Beijing 2008

I had never enjoyed an olympic game as much as Beijing 2008. For the past two weeks, I had stayed up to watch the basketball games, and woke up to tune into the swimming events. I was impressed with the finess and skills of both the Indonesian and Malaysian badminton teams and the tenacity of the Korean table-tennis players.

It is truly one of the best Olympic games because the athletes put up a good fight and a good game. It is not just about the number of medals won or the records broken. It is not about winners or losers. It had been a feast for my eyes because of the sportsmenship that they had displayed and knowing that everyone was putting in their best.

When I thought that physique matters in swimming events, the Japanese proved me wrong by being in the top three places. When competition was so intense, and every point matters, the players will question the judges but they will respect the decision and not throw their tantrums. Despite the intensity of the competition, you could tell that the players enjoyed the game and respect that their opponents are giving them a hard run for their games.

I don't understand the implication of having an olympic medal after 48 years. Not because they were not borne in singapore, but because they were not in singapore long enough. With two out of the three members having stayed in Singapore for about a year, we can hardly attribute their finess to our system.

With the setting up of the sports school and by investing our resources into sports, I have confidence that our country will slowly take our stage in the world sports arena. What we are investing and developing is a system that will groom top players and a culture that encourages them to compete against one another and sharpened their skills. Till then, I will wait for the the players, be they born in singapore or not, as long as they are groomed by our system.

I am sure this ending is only a beginning for most sportsmen. They will be sharpening their skills and training themselves, to pit their skills against their friends in the next meet.