Singapore to give out free YOG scholarships to foreigners

[Watchman]

Singapore to give out free YOG scholarships to foreigners

January 25, 2010 by admin

Singapore’s pro-foreigner government is again giving out free scholarships sponsored by Singapore taxpayers to foreigners.

The new scholarship, called the Singapore Youth Olympic Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding young athletes from around the world to study in Singapore.

According to a report in the Straits Times, the recipients will get a fully-subsidized academic and sports education at the Singapore Sports School for between four and six years.

The government-funded scholarships, which will be given out once every four years during the summer YOG, is open to all 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) worldwide.

One athlete will be selected from each of the five continents, and the last spot will be reserved for a Singaporean.

The scholarships for foreigners will cost about $25,000 a year which means that more than $100,000 will be allocated to attract five foreign athletes to Singapore instead of being invested in locals.

They will cover food, accommodation, education, sports training as well as return air tickets from the recipient’s home country.

It is not revealed if the foreign scholars will be bonded in Singapore for a period of time upon graduation from the Singapore Sports School.

While the Singapore government has offered a slew of scholarships for foreign students to study in Singapore’s varsities, this is believed to be the first such scholarship for sports.

The ruling party is especially generous to foreign students studying in Singapore on government-funded scholarships – many of them are given a free tertiary education here on top of being guaranteed a job upon graduation as some are bonded with the Singapore government for varying periods of between three to six years.

The scholarship was welcomed by Dr Southanom Inthavong, deputy secretary-general of Laos’ National Olympic Council.

“We have plans to send our sportsmen overseas, but we are short of funding. A scholarship like this will help, especially for the future,” he was quoted saying in the Straits Times.

Singapore is indeed a boon for developing countries in the region for which country in the world will spend more money on foreigners than its own citizens.