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[h=2]Here’s what an Olympic medal is worth…[/h]
August 19th, 2012 |
Author: Ng Kok Lim
I refer to the 14 Aug 2012 letter in Straits Times “Here’s what an Olympic medal is worth…” by Mr Philip Tan. Mr Tan claims that sports’ ability to forge national unity was proven when Team Singapore was greeted to rapturous homecoming at the airport..
How many of those at the airport were direct families and friends of the athletes? How many were directly employed or affiliated to the respective Sports units represented at the Olympics? How many were specially transported there to boost numbers like what was done when Community Centres transported people to election rally sites to boost numbers? [Editor's note: In the case of election rally, packet chicken rice was provided to attendee too] How many were government officials and their entourage determined to glorify this event? After stripping away all these people, how many are left who were there purely out of national pride and not due to some other vested interests?]
There was no report of mass hysteria from the public during their victory parade across the island and the same questions have to be asked about those who were at Jurong Point to cheer the athletes. There is therefore room for doubt about whether Feng Tianwei has truly captured the hearts of Singaporeans since we don’t know for sure the connections and backgrounds of those who were there to cheer her. When staff from the Ministry of Community Development lined up Thomson Road to send off the late Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, was that an outpouring of national pride or the following of orders?
Mr Tan argues that China shows more nationalistic fervor than Singapore because Singapore is much younger. If Singapore is much younger, then China must be much older. But China celebrates 1949, only 16 years earlier than the 1965 that Singapore celebrates. So China isn’t much older than Singapore unless Mr Tan is referring to China’s few thousand year history that stretches far beyond the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. If that is how Mr Tan thinks, then he must employ the same logic to Singapore and accept that Singapore’s history goes beyond 1965 and all the way to 1819 when Singapore was born. In which case, Singapore is no longer very young.
Mr Tan says everybody loves a winner, especially a big winner. In that case we can simply celebrate Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. Malaysia celebrated Lim Chong Wei even though Chong Wei did not win. That is what national pride is all about, not the celebration of some big time foreign winner, but the celebration of the kampong boy turned good.
Thank you.
.
Ng Kok Lim
.
Editor’s note: With regard to Ng Kok Lim’s comment about MCYS staff lining up Thomson Road to send off the late Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, here is an old TRE report about the incident: ‘MCYS staff FORCED to mourn for Mrs Lee‘.
I refer to the 14 Aug 2012 letter in Straits Times “Here’s what an Olympic medal is worth…” by Mr Philip Tan. Mr Tan claims that sports’ ability to forge national unity was proven when Team Singapore was greeted to rapturous homecoming at the airport..
How many of those at the airport were direct families and friends of the athletes? How many were directly employed or affiliated to the respective Sports units represented at the Olympics? How many were specially transported there to boost numbers like what was done when Community Centres transported people to election rally sites to boost numbers? [Editor's note: In the case of election rally, packet chicken rice was provided to attendee too] How many were government officials and their entourage determined to glorify this event? After stripping away all these people, how many are left who were there purely out of national pride and not due to some other vested interests?]
There was no report of mass hysteria from the public during their victory parade across the island and the same questions have to be asked about those who were at Jurong Point to cheer the athletes. There is therefore room for doubt about whether Feng Tianwei has truly captured the hearts of Singaporeans since we don’t know for sure the connections and backgrounds of those who were there to cheer her. When staff from the Ministry of Community Development lined up Thomson Road to send off the late Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, was that an outpouring of national pride or the following of orders?
Mr Tan argues that China shows more nationalistic fervor than Singapore because Singapore is much younger. If Singapore is much younger, then China must be much older. But China celebrates 1949, only 16 years earlier than the 1965 that Singapore celebrates. So China isn’t much older than Singapore unless Mr Tan is referring to China’s few thousand year history that stretches far beyond the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. If that is how Mr Tan thinks, then he must employ the same logic to Singapore and accept that Singapore’s history goes beyond 1965 and all the way to 1819 when Singapore was born. In which case, Singapore is no longer very young.
Mr Tan says everybody loves a winner, especially a big winner. In that case we can simply celebrate Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. Malaysia celebrated Lim Chong Wei even though Chong Wei did not win. That is what national pride is all about, not the celebration of some big time foreign winner, but the celebration of the kampong boy turned good.
Thank you.
.
Ng Kok Lim
.
Editor’s note: With regard to Ng Kok Lim’s comment about MCYS staff lining up Thomson Road to send off the late Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, here is an old TRE report about the incident: ‘MCYS staff FORCED to mourn for Mrs Lee‘.
One irate civil servant from MCYS, who declined to be named, said: “It is most ridiculous that we have to put our heavy workload aside to line up along the road under the hot afternoon sun. Our superiors kept reminding us to be punctual so as not to miss the cortege. I felt so “malu” standing there like an idiot sweating inside my pants and suit.”
And the reactions on the Net about the incident: ‘Netizens outraged at MCYS staff being forced to pay respect to Mrs Lee‘. Note that MCYS was then under Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. That’s not all: ‘Community Clubs offered free meals and transport for residents to attend Mrs Lee’s wake‘. Fyi.
Straits Times Forum
Here’s what an Olympic medal is worth…
14 Aug 2012
THE best rejoinder to Mr Christopher Ong’s scepticism about the ability of sports achievements to forge national unity (“What’s the worth of an Olympic medal?”; last Saturday) happened last Friday.
This was the rapturous homecoming that greeted Team Singapore upon their arrival at the airport from the London Olympics, which was a testimony to the support of Singaporeans.
If Mr Ong missed that newsmaking event, he may have also missed the widespread and unequivocal cheers our returning Olympians received in their victory parade throughout the island.
I know because I was at the airport to welcome them home. I was also at one of the heartland stops – Jurong Point – and witnessed the cheers among mall shoppers.
If Mr Ong had been at one of these places, he would have found it hard to insist that athletes aren’t worth funding because they offer no tangible reward for the country.
It was obvious to me that bronze-medal-winning table tennis Olympian Feng Tianwei has won Singaporean hearts.
Mr Ong argued that the value of sports is not significant in Singapore because its ability to foster national pride is far less pronounced here than in countries such as China, where the collective passion is palpable.
China sees more nationalistic fervour than Singapore simply because we are a much younger nation. And that is why we must try harder, and not abandon the cause.
What is precisely needed for a young nation like Singapore is to have victories such as these to build support and encouragement for athletes.
Apart from National Day celebrations and the Prime Minister’s National Day Rally speech, what else can spur Singaporeans everywhere to cheer and show their love for the country?
Everybody loves a winner, especially a big winner – and thus far, the national table tennis players are the only athletes who have done it in world-class style.
It is a feat we should cheer.
.
Phillip Tan Fong Lip
Here’s what an Olympic medal is worth…
14 Aug 2012
THE best rejoinder to Mr Christopher Ong’s scepticism about the ability of sports achievements to forge national unity (“What’s the worth of an Olympic medal?”; last Saturday) happened last Friday.
This was the rapturous homecoming that greeted Team Singapore upon their arrival at the airport from the London Olympics, which was a testimony to the support of Singaporeans.
If Mr Ong missed that newsmaking event, he may have also missed the widespread and unequivocal cheers our returning Olympians received in their victory parade throughout the island.
I know because I was at the airport to welcome them home. I was also at one of the heartland stops – Jurong Point – and witnessed the cheers among mall shoppers.
If Mr Ong had been at one of these places, he would have found it hard to insist that athletes aren’t worth funding because they offer no tangible reward for the country.
It was obvious to me that bronze-medal-winning table tennis Olympian Feng Tianwei has won Singaporean hearts.
Mr Ong argued that the value of sports is not significant in Singapore because its ability to foster national pride is far less pronounced here than in countries such as China, where the collective passion is palpable.
China sees more nationalistic fervour than Singapore simply because we are a much younger nation. And that is why we must try harder, and not abandon the cause.
What is precisely needed for a young nation like Singapore is to have victories such as these to build support and encouragement for athletes.
Apart from National Day celebrations and the Prime Minister’s National Day Rally speech, what else can spur Singaporeans everywhere to cheer and show their love for the country?
Everybody loves a winner, especially a big winner – and thus far, the national table tennis players are the only athletes who have done it in world-class style.
It is a feat we should cheer.
.
Phillip Tan Fong Lip
