SINGAPORE – Young Singaporean athletes in universities can soon apply for a new scholarship to cover their school expenses, such as tuition fees and course materials, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 26.
The scholarship, which is an expansion of the Sports Excellence (Spex) programme, will support athletes in universities who are pursuing their studies while training, said DPM Wong.
They can also choose to be sponsored for their undergraduate studies after pursuing their sporting goals, he added.
DPM Wong was speaking to about 1,000 people, including Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, at the Singapore Sports School’s (SSP) 20th anniversary celebration on its Woodlands campus.
“We are fully committed to do it more because we believe in the power of sports. We believe that sports can enrich our lives, and bring us closer together as a community and as a nation,” said DPM Wong.
He added that more details of the scholarship will be released in the later part of 2024.
Currently the spexScholarship supports high-performing athletes through funding for living expenses, full-time training, and competition costs.
It was launched in 2013 by DPM Wong, when he was Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, with the purpose of allowing national athletes in full-time training to receive monthly stipends, training allowances and funding for competitions.
Speaking to The Straits Times, SSP student-athlete Zeanne Law said that if she was awarded the new scholarship, it would not only ease the financial burden on her parents as she enters university in 2025, but also encourage her to do better in her sport.
“I have to sacrifice my time with friends and family as a student-athlete, but this scholarship will inspire me to keep on working hard in both my sport and academics,” said the 19-year-old, who won the women’s taijiquan title at the 2023 World Wushu Championships.
Law received two awards at the event, including the Moo Soon Chong Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year gong.
Named after SSP’s founding principal, the award is given to athletes who excel in both sport and studies, display exemplary conduct and are role models for their peers.
Law hopes to pursue a bachelor’s degree in speech and language therapy at the Singapore Institute of Technology after completing her International Baccalaureate diploma with SSP.
Celebrating the achievements of SSP’s 38 student-athletes – including Law – who received school awards on April 26, DPM Wong said the school has not only helped these students achieve sporting excellence, but also ensured they are equipped with skills to do well in life.
“Nearly all your graduates progress to tertiary education,” he said.
The school also works with local universities to provide national athletes more flexibility in course selection and duration of study, DPM Wong added, as well as alternative arrangements for assessments, resources for mentoring and wellness support.
Currently, 45 per cent of national carded athletes in sports offered in SSP, youth to senior, are past or present students of the school, said its principal, Ong Kim Soon, at the event. Carded athletes are eligible for customised programmes and support services from the Singapore Sport Institute.
More will also be done to support athletes with disabilities, Ong said, announcing a total of $41,888 raised for the Singapore Disability Sports Council.
The SSP was opened on April 2, 2004, by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to boost the nation’s development in sport.
Since its inception, the school has produced many sporting heroes. They include 2021 badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew and reigning women’s 200m Asian champion Shanti Pereira, who ended Singapore’s 49-year wait for an Asian Games track and field gold in 2023.
