One Team Singapore Fund launched

One Team Singapore Fund launched

Singaporeans and Corporate Singapore can now play a direct role in the sporting journey of Team Singapore athletes through the One Team Singapore Fund (OTSF). The OTSF, announced by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in March 2017, will match sport donations up to S$50 million, over the next five years from 2017 to 2022.

The fund will contribute to the High Performance Sport (HPS) System in the areas of competition opportunities, pathway development, coach development, management capability, data analytics, training environment and software, and sports science and medicine.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu called for more Singaporeans to support our national athletes. She said, “Our Team Singapore athletes train hard and make many personal sacrifices to excel in their respective sports, and make Singapore proud. Many Singaporeans are already supporting our athletes in their inspiring journeys toward sporting excellence – our athletes really appreciate the encouragement and support. With the launch of the One Team Singapore Fund, all of us – from individuals to businesses and organisations – can make a donation to support our athletes in High Performance Sports. Together, let’s all support our athletes as One Team Singapore, as they strive to bring glory to our nation!”

National Sport Associations (NSAs) with Charity and Institutions of Public Character (IPC) status can also apply for matching grants for donations raised through the NSA OTSF Scheme. The matching grants will be utilised based on multi-year sports plans in the area of HPS mutually agreed upon by the NSA and Sport Singapore.

OTSF receives $500,000 from its first donors

Running club Tiong Bahru Garden Joggers were among the first to contribute to the OTSF, with a donation of S$100,000. Said Tan Kok Sing, 92, who founded the club in 1977, “As part of our club’s 40th anniversary celebration, we decided to make this donation for the benefit of sport in Singapore. We hope to make a difference and give our athletes more opportunities to achieve their sporting ambitions.”

spexBusiness Partner Deloitte Singapore also pledged $150,000 to the fund. Philip Yuen, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Southeast Asia and Singapore, said, “Deloitte Singapore has been a passionate supporter of sports for many years now, having sponsored the Youth Olympic Games, the Southeast Asian Games and the ASEAN Para Games when they were held on home ground. We are also an active member of Sport Singapore’s spexBusiness Network, and to date, over 60 current and retired Team Singapore athletes are working or have worked in Deloitte, making Deloitte the largest employer of Team Singapore athletes in the nation. Our contribution to the One Team Singapore Fund is a natural extension of our strong partnership with Sport Singapore and our support for the nation’s athletes. We believe in the power of sport to change lives and unite the nation; we cheered loud and proud for the Team Singapore athletes at the recent the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games which saw a very successful away performance, and we hope our support can contribute to continued success for these athletes on the international sports stage.”

Both Tiong Bahru Garden Joggers and Deloitte Singapore presented their donations to Minister Fu when they joined more than 100 Corporates and 80 Team Singapore athletes at the Celebrate the Extraordinary event to celebrate Team Singapore’s achievements at the recent 29th SEA Games and 9th ASEAN Para Games.

At the event, spexBusiness Partner Fullerton Health spoke about how our Team Singapore athletes are important as national heroes who can inspire through the power of sport. In a rally call for more corporates to come forward to support Team Singapore, they pledged $250,000 to the One Team Singapore Fund, bringing the evening’s contribution to $500,000.

Sport Singapore CEO, Lim Teck Yin was encouraged to see the OTSF receive the first donations through two corporate partners and a community group. “The One Team Singapore Fund is about encouraging all who are proud of Team Singapore to join hands to support them through the High Performance Sport System. It will have significant impact on our athletes’ efforts to reach the highest levels of their sport. More importantly, it will be a testament that One Team Singapore can achieve much together."

For more information and to donate to the OTSF, please visit TeamSingapore