Celebrating Olympic and Paralympic Achievements - Together

Opening Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, for the Parliamentary Motion to congratulate our Team Singapore Olympians and Paralympians, in particular our medallists Ms Jeralyn Tan, Mr Maximilian Maeder and Ms Yip Pin Xiu, for their achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

1. Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That this House congratulates our Team Singapore Olympians and Paralympians, in particular our medallists Ms Jeralyn Tan, Mr Maximilian Maeder and Ms Yip Pin Xiu, for their achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games”.

WHAT DO THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS MEAN TO SINGAPORE?

2. Sir, let me start by warmly welcoming our Team Singapore Olympians and Paralympians, together with their families, loved ones, coaches, and other sporting officials seated here in Chamber and also this Gallery this afternoon.
3. Sir, every four years, the Olympic and Paralympic Games issue a challenge to all nations.
1. To send forth their best athletes, men and women alike.
2. To showcase the heights of human potential through the common medium of sports, which transcends all colour, creed, and language.
4. The original motto of the Olympics was adopted in 1894 and coined by the Founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin. It is “Citius, Altius, Fortius” in Latin. Or as we know it better in English: “Faster, Higher, Stronger”.
5. What is less known is that after 127 years, in 2021, the motto was slightly modified to “Citius, Altius, Fortius, Communiter”. Communiter is Latin for “together”. So, the current motto of the Olympics is really: “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”.
6. “Together” is also why we are here today in this House to pass this Motion to celebrate our Olympians and Paralympians.
1. They are with us in this House observing the proceedings.
2. We thank them and their loved ones for their presence.
3. But more importantly, we thank them for bringing us together as a community, as a nation, in a way that only they can, through sports
4. They have engendered a sense of “togetherness” that is so important for a young nation like Singapore to experience as part of our nation-building.
7. The adjectives “Faster”, “Higher” and “Stronger” are known as comparative adjectives in English grammar. They are commonly used to compare one person or team against another person or team.
8. But there is another deeper dimension to this, especially with the addition of the word “together” in the motto. Let me illustrate with an example.
   1. 40 years ago in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, American sprint legend, Carl Lewis won the Men’s 100m sprint with a time of 9.99 seconds.
   2. In 2024, the same event was won by American Sprinter Noah Lyles at 9.79 seconds.
   3. In fact, he won it by 5000th of a second – I am not sure the human eye or brain could process it.
   4. But more importantly, the slowest qualifying time for the Men’s 100m final at Paris 2024 Olympics was 9.91 seconds.
9. Which means, if legend Carl Lewis ran the same race in 2024 as he did in 1984 to win the Gold, he would not have even qualified for the Finals in Paris.
1. This, Sir, is progress for athletics and it is also progress for the human race.
2. When we compete in a friendly and fair manner repeatedly over time, everyone in the field improves.
3. Fair and friendly competition is good for everyone. We progress, together.
10. Sir, 33 of Singapore’s best athletes competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
1. They competed against the world’s best, carrying the weight of our nation’s hopes and dreams.
2. They stood out not just as individuals, but also represented Singapore’s collective aspirations.
3. I had the privilege of attending the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, where I witnessed firsthand our athletes’ determination and resolve, even when they stood against formidable opponents.
11. Not all our Olympians and Paralympians present today won a medal in Paris. But they are all winners.
1. They have all fought hard in the toughest of arenas, and pushed themselves above and beyond their limits.
2. As Jesse Owens, another legendary Olympic champion, once said: "The only victory that counts is the one over yourself."
3. And our athletes have achieved this victory.
4. They have not just represented our nation with distinction, but they have conquered themselves.
5. And we thank and honour our Team Singapore athletes for being our source of inspiration and for being our role models.
12. Overall, our Team Singapore Contingent had an illustrious campaign.
1. They came home with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze medal, two national records and two personal bests.
2. We also brought back our best ever medal haul at the Paralympics.
3. And amongst our 3 medallists, 2 of them, Jeralyn and Max made it to the podium, at the first time of asking, on their debut.
13. Mr Speaker, allow me to say a little more about our medallists, who have made us tremendously proud.
1. What resonates with us, though, goes well beyond their tangible medal achievements.
2. More important is the resilience we saw in their attitudes, and the grace with which they have conducted themselves and flown our flag so proudly.
14. First, we have Jeralyn Tan, our first Paralympic silver medallist for Boccia:
1. Her story is about conviction and perseverance, sticking through the tough times.
2. In her early years of competing, she faced multiple setbacks and losses. But she pressed on.
3. After several years of hard work and winning three editions of the World Boccia Cup in 2023 and 2024, she is now the world’s top-ranked female Boccia player in her class.
4. She qualified for the Paralympics this year and as you would know, Jeralyn came back with our first ever medal in Boccia, winning the Silver.
5. I would add that she was a whisker away from the Gold – it went down to the very last ball. But I am sure this will only inspire and motivate Jeralyn even more in future editions of the Paralympics.
15. Second, our Olympic bronze medallist, kitefoiler Max Maeder.
1. Max’s story is about courage and sportsmanship and being an inspirational role model for our youths in Singapore.
2. I am sure all of you remember Max giving Singapore a wonderful birthday present on National Day this year, winning the Bronze medal.
3. At 17 years old and making his debut at the Olympics, Max was not just the youngest Singaporean athlete to win an Olympic medal. He was also the youngest in the world to win an individual sailing medal at the Olympics, ever.
4. We saw his determination and sportsmanship, when he came up against world-class opponents, older and more experienced than him.
5. Members, if you get a chance later to have a chat with this fine young gentleman, you will be struck by his passion, maturity and humility at his young age.
6. Max’s story shows that we can, and indeed, every Singaporean must, dare to dream big and chase the rainbow, no matter the odds, and of course as he has shown, no matter the age!
16. Third, Yip Pin Xiu – our double-gold medallist in swimming.
1. Pin Xiu is not only Singapore’s most decorated Paralympian, having won double Gold in the S2 Women’s 50m and 100m Backstroke events, over the past 3 editions of the Paralympics.
2. She has effectively made these events her own – six Gold medals over 3 editions of the Paralympics 50m and 100m!
3. Remarkably, Pin Xiu’s first Gold medal was won 16 years ago, in 2008, in Beijing – a champion in every sense.
4. But perhaps what is more remarkable is how she uses her standing and sporting achievements to champion causes that she believes in.
5. Pin Xiu has made extensive contributions to our nation, as a passionate advocate on social issues – on youths, on sports, on inclusion for persons with disabilities. In fact, just over the weekend, she was out at the Purple Parade!
6. Her stint as a former Nominated Member of Parliament, a current National Youth Council member, and a member of the SDSC Board among others – that is a testament of her selfless service to the community in a broad and diverse range of different sectors.
17. I want to add our congratulations to all our medal winners! You have done us all very proud.

SACRIFICES OF THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM

18. Mr Speaker, I am sure many in this House as well as fellow Singaporeans, would have watched our athletes compete on television.
19. But we only saw the tip of the iceberg or the sharp end of the spear as it were.
1. An event, like athletics or swimming event, can be over in 10 seconds.
2. But we saw Team Singapore athletes give their all in every event they competed in, leaving nothing behind in the cauldron of competition in Paris.
20. But it is not just their effort alone – behind each of them lies an entire support system, that has enabled them to be at their best against the very best in the world.
1. We all know the saying that it takes a village to raise a child.
2. But I think it takes more than village – in this case maybe a whole town – to raise an athlete to compete and challenge at the highest levels.
3. This includes their families, coaches, trainers, physiotherapists, nutritionists, psychologists, sports administrators, and even sport associations. All of them collectively play an important role, creating an environment that enables our athletes to thrive. This list goes on.
21. I would therefore like to express my deep appreciation to these people who are often unnamed, worked quietly behind the scenes, in the background, no fuss, to make things happen perfectly for our athletes.
1. They are a key part of Team Singapore and an integral part of our success at these Olympics and Paralympics.
2. And it is indeed a victory founded on the Olympic spirit of “togetherness”.
22. Their collective efforts have enabled our athletes to better themselves. I thought it would be useful to give some colour to what I am saying, with some examples for Members.
23. First, let me talk about Yurnita. She is Jeralyn’s coach and has been for many years. But she is not just a coach, but also Jeralyn’s closest confidant, throughout her long journey.
1. Their relationship spans many years, and they were involved in countless competitions, locally as well as abroad.
2. At the Paralympics, at the end of her quarter-finals match, Jeralyn was up against the World No. 1. We saw a very astute strategic suggestion that Coach Yurnita gave to Jeralyn, which Jeralyn executed to perfection.
1. From a defensive position, she pulled off a stunning shot, unerring in accuracy and perfect in weight.
2. It completely closed off her opponent’s angles and frustrated all of her opponent’s remaining shots.
3. This move, which was brilliant, won Jeralyn the match. Eventually, she made it to the Finals, where she won the Silver.
3. Coach Yurnita had to judge not just what could work, in the context of strategy in the match, but more importantly, whether in that situation, could Jeralyn pull it off.
4. The coach’s deep bond and understanding with Jeralyn allowed her to make the right call at the right time for the athlete. In the coach’s own words, the both of them are “not just like friends; we’re like family.”
5. I saw this myself at the Paralympics: Yurnita celebrated every success and cried every tear, along with Jeralyn. This deep connection and trust allowed them to navigate both triumphs and challenges successfully together.
6. We are fortunate to have coaches like Yurnita as part of Team Singapore.
24. Members might not know that we also had a very strong support team for Paris but sitting in Singapore. They were not even in Paris.
1. They worked in Singapore, operating from a different time zone.
25. These included our sport scientists as well as our medical team.
1. They worked off videos and live data that were sent across, sometimes overnight, from Paris.
2. They worked round the clock, to analyse the data, make suggestions to ensure that our athletes peak, stay at their peak, and were able to compete in a high-pressure and unrelenting environment – everything from sleep to nutrition, physiotherapy to psychology.
26. They and many more are the invaluable unseen force behind our Team Singapore. And I thank all of you very much for these efforts.
27. Finally, I also want to thank the many Singaporeans who supported our athletes through thick and thin.
1. Many turned up in full force to celebrate the open-top bus parades a couple of weeks ago.
2. Some even turned up in Paris, on their own, to lend their support and voices in person.
3. And we received many more countless messages from Singaporeans, cheering them on in spirit.
28. I am sure our athletes appreciated every single one of these expressions of support.

INVESTING IN OUR NEXT BOUND OF SPORTING EXCELLENCE

29. Mr Speaker, Sir, as we close the chapter on Paris 2024, we have to ask: what is next for sports in Singapore?
30. Over the past five Olympic and Paralympic campaigns, since 2008, we have been doing incrementally well.
1. We have reached the podium at all Paralympics since 2008, winning 14 medals in total.
2. We have also achieved podium successes at 4 out of 5 editions of the Olympics.
31. As our Prime Minister said at the National Day Rally, we must find a way to build on these successes and for sport to be a key pathway to success.
32. So how do we now build on strong foundations and strive towards our next bound of sporting excellence?
1. For starters, we have no time to lose. Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 will be upon us in no time. We have already started preparations.
33. Renowned American Car Racer Bobby Unser Jr said it well when he said: "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet."
34. So, what do we have to do? We have to work hard, so that when that opportunity arrives, we will be prepared to make a success of it.
35. Sir, in my view, the best way to honour the success of our athletes, is to ensure that we build on their success.
1. We want today’s athletes to be the giants on whose shoulders tomorrow’s athletes stand. To reach further, stronger, higher together so that we can achieve more, with each succeeding generation of Team Singapore athletes.
36. Let me therefore recap some of our key strategies to achieve this.

STRATEGY 1 - EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL, TO REACH THEIR ASPIRATIONS IN SPORTS

37. Our first strategy starts at the base, driving keen interest and wide participation in sports.
38. On the whole, Singaporeans have embraced the value of participating in sports.
1. In 2015, 54% of Singaporeans participated in sports weekly. In 2023, that figure has grown to 73%.
2. We are not yet satisfied, we will press on – not just to broaden but to deepen participation.
39. Our ActiveSG Academies and Clubs allows youths to take part in a variety of affordable sports programmes.
1. These programmes are held in our network of Sports Centres across Singapore, covering 10 different sports.
2. For those who may not be able to afford these programmes, we have set up the SportCares Bursary, which covers the full cost of participation fees for these programmes.
40. Key to increasing sports access to the youth is also our partnership with the Ministry of Education (MOE).
1. For instance, MOE and SportSG run the Strategic-Partnership CCA programme. For example, in sports like Water Polo and Athletics, to allow students with otherwise no access to these co-curricular activities (CCAs) to be able to take part in and participate in these sports.
2. We have also opened the Sports Hub for more National School Games Finals. A record number of NSG events, now take place at the Sports Hub. Why?
1. We want to allow our children to experience playing in the same venue as the national team.
2. An experience they won’t easily forget and will hopefully inspire them for years to come.
3. MCCY is committed to working with MOE to improve our talent pathways through policies like the Direct School Admission (DSA).
1. This must be complemented by each of our National Sports Associations’ (NSAs) efforts to broaden the appeal of their sport. Make it attractive and accessible, build up demand for it so that more schools will offer these sports to start with.
41. For the community, we have also built up a vibrant sporting calendar, with competitions like the ActiveSG Cup and Pesta Sukan.
1. I hope some Members here have had the opportunity to take part in those events at the grassroots level.
2. These events not just allow us to take part in a sport that is healthy, driving participation, but also helps us to bring the community together.
42. We have also established, over time, a network of world-class sports facilities that are located closer to all of us, in our neighborhoods, removing that one last excuse of the centres and facilities being too far away.
1. For example, our refreshed sports centres at Delta and Choa Chu Kang; and our future developments in Toa Payoh and Punggol.

STRATEGY 2 – OUR HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORTS SYSTEM FORGES CHAMPIONS

43. Our second strategy is to strengthen our high-performance sport system to be athlete-focused and to give our best athletes the best preparation possible.
44. Our sports institutions, like the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) and National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI), work closely with our NSAs to provide our athletes with the best Training Environment on a daily basis.
1. We also want to give our athletes access to the best facilities, top coaches, world-class competitions, as well as to benefit from end-to-end sports science support.
45. Take our top athletes like Swimmer Sophie or Shooter Xiu Hong who are in the Chamber here today.
1. The spexScholarship programme that they are on unlocks their potential, gives them a base, providing monthly stipends and dedicated sports science support, allowing them to be fully focused, invested in their sports, training, competing full-time.
46. We also recognise that our top athletes must be constantly challenged. And so, we send our athletes to train and compete overseas regularly, allowing our athletes to spar with some of the world's best.
1. Take, for example, our table tennis team – they were able to participate in a range of camps and competitions, in the lead-up to the Olympics.
2. In fact, prior to being in Paris, they spent an extensive period in Shimada City, Japan, before the 2024 World Table Tennis Team Championships.
47. Sir, I mentioned the spexScholarship. This has been one of our most successful high-performance pillars. So, we extended the spex support for our athletes.
1. The number of spexScholars has grown from 61 in 2013 to more than 100 in the last two years. So, there are more athletes on the programme, covering a bigger, wider range of different sports.
2. Collectively, the spexScholars form the core of our Paris Olympics and Paralympics contingent.
48. We have also gone upstream, recognising that sometimes we need to give support at an earlier phase in the athletes’ development, supporting more promising athletes, earlier on in their sporting journey.
    1. This year, we saw our first cohort of 48 spexPotential athletes, awarded to athletes who are on the cusp of a breakthrough and who might require that additional nudge or push to help them make the leap.
49. Overall, Sir, an enhanced spex support, twinned with the programme at Singapore Sports School, provides a comprehensive pathway for our youths to achieve their sporting dreams.
50. Established 20 years ago, the Singapore Sports School provides a unique educational offering, wrapping academics around sports, optimising our student-athletes’ development in sports whilst at the same time ensuring they have the best opportunity to maintain their academic pursuits.
51. Indeed, the Sports School’s results speak for themselves on the sporting stage.
    1. Over these two decades, they have produced 19 Olympians and 17 World Champions, some of whom are here today – Amita, Izaac and Shanti are proud alumni of the Sports School.
52. We also recently announced the spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarships and CPF top-ups for our spexScholars.
53. This helps take care of a very important aspect of our athletes’ needs – academic qualifications and financial stability.
    1. We did so because we know how much our athletes sacrifice when they pursue their sporting ambition.
    2. These initiatives therefore provide our athletes the assurance that their education and financial needs can be supported as they journey on their sporting ambition. This helps them maintain and remain committed to sports, in the long term.

STRATEGY 3 – BUILDING CAPABILITIES OF THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM

54. Our third strategy is to enhance our institutional capabilities in every aspect of sporting support.
    1. From cutting edge sports scientists, to world-class coaches, to technical officials as examples. The whole sporting ecosystem must grow.
55. For instance, our sport scientists are playing an increasingly crucial role in preparing our athletes. I gave some examples of how we supported our athletes in Paris. What they do off the field of play has a very important and significant bearing on our athletes’ performances.
56. We also know all too well how a good coach makes all the difference. And so, we support the NSAs when they identify a good coach they wish to bring in and help us overall in our Singapore sporting system, to grow.
    1. For instance, when Fencing Singapore wanted to bring in a world-class coach in Oleg Matshuchiek, we supported them.
       1. I have met Oleg. He is a top fencing coach. He was previously with the Japanese national team. He led them to two Olympic Silver medals.
       2. Today, he is part of Team Singapore, focused on training our fencers and turning them into world-class athletes, competing with the best on the world’s best platforms.
    2. We will continue working with our NSAs to develop, identify and bring in the best coaches, to benefit not just our athletes but also develop our own local coaching talent.
57. We must also build up sporting thought leadership. Take for example, technical officials.
    1. We had at least 10 technical officials at the Paris Olympics, representing Singapore in sports such as hockey, gymnastics and diving.
    2. Their expertise and know-how help us, in turn, to lift our sporting standards. It also profiles Singapore sport on the world stage and positions us to host world-class sporting events in the future.
58. A number of our former national athletes have also become sports specialists. We tap into their experience and know-how and the fact that they are very familiar with the circuit.
    1. Former shuttler, Kelvin Ho, is now our singles head coach for our shuttlers.
    2. And our former Olympic sailor, Xu Yuan Zhen, was the assistant team manager for our sailors Ryan and Max.
    3. I watched Yuan Zhen in action – he brought all of his Olympic experience to bear, preparing and mentoring our young sailors, giving them an idea as to what is going to happen, how to take control of the situation, how to deal with the mental aspect of the sport, so that they gain a competitive advantage.
59. We will therefore build up talent, retain our ex-sportsmen and sportswomen as much as possible, keep them in this space, leverage on the experience that they have and hope to make sports a viable career for each of them.

STRATEGY 4 – MAKING SINGAPORE A HUB FOR WORLD CLASS SPORTING EVENTS

60. Our fourth strategy is to bring world-class sporting events into Singapore, where we can. Not just for sporting spectatorship value but also to provide more opportunities for our national athletes to compete and measure themselves against the world’s best, such as for Izaac Quek when he was 16 years old.
    1. He first competed in the 2022 edition of Singapore Smash, one of the more prestigious events in the world.
    2. He lost that match in 2022, but he picked up very important big match experience that would otherwise have been difficult for a young boy about to break through, to master.
    3. He came back stronger with that experience and competed in the 2023 edition. He was drawn against the reigning Commonwealth Games medallist. He was two sets down, but he came back to win 3-2, and progressed further in Smash that year.
    4. Later that year, he won three SEA Games Gold medals and this year, in July, made his debut at the Olympics.
61. You can see the value of having world-class events in Singapore. We get wildcards for our athletes – they take part, they compete, they participate, they gain the experience, and then their improvement is exponential.
62. The Government has committed to invest $165 million, as the Prime Minister has announced, in the Major Sports Events Fund over the next four years.
    1. In the coming months, Singaporeans can expect world-class events such as the World Chess Championship and the World Aquatics Championships, para-swimming.
63. We will also be building a new 18,000-seater indoor arena, allowing us to host these world-class sports events and also strengthening Singapore’s position as an attractive destination for sports, entertainment and lifestyle.

STRATEGY 5 – AN INCLUSIVE SINGAPORE SPORTS SYSTEM THROUGH THE DISABILITY SPORTS MASTERPLAN

64. Our fifth strategy is to strengthen our support for disability sports, to promote more participation and to set up a stronger pipeline for excellence.
65. I will say more about this when we launch the Disability Sports Masterplan (DSMP) next month, but let me sketch out a few key points.
66. Sir, we are committed to transforming the lives of our persons with disabilities, through the power of sports.
67. We have seen that time and time again, how important sports is to participation, uplifting morale, giving us a sense of self-worth. We will therefore progressively enhance accessibility to public sports facilities.
    1. SportSG has already retrofitted eight swimming pools with ramps for wheelchairs. Two more pools will have ramps by the end of next year.
    2. We also target to make all ActiveSG gyms inclusive by 2026. Persons with disabilities can look forward to ActiveSG gym orientation programmes that will be ready later this year.
68. But, Sir, inclusivity is more than just accessibility. Since the launch of the DSMP in 2016, sport participation among persons with disabilities has increased from 28% in 2015 to 46% in 2023.
69. More importantly, beyond just catering to accessibility. SportSG and their partners have introduced a range of programmes for persons with disabilities to take part in sports. Not just be at the venues, but take part in sports.
70. There must therefore be suitable programmes to encourage a stronger sense of participation and community.
71. The ActiveSG Para Sports Academy has also started programmes to provide persons with disabilities opportunities to participate in sports such as wheelchair rugby and para canoe.
72. MCCY and SportSG have embarked on efforts to step up on our plans leading into the DSMP.
    1. Since last year, my colleague, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua has led a taskforce comprising various stakeholders to listen to ideas, to take on suggestions, and to push the boundary and envelope on how we can refresh the DSMP.
    2. More than 800 stakeholders have been engaged, and provided good ideas, which we will take onboard.
73. We will announce our recommendations to refresh the DSMP shortly.
    1. This will focus on more opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in sports regularly – at the base level, having more participation and opportunities.
    2. To also raise more awareness, and to bring our community together, through unified participation like Play Inclusive, bringing able-bodied persons with persons with disabilities on the same team, taking part collectively.
    3. And to have a clear pathway for sporting excellence as we nurture, cultivate and develop sporting talent for the next generation of disability sports excellence.

STRATEGY 6 – STRENGTHENING THE ADMINISTRATION OF SPORT

74. Sir, our sixth strategy that I will talk about today is to deepen our partnership amongst the various sporting institutions in Singapore.
75. Sir, we are a small country, with a smaller population than most countries. But if we pull in the same direction, work collectively, united, we can turn our size into an advantage.
    1. NSAs, SportSG, SSI, NYSI, SNOC and SNPC have to be cohesive and concerted in our efforts to advance sports together in Singapore.
    2. At the same time, we will gradually step up professionalising the talent we have in sports administration.
76. This overall will benefit our athletes as well as the support structure for our athletes.

THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF OUR SPORTING STRATEGIES

77. Sir, as I conclude, let me just recap. I have briefly outlined our key strategies – we build the base, we strengthen the pipeline, we invest in technical expertise and sports science, we professionalise our sports administration.
78. We need to find a way to bring these together. It is important that these six strategies work in tandem, and they work cohesively.
79. At the National Day Rally this year, the Prime Minister announced the Kallang Alive Masterplan. It is a bold and comprehensive plan to put sports firmly at the front of our agenda to create a clear pathway for success for Singaporeans through sports.
80. It will allow younger Singaporeans to choose sports first and be supported in their choice.
81. The Kallang Alive plans will bring all our six strategies, coalescing them physically, literally under one roof.
82. We will bring together athletes, sports science, NSAs, coaches, officials, and Sports School into our Home Of Team Singapore, which will be in the middle of our Kallang Alive Masterplan. All of these, wrapped around with dedicated, world-class training facilities, a National Training Centre (NTC) with facilities for Para Sports, and an expanded sport science and sport medicine centre.
83. We will also more closely integrate with our sporting institutions and bring everyone together to inspire one another, leverage and build on economies of scale, inspire one another and to collectively call ourselves one TeamSG.
84. As the Prime Minister announced, the whole of Singapore will also be a part of this experience in the Kallang Alive Precinct, with the activation of the beautiful Kallang Alive waterfront area as well as pedestrianising of the boulevard running through the precinct.
85. Mr Speaker, as I started this speech, I said that the best way to thank our athletes today is to ensure that we preserve and build on the legacies of their successes. We also hoist in the lessons of their journeys and we do what we can to ensure that we will be better tomorrow than we were yesterday.
86. The Government does not have unlimited resources. No one does. But with what we have, you have our commitment that we will continue to support our athletes and their aspirations as best we can.
87. To our Team Singapore athletes, we know how tough it is to be an athlete at this level – to be constantly challenged, to keep yourselves always at the peak of your levels.
    1. You are constantly pushing the boundaries of your potential, chasing greatness with every training, with every competition, and with every moment of preparation.
    2. The journey is filled with challenges, but then again, it is these very challenges and obstacles that will sharpen your instinct and strengthen your resolve.
88. Remember that excellence is not just about talent – it is equally about discipline, resilience, and the ability to rise again after every fall.
89. Stay focused, trust the process, embrace every opportunity to compete, because each step forward is a victory in and of itself.
90. More importantly, your efforts and achievements inspire and unite Singaporeans.
91. You inspire us all to be faster, higher, stronger – to be the best, or if not then at least the better versions of ourselves. And do it collectively, together, as one Singapore. For this, we thank you very much.
92. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.