1972 WORLD BADMINTON TOURNAMENT (Selection of national team for training)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for Social Affairs if a national badminton team has been selected for training in preparation for the 1972 World Badminton Tournament.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Affairs (Mr Chan Chee Seng) (for the Minister for Social Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Badminton Association has been advised by the International Badminton Federation that the project to hold the World Badminton Tournament in 1972 has been postponed indefinitely, and will not be held in 1972 as envisaged. The Member may wish to know that active consideration is being given to a systematic and continuous training scheme to promote badminton in Singapore and to the training of a national badminton team.

Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten): Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether the National Sports Promotion Board has engaged a professional coach to train our national team?

Mr Chan Chee Seng: Mr Speaker, Sir, the N.S.P.B. has not engaged a coach because the Singapore Badminton Association already has a corps of experienced coaches to train the national team. All these coaches are volunteers. It may be desirable for the Singapore Badminton Association to consider engaging a professional coach at a later stage in order to bring up the standard of the players who are selected for the national team. Meanwhile, the present corps of coaches is also engaged in training several squads of selected badminton players who have the potential to make the grade for selection in the national team.