Chef-De-Mission for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,

Dr Tan Eng Liang

Chef-De-Mission for Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games,

Mr Frankie Sinniah

Team Singapore officials and athletes

Friends of the media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening

2       It gives me great pleasure to be here today for the flag presentation ceremony to Team Singapore for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

3       A little over a month from today, 25 of our finest athletes will march out at the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 8 August as they prepare to compete against the world’s best and in September, our Paralympians will showcase their sporting abilities at the Paralympic Games.

Success at Major Games

4       The past decade has seen the emergence of Singapore on the international sporting scene. 

5       Team Singapore athletes have shown their talent, strength, and solid preparations in putting up stellar performances to bring back a record number of medals in successive South East Asian, Commonwealth and Asian Games.

6       Our aspiration remains to win a medal at the highest level – the Olympic Games. At the last two Olympics, in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004, we came within a whisker of winning a medal.

7       Our quest for that elusive Olympic medal has been boosted by Project 0812, a joint effort by MCYS, SSC, and SNOC to identify and nurture athletes capable of achieving success at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

8       Two years after the Project’s introduction, 16 athletes under the programme have qualified for the Games.

9       These Project 0812 athletes can now approach the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with confidence and optimism to challenge for medals, knowing that they have received the best training and preparation for the Games.

The Beijing 2008 Olympics Contingent

10     Singapore will be represented by its largest-ever contingent of athletes since the Games in Melbourne in 1956 and they will compete in six sports – swimming, sailing, badminton, table tennis, shooting and athletics.

11     This is possibly Singapore’s strongest and best-prepared contingent for the Olympics. An unprecedented number of our athletes have qualified for the Beijing Olympics on merit, including shooter Lee Wung Yew who is the first Singaporean shooter to qualify for the Olympic Games.

12     Our sailors are also the first Singaporeans to qualify for the Olympic Games in the Laser Radial and 470 men and women classes, while swimmer Tao Li became the first Singaporean to qualify for the ‘A’ mark in swimming.

13     Our paddlers, who came so close to winning medals at the last two Olympiads, are well-placed again. The women’s team is ranked No. 2 in the world and both Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei are ranked sixth, seventh and ninth, respectively, in the world in women’s singles.

14     This bodes well for our chances to win our first medal since 1960.

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Contingent

15     For the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, the Singapore Disability Sports Council will be sending 6 athletes and 14 officials. They will be competing in swimming,  equestrian and athletics.

16     Swimmer and world record holder, Theresa Goh, will be heading to the Games with two world records under her belt. So will Yip Pin Xiu, who rewrote two world records in the space of two months this year. They are undoubtedly the ones to beat in the pool and I wish everyone all the best in their respective events.

Encouragement and support for Team Singapore

17     Let me take this opportunity to salute the men and women of Team Singapore. You have trained hard, prepared well, and sacrificed much in your pursuit to bring glory to Singapore.

18     I encourage all of you to stay focused and positive, to display the highest standards of sportsmanship and fair play as you fly the Singapore flag in front of thousands of spectators and millions more on television.

19     In a while, I will be joining the rest of Singapore who have penned their good wishes to the team. I am told that more than 20,000 wishes have been collected since the launch of the well-wishing campaign last month. This goes to show how the nation is getting behind the team and will be supporting you from home.

This support is invaluable.

20     By doing your best in Beijing, you will be the cause for joyous celebrations and it will also be the best present and reward for all Singaporeans for their support all these years.

Conclusion

21     I wish you a successful outing at the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games and I look forward to cheering you on in China.

22     You represent the cream of Singapore’s sporting talent. Do your best.  And during this National Day, do Singapore proud!

23     Thank you.