Olympic Pathway Programme

Mr Nicholas Fang asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) how much of the original $6.3 million set aside for the Olympic Pathway Programme (OPP) has been spent; (b) what are Singapore's medal targets for this year's London Olympic Games; and (c) if there are any plans to revamp or restructure the OPP in light of the Vision 2030 strategy.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: A budget of $6.5 million had been committed for the Olympic Pathway Programme (OPP). As of February 2012, $3.3 million has been disbursed to support 11 athletes from four sports. Another $1.6 million is projected to be spent in the remaining months till the end of the Olympic Games 2012, bringing the expected actual spending to $4.9 million.

OPP aims to provide the best possible support to Singapore athletes with medal potential at the Olympic Games. We do not set a medal target for the Games. It is more important that our athletes perform to the best of their abilities, and that Singaporeans rally behind them in the process.

The OPP will lay the foundation for the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI). Set up to provide a holistic support system in nurturing Singapore's sports talents in partnership with national sports associations, the Institute will house expertise in sports science and medicine, high performance sports management, athlete and coach development. It will learn from the OPP experience, as well as good practices from other leading sports institutes. Some key SSI staff are already involved in the current OPP. This enables the OPP to transit seamlessly into SSI after the London Olympic Games.

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