Jiu-jitsu world champion Constance Lien among 17 new spexScholars
SINGAPORE — SEA Games gold medallist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Constance Lien was among 17 athletes awarded the Sports Excellence Scholarship (spexScholarship) on Wednesday (1 April).
The athletes come from across 14 sports, with first-time scholars in disciplines such as ice-skating, jiu-jitsu and triathlon. They were selected from 86 nominations, in which the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) shortlisted 26 applicants for interviews this year.
“The scholarship will help me greatly in raising my current standard with increased quality training and competitions,” said 20-year-old Lien, who also won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
“It is a great motivation to know that the nation is behind me in raising the Singapore flag high.”
Challenging period with disruptions
According to a media release by Sport Singapore on Wednesday, the 17 new spexScholars bring the total number to 79. Of this current cohort, 11 are renewals from the previous batch.
While congratulation the scholars, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said that this will be a very challenging period of them, as competitions and training plans are being disrupted.
“But I believe in the resilience and tenacity of our spexScholars. They have shown the determination to work hard and excel amidst adversity. We will continue to support them in their sporting journeys, and help them to fulfil their sporting potential,” she said.
Incepted in 2013, the spexScholarship recognises student athletes of good character in high performance sport, providing them an enhanced level of support to prepare them to excel at regional, continental and Olympic and world-level events.
List of new spexScholars: Madeleine Ong (archery), Marc Brian Louis (athletics), Reuben Rainer Lee (athletics), Jermaine Seah (bowling), Chairmaine Chang (bowling), Aloysius Yapp (cue sports), Mohd Elyas Mohd Yusoff (cycling), Muhd Diroy Noordin (disability sports – athletics), Denyse Chan (fencing), Trevor Tan (ice skating – short track), Constance Lien (jiu-jitsu), Lee Wonn Kye (sailing), Christie May Chue (swimming), Mikkel Lee (swimming), Muhammad Syakir Jeffry (silat), Emma Middleditch (triathlon), Isabel Chua (wushu).
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