Singapore prefers to honor athletes, develop economy with SE Asian Games

The Lion City has chosen “Celebrate the Extraordinary” as the theme of the 2015 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will open on June 5 and close on June 16, Lim Teck Yin told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in an interview on Saturday.

Lim is the chairman of the Singapore SEA Games Organizing Committee and chief executive officer of Sport Singapore, a statutory board of the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth.

He said that the theme is partly related to 50 years of Singapore’s independence (August 9, 1965) in that the 28th SEA Games is a chance for the city state and its people to look back on what they have done over half a century.

Singapore wants to take this occasion to pay tribute to late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who built the country into what it is today, Lim said.

Lee passed away on March 23 this year at the age of 92, grieving the whole tiny island.

Lim underlined that what is really behind the “Extraordinary” is the stories of all athletes across Southeast Asia who will compete at the 28th SEA Games, which is the most important multi-sport tourney in the region.

“We want to honor the way they have made sacrifices and endured hardships,” the chairman said.

Asked what the Singaporean government expects from the sports event, Lim said the city state always tries to make a difference when hosting a particular competition, combing commercial and tourism purposes with other activities.

A series of big sports events will be organized in Singapore this year, such as a championship for young swimmers around the world in August, a Formula 1 race in September, and the WTA Finals tennis tournament in October, he elaborated.

These are the events that will help bring many tourists to Singapore and the country will have to present a good image, he said, adding that the Singaporean government similarly wants the 28th SEA Games to help promote the national economy.

He pointed out what he considers a success that Singapore has found many sponsors, especially foreign brands, for the 28th SEA Games, with a Thai firm providing T-shirts for his staff.

Given a question on the referee issues many hosts have faced in the past years, Lim said Singapore will try its utmost to bring fairness to the competition in June.

Officials will closely follow decisions made by referees as well as public reactions, he disclosed.

The chief executive officer of Sport Singapore noted that what really matters at any sports event is the examples set by the athletes, not the medals they win.

“You garner a medal and you celebrate it. But that’s not what it’s all about. What really counts is everyone will look at a specific athlete and say, ‘Wow, that’s a Vietnamese!” That comes from personal efforts, not medals,” he remarked.

Explaining why Singapore does not build a village for athletes at this upcoming SEA Games, Lim said that would only do more good than harm for them as they will stay in hotels in the central area.

He recounted that such a village was constructed on the campus of Nanyang Technological University, which is located in the suburbs, when Singapore hosted the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics so athletes found it very inconvenient to move from place to place as well as to go shopping or enjoy other forms of entertainment.

The CEO of the Singapore SEA Games Organizing Committee added that Singapore is a small country and it now has no more land for such a village in the CBD area.

Tuoi Tre also raised a question about the arrest of four people on suspicion of fixing the Malaysia – Timor-Leste football (soccer) game at the SEA Games that took place on Saturday and Lim answered that match-rigging is no new to sports, especially football, and Singapore is well prepared to fight it.

Orlando Marques Henriques Mendes, technical director of the Football Federation of Timor-Leste, was captured on Friday together with three others, including Moises Natalino de Jesus, 32, who is a former Timor-Leste football player; Singaporean Rajendran Kurusamy, 55; and his associate, Indonesian national Nasiruddin, 52, according to the Straits Times.

Orlando allegedly received $15,000 from Rajendran, Nasiruddin, Moises, and another unknown person as a reward to arrange for the Timor-Leste football team to lose in their opening match against Malaysia, the Straits Times reported.

The Singaporean government has made all preparations for such combat and the arrest of the four is evidence, Lim said, adding that any player found throwing any match at the upcoming SEA Games will be expelled from the sports tournament but his/her team will not.

Matches in the men’s football category started on Friday with Vietnam beating Brunei 6-0 and Thailand routed Laos 6-0 in the group stage.

Malaysia defeated Timor-Leste 1-0 yesterday after the four arrests.

The men’s football category has two groups, with Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Laos, and Brunei in Group B. Group A, whose games will kick off on Monday, includes Singapore, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

Countries are required to use under-23 players for the category.

Asked if Singapore will like to organize any major sports event like the Asian Games or Olympic Games after the 28th SEA Games, Lim said the country only hosts tournaments that will bring benefits to the development of its sports, adding that the Asiad or the Olympics are just like a ‘bang’ and will not benefit the city state in the long run.