Singapore kitefoiling champ Maeder gets 3-year sponsorship from Yeo's, NTFCF
SINGAPORE — Singapore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder has received a boost for his promising career, as beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (NTFCF) announced a three-year sponsorship agreement with the 15-year-old on Friday (25 March).
The sponsorship will provide the World Sailing Youth (Under-19) Championships winner with support in areas such as his training, development, and equipment, as he sets his goal to represent Singapore at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"I am thankful to Yeo’s and NTFCF for their very generous sponsorship; this will certainly help myself as well as the development of other sailors," Maximilian said in a media release.
"Even though I spend my time largely overseas for trainings and competition, I feel a strong sense of national pride each time I represent Singapore. I will strive to compete harder, achieve even more for Singapore."
The teenager made waves when he overcame an opening-race crash to win 14 out of 18 races and emerge champion in the Formula Kite men's competition at the World Sailing Youth Championships in Oman in December 2021.
He has also won the Formula Kite Youth (Under-19) World Championships and the European Championships last year, and rose to the top of the men's Formula Kite world rankings in September.
Besides sponsoring Maximilian, Yeo's and NTFCF announced that they will also donate $75,000 to the Singapore Sailing Federation (SSF) during a ceremony at the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on Friday.
The ministry will in turn match the donation, dollar-for-dollar, through the One Team Singapore Fund. In total, the SSF will receive $150,000, for the benefit of the sailing community in Singapore.
“The donation will be a significant boost to the kitefoiling community, and the funds will be helping the SSF scaffold the pathway and improve general access to this rising sport," said SSF president Dr Lincoln Chee.
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