. No longer are we one in mind. Yea sure, we all want to win the PM cup but along the way how do we do this?
First it was the new kayaking programme, now it's the fragmentation of the seniors...
As for the current team situation...I always believed that democracy ends when the captain is elected. If you have an opinion or interest or agenda or feel so strongly over certain issues, you should have already stepped up to run the team. But once you have chosen the people, there shouldn't be dissenting voices. trust and commitment is important. At the end of the day if u don't believe in your captain and work with him, then we will never win anything. I know I have said before the importance of diversity and accepting it. I still do. I said it in the context of human nature and character. While we must learn to accept each other differences/habits/characters, they must also learn how to conform to certain team standards in order for the team to function effectively.
As for me, I have chosen those path and i will gladly stick to it for the rest of the season. my commitment is sealed as I look forward to help bring back the cup for the team. I love the team, i love the sport better. | | |
| Lee Kuan Yew once said in 1956.
“Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they’re conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict.” | | |
| Lee Kuan Yew once said in 1956.
“Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they’re conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict.” | | |
| argh! sometimes time is moving so quickly and so many things to do that i wished i can just ignore everyone and everything else and do what is in front of me. there is so much business to attend to do that i have left out so many personal stuff.
my apologies to friends and love ones for all that i m missing and neglected! i really do miss connecting with all my friends. | | |
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