What do you think you'll be doing when you turn 82?

Veteran opposition politician and former Potong Pasir Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong, who turns 82 this Sunday, has launched a foundation in his name to support the development of young sporting talents in Singapore.

Called the Chiam See Tong Sports Foundation, it aims to help financially-needy young athletes to develop their sporting ability and ambition through programmes and material assistance it plans to provide.

With an initial seed funding round of $70,000 from the Chiams and members of its board, the foundation hopes to raise at least $1 million and help at least 100 beneficiaries in its first year.

Chiam? Sports? Huh?

If you're reading this, you might be wondering why a sports foundation — what does Chiam have to do with sports, really?

Well, you're in for one heck of an education.

For one thing, Chiam excelled in sports during his youth — he was the shortest of the Anglo-Chinese School's swim team's three fastest swimmers, training every day after school under the late Ang Teck Bee, father of "Flying Fish" swimming legend Ang Peng Siong.

He played badminton representing his university in New Zealand and defeated a state player in a competition, and also took up karate as a teacher, said Mrs Chiam in a speech at the launch event on Thursday evening, but a broken finger stopped him short of getting his black belt.

During his (still unbeaten, by the way) 27-year tenure as MP of Potong Pasir spoke up quite strongly on the topic in Parliament.

In a 1989 Parliamentary sitting, for instance, he asked what the government was doing to help Singapore's athletes prepare for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. An excerpt of the exchange, which you can read in full here:

Mr Chiam See Tong: What sort of preparations are being made?

Dr Seet Ai Mee: The usual preparations: the selections will be made after the SEA Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Mr Chiam See Tong: As a sportsman, I am very unhappy with this kind of answer - "the usual preparations". Our sportsmen go to every Olympics and they are knocked out in the first round. So what sort of preparations are being made? "Usual preparations" is not good enough for me.

Dr Seet Ai Mee: Mr Speaker, as a sportswoman, I am aware that much discipline goes into the preparation and selection of sportswomen or men for any competition. I believe the procedure is correct. Only those who excel in SEA Games, in Asian Games and in Commonwealth Games will have proven their ability, and we can then look into the kind of training they will need for the next Olympics.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, if the Minister had said that they have been combing the schools for talent or to prepare certain sportsmen in some areas of sports, I would be happier. But at the moment, they get nothing.

Mr Speaker: Mr Chiam, can you ask your question? What is your question?

Mr Chiam See Tong: No, I still have not got an answer. "The usual preparations" - what kind of answer is that? That is not an answer.

Dr Seet Ai Mee: Mr Speaker, we are a very small nation.

Mr Chiam See Tong: No excuse.

Dr Seet Ai Mee: In the same way as we do not produce geniuses every day, it would be difficult to produce Olympic medallists every day.

That same year, he said the following in favour of increasing government spending on sports during the Budget debate on March 22 (you can read the full speech he made here, search "Chiam See Tong" and jump to the 10th mention of his name):

"Sports has many benefits. It is not just for the materialist aspect of getting good health. Sports builds up courage, character of a person, disciplines him, teaches him fair play, his ability to take defeat and get him into the right spirit of cooperation with others. And as regards the social level, sports is a very good means of getting social cohesion because if people are really interested in sports, whether he is a company director or he is a labourer, they will get together for a common pursuit.

Above all, our schools should encourage our children to enjoy sports. I think that is the key, not to tell them, "If you take up sports you will be healthy." I do not think we should approach in that aspect. Teach him to enjoy, teach him to acquire a skill for life and the health aspect of it will come with it.

In Singapore today, I think our emphasis just on academic excellence is really lop-sided. There should be a balance up with some sporting activities so that our children can really grow up to be developed all round."

Illustrious sporting figures involved

With Chiam and his wife, former NCMP Lina Chiam, as co-patrons of the foundation are a few illustrious figures in Singapore's sporting history on its board.

Legendary swim star Ang is the chairman of the board, while lecturer and former national sprinter U.K. Shyam, Singapore's current 100m record-holder, is its secretary.

The Chiams' daughter Camilla, communications vice-president at international hotel group Carlson Rezidor, also serves as a director on the board.

Also on the board as deputy chairman is vice-president of Singapore Swimming Association Jose Raymond, whose father Chiam personally helped to buy an HDB flat after he and his father lost their original one after experiencing financial difficulties.

While the foundation doesn't have any immediate concrete events or plans in the pipeline, deputy-chairman Raymond says its committees for programmes and fundraising have been established and will begin planning and executing work right away.

It hopes to eventually assist with plugging gaps in existing available schemes and programmes, in order to help talented young athletes to train at high levels without being held back by a lack of financial support.

In a statement shared by the foundation, Chiam said,

“Our children are our future, and we must provide them with as many opportunities as possible, so that they will find many paths towards being successful, patriotic Singaporeans. Sports is a unifying tool for nation-building and in building strong community bonds. We must continue to find ways to work together as a community, and to continue having faith in our children, and in believing in them.”

Top photo by Chiew Teng.

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