S$54,000 raised for rower Joan Poh’s World Champs bid; funding remains hurdle for Singapore athletes

Sports observers say funding constraints and the challenge of balancing sport with careers remain major obstacles for athletes competing at the highest level.

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Germaine Wong

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SINGAPORE: Members of Singapore’s sporting community and businesses have stepped up to raise S$54,000 (US$42,000) in a final push to send Olympic rower Joan Poh to the World Rowing Championships. The tournament will take place in Amsterdam from Aug 24 to 30, where Poh will be aiming to improve on Singapore’s best-ever finish of 17th place, set in 2013. Her target: A top-eight finish. Part of the S$54,000 will go towards living expenses for Poh and her coach in the Netherlands. The funds have also supported earlier training camps and selection events, as well as preparations for the wider national rowing team in the lead-up to the championships and other international meets. Among those who have rallied behind the rowers are members of Singapore’s national women’s tchoukball team, who donated their entire S$4,000 prize from the Singapore Sports Awards. Team captain Tan Wan Ying said the rowers’ situation resonated with her team, prompting the players to give away their prize money despite facing funding challenges of their own. “My team decided why not we just use this money to support fellow athletes who are also working hard to contribute to Singapore,” she said. Local food chain Mr Bean contributed S$20,000, which included cash support and meal vouchers for Poh and her teammates. “We met Joan by chance. We were moved by her story, her determination and her resilience,” said Venus Ang, the eatery’s assistant branding director. “We believe that every athlete deserves support long before the medals and applause. We hope that Joan can carry this blessing with her and bring glory to Singapore.”

The remaining S$30,000 came from individual donors, who chipped in S$15,000, with the One Team Singapore Fund matching the amount dollar-for-dollar. For Poh, the support represents more than a lifeline for a single competition. “The support … means so much (and) is extended beyond myself,” said the 35-year-old. “It’s not about the race I’m doing, but the momentum and traction we’re trying to build. (It’s) for people to look at rowing, look at Singapore, look beyond the World Championships and towards the 2029 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.”

THE COST OF COMPETING

The rowers’ predicament reflects a challenge familiar to many Singapore athletes, particularly those in smaller National Sports Associations (NSAs): Finding enough money and time to compete at the highest level. It is a struggle the national women’s tchoukball team knows first-hand. “Every time we go for competitions, we have to raise our own funds, which is quite a big problem. Some of my teammates are still studying, they’re not working to earn their own money to travel for these competitions,” team captain Tan said. A lack of funding can also limit access to training venues, equipment, physiotherapy and gyms for strength and conditioning, she added.

Team Singapore women’s tchoukball captain Tan Wan Ying tells CNA the team donated their winnings from the Singapore Sports Awards to “support fellow athletes who are also working hard to contribute to Singapore”. (Image: CNA)

The team was nominated for Team of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards last month and received the Meritorious Team Award, which recognises outstanding performances by national teams. It came with the S$4,000 cash prize that the tchoukball players gifted to the rowers. Tan said that while the amount would not cover all the rowers’ expenses, the players hoped the contribution would ease their financial burden and allow them to focus on training rather than fundraising. “My team and I feel like it is something meaningful that we can do as a team to support them,” she said.

BEYOND GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Singapore athletes can tap a range of support schemes through Sport Singapore, from financial assistance for training and competition to programmes that help them balance their sporting and educational commitments. The Sports Excellence Scholarship (spexScholarship), for instance, provides elite athletes with financial support and tailored pathways for their studies. The Athletes’ Inspire Fund, meanwhile, helps athletes with competition-related expenses, including registration fees, airfare and accommodation. While the fund strongly supports first-time applicants, repeat applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, with varying outcomes. Still, athletes who are trying to establish themselves can face a less certain path. For those planning years of training and overseas competition, uncertainty over funding can make it harder to map out their sporting careers over the longer term.

Sports observers said NSAs and athletes should work together to attract and manage corporate sponsorships rather than relying solely on government funding. Former national athlete and sports administrator Nicholas Fang said the funding challenges faced by athletes today were similar to those he encountered while representing Singapore in fencing two decades ago. “Most of our athletes have to juggle a number of priorities … school, national service, career, family … there’s lots of competing demands,” he told CNA. The former Nominated Member of Parliament said athletes and sports bodies have a role to play in making themselves attractive to potential sponsors by demonstrating the value they can offer businesses. “Athletes and federations need to figure out how to create value for companies and sponsors,” he said. “(For example) exposure in terms of social media … tailoring content that would be beneficial and put sponsors in a good light and … warrant a level of support that would be useful to the athletes as well.” With sporting standards rising globally and within Southeast Asia, funding will increasingly matter if Singapore wants to remain competitive, he added.

BALANCING SPORT AND CAREER

Money, however, is only one side of the equation. With many national athletes holding full-time or part-time jobs, carving out enough time for training and overseas competitions can be another significant obstacle. “Very often, we have to find our own way. Taking time off, using up leave for competitions … a lot of athletes accept that that’s part and parcel of the commitment and sacrifice to pursue sport,” Fang said. For the national rowers, the demands on both time and money can be particularly acute. Poh said athletes need to spend extended periods training overseas in cooler climates, which provide conditions unavailable in Singapore. That means not only higher expenses, but also more time away from work and other commitments. “We make plans based on how much money we are able to raise to decide how many amongst us can have the same opportunities. For example, we had to exclude some (rowers) from some races and training camps because of a lack of fundings,” said Poh.

Olympic rower Joan Poh speaks to CNA about her aspirations to place at least 8th at the upcoming World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. (Image: CNA)

Athletes and sports observers said greater corporate support could help ease the financial burden, while more flexible work and leave arrangements could help athletes balance their sporting and professional commitments. James Walton, Deloitte Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia’s sports business group leader, said representing Singapore should not come at the expense of an athlete’s long-term career progression. Businesses also stand to gain from supporting athletes and sporting associations, he added, and such support should not be reserved only for medal winners. “Sometimes the athletes who have the best brand stories are the ones who’ve been injured, who weren’t expected to qualify, or (who were) the first Singaporean to represent the nation in a sport – because that’s a journey, an inspirational story,” he said. Those stories can inspire young people and offer companies compelling partnerships beyond conventional sponsorships, he added. He also acknowledged that there are competing demands on public funds, hence the responsibility of supporting local athletes should not rest solely with the state. “As corporations and as individuals, if we believe that sports is key to nation building and lifting Singapore to new heights, then we all need to do our part to contribute,” he said.