Did Singapore win or buy the Table-Tennis World Championship?
June 7th, 2010 | 
Author: OPINION
The Singapore women table-tennis team’s victory over China at the World Championship a week ago has polarized public opinion and sparked an intense debate among Singaporeans if the win truly belongs to Singapore.
The trio who brought the trophy home are all born in China and came to Singapore as established table-tennis players – Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu and Sun Beibei.
A significant proportion of Singaporeans labeled the match as “China Team A versus Team B” and felt that there is nothing really to celebrate.
Some even poured scorn on the policy-makers splurging millions of taxpayers’ monies to “buy” success at the detriment of developing local sports talent.
The PAP’s “foreign talent” sports policy has been a controversial one all these years with many Singaporeans disagreeing with its approach and strategy of enticing foreign players to take up citizenship in order to represent Singapore in international competitions.
While the Singapore women table-tennis team has secured an unprecedented victory over perennial world champions China and put puny Singapore on the world map, the mood on the ground has been rather sombre and nonchalant despite the pathetic attempts of the state media to whip up public sentiments including a delayed telecast of the match by MediaCorp.
PAP supporters and apologists come out in force in the internet chatrooms, decrying the critics as “xenophobic” and arguing that other nations have imported foreign talents as well to represent them.
China is no doubt the undisputed world leader in table-tennis, having producing several great players, some of whom now ply their trade in other countries.
Though some nations like Hong Kong and United States have imported China-born players to represent them like Singapore, more than half their team still consists of natives.
Let us take a look at the Olympic teams of Hong Kong and United States:
1. Hong Kong: Ko Lai Chak, Lau Sui-Fei, Song Ah Sim, Li Ching (China), Tie Ya Na (China)
2. United States: Jasna Fazlic, Mark Hazinski, Sean O’Neill, Wang Chen (China), Gao Jun (China)
As we can see from the above, China-born players make up less than 50 percent of the teams in contrast to Singapore which consists 100 percent of China-born players including the coach.
Some defend the PAP’s sports policy as akin to that adopted by many countries like France, whose 1998 World-Cup winning team consists of many players of African descent like Zinedine Zidane whose parents emigrated to France from Algeria.
These blind supporters miss the fact that most of France’s players were born in France or came to France at a very young age. Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille while Thierry Henry in Paris.
France did not import established players from Brazil or Argentina like Robinho and Lionel Messi into its team by offering them instant citizenships like Singapore.
Furthermore, the French players of African descent are already naturalized French citizens who speak French with a native accent and are French in every other way compared to Singapore’s China-born players who look, speak and behave differently from Singaporeans. There are even doubts if they can sing Singapore’s National anthem and recite the Pledge.
Singapore cannot claim any credit for nurturing the three China-born players as they were already established professionals when they joined the Singapore team. In fact, their Singapore citizenships were fast-tracked precisely because of their “talents”.
Both Wang Yuegu and Sun Beibei were already ranked among the top ten players of the world when Singapore roped them into the team.
Wang made her inaugural appearance on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pro Tour in June 2005 at the Volkswagen Korean Open in Suncheon, South Korea, where she and Sun Beibei took the silver medal in the women’s doubles. On 24 September 2006, Wang achieved her first gold medal on the Pro Tour at the Japan Open in Yokohama before she took up Singapore citizenship in 2008.
Feng Tianwei was ranked 73th in the world and was playing in the Japan’s professional league when she was talent-spotted by former national coach Liu Guodong.
[Source: Wikipedia]
Not withstanding the fact that Feng was only in the China “B” team and unable to break into its “A” team after three years, she is already far ahead of the local-born Singapore players in terms of international experience and exposure. It is not entirely a surprise that her world ranking improved dramatically after given the opportunity to shine by Singapore.
Instead of dismissing the criticisms from the ground as mere grouses and complaints from jealous, disgruntled and marginalized citizens, the policy-makers should pay attention to some of the feedback given.
After all, sports does serve a secondary objective of bonding the nation and it makes little sense to spend millions of dollars to develop table-tennis only to receive such a lukewarm response from Singaporeans.
The backlash from the ground will be less had the team comprised of some native Singaporeans and if the players had come to Singapore at a very young age for other purposes other than to play ping pong.
It is both unfair and unreasonable to label Singaporeans as “xenophobic” just because they do not see eye to eye with the PAP’s “foreign talent” sports policy.
By and large, Singaporeans are the most open, tolerant and accepting people in the world partly due to our upbringing and the cosmopolitan nature of our nation.
Most of us do not mind bringing in young foreign talents to complement our limited talent pool to increase our global competitiveness, but a clear demarcation must be drawn between importing and nurturing potential talents and “buying” established talents.
For example, the reaction from Singaporeans was predictably less hostile towards China-born swimmer Tao Li who came to Singapore at the age of 13 and studied at the Singapore Sports School.
There is an urgent need for the authorities to review its long-standing “foreign talent” sports policy and start listening to the people who are ultimately paying for their expensive “investments”.
As one netizen sums it up succinctly:
“There is no honor in buying trophies. I rather watch a team comprising of native Singaporeans get thrashed at the finals than a team of China-born players winning the competition.”
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Posted in Opinion
Now go buy Rafael Nadal and Francesca Schiavoni and claim that we have both French Open champions.
Make LBW the boss at the tennis association.
Why do we use tax payers fund to make ourselves the laughing stock of the world?
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Our gahmen believes in money. They think money is everything. They spent so much money for just a glory. Can glory be eaten? There are so many people dying of hunger. Yet they still 要脸不要命!这是有钱人的作风与歪想法!可悲!
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As what my friends said, Singapore is a cultural dessert. Singapore produces nothing, except copy and steal thing from other countries. Do you think our country can train talented people? May be last time can. But now cannot due to too much control and their people just cannot exercise their own initiatives.
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Our soccer team now already United Nation liao, have yellow people, have black people also have white people some more brown people.
But I still think, we should import more China player.
China soccer beat South Korea 3-1
China soccer beat France 1-0
We win the trophy, We also bought the trohpy
But it is acceptable want, because it is legal, no rules had been broken.
What to do, Singapore has no talent in swimming, tennis, badminton, table tennis, soccer, even running. China talent is the cheapest liao, don’t compalin, they deliver the goods, so important.
Value for money, good investment, cupboard full of sliverwares
What more can you ask for???
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“It is both unfair and unreasonable to label Singaporeans as “xenophobic” just because they do not see eye to eye with the PAP’s “foreign talent” sports policy.”
Well, I don’t support the PAP but I do think you are xenophobic. Where a person is born should never be an issue in the first place.
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I watch Dongfang Dragon Channel China will invented the fastest supercomputer in the world replacing USA
Maybe we should also buy some China Talent in IT besides just sport
I love China people more than locals, our local are useless bum
China people are winner, local are whiners, complain spoil brats, spoil princess self-centre, selfish, always complain to upstair people, always want upstair people to solved their own problem
Look at how hard China little Emperor worked in FOXCOMM, 12 hrs striaght everyday from morning work till night plus overtime. So hard working, Singaporean kids are spoil, cannot take hardship
How to depend on these Singapore spoil brats, die liao leh
Singapore cannot competer, b’cos our spoil brats cannot compete
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I can understand that other countries also have China players but it is not as much as Singapore? Can anyone name one country who have more than 1 player playing for china? My answer is Singapore, ooh sorri i should say – China (PR Singaporeans Li Jia Wei, Sun Bei Bei, Wang ,Feng somemore Men Team Yang Zi and 1 or 2 China players – so many huh? And surprising none Singaporeans be it women or men play at this World Championship? Can STTA care to explain here?
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China beat China and Singapore win medal and world title……..
Yes, I’m so proud of Singapore and so happy for Singaporean that tears roll down my eyes.
So much money are spend and so many policies are implemented for ‘Foreign Talents’ to bring glory to Singapore. Even giving more ‘Citizenships’ to more and more Foreigners……etc
Are we really that ‘glory’ and ‘title’ hungry???
Or is ‘Singapore’ or ‘Singaporean’ really that pathetic???
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Singapore won a silver medal, after sponsoring to build the table-tennis venue(stadium) for the China Olympics. It is now named after Mr.Khoo Teck Puat.
There was no group or team event, except for this China Olympics for table-tennis. Just to make sure Singapore becomes 2nd.
Since as a team, there was only China( as always) & Singapore (China 2nd team)there as a group of good players.
In Malaysia, there are the Sidek brothers and the current Lee who are all natives, born and bred in Malaysia. They are number 1 in the world for badminton.
It shows that locals can do it, provided we are given the support.
However,Since the PAP MPs and ministers are looking for instant glory, they have untertaken a quick and prompt underhand tactic to win medals.
Despicable method, the World Table-Tennis body should stop this nonsence, just like FIFA.
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Dear your correspondent,
You have written what many Singaporeans have in their mind with this article, covering on area of comparison with other countries.
While you have lamented that native Singaporean athletes are not being nurtured enough, there is not a single mention of our native paddlers. Their names were totally left out in your article. Unlike Feng TW, Wang YG and Sun BB, whose names were repeatedly mentioned, our own Zena Sim and Pang Xue Jie are absolutely missed out. In article like yours, it is only fair to expect that their names were at least mentioned, they deserve our attention.
If I have not search through the national team members in the STTA website, I would not even know that they exist. And mind you, there are not many natives for us to mention.
It is hoped that similar articles in the future will see Singapore born and bred athletes being mentioned so that we know that they actually exist but were not given sufficient exposure.
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it is all about face… superficial face value.
Since when the pigs develop anything after gks.
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Precisely I am refering our own local Zena Sim the onli women player I can recall when Stephaine here. And our local boy Pang Xue Jie. Din see them at the World Team Championship in Moscow? Why?
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If we had bought the entire Brazilian football team, we would have been in the world cup this year. Then we can proclaim to the world that S’pore is a football world champion. For that matter, we should also do that for other sports, rugby, cricket, track etc.
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Why don’t we buy..oops.. i mean..invite smart PRC FT replace our PM, MM, SM and all the Ministers? I am sure they will accept a fraction of what the taxpayers are paying these ministers!!
Give them citizenship in super quick time.
Teach them to sing the national anthem in hanyu pinying.
And then tell every sucker SINKaporean to be proud of these “own people”!!!
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If u buy a few nukes from US and won a war against US, would u feel proud for winning the war? And say that u’re the world’s no 1 in military?
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I do not have a problem with injecting foreign talents. I watched the matches and I think the Singapore team worked really hard to win the world championship. Even if you looked at it as China Team B beating China Team A, it is still something to be proud of that Singapore could create an environment to bring a Team B to beat Team A. Singapore is aiming to be a Hub, a nurturing ground that you can bring different talents together and provide them an environment that they can grow and achieve something larger than themselves. This opportunity is thus given on Merit and it serves to push Singaporeans, PRs and foreign talents to excellence. Excellence comes with a price.
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Offer Tiger Wood our citizenship and we have immediate glory in golf.
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Since we are opening our doors to foreign FTs who are not up to scratch in the likes of masseurs,retail & services I don’t really see the harm to bring in foreign sports talents and nurture them to be our own NUMBER ONE.
Is that not what Singapore is all about??? NUMBER ONE in everything but the one thing that is most important is NUMBER 000 i.e. taking care of the poor elderly sick and the less fortunate.
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Even if you throw out the “xenophobic” argument, what does that say about the sporting standards of our own people then?
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Even if you throw out the “being xenophobic” argument, what does “importing” foreign talent say about the sporting standards of our own people then?
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Shut up lah.
Many countries use the same method of “foreign talent policy”,
including Japanese, Germans, who are very proud of their own race.
They have “foreign talent” in their sporting squad, including soccer.
Read here:
http://g.sg.sports.yahoo.com/football/world-cup/news/world-no-regrets-for-emigrant-brazilians–fbintl_reu-worldbrazil.html
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Shut up lah.
It has nothing to do with PAP or non PAP.
Many countries use the same method of “foreign talent policy”,
including Japanese, Germans, who are very proud of their own race.
They have “foreign talent” in their sporting squad, including soccer.
Read here:
http://g.sg.sports.yahoo.com/football/world-cup/news/world-no-regrets-for-emigrant-brazilians–fbintl_reu-worldbrazil.html
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@ Congrats:
June 7, 2010 at 1:05 am
It is more than just “xenophobic” argument. More like bought SEX gaining 30 seconds of orgasmic glory and nothing of lasting health and physiological benefits instead of STD.
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who knows buy or win? and who cares. Frankly, i got more impt things to worry about like paying bills.
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Spare our players.
Stop critisizing and accuse them of non-Singaporeans.
Celebrate with them.
How dare you judge them by not Singaporeans just because they are naturalized singapore citizen?
There are even more so called “Singaporean by birth” who less singaporeans and keep complaining like most of you and thinking of migrating to dream countries elsewhere.
Shame on you.
If you want Singapore to have strong singapore born players, start with yourself !!
Will you nurture your kids to be sportmen and sportwomen of the future since birth?
Will you? Or you rather tell them to study finance or law?
Show by example, not just talk cock.
Shame on you !!!!
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I was glad, very happy and really proud when Feng and her team won and became World Champion because I considered them as one our own as they are also Singaporeans but suddenly Li Jiao Wei decided to go back to China to represent Beijing. To play in Beijing and play for Beijing are two different things.Clarification is needed here by both Table Association and Jia Wei. I will and together with all Singaporeans will feel sad and cheated if our foreign talents will go back to their countries of birth after their playing days are over.I’m begining to doubt are the Foreign Talents part time Singaporeans.
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The only glory is PERSON-SPECIFIC of the players. We are just in hypocritical pride.
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As long as Singapore have foreign talents representing athletics, I will never support Singapore in any way, be it the upcoming YOG. What a farce.
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Kick foreigners out of Singapore and in return foreigners should kick Singaporeans out of their country including those living and working in China and the US…Deal?
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Our government bought the trophy 100 pct. with hard earned taxpayers’ money. What about the rewards to be handed out to the players? Could somebody please enlighten us as to how much would be paid out to China Team B?
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I support the Women Table Tennis team. They have made huge sacrifices in coming to Singapore and in achieving this. Making insults however, is cheap and easy.
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I watched the match yesterday. Feng TW played well. Nationality issues aside, her performance on court as an underdog was a David vs Goliath Story personified. Direct the abuse to the policies makers but it would be unfair to denied the gals their moment of glory.
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I would like to suggest to our government to buy the whole Brazilian team to enter world cup 2014. I think my tears will roll down when I see Singapore’s name in.
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right, kick out everybody who is thrash………
we’ll all be fine, as fine city, done in by fine miw…
later, we’ll all be nazis too, same as uncle sam……..trying to control the world….
GET OUT OF HELL ALL PR’s and FT’s and FW’s, we don’t need to over built and over size,,,,,,,,
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Bloody Cheap Thrill!
So what’s next?
Throw money at Africa’s world best long distance runners to be Singaporeans within the year and then claim Singapore to be the best in this field.
PAP leaders are so shallow. Proud of hollow victories now.
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I support and congratulate our women table tennis team especially after viewing how they had fought the battle and won it. Nobody will expect Singapore can beat the Chinese team anyway including myself. Give them the due credit for all the hard work that they had put in. I salute our Singapore women team!
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“They have made huge sacrifices in coming to Singapore and in achieving this. ”
Like what huge sacrifices?
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Well, money can buy many stuff…but i doubt they are willing to pay for a world cup squad of footballs greatest players….well, unless china start producing them en-mass…
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What is there to celebrate????
It is just like taking ex chinese FTs players backside skin for
those greedy swine faces.
Sports is not all about winning. It is the spirit of taking part even if native Singaporeans team do not win.
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“They have made huge sacrifices in coming to Singapore and in achieving this. ”
What sacrifices? You meant they played without being paid?
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Unfortunately, the foreign talent policy did not work out for singapore badminton which also have many china players and indonesian players.
shouldn’t STTA give some advice to SBA on talent-spotting so as not to waste tax payers money.
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Bro and sistas,
I see alot of comments here, asking the government to buy Tiger Woods, buy the Brazilian National Team and so on. My question is, will they even consider coming into this shithole of a country! where u are not even allowed to chew gum!
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If Im not wrong the Japanese team had majority japanese players inside.
Not like Singapore.
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regretable we don’t have singapore-born table tennis talents but reality is that world ex-champion chinese players were beaten (not a simple feat at that) – by the women team which went head-on with them (who trained in singapore and for singapore), represents you and i, and won in the name of our nation. give them the credit and respect they deserve. in time to come, we will have our singapore-born and bred table tennis players, that’s how immigration and foreign talent import work. every country imports talents. it’s a fact of life.
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@anon:
“Their moment of glory”…? In all honesty, why was their (winning) match even a delayed telecast? Seems like Mediacorp was expecting the Singapore team to lose… and they were too ashamed to even telecast it?!
Some say these former-PRC players are naturalised Singapore citizens, but look at players like Li Jia Wei, she married a PRC business man. Not that it matters that he is PRC, but where will the couple live when either of them retires? Singaporeans cannot hold dual-citizenship, I doubt PRCs can either… So one of them has to leave “their country”.
If we weren’t paying them as well, do you think they would be even bothering to sing the national anthem? Would they stay and fight for our country in times of war?
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Could someone please give us an estimate of how much we’ve spent so far on buying the trophy?
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The reactions from both sides misses the point. Both very extreme.
I think the opposing people will welcome this win if these ‘new locals’ put in more effort in being a ‘real’ singaporean (whatever that means).
Unfortunately due to the circumstances on how they obtain their red i/c they have to work doubly hard in order to be accepted by the public. Something which the PAP didn’t think off.
As for those who are pro the table tennis team, you fail to comprehend that there were many times the public were let down by this ‘new’ citizens.
The day when these china born new singaporean citizen cries in tears of pride and joy when the national anthem is played and the flag is being raised is the day where all normal singaporeans will feel pride. falling short, this topic will never end.
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LJW will be playing for Beijing team in the table tennis league… she had played for them in 2008 prior to giving birth and is merely returning to the team… FTW is playing in China too… representing another team… the article headline, which was on Stomp website, is badly mis-representing imho…
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The lost US$100 billions could have been better used for greater “glory”. Just give US$1 billion each to buy (invite);
a) Madonna – Now Singapore has the Queen Of Pop
b) Clinton – Dun pray pray, Clinton now Singaporean ah
c) Choice of A-List Hollywood Stars – Now can compete with Hong Kong movies liao
d) Some Royal family members who need money-hehe
e) Oprah – think she more ex. Maybe US$5bil
d) Ellen – same also need more $$moo moo
e) Simon Cow – his tongue against MIW will put him behind bars but he will still be Singaporean lei
f) Bill Gates & Warren Buffet – Err..think cannot afford. Have to increase ERP and SP charges. Also cannot. Think have to sell Singapore, but err…think the world also bankrupt liao.
Left over $$$change- can air con whole of Singapore.
More left over change: Welfare and FULL creation of employment for ALL–Err..think this one not a Singaporean MIW trait lei. Such things don’t exist la. Only in fairy tales only.
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I did said we bought our trophy fair and square…
There goes our taxpayer money to pay those FT for enables us to clinch the gold medal.
How much reward for the gold medal?
If we got enough money we could dominate the Olympic medals board.
After all, it doesn’t matter if our local play for medals, just buy ‘Talents’ and hence buy medals.
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本是同根生 (They came from the same origin…)
Nothing much to be joyful or celebrate about.
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For the glory of Singapore/Singaporeans? Perish that thought.
The whole do-da is for the backside face of PAP ministers. They feel they lose face when they cannot equal their economic success (achieved at the expense of Singaproeans) with ‘gold’ also in sports. They want to wayang that as a govt they have achieved all round success. That’s the tall fairy tale they want to sell to the world.
The B team won probably because the Chinese are aware that their continual dominance in TT could spell the demise and elimination of TT in the next Olympics!
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We should give the singapore-born players a chance. Let them grow.
So what if we cannot get a gold medal. Be sporting. sports is not all about winning.
Personally, I do not share the so call ‘glory’.
Could These foreign born spore players motivated by the cash incentives?
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YES, we must celebrate, after all, Singapore have won and with glory ! Don’t forget that Singapore did not short-change them, they are very well compensated $$$ for their efforts, and these players knows what is expected of the moment they joined Singapore teams, they are Chinese nationals and they have beaten the China teams, jolly good, the most important thing is that Singapore must win in every games, CONGULATIONS, GIRLS, KEEP UP THE GOODWORK, YOU MUST WIN MORE MEDALS FOR SINGAPORE, HOORAY !!
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LoveSingapore:
June 7, 2010 at 10:51 am
Funny how you fail to notice this quote from the article you linked:
If even FIFA think it’s a big deal that countries are mass importing soccer players from the same nation and have actually changed rules to make this less likely to happen, don’t you think Singaporeans are justified in raising concern about where our top players are from?
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Well, I guess 2 things can happen in the future. If this team stays and train our next generation of local tt players to be good players then there will not be much to complain about. If all of them goes back after retirement and the policy is to keep on importing talents then we will all be even more gutted. Meanwhile though, this saga will never be concluded.
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Well, lots of people here are talking about buying Tiger Woods, Brazil Football Team,….. as if S$$$$ can buy anything,any man for Singapore? come on, don’t make me laugh!
In the past 15 years, I(a 2nd-class PRC) have been here watching 2nd-class/3rd-class foreigners come and go, and since recent years I have begun to see more and more low-class PRC workers,cleaners from undeveloped China areas….
You complain why spend on FT players in stead of on local-borns to win a champion? kiss my feet! before year 1990,Singapore had no diplomatic relationship with China, there were quite few PRCs came in. Certainly all the players in your sports teams were local-breeds, now TELL ME HOW MANY world-class champions you had made? and also tell me TILL TODAY,HOW MANY WORLD FAMOUS scientists,artistes,musicians and culture masters you have made from your local-born,local-breeds??!!!
得了便宜还卖乖！the S$ spent on Feng TianWei,Wang YueGu, Li JiaWei might be much less than one year million$ salary of your one minister,yet they won a world champion for Singapore,is this a good deal for you? what’s wrong with importing if it does bring the benifts to Singapore? otherwise, you don’t eat,don’t drive, don’t take MRT trains and buses, don’t use electronic home appliances,throw away your computers, mobile phones, TV sets,take off all your clothes… as all are made in foreign countries and by foreign hands.
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CHN PR Veteran:
June 7, 2010 at 5:34 pm
You have missed the point. The point is that winning in sports is not important; rather it is trying your best and losing with a sporting spirit that is more important. It is certainly not worth spending so much money on a hollow win; the money could be better spent on improving the welfare of Singaporeans so that they become better and more productive citizens.
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Think all sg man should be sterilized and made less potent including all the man in charge then we will have more naturally born foreign-local sinkaporean , how you think ? Might be a good idea ha ha lol
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LBW say that she will propose a retirement funds for the players. Amount she will not reveal. What the fark is this Jamban woman thinking? Her money? Previously, she revealed that the players will be rewarded with prize money when they came in second in the Olympic. Amount? She said something like that, how one split the family’s wealth, no neccessary to let outsiders know. KNN! What the fark is she talking about? Her money or Taxpayers’ money?
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CHN PR Veteran:
June 7, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Bcos of asses like you.
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Re CHN PR Veteran:
I think you are the person who will prefer splurge monies on your neighbor son just because he have better result than your own son.
I give you a suggestion. Definitely there are much more clever people than you including me. Why not I come and screw your wife because I have much better sperm than yours.
You son will be much more handsome and clever. Now do you get the pervertness of PAP?
Maybe someone else should screw Ho ching instead of LHL so that the world would have a lesser risk of Albino or impotent prostrate cancer patient at young age.
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Don’t need to argue liao
Produce born and local talent
(-) wait long long, don’t know can come or not
(-) value for money? china already so cheap, you siao ah?
(-) too much investment pour in…can back back returns or not
(-) 99% singapore complain hard works, weather hot, no time
(-) no sponors, sport as career have no future, look at Fandi Ahmad
Don’t waste time, china had (economics of scale) why bother to produce too expense liao, when you can buy so cheap from imports, still can made money through middle man, you know
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We could also start bringing marathon runners from Africa countries to win the race in Olympic.
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To sum it all up : Where it comes wanting to be #1 in everything :HARD-UP,KIASU,DESPERATE,GLORY SEEKER EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THE IMPORT,SHAMEFUL,LAUGHING STOCK FOR THE WORLD TO SEE.
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It appears more and more that there is no end to the stupidity of our officials. Perhaps the time has come for people like me to redirect our support to the alternative but logical opinion expressed by ordinary but discerning fellow Singaporeans.
We did not become die hard supporters for nothing. But this kind of stupidity makes our heart boil. If our masters keep on making such stupid policies we may reach a point where we will be left with no choice but to switch our support. It is more realistic to side with right thinking Singaporeans than to keep on supporting arrogant masters who refuse to listen to the people.
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Ang Kong Kia.
Marathon runners from africa countries are the best.
High potential for gold medals.
Unfortunately the don’t look like “Singaporean”. They are black.
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blessco:
June 7, 2010 at 10:25 am
Offer Tiger Wood our citizenship and we have immediate glory in golf.
Then I worry for our Singapore mei mei.
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It is the journey, that we as a nation take, to see our own native team grow, get beaten, stand up again, where the whole nation stand still to watch them play at international games, welcome them home, even empty handed, jump for joy when they finally win.
This beautiful journey get contaminated by our money face PAP scholar ministers, they like instant noodles success, they want it now.
Screw them, for making something beautiful so ugly.
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we like to find out how much money on all table tennis player on the last 10 years .i know yu will not tell us but one day the truth will come out
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Quite clear that majority doesn’t want imported victory. Hope the Gov will clarify future policy on FT in sports.
I believe majority here are not sport lovers. Else, why not view victory from a sportsman’s perspective. When a player goes into tournament, he pocesses skills and art. He draws fighting spirit from the shirt he is wearing (七分球藝， 三分鬥志）.
How many dare think we are better skilled than the Chinese?
If you had watched; fighting spirits were tall in Singapore’s color.
I salute the girls for their accomplishment.
Until we can fight like the girls, or even stronger than that as we dare call ourselves born Singaporeans, branded world champions will not help us; “show-offs” and “kiasu bunch”.
I went into China’s website to see if the trio were branded as “traitors”. Massive number of postings, I didn’t read any. But the majority Chinese were reprimanding their coach and player LiuShiWen. They angrily accepted defeat. But here, we cannot accept victory?
Let’s open up our angle of perspective, fellowmen. We are world champions. Just that, we will want Made-in-Singapore brand. Start to dream… It is possible; we got jump-start victory. Majulah.
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I’m so happy Spore is tt world champ. Now we import to get instant sporean hollywood stars. We import sporean to climb mount everest. I would suggest to our govt to import world’s top football players and bring back the world cup. We can achieve it by 2014 if the govt budget 20% of our gdp for this
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Those were the days when experience is more important than papers.Then, decades ago PAP change it to papers are more important than sports. All this while, we have been brainwashed and bombarded with that change. Parents have become so afraid to let their children pick up any sports because sports will not put bread on the table”. Only recently PAP changed its stand and try to correct their mistakes and sports school was set up. But its too late. No matter what PAP do, parents will still be reluctant to allow their children to pick up any sports fulltime for fear of them being left behind in the paper chase. In a dynamic and world class country like singapore, good education is very important. So, FT sports people like Table Tennis and other sports will be here to stay and they will stay for long.
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hmm… how about some news of local born table tennis players instead… support local talent for coming YOG…
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Sports/Story/A1Story20090629-151565.html
http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=20512&Category=
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To CHN PR Veteran:
得了便宜还卖乖? I wonder who 得了便宜? I rather we dun hv the “glory” and all of these “FT” go back to where they are and maybe we’ll see who “得了便宜” ?
For me I don’t see FT coming in Singapore a problem but. What can of 便宜 is this? I believe only made pple like you CHN PR proud…not us. I would appreciate if THEY STAY AND TRAIN our next generation. Then I would say 得了便宜. Show it to us 10-20 years from now they wont go back abd buy big house/land etc? Only time will tell anyway…lets remember all these…
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“Most of us do not mind bringing in young foreign talents to complement our limited talent pool…..”
I do not agree to this. Many schools are already bringing in China students specially to represent them in school competitions. These China lads are also squeezing our local students out of their school teams.
LBW boasts about grooming local talent yet local students do not even get their chance to represent their own schools. STTA & MOE do not bother to limit the no. of foreign students schools are allowed to have in their teams. So, one school sent an entire team of China students and won a championship. More schools will soon follow suit as we’ve learnt from our gahmen that being No.1 is so very important.
China students tend to be older and more skilful as they can afford to spend long hours in training. How are our local kids to challenge them? How are they to get competitions exposure if there’s no place left for them even in school level?
I suggest to parents to advice your kids to give up TT or never to take up the sport coz there is simply no future for local paddlers!!!!!
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Singapore is a country where the ruler have absolute control of the state funds. therefore they can use it as they please. the agenda is to promote sports winner as soon as possible. where got time to nurture local talents? Just spend money to buy sport talents is fast and efficient way . it is in line with lky objective.
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[...] in a Strange Land – The Temasek Review: Did Singapore win or buy the Table-Tennis World Championship? – guanyinmiao’s musings: Lessons From The Kallang Slashings – FOOD fuels me to talk: Are [...]
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Pardon me. It is very “rude” to tell someone to shut-up here!
We are here for a very serious discussions and not to fight!
If one is not happy please dun comment here. Thank you!
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Annoymous: June 7, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I can’t believe a local Singaporean like you spoke such disgusting and roguish words against women! If you dare to let me know your true identity, I will make a police report! If you dare to appear in front of me, I will punch off all your teeth!
Based on your rascal logic, I guess maybe you were just the inferior product after a donkey was screwed up by your father!
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Annoymous: June 7, 2010 at 7:11 pm
recited from your comment:”
I think you are the person who will prefer splurge monies on your neighbor son just because he have better result than your own son”.
My Reply:”YES, I will if you call me DADY!”
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Not toolong ago,there’s a rich old man who,in his leisure time play tennis and golf to exercise.He’s never good in both sports,and his wealthy companions of ’sports mate’teased him for his ‘talent’ in the games they played.One nite,the rich old man,out of boredom,switched on the Tv and saw how ‘alluring’ was the Wimbleton trophy for mens.Out of vanity,he decided to look for good craftmanship on pewter to make himself one replica of the Wimbleton trophy.Few weeks passed,and what he sees is just a single trophy in his newly custom make cabinet,he called up to the skilled craftsman who made the trophy to replicate a few more major trophy,namely:roland garros,US Open and Australia Open.One day,his ’sports mate’,also sometimes mahjong kakis came to his prime district bungalow for mahjong.Two of them saw what’s inside the display cabinet and said:”Wow!That’s a great tennis accomplishment!” jokingly.The third guy saw what the other two seen,and said these blatantly to the rich old man:”I don’t know what you’re thinking,likely is vanity,but the fact is,you bought these(trophies),you didn’t earn them.”
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There is this kind of “hollow cheap thrill” mentality that has taken root in our once proud nation.
First we throw money for a table tennis team to win tournaments.
Now people are actually willing to splurge money on children who are not their actual sons or daughters just ‘cos he is called “DADY”?!?!
No values, no principles, no nothing….. just money….. for cheap temporary hollow thrill.
When have we come to this.
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Irony.
Using taxpayer’s monies and past singaporeans hard work/sacrifices to buy “sports” talent to feel good.
And the feel good that has need of this is the PAP and its cronies.
Talk about cheap skate.
Using other people monies and hooting how good they are.
What do the singapore people get in the end for this and in the future?
More pay and pay from PAP and its cronies.
Sick.
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There really isn’t any intention to nurture table tennis players in Singapore.
This can be evidenced by the less than 20% of community centres having table tennis facilities for rent.
Unlike basketball and badminton courts which take up much more space, table tennis facilities use a relatively small area with low maintenance costs …. just the table (most players bring their bats, balls and net).
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ronaldo is the only wits i like the world cup if he doesnt play the world cups spirit is gone for me
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CHN PR Veteran:
“I can’t believe a local Singaporean like you spoke such disgusting and roguish words against women! If you dare to let me know your true identity, I will make a police report! If you dare to appear in front of me, I will punch off all your teeth!
Based on your rascal logic, I guess maybe you were just the inferior product after a donkey was screwed up by your father!”
Why don’t you show yourself first. Your comments are equally crude and bad. 五十步笑百步， 开口不用本钱。 恐吓要打人已触犯本地法律，请注意。
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Wow, with CHN PR Veteran around, things sure get interesting
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