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MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15 May 2006
The charity foundation will sponsor the Junior Athlete Development Programme in Swimming.
The Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Foundation has signed a Memorandum-of-Understanding (MOU) with the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), in a joint initiative to improve the quality and availability of junior sports programmes for the disabled in Singapore.
Called the Junior Athlete Development Programme (JADP), it aims to provide more opportunities for the disabled to take part in sports and recreation, and raise the community profile of disability sports here.
With Singapore’s strong national culture in swimming in mind – with most parents sending their children for swimming lessons at an early age, and swimming carnivals a permanent fixture in school calendars - SDSC designed the JADP in Swimming.
Disabled students in mainstream and special schools can take part in various swimming related activities, and benefit from leading healthier lifestyles with the specially-tailored programmes.
The JADP in Swimming also provides a well-structured learning process for junior disabled swimmers, which allows for potential champions to be identified and trained for greater local and international acclaim.
The swimming programme quickly earned the support of the SPH Foundation, which shares in the belief that sports should be for all, young, old, able and disabled alike. With the signing of the MOU, the Foundation is now Singapore’s first developer sponsor in disability sports.
The first highlight to kick off this partnership will be the SPH Foundation National Junior Swimming Championship, which will be held on 20 May 2006. The championship has opened its arms to both juniors under mainstream and special schools and will also see the participation of junior swimmers training under the JADP.
Among the guests present at the MOU signing ceremony at SPH’s News Centre auditorium today were Ms Ginney Lim, General Manager of Singapore Press Holdings Foundation, Mr Tan Ju Seng, President of the Singapore Disability Sports Council, former national swimmer Mr Ang Peng Siong and Paralympics champion Ms Theresa Goh.
About some successful swimmers who benefited from the JADP
Theresa Goh Rui Si
Initially very hesitant and shy, Theresa was first introduced to competitive swimming at the age of 11 at a Singapore Disability Sports Council’s swimming event where she watched, wide-eyed, from the sidelines. She took her first tentative steps forward shortly thereafter and has never looked back. Theresa has since gone on to win international accolades for Singapore and even more recently, almost broke a world record in 50m Breaststroke.
Yip Pin Xiu
Barely 14, Pin Xiu is one of the young swimmers who is highly rated. She has improved tremendously under the Junior Swimming Programme. In fact, at the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games last year, which saw the participation of many international participants, Pin Xiu managed to win a medal. To her, age is no barrier.
Khristin Quek
Khristin used to train in Wheelchair Tennis. But as she also enjoyed swimming, she decided to spend more time on swimming trainings. Khristin has since grown stronger in stature, and although she is 12 this year, her recent records show that she is getting closer to competing in international competitions. She enjoys every moment in the Junior Swimming Programme, training with friends. She looks up to seniors like Theresa and Lim Keng Joo and hopes that one day, she can be like them.
Lee Shixin
Intellectual Disability is an extremely hard disability to work with when it comes to sports. Nevertheless, Shixin’s talents shone through during a swimming championship organised by SDSC and eventually got talent-spotted. A shy boy by nature, he trains very hard and is proud of his achievement. The Development Programme has definitely given him a sense of belonging and allows him to show others that he is equally serious when it comes to training.
About the Singapore Press Holdings Foundation
The Singapore Press Holdings Foundation, a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character, was first set up as the Press Foundation of Singapore in January 2003 to help build a lifelong learning community that embraces language enrichment, creativity, diversity, healthy living and sports. The seed contribution of $20 million to the Foundation came from media group Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. It was renamed Singapore Press Holdings Foundation in May 2005. For more information, please visit the Foundation’s website at http://www.sphfoundation.org.sg.