Remarks By Mr Chan Chun Sing at The Vision 2030 Recommendations Announcement

Remarks By Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister For Community Development, Youth And Sports At The Vision 2030 Recommendations Announcement

REMARKS BY MR CHAN CHUN SING, ACTING MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS AT THE VISION 2030 RECOMMENDATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT 13 FEBRUARY 2012

Good morning. I am delighted that everyone has been able to join us this morning.

Vision 2030: Live Better Through Sports

2 Vision 2030 began with a question: How could sport best serve Singapore over the next 20 years? How could it best serve our people, our diverse communities and the nation?

3 It is a given that sport will always drive personal health and fitness. But we began Vision 2030 with the belief that sport could play a bigger role for our society. Sport brings out the best in individuals, ignites our National pride and strengthens the bonds within and among the different communities of modern Singapore. Standing shoulder to shoulder with 6,000 screaming fans at Jalan Besar stadium makes this undeniably clear. Win or lose, sport brings out our passion and our unity.

Facing a More Complex World

4 Since Independence, Singapore has developed rapidly into an economic miracle. Despite the economic growth and the technological advances in our city, Singapore has become a more complex and difficult place for some people. Our ageing population may worry about their health and cost of retirement. Segments of our youth feel disconnected from society. Some people feel that they are not part of the Singapore success story. They may feel they have been left behind.

Sport as a Strategy

5 This is not what we want. The government and MCYS, as the ministry responsible for community development, want to see an improvement in the quality of life for our people, not just in economic term. My ministry have begun reviewing and upgrading the safety nets, and work with stakeholders to build stronger families and communities. However, change will not happen overnight. It will have to take place across several fronts over a generation of time for the full impact to be realised.

6 However our work on Vision 2030 has confirmed that sport can do more than unite us and make us proud. Sport can be a strategy to develop our nation. Sport can provide opportunities for learning, skill development and advancement for everyone in our society. Given the right framework, sport can help level the playing field. Sport can build the capabilities needed to live well in our changing world. It can build respect for teamwork and a commitment to leadership. When I say leadership, I am talking about people at all levels of society influencing and guiding others to the best decisions - to the right decisions.

7 Across society, we need people who know how to lead their peers. On a manufacturing line, a budget proposal or a corporate acquisition. Vision 2030 wants to see all Singaporeans getting an education in leadership so that they can improve their lives and contribute to the vibrancy of Singapore.

8 The principles of leadership are learned on a sports team, not in a classroom. The principles are taught in real time on the field of play and reinforced by great coaches. Understanding and applying these principles will be even more important for our up-and-coming generations of Singaporeans who will be living in even more competitive times.

The Value of Sport to All

9 The values we derive from sport can make a better home for all in Singapore to live, work and play. It can provide families and communities with common experiences, things they can do together. For our youth, sport teaches them to win with graciousness and lose with nobility. As a result, whether they win or lose, we are proud of their great effort. Sport inspires them to rise above adversity. It builds character. It teaches them to keep fighting, to keep trying even when circumstances seem impossibly against them. The values we all can learn from sport will last a lifetime.

10 For business, sport can be a platform to groom future leaders. Sport can serve as a common language - a National language to bring together a multi-cultural workforce and instil the importance of working towards the greater good. Sport can create a more inspired corporate environment for personal growth and company loyalty. By aligning their corporate ethos with the best principles of sport, companies can enhance the development of their people and their brands.

11 Through our partnerships with Corporate Singapore, we have created a vibrant and diverse calendar of events for Sporting Singapore. But behind the glitz and glamour of our events, we can bring more families together to cheer and celebrate; we can strengthen our bonds within the community. We can inspire the next generation of sporting heroes and give Singaporeans a greater sense of belonging and national pride.

12 With Vision 2030, we can build a more resilient, determined and integrated Singapore. Sport remains one of the most effective and encompassing strategies for building individual character and strengthening our community bonds.

Opportunities for All

13 But the value of sport cannot be realised unless we are actively involved in sports, as participants, as volunteers, or as supporters. We will need to raise awareness on the value of sports and enhance access to sports programming and facilities, so that anyone who wants to be involved in sport will have the opportunity to do so.

Conclusion

13 I must say that the Vision 2030 exploration has been a natural extension of the work done by the Committee on Sporting Singapore published in 2001 and the Sporting Culture Committee in 2008. I would like to thank both CoSS and SSC for blazing the trail to where we are today.

14 Before I turn things over to Teck Yin, I would like to thank everyone for their support of Vision 2030. I urge you to keep the conversation going as we continue to refine our narrative. Together, we can make our Singapore a better home for all, and live better through sports.

Thank you.