Sport in Singapore
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Living on an island surrounded by ocean, the people also enjoy many water activities including sailing, kayaking and waterskiing. There is also a number of avid recreational scuba divers, a prominent diving spot being the southern island Pulau Hantu, known for its coral reefs.
In the realm of spectator sport, soccer is king. Singapore has its own professional football league, known as the S.League. Launched in 1996, the league now consists of 10 teams competing with each other in stadiums around the country. In 1998 and 2004, the Singapore national football team became the champions of the Tiger Cup, the premier football competition in South-East Asia.
While not a major sporting power, Singapore's athletes have performed well in regional as well as international competitions, especially in table tennis, badminton, sepak takraw, bowling, sailing, silat, swimming and water polo. To date Singapore has won only one Olympic medal, a silver medal at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics by weightlifter Tan Howe Liang. The country has come close twice (both times in women's single table-tennis, fourth-place finishes in 2000 and 2004). Some athletes such as Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo have become national celebrities. In the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Singapore won 5 Gold, 2 Silver, and 10 Bronze medals.
In 2005, the Singaporean team won the Asian Netball Championship with a win over the Malaysian team in the finals with a score of 53-39. [] In the same year, the country hosted the 117th IOC Session, one of the biggest and most important sports-related events to ever be held in the city.
Government-sanctioned programs
The Government of Singapore sanctions a variety of sports-based programs for Singapore's education system in addition to normal physical education. The National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) was introduced in 1982, a scheme which requires the mandatory participation of all students within primary and secondary education. The scheme gives awards for a variety of physical tests for endurance, cardiovascular fitness and strength, including a medium-distance run of a few kilometres, and the results are reflected in each student's report book. As such, although gaining an award is not mandatory, students are often pressured to do so.In addition, the government sponsors the Singapore Sports School, opened on April 2, 2004, which combines a reduced curriculum with professional training in each student's preferred sport, in an attempt to nurture future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen. The concept behind the Sports School is that sporting talent should not be compromised when striving for academic excellence.
Individual Sports
Badminton
- Li Li
- *2002, Gold, Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Women's Singles
- Ronald Susilo
- *2004, Gold, Japan Open singles
- Wong Peng Soon
- *1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, Champion, All-England Cup
Bodybuilding
- Joan Liew Lee Ting
- * 2006, 1st place, Asian Women's Open Invitational Championships in Singapore (Welterweight)
- * 2006, Guest posing at Singapore Bodybuilding Championships in Singapore
- * 2002, Gold, Asian Women’s bodybuilding Championships in China
- * 2001, Guest posing at Singapore Bodybuilding Championships in Singapore
- * 2001, 7th place, 6th World Games in Japan (over 52 kg)
- * 2000, Gold, Asian Bodybuilding Championships
- Abdul Halim bin Haron
- * 2000, Bronze, Asian Championship, welterweight (75 kg)
- * 2002, Gold, Asian Games in Busan, bantamweight (65 kg)
- Azman bin Abdullah
- *1993, Gold, IOC-sanctioned World Games Bodybuilding Championships, middleweight
- *1993, Gold, World Bodybuilding Championships, middleweight
- * 3-time Mr Asia
- Simon Chua
- * 2002, Gold, Asian Games in Busan, welterweight (75 kg)
- * 2002, Gold, Commonwealth Bodybuilding Championships in Calcutta, welterweight (75 kg)
Bowling
- Adelene Wee Chin Suan
- *1985, won 3 Golds at Asian FIQ Youth Championships, in Singles, Masters, and Team
- *1985, won Ladies Masters champion, World FIQ Championship in London
- Jesmine Ho
- *2001, Masters Champion, World Bowling Masters Championship in Abu Dhabi
- Jennifer Tan
- *2002, Masters Champion, World Bowling Masters Championship in Denmark
- Remy Ong
- *2002, won 3 Golds, Asian Games in Busan, Single, Trios, and Masters
Netball
In 2005, the Singaporean team won the Asian Netball Championship with a win over the Malaysian team with a score of 53-39 at the Finals.Sailing
- Benedict Tan
- *1994, Gold, Asian Games in Hiroshima, Laser class
- *1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, Won Laser Gold in SEA games
- Joan Huang and Naomi Tan
- *1998, Gold, Asian Games, Ladies International 420 Class
- Siew Shaw Her and Colin Ng
- *1998, Gold, Asian Games, Men's International 420 Class
- Teo Wee Chin and Terence Koh
- * 2005, Gold, Youth Sailing World Championship, Busan, 420 class
Silat
- Sheik Alauddin
- *1990, Gold, World Silat Championships in Holland, 80–85 kg
- *1994, Gold, World Silat Championships in Thailand, Men's Open
Football
- Fandi Ahmad
- *1980, scored winning goal as Singapore won the Malaysia Cup
- *1988, Golden Boot Award, Malaysia Cup
Swimming
- Ang Peng Siong
- *1982, Gold, US swimming Championships, 50 m freestyle, with 22.69 s, fastest time in 1982
- *1982, Gold, Asian Games in New Delhi, 100 m freestyle
- *1990, Silver, Asian Games, 50 m freestyle
- Neo Chwee Kok
- *1951, won 4 Golds, Asian Games in New Delhi, 1500 m, 400 m, 800 m freestyle, 4x100 m relay
- Junie Sng Poh Leng
- *1978, won 2 Golds, Asian Games, 400 m freestyle, 800 m freestyle, breaking Asian Games record in both events
- Joscelin Yeo Wei Ling
- *1993, won 9 Golds, 1 Silver, Southeast Asia Games
- *1994, won 1 Bronze, Asian Games, 100m fly
- *1995, won 7 Golds, 2 Silvers, Southeast Asia Games
- *1997, won 3 Golds, 1 Silver, 2 Bronzes, Southeast Asia Games
- *1999, won 6 Golds, 2 Silvers, 1 Bronze, Southeast Asia Games
- *2000, member of world-record setting and NCAA Chamionships, 200 m medley relay, with teammates from University of California
- *2001, won 3 Golds, 4 Silvers, Southeast Asia Games,
- *2002, won 1 Bronze, Asian Games in Busan, 100 m fly
- *2003, won 4 Golds, 1 Silver, Southeast Asia Games,
- Thum Ping Tjin
- *Swam across the English Channel in August 2005.
Table Tennis
- Li Jiawei
- *2001, Won 4 Golds, Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi
- ** Woman's Singles,
- ** Woman's Double, with Jing Jun Hong
- ** mixed doubles, with Duan Yong Jun
- ** Women's Team Champion
- *2002, Won 3 Golds, Commonwealth Championships,
- ** Woman's Double, with Jing Jun Hong
- ** mixed doubles, with Duan Yong Jun
- ** Women's Team Champion
- *2003, Won US Open
- *2004, Won US Open
- Jing Jun Hong
- *2001, Win 2 Golds, Commonwealth Championships, New Delhi
- ** Woman's Double, with Li Jiawei
- ** Women's Team Champion
- *2002, Won 2 Golds, Commonwealth Championships,
- ** woman's Double, with Li Jiawei
- ** Women's Team Champion
- Duan Yong Jun
- *2001, Gold, Commonwealth Championships, mixed doubles, with Li Jiawei
- *2002, Gold, Commonwealth Championships, mixed doubles, with Li Jiawei
Track and field
- Chee Swee Lee
- *1974, Gold, Asian Games, 400 m
- Ng Liang Chiang
- *1951, Gold, Asian Games in New Delhi, 110 m hurdles
Weight lifting
- Chua Phung Kim
- *1962, Gold, Commonwealth Games, bantamweight
- *1970, Silver, Commonwealth Games, bantamweight
- Tan Howe Liang
- *1958, Gold, Asian Games in Tokyo
- *1958, Gold, commonwealth Games, lightweight
- *1960, Silver, Summer Olympic Games in Rome, lightweight
- *1962, Gold, commonwealth Games, middleweight
See also
- National sport records in Singapore
- Singapore National Olympic Council Awards
- Culture of Singapore
External links
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