LIVE BETTER THROUGH SPORT OCTOBER | 2018 WE ARE Singapore! Chairman’s Foreword This bumper issue covers many inspiring stories and events that have been staged in the last few months, particularly around our 53rd National Day. They speak of who we are and our pride; and provide glimpses of how we are journeying together through sport. In this Content landscape, we see our spirit of living our lives to the fullest expressed through our energy and commitment. Our lives in sport take us beyond work and attending to responsibilities, and adds to the vibrancy and colour of our city and country. It rounds up the meaningfulness of our endeavours by bringing us closer as families, friends and neighbours, colleagues, and 4 It's In His Blood communities. It encourages us not just to get along, but to root for each other, and to be there when it is important to be. At home and abroad, we are defining who we are as Singaporeans through our sport and play. 13 GetActive! Singapore I hope that you will feel inspired as you go through the chronicles in these pages. In this edition, we also pay tribute to Mr Richard Seow, who has helmed the board of Sport Singapore from 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2018. Richard first stepped onto 43 The City Comes Alive With Football! the board in 2006, and since then his passion for sport and people, his encouraging demeanour and inspiring leadership have provided clear direction for the work and efforts of Sport Singapore. 57 Our People, Our Spirit In his tenure as Chairman, Sport Singapore has formulated and worked towards Vision 2030; an aspiration and blueprint for how sport should be deployed as a strategy for nation building. The imprint of his leadership is plain to see when we survey Singapore’s sporting landscape today. Our 69 Asian Games 2018 infrastructure, events, the accessibility to good, affordable and inclusive programmes have made significant strides, and continue to improve and grow. Team Singapore athletes have made significant breakthroughs with the support from new 99 The 2018 World Cities Summit high performance capabilities and systems. Coaches too are receiving more support for continuing education and development. Richard’s visionary leadership has inspired us to weave a tapestry to nurture communities and partners that will work together to enable us all to 105 Active Health For Everyone “Live Better Through Sport”. We are continuing with the good work that Richard has spearheaded with a review of the Vision 2030 111 Events strategies and plans. As part of this review we are engaging partners and diverse stakeholders to take on broad perspectives and ideas of how we This publication is produced by Sport Singapore. Connect with us at sportsingapore.gov.sg. can further leverage the potential that has been For enquiries or feedback, please email to [email protected] created. I hope that if you are approached, or if you have views and ideas that you would engage us. The editorial peeps: Sol Ami, Chloe Ang, Genevieve Goh, Shane Hong, Lee Huei Chern, Lim Teck Yin, Ng Chrong Meng, Melvyn Quek, Song Jing, Fayeruz Surahman, Ben Tan, Eliza Tan, Jean Yong I hope you enjoy this edition of “LIVE”. With contributions from: Ang Han Teng, Kannan Arumugam, Brenda Boh, Alan Chong, Amy Chong, Grace Gan, Zaid Ismail, Lau Ai Ling, Lee Li Huang, Sheryl Lim, Parry Low, Samantha Low, Andrew Ng, Mr Kon Yin Tong Sharifa Norliza, Harry Ong, Raphael Rios, Andy Tan, Tan Shu Fang, Darren Tan, Tan Bee Lian, Janice Chairman, Sport Singapore Woon, Herald Yeo, John Yeong. Cover and Chairman's Foreword photos by Sport Singapore All information stated is correct at time of printing It’s in his blood ... RICHARD SEOW CHAIRMAN OF SPORT SINGAPORE 1 OCTOBER 2010 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 ne would expect the Chairman of the Sport 100m and 200m sprints and the 80m and 100m OSingapore Board to have a rich background hurdles. Interestingly, he also recounted how in sport. Richard Seow certainly ticks many of recess games like “one-leg catching” all had the boxes. He was a schoolboy sprint champion a part to play in his athletic development and and played multiple sports, and is now a physical literacy. knowledgeable sports fan, sports parent and sports photographer that commands much Soon he was talent spotted and was asked to respect in local sport circles. Amongst athletes, meet the legendary Tan Eng Yoon, who worked coaches, officials and administrators, he is at the then Singapore Sports Council. “Mr Tan known for being an encouraging leader who has asked me to run one round the track at the spent time and effort to know them better and National Stadium and then put me on a strength to support their efforts as best he could. To the and conditioning programme,” Richard recalls. leaders in Sport Singapore, his wise counsel and By Secondary 4, under coach Tan Soo Hian, The motivation astute judgement was instrumental in enabling Richard clocked his best time ever for the 100m; behind his passion the momentum in Vision 2030. 10.83 seconds. Encouraged by his father and mother, Gordon “Tan Soo Hian gave me self-belief, my mother and Eileen Seow, sport was very much a part was at every meet I ran, and others like journalist of Richard’s growing up years. The elder Seow Ernest Frieda were always encouraging; giving was an All Malaya tennis player, a hurdler and me tips on how to improve.” Self-belief turned long jumper, and later a Team Singapore golfer. into an aspiration; and the 1984 Los Angeles It was no wonder that Richard would fall in love Olympics was the target. with sport and become a huge proponent for its value to our lives and society. “I made the move to the University of Oregon during my first year in Junior College and I was He recounts what playing was like in his primary one of the six fighting for a place in the sprint school years, which included two years in squad.” He devoured Track and Field News and England where the family was based for a time: its sister publication, Track Technique. “I was “I was exposed to playing football, rugby, studying the sport and its athletes to pick up on cricket and athletics in England. We played tips for starts and racing.” every day, even though the school did not have a big regulation-sized field. Two or three times To Richard, the adjustment to the new every week we would play against another environment was huge. “The training load was school in the area. Everyone played something much more than I had ever experienced. This and we had several ‘school teams’ with different was not about the athlete but the college team, abilities in any one sport.” and we were all fighting for a place on the team and to try and win championships.” Richard’s interest would gradually narrow down to athletics because he was fast. When he In hindsight, the move may have come too returned to Singapore in Primary 5, he ran in the soon. As a maturing athlete, every year in age 4 5 All photos by Richard Seow and Dyan Tjhia “Through the lens you learn to look at and appreciate things quite differently.” – Richard Seow had a heavy count. The unrelenting training load had taken its toll and he suffered stress fractures on his shins. It became clear that 1984 was not going to happen. Richard continued to play other sports in college. On his return to serve National Service, he won the coveted Sword of Honour as the best officer cadet from the School of Signals. Sport continued to provide him a balance to the hectic working life of a banker, and when his children were born “the cycle started all over again”. Now as a sports parent, he was on the sidelines as his children swam and played in team sports. He was very much the sports parent that he had experienced when he was growing up. How did he get into sports photography? Richard smiles at the memory. “One day my wife told me that I was not setting a good example to my sons, shouting instructions and other things as I watched my kids play. She decided to get me a camera and told me to watch through the lens. Since that day she has conspired every birthday with the supplier to enhance my collection of photographic gear.” Photography is how Richard consumes live sport now. “Through the lens you learn to look at and appreciate things quite differently.” The photos accompanying this article are Always for the youth a sample of his large portfolio, and illustrate his meaning. Emotions, character, spirit and the human form are all exemplified through his lens. It would almost seem inevitable that this successful businessman would soon receive a call up to serve on the board of the then Singapore Sports Council. In all he served twelve years; eight of those as Chairman. He recounts his aspiration for the board was to help make sport more relevant to people and Singapore society. He espouses the value of sport for every facet of life – childhood development, strong families and work teams, shared societal values and identity and more. “The key is to bring everyone along and keep building on the narrative of how we can all live better through sport.” “What we are doing in Vision 2030 is not easy because it is multi-faceted and complex; but has great meaning.