Let's get behind our sportsmen

Anyone who read assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath's report (Rowing against the painful tide; Aug 18) will certainly have a burning question: Why would rower Joan Poh go through all the pain and effort, especially when she has to seek financial help for her training, to accomplish her goal of representing Singapore and winning a medal?

As a former sportsman who played hockey for my school, I can empathise with Poh's mental resilience, determination and resolve to train hard for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Looking back, we have had athletes like Theresa Goh and Yip Pin Xiu, whose performance at the Paralympic Games in 2016 inspired many of our athletes to "go for gold".

Goh took 17 years of training and perseverance to win the coveted bronze medal (At last, Goh wins elusive medal; Sept 13, 2016).

Likewise, para-paddler Jason Chee's determination and perseverance enabled him to win Class 2 gold medal at the Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games last year. It certainly came as no surprise when Chee, who had lost both his legs, his left arm and three fingers in a naval accident in 2012 and, later, an eye due to cancer, was voted 2017 Straits Times Athlete of the Year.

With such inspiring stories, it is therefore not surprising that Poh, too, is persevering to make Singapore proud, regardless of whether a medal is eventually won.

We must, as a nation of caring Singaporeans, encourage and inspire the less fortunate, whether financially or physically, to never give up on their coveted sporting goals.

As a First World and progressive nation, we must provide the moral, psychological and financial support to keep their dreams alive.

Tan Teck Huat

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 24, 2018, with the headline Let's get behind our sportsmen. Subscribe