[h=2]DPM Teo and 800 turn up at airport to welcome back Feng and team[/h]
August 11th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
Feng Tianwei waving to supporters as she and team-mate Wang Yuegu are driven off in a stretch limousine from Changi Airport. (ST PHOTO)
Nearly 800 people, including DPM Teo Chee Hean and officials turned up at Changi Airport Terminal 3 to welcome the Singapore women’s table tennis team returning from the London Olympics yesterday (10 Aug).
The all China-born women’s table tennis team of Singapore clinched 2 bronze medals at the Olympics – one for individual and the other for team event.
Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu were visibly overwhelmed by the reception.
The crowd were holding a red banner with the adjectives went on and on: “FENG Tianwei: overwhelming, powerful, successful… etc.”
The Straits Times even reported, “…it was just a slice of the adoration Singaporeans showered on her and her bronze medal-winning team-mates as the table tennis stars returned from London last evening.”
It’s unclear what percentage of Singaporeans ST was referring to.
Other than DPM Teo, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Major-General Chan Chun Sing was also at the airport to give a rousing welcome to the China-born players.
In addition, 60-odd youth paddlers – aged between 9 and 12 – were also there.
Singapore Table Tennis Association president and MP Lee Bee Wah, who accompanied the players home, said, “Even after the disappointing loss to Japan in the team semi-finals, our players bounced back very strongly. This never-say-die attitude is something that our young players need to learn from.”
DPM Teo even helped the China-born players to create a path for them to cut through the crowd as they were besieged by people with photograph and autograph requests.
Li Jiawei, who is now based in Beijing with her family (‘Li Jiawei returning to Beijing to play in China Super League after World Championship‘), said, “I’m very touched to see so many supporters here.”
Meanwhile, Feng has said that the London Olympics would probably be “the last time that we’ll be playing together”.
Despite the massive propaganda churned out by the state media to glorify the bronze medals won by the China-born table tennis trio, about 8 out of 10 Singaporeans polled are not proud of their achievements (‘8 out of 10 S’poreans polled not proud of medal won by China-born Feng Tianwei‘).
Here are what some netizens said about winning the medals:
Join our TRE facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/TREmeritus
.
Nearly 800 people, including DPM Teo Chee Hean and officials turned up at Changi Airport Terminal 3 to welcome the Singapore women’s table tennis team returning from the London Olympics yesterday (10 Aug).
The all China-born women’s table tennis team of Singapore clinched 2 bronze medals at the Olympics – one for individual and the other for team event.
Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu were visibly overwhelmed by the reception.
The crowd were holding a red banner with the adjectives went on and on: “FENG Tianwei: overwhelming, powerful, successful… etc.”
The Straits Times even reported, “…it was just a slice of the adoration Singaporeans showered on her and her bronze medal-winning team-mates as the table tennis stars returned from London last evening.”
It’s unclear what percentage of Singaporeans ST was referring to.
Other than DPM Teo, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Major-General Chan Chun Sing was also at the airport to give a rousing welcome to the China-born players.
In addition, 60-odd youth paddlers – aged between 9 and 12 – were also there.
Singapore Table Tennis Association president and MP Lee Bee Wah, who accompanied the players home, said, “Even after the disappointing loss to Japan in the team semi-finals, our players bounced back very strongly. This never-say-die attitude is something that our young players need to learn from.”
DPM Teo even helped the China-born players to create a path for them to cut through the crowd as they were besieged by people with photograph and autograph requests.
Li Jiawei, who is now based in Beijing with her family (‘Li Jiawei returning to Beijing to play in China Super League after World Championship‘), said, “I’m very touched to see so many supporters here.”
Meanwhile, Feng has said that the London Olympics would probably be “the last time that we’ll be playing together”.
Despite the massive propaganda churned out by the state media to glorify the bronze medals won by the China-born table tennis trio, about 8 out of 10 Singaporeans polled are not proud of their achievements (‘8 out of 10 S’poreans polled not proud of medal won by China-born Feng Tianwei‘).
Here are what some netizens said about winning the medals:
Sangrawi: We pay and she performs… Simple transaction…
Pukiman Yusoff: I congratulate her on her effort. But I don’t cherish the medal she won. It is imported glory. She is not one of our own. I would prefer to remember the likes of C Kunalan, Chee Swee Lee, P C Suppiah and James Wong. Although they did not win an Olympic medal, they did us proud in regional competitions as true local born talents.
Richard Lu: The PAP bought this medal and I really do not care nor do I want it for Singapore.
Paul: Strange that Singapore won a bronze medal and yet instead of unifying the people, it threatens to further torn us apart. After pouring in so much times, money and efforts, and now S$250K, what has it achieved?
Shoe Thrower: We are NOT PROUD of her whatever achievement, it has nothing to do with Singaporeans.
black_dot: Within the next ten years she will be married to a PRC towkay, give up her Singapore citizenship, takes all her money courtesy of S’pore Govt, together with whatever medals she had collected and return back to China to retire to live like Tai Tai. Where would be our proud winner then? Where will be the medals Singapore won? How disgusting!
F-16I Sufa: The true sportsmen and sportswoman are people like Fandi Ahmad, Sundramoorthy and Jocelyn Yeo. These are the true red-blooded sons and daughters of Singapore.
Even international newspapers in the world noticed that the Singapore’s table tennis players are “China-born” and they particularly emphasized this point in their reporting (‘Olympic reporting on Table Tennis: Comparing ST with world’s newspapers‘):Pukiman Yusoff: I congratulate her on her effort. But I don’t cherish the medal she won. It is imported glory. She is not one of our own. I would prefer to remember the likes of C Kunalan, Chee Swee Lee, P C Suppiah and James Wong. Although they did not win an Olympic medal, they did us proud in regional competitions as true local born talents.
Richard Lu: The PAP bought this medal and I really do not care nor do I want it for Singapore.
Paul: Strange that Singapore won a bronze medal and yet instead of unifying the people, it threatens to further torn us apart. After pouring in so much times, money and efforts, and now S$250K, what has it achieved?
Shoe Thrower: We are NOT PROUD of her whatever achievement, it has nothing to do with Singaporeans.
black_dot: Within the next ten years she will be married to a PRC towkay, give up her Singapore citizenship, takes all her money courtesy of S’pore Govt, together with whatever medals she had collected and return back to China to retire to live like Tai Tai. Where would be our proud winner then? Where will be the medals Singapore won? How disgusting!
F-16I Sufa: The true sportsmen and sportswoman are people like Fandi Ahmad, Sundramoorthy and Jocelyn Yeo. These are the true red-blooded sons and daughters of Singapore.
“Japan’s women upset Singapore 3-0 on Sunday, beating a group composed of all China-born players. The same three took the silver medal four years ago in Beijing.” – ESPN, MetroNews Canada, The Sacramento Bee
“Japan’s women had never beaten Singapore in team play, a group composed to all China-born players.” – The Washington Post
“Singapore’s bronze was courtesy of China-born Feng Tianwei in women’s singles in table tennis.” – Philippine Daily Inquirer
“It is a great honour for participating countries to win Olympic medals. In addition to show the world that they are not weak, it also carries a political effect in anesthetising the people’s nerves. Therefore, they do everything possible to get a medal. For example, Singapore relied on China-born Feng Tianwei to win its first women’s individual table tennis Olympic medal in 52 years.” – Sin Chew Daily
“Amid the celebration, though, has emerged much contempt over Feng’s origins. The China-born 25-year-old moved to Singapore in 2007 to train under the country’s Foreign Sports Talent Scheme, and became a citizen in January 2008.” – ZDNet
“Feng was born in China. Like many China-born players, she sensed too much competition and emigrated to Singapore.” – The Brownsville Herald
.“Japan’s women had never beaten Singapore in team play, a group composed to all China-born players.” – The Washington Post
“Singapore’s bronze was courtesy of China-born Feng Tianwei in women’s singles in table tennis.” – Philippine Daily Inquirer
“It is a great honour for participating countries to win Olympic medals. In addition to show the world that they are not weak, it also carries a political effect in anesthetising the people’s nerves. Therefore, they do everything possible to get a medal. For example, Singapore relied on China-born Feng Tianwei to win its first women’s individual table tennis Olympic medal in 52 years.” – Sin Chew Daily
“Amid the celebration, though, has emerged much contempt over Feng’s origins. The China-born 25-year-old moved to Singapore in 2007 to train under the country’s Foreign Sports Talent Scheme, and became a citizen in January 2008.” – ZDNet
“Feng was born in China. Like many China-born players, she sensed too much competition and emigrated to Singapore.” – The Brownsville Herald
Join our TRE facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/TREmeritus
.
