Schooling’s Olympic Gold Leads To Singapore’s $70M Funding Increase

Following the 2016 Olympic Games, based on performance and other contributing factors, some nations have seen their sports budgets decreased, while others have seen funding increase. New Zealand, who left Rio without an Olympic swimming medal or even a swimming finalist for that matter, was hit with a drastic funding reduction from $1.5 million in 2014 to $900,000 in 2017. On the flip side, with its historic outing at the Games, British Swimming will receive an increase in funds from UK Sport, with the goals of renovating the clubs and facilities where such athletes train, paying coaches, and providing other services that elite swimmers need to compete at a high level.

Singaporean sport is following the British path, but on a much larger scale, as its government announced an injection of S$100 million (~$70.1 million USD) into Sport Singapore’s (SportSG) High Performance Sports (HPS) program to help carry momentum of swimmer Joseph Schooling’s groundbreaking gold medal.

In order to help Singapore’s HPS system, the nation’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, said the monetary influx is seen as an investment in Singaporean talent, which leaders hope to see have a strong showing at the SEA Games, Asian Games, and world and Olympic levels.

According to Today Online, half of the investment will be directed toward Singapore’s elite athletes, aimed at improving coaching, technical and high performance personnel, training environments, as well as to support opportunities for overseas training and competition.

“In 2016, one defining moment took place at 9.12am on the morning of 13 Aug. For the first time, we heard Majulah Singapura being played at the Olympics. Singaporeans celebrated wildly. Thousands lined the street to welcome Joseph Schooling home and congratulate him – regardless of race, language or religion,” said Fu.

“We want to sustain a strong showing at the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, and continue to nurture champions at the Asian and world levels. To groom that athlete into a world champion, we need great coaches supported by deep sports science and sports medicine capabilities,” she said.

“Growing our pipeline of talent and grooming them for podium success requires long-term athlete development plans and the resources and technical expertise to create a high performance training and competition environment.”

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Swimfav
7 years ago

Schooling is a product of the US boarding school prep coaching. He probably still would have come to the US for his education.

completelyconquered
7 years ago

What was the USA National Team budget for 2016? I just googled it quickly and found $9,743,900. Is the yearly budget considered the same as funding? $70 mil sounds like a lot, especially compared to a one year budget for the USA National Team. Even $9,743,900 x4 for a quad is only ~$39 mil.

dmswim
Reply to  completelyconquered
7 years ago

It sounds like a lot of this money may be going to ground roots development. The U.S. already has a robust club swimming scene that functions without much funding from USA Swimming. The article states that half of the money is going to high performance athletes. I assume the other half would go to other lower level development.

completelyconquered
Reply to  dmswim
7 years ago

I see that now. Thanks.

goalrilla
Reply to  completelyconquered
7 years ago

The title of the program indicates it’s for athletes of all sports and not just swimming.

completelyconquered
Reply to  goalrilla
7 years ago

Yeah, the article is confusing because it gets into how New Zealand didn’t win an event in swimming yet it’s talking about National sports budgets.

AvidSwimFan
7 years ago

This is why I was a little critical of Schooling’s criticism of Singapore’s commitment to swimming. Performance brings exposure and investments. The $750,000 from the government for his win is their belated support, and this is their support for swimming. This happens in every country. More successful sports and countries get more funds invested and vice-versa. Now if the government didn’t invest in swimming after his performance, I would wholeheartedly have been supportive of his criticism of them.

Pvdh
7 years ago

That’s good to see, but schooling is a product of the American system…

Ex Quaker
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

Doesn’t mean other athletes won’t benefit. Take Quah Zheng Wen, for example. Sure he’s training in the US now, but spent his upbringing swimming in Singapore with limited resources. Other promising up-and-comers around the country will have access to tools and knowledge that former Singaporean swimmers did not. Under that framework, they see Schooling as the match that hopefully lit the fuse.

Amic
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

Schooling was already very good for his age before moving to the US.

big calves
Reply to  Amic
7 years ago

I hope so

gator
7 years ago

It is fantastic to see this level of commitment to the sport of swimming! Thank you Singapore.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  gator
7 years ago

We got to applaud that whole heartedly – Singapore is such a small country , without anything left of the countryside ; yet , they are full of smart high level developments on many levels , such as sport / High technology equipment / growing food on rooftops in Town / Incredible architecture , ……

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