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Singapore's athletes to get additional $50M boost through matching grants

<i>Singapore swimmers at the 28th SEA Games. Yahoo Singapore file photo</i>
Singapore swimmers at the 28th SEA Games. Yahoo Singapore file photo

The government will spend up to $50 million to support Singapore’s athletes through matching grants.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (9 March) during the Committee of Supply debate, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu announced that the grants will match sporting donations of up to $50 million over the next five years.

Fu said that the wider public must rally behind Singapore’s athletes, especially those who are performing well.

Citing examples such as Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling and Paralympic medallists Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh, Fu pointed out that success at the elite level requires long-term commitment.

“Being a small country without a large population base, we must ensure that resources are used effectively for sustained performance. This will require a long term focus, technically sound training plans and continuity of efforts,” said Fu.

During his Budget statement on 20 February, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced that another $50 million would be spent on Singapore’s High Performance Sports (HPS) system.