Sunday, August 17, 2008
Finally the 2nd!
Our 2nd medal finally arrived after 48 years of long wait! Of cos... Sg paid quite a heavy sum (taxpayers' money) for the silver medal and it does take a long time to see the fruit of labour of the FT sports scheme. Congrats to us n the team. It's our very 1st post-independence medal.
I did not bother catching the whole action. Afterall, the results was so predictable. I watched part of it, hoping Sg would not lose by too much of a margin since the Sg team is the overseas branch of the China team. lol. It would have been a more joyous and glorious celebration if the medal was won by non-FTs.
I did not bother catching the whole action. Afterall, the results was so predictable. I watched part of it, hoping Sg would not lose by too much of a margin since the Sg team is the overseas branch of the China team. lol. It would have been a more joyous and glorious celebration if the medal was won by non-FTs.
And the controversies about FTs representing Sg is forever going to prick us. Recently, I have came across a news article about Tan Howe Liang, our first medalist, was from China too. However, the article failed to point out the differences. Tan did not come to Sg because he was talent-spotted in China to be a weightlifter in Singapore (he migrated here when he was 4) as compared to our FTs, they came here because of their sporting career and to fill in the demand of talents in the sport here, given attractive monetary incentives. Plus, during Tan's times in the past, almost all the Chinese were migrants from China, so there's hardly any "pure bred Sgreans" so as to speak.It's just different. Calling Tan an FT? Then in this case, he should be rewarded with those monetary incentives under the FT scheme, rather than having his name mention on papers every 4 years.
I came across another blog which found an interview of Li Jiawei on China National TV that reveals about her inner thoughts on her sporting career. Nothing on Singapore,the country that gives her the opportunity to train and compete internationally. Not even a hint of gratitude. So what if she is our flag bearer at the opening ceremony? So what if her birthday happens to fall on our National Day? It's not making her "more Singaporean" or feel like one. Tsk tsk tsk... anyway, i think she is overrated, looking at the way she played during the Olympics. The latest FT, Feng Tian Wei, has in fact played much better despite her inexperience.
Nonetheless, lets hope our Sg team wins another table tennis medal in the upcoming individual match! woohoo! FT or not, the medal still rightfully belongs to Sg cos we bought the medal with our money. Heh.
Labels: FT, Olympics, Singapore, Table tennis
