Home For Champions In Sports

Success In Developing Sport Champions

8 Olympians. 16 World Champions. 23 Asian Champions. These are just some of the sporting success that student-athletes from Singapore Sports School have achieved in the last 16 years.

Singapore Sports School was formed in 2004 as the only local sports-focused institution. Each year, only about 100-odd student-athletes walk through the gates of the school harbouring the dream of becoming national athletes. Most student-athletes come in at the start of their secondary school life as unpolished diamonds. As they are young when they are identified, the role of Sports School is to polish their raw potential and enable them to reach their fullest potential. Sport programmes, athlete-friendly academic programmes, infrastructure, support systems, manpower and collaborations are carefully and deliberately placed to support the small population of student-athletes in the school.

Despite a small population size, Sports School has produced several high-performing athletes who have done well in the international and regional sporting scene.

Eight past student-athletes have managed to attain the pinnacle of achievement – to represent Singapore at the Olympic Games. Among them are swimmer Tao Li, hurdler Dipna Lim Prasad, swimmer and current coach at the Swimming Academy Mylene Ong Chui Bin. Sixteen others have beaten big-wigs from all over the world to be recognised as the best at world championships. One of them who been added to the list of world champions more recently is Constance Lien Tian-En. She came up tops to clinch the world championship title in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue featherweight category, after beating a Brazilian competitor in the final. In addition, another 23 past student-athletes have proven that they are at the top of the league in Asia.

The 16 batches of student-athletes have also represented Singapore in other important sport competitions. To date, there have been 108 Asian Games competitors, 44 Commonwealth Games competitors, 422 Southeast Asian Games Competitors, 35 Youth Olympic Competitors, 60 Asian Youth Games competitors, 2 Commonwealth Youth Games competitors, and 493 national open representatives.

While not every student-athlete may represent Singapore at the Olympic Games, or attain medals at major competitions, what is important is that Sports School has been instrumental in enabling youth athletes discover their potential, and giving them the push to be the best that they can be.

Nurturing the next generation of world-beaters will continue to be the desire of Sports School. However, its ultimate goal is to mould champions who will be good role models in the sporting scene and life.