Singapore’s high performance system for athletes takes into account National Service: SSI chief

HANOI: Singapore’s high performance system takes into account an athlete's "life stage", including National Service (NS), said Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) chief Su Chun Wei on Sunday (May 22).

Speaking at a wrap up press conference for the 31st SEA Games, when he praised Singapore athletes' performance, Dr Su also responded to a question about swimmer Joseph Schooling’s comments on National Service.

On Wednesday, 2016 Olympic champion Schooling said that it was important to discuss and manage expectations put on athletes who are serving NS.

He said: "It's about time we had like a national dialogue, sat down together and discussed what are the expectations that our athletes are facing as they are serving national service.

"National service is something that everyone needs to do. None of us are shying away from that. But we also need to manage expectations, the reality of it."

Dr Su said: "The Singapore high performance system takes into account our Team Singapore athletes' life stage – of course NS is one of them.

"Our support philosophy is that we take NS into account and very much want to be able to support that integrated in (a) training plan, support plan.

"So we want to be able to give them the best opportunity to excel under all circumstances.

"More importantly, Team Singapore athletes themselves demonstrate the resilience, determination, the ability to adapt and adjust under all circumstances."

Calling it a "very important feature" of Singapore's high performance athletes, he said they should on this and "harness it to our ability for them, as an advantage".

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