8 Athletes and Sport Leaders Inducted into Refreshed Sport Hall of Fame

The Singapore Sport Hall of Fame was refreshed in 2023 to include a new category for sport leaders, and to recognise the achievements of athletes beyond medals, including contributions back to sport and the community.

Singapore, 6 February 2024 – Eight sport figures - including three athletes and five sport leaders - were inducted into the Singapore Sport Hall of Fame at the Istana today. The Sport Hall of Fame celebrates the exceptional achievements and contributions of Singapore’s sporting heroes, and it is the first time sport leaders are receiving this prestigious recognition since its inception in 1985.

The Sport Hall of Fame was refreshed in 2023 to recognise outstanding individuals who have contributed to the overall development of Singapore sports, with the aim to inspire others in the sporting ecosystem to look to these inductees as role models and uplift Singapore as a sporting nation. A new category for sport leaders was thus introduced to recognise the service of those behind the scenes, including sport administrators, coaches and scientists. The revised athlete category now recognises those who demonstrate sustained contributions back to the sport or community, after retiring from active competition.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President, Republic of Singapore, said, “Each of the eight Singaporeans inducted to the Sport Hall of Fame today have contributed greatly - and often beyond the traditional realms of athleticism, through their leadership and the way they have inspired many others. Together as One Team Singapore, let’s continue to strengthen the Singapore spirit through sport.”

The eight awardees who were inducted into the Singapore Sport Hall of Fame include:

Athletes Category

●      Former Team Singapore boxer, Mr Syed Kadir, who is the first and only Singaporean boxer who has represented Singapore at the Olympic Games to date. He also won Singapore’s first Commonwealth Games boxing medal in 1974.

●      Former Team Singapore swimmer, four-time Olympian, and double Asian Games bronze medalist Ms Joscelin Yeo. She remains as the most bemedalled Southeast Asian (SEA) Games athlete with 40 gold medals, and also served as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) from 2009 to 2011.

●      Former Team Singapore paddler Ms Yu Mengyu, who has participated in two Olympic Games. She was part of the historic team to upset 17-time world champions, China, to win the World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2010.

Sport Leaders Category

●      Former Team Singapore water polo player and veteran sports official, the late Dr Tan Eng Liang. He was also the Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council (1975 to 1991), and Vice-President of the Singapore National Olympic Council (1992 to 2020).

●      Former Team Singapore sailor and Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Mr Ng Ser Miang. He is a veteran sports official who has held several top positions, including Chairman of Singapore Sports Council (1991-2002) and Vice President of the Singapore National Olympic Council (1990 to 2014).

●      Mrs Jessie Phua, the first Singaporean to head an International Sport Federation and first woman elected to head the International Bowling Federation. She served as the President of the Singapore Bowling Federation for almost 20 years and was an NMP from 2007 to 2009.

●      President of the Singapore National Paralympic Committee and Singapore Disability Sports Council, Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, who has been active in the disability sports scene for decades. The veteran sports administrator also has disability sport coaching experiences include para athletics and para swimming coaching.

●      Former Team Singapore water polo player, Mr Kenneth Kee, who was named the Coach of the Year in 1982. He built up a team that rose to become amongst the best in Asia from a group of neighbourhood players, who eventually participated in SEA Games 1979 and 1981, as well as Asian Games 1982. He was also the national team coach from 1979 to 1982, and part of the Singapore Swimming Association Water Polo Advisory Committee between 2017 and 2018.

More details on the awardees’ key sporting achievements and contributions can be found in Annex A (athletes) and Annex B (sport leaders).

Ms Joscelin Yeo, Singapore Sport Hall of Fame Awardee (Athlete) and former Team Singapore swimmer, said, “I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award today, standing alongside esteemed sporting figures who have left an indelible mark on Singapore's sporting legacy. Singapore was built on the shoulders of giants and while I don’t consider myself to be one, I believe that much can be learnt from those who have gone before us, and I endeavour to do what I can in that respect. Sports, in particular swimming, has taught me a lot of life lessons, hence I hope to see sports as a greater enabler and equaliser - uniting Singaporeans and bringing hope to the community.”

Mrs Jessie Phua, Singapore Sport Hall of Fame Awardee (Sport Leader) and former President of the Singapore Bowling Federation, said, “It is my honour to receive this esteemed recognition. My journey in the sporting community began in 2002, when I stepped up to the challenge of revitalising bowling in Singapore. Today, the Singapore bowling team is a global powerhouse - recognised and respected worldwide - and this would not have been possible without the dedicated team at the Singapore Bowling Federation, who worked alongside me to rebuild the sport. My message to the other sport leaders - follow your heart, take time to understand what’s best for your sport and athletes, and make decisions based on that. This formula worked for bowling, and I hope it will resonate across other sports too."

A total of 22 nominations by the public and the National Sport Associations (NSAs) were received by the SportSG between 1 April and 31 May 2023, of which eight were selected to be inducted to the Sport Hall of Fame after an assessment by the Expert Panel and Selection Panel based on the selection criteria (Annex C).

Co-chaired by Mr Toh Boon Yi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of SportSG and Mr Chris Chan, Secretary-General of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), the Expert Panel comprises former athletes, media personnel, former Olympians, and independent corporate partners. Leveraging their invaluable experience, knowledge, and perspectives, the Expert Panel assessed the public nominations vis-a-vis the selection criteria and recommended a shortlist to the Selection Panel. Based on the recommendations from the Expert Panel, the Selection Panel, chaired by Mr Kon Yin Tong, Chairman of SportSG, then made the final selection on the inductees to the Sport Hall of Fame (Composition of the Expert and Selection Panel can be found in Annex D).

Established in 1985, the Singapore Sport Hall of Fame is designed to recognise outstanding Singaporeans who have left an indelible mark on the nation’s sporting landscape. This year marks the first Sport Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony since 2019, where double Asian Games gold medallist swimmer, Tao Li, and two-time pencak silat world champion, Muhammad Shakir Juanda, were inducted into the prestigious roll of honour. Nomination for the Sport Hall of Fame will be held every two years, with the next nomination period in 2025.