SPORTS AS CAREER
Singapore’s high-performing athletes have long had to deal with the perception that pursuing their sport seriously could set them back in their careers.
This has lingered throughout wushu exponent Kimberly Ong’s time in the sport, especially when many of her national teammates were dropping out to focus on their studies.
“There’s definitely this societal stereotype that academics are more important than sports, and (that) there’s a longer runway if you pursue your academics over sports,” said the 21-year-old, who clinched a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games.
“I feel like a lot of our talent pool is being lost because of these kinds of considerations.”
The pressures faced by parents can weigh just as heavily, even though the Prime Minister said in his speech that parents are now more convinced to support the dreams of high-performance athletes.
Ong’s mother Pauline Sim recalled that when her daughter was transferred in 2018 from a mainstream secondary school to the Singapore Sports School, many friends approached the family to ask why they were “sacrificing her academics for the sake of her sports”.
“We were very shocked back then, as we had never intended for her to give up pursuing academic excellence – we just wanted her to enjoy better support in terms of her sports while continuing to study hard and achieve desirable grades,” said the 51-year-old.
This appears to be what the government also hopes to achieve, by introducing a scholarship for undergraduate student-athletes.
While Ong is already on a university scholarship, juniors such as her younger sister Kassandra might stand to benefit.
“We’ve always had to go under external academic scholarships, like from the universities or other ministries,” said Ong.
“So I think (the new scholarship) would definitely ease (my junior’s) concerns about the future, because in one way, it kind of reassures them that there’s support in terms of the academic area.”
Responding to queries from CNA, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth (MCCY) said that mindsets towards pursuing a sporting career are changing.
For instance, more talented young Singaporeans are taking sports more seriously and parents are also becoming more supportive of their children’s sporting careers.
The spokesperson added that through the new schemes, the government wants to “assure aspiring and current athletes that they can pursue sporting excellence without worrying too much about education and employability”.
The initiatives “help athletes at various stages and across various facets of their lives – so that they can thrive in both their sporting and non-sporting endeavours”, said the spokesperson.
