Olympic Achievements

1.32 pm

The Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Tan Chuan-Jin): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That this House congratulates swimmer Joseph Isaac Schooling on his achievements at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games."

Before I begin, if I may, I would like to acknowledge the presence of and to welcome Colin, May and Joseph Schooling. [Applause]

On 13 August, Saturday morning in Singapore, history was made. Almost halfway around the globe, at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio, 21-year-old Joseph Schooling powered his way to Singapore's first-ever Olympic Gold medal in the Men's 100-metre Butterfly Swimming event.

He did so in style, besting former Olympic champions Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh. He even broke the Olympic Record, set eight years ago by Phelps.

When Majulah Singapura was played for the first time at an Olympic Games, it was really quite an emotional experience for our President and all of us who were there. It was a moment of great national pride not just for Joseph and his family, but for our entire nation. Singaporeans everywhere watching this moment on TV sang the anthem together with Joseph. I believe for years to come, Singaporeans will remember this moment when the Singapore flag flew highest and our national anthem rang out on the Olympic stage.

It has been far from an easy journey. Joseph had to put in a tremendous amount of hard work and made many personal sacrifices. But this did not deter him at all. In fact, his father Colin Schooling remembered a time when he was woken up at 4.00 am by Joseph, for swimming practice. Joseph was just eight years old then. From a young age, Joseph already had the mindset of a champion. He had big dreams and the determination to make it happen.

When Joseph was 14 years old, he left Singapore to train at the renowned Bolles School in the United States. It takes great courage, passion and determination to say, "Yes, I want to be an Olympian and I will do whatever it takes." That was exactly the kind of resolve we see in Joseph, who has put in hour after hour of training through the years and is now breaking record after record.

It takes a village to raise an Olympic champion, they say. But above all, it takes their family. Joseph's number one fans and supporters are undoubtedly his parents, Colin and May. They dedicated their lives to supporting Joseph's Olympic dream. They made huge sacrifices to provide the fullest support possible to help their son realise his dreams. They were with Joseph every step of the way; they always believed in him, and cheered him on at all his swim meets.

Colin, as well as Joseph's grand-uncle Lloyd Valberg, were our national sportsmen as well – in softball and athletics respectively. In fact, Mr Valberg was Singapore's first-ever Olympian and he inspired Joseph to pursue sporting excellence, while embracing the values of dedication, hard work, discipline and resilience.

We thank the Singapore Swimming Association and head coach Sergio Lopez, too, for all their efforts. In the past 18 months, Sergio has been instrumental in grooming our top swimming talents, including Quah Zheng Wen, who entered the semi-finals for two events in Rio. Sergio had also coached Joseph during his time at the Bolles School. Joseph now trains under Eddie Reese at the University of Texas who joined Sergio on the coaching staff at Rio.

As a recipient of the spexScholarship offered by Sport Singapore, Joseph was able to train full-time with a holistic system of support, including access to advanced sports medicine and sports science services. The support from Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council, along with his scholarship in the University of Texas, has provided Joseph the best possible environment for Joseph to perform to his best. I would also like to acknowledge the Ministry of Defence for deferring Joseph's National Service commitments, so that he could concentrate on doing well in Rio, which he did with flying colours.

It was wonderful to see the entire nation rallying behind Joseph and our Olympians, and celebrating together as one Team Singapore. As Joseph put it, "This moment is not about me. It is for my country, my friends, my family and all those people who supported me and believed in me."

We saw this at the Southeast Asian Games last year, when Joseph won nine Gold medals on home soil to deafening cheers from the stands. The Rio Olympics may be nearly 16,000 kilometres away, but Singaporeans from all walks of life were there in spirit and offered numerous messages of support and encouragement to Joseph and to our many athletes who are competing there.

Last Friday morning, many students and working adults alike paused what they were doing just to catch Joseph compete in the semi-finals. And on Saturday morning, the whole of Singapore came to a standstill for a minute. All our eyes were glued to the TV screens. We were all gripped by a sense of excitement, anticipation and, finally, pure ecstasy and national pride as our sporting hero touched home in record-breaking time.

Joseph's Olympic Gold medal marks a milestone in Singapore's sporting history, and also a new beginning. It adds to the Paralympics Gold medal won by Yip Pin Xiu in Beijing in 2008. We must build on this success to strengthen our culture of sports and make Singapore a sporting nation. Joseph is one amongst many athletes who have flown our flag over the years. They have all sought to bring honour and glory to our nation and to scale the highest peaks.

This year, we have 25 Olympians and 12 Paralympians who are exceptional athletes and an inspiration to all of us. The Olympics and Paralympics are the world's pinnacle sporting events. To qualify for the Games is already an immense achievement and they have all done Singapore very proud.

Next month, our Paralympians, including Pin Xiu, will be taking over the torch in Rio. These are individuals who have overcome the toughest challenges in life despite their disabilities and are aiming to go one step further to bring sporting glory to Singapore. They are all champions in their own right.

So, I would also like to congratulate all our Team Singapore athletes for their extraordinary feats. I hope they will inspire a new generation of sporting talents who are unafraid to chase their dreams and to work hard to achieve their goals. I hope and know that all Singaporeans will continue to give them our fullest support, especially for those who are still competing in Rio.

I believe Joseph's win can inspire young Singaporeans to chase the rainbow and go after their dreams, even in areas apart from sports. The journey may be difficult and will require hard work and sacrifice, but with hard work, grit and determination, we can achieve great things. For example, the media reported how the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) family did a "live" screening of Joseph's swim for about 500 students and teachers. One of the Year 5 students, Ken Zhang, said later that Schooling's victory is an inspiration to everyone. He said, "Regardless of what sports we do, he's an inspiration to all of us. So long as you have the passion for it, put in the hard work, we are able to achieve something really great."

This is the first Olympic Gold for Singapore and it comes just after our SG50 celebrations last year. As we embark on a new chapter of nation-building for the next 50 years, this represents an important first step in this first year in the journey of our next 50 years. It is a historic achievement that exemplifies the Singapore spirit. Our "never-say-die" attitude and our determination to persevere and succeed against tough odds. To quote Joseph, "This record shows that even people from the smallest countries in the world can do extraordinary things." Joseph and all our sporting heros have inspired us with their achievements. With the same grit and spirit, we can rally together as One Team Singapore to do extraordinary things for many, many more years to come. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. [Applause.]

Question proposed.

Mdm Speaker: Mr Baey Yam Keng.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion to congratulate Joseph Schooling. To qualify for the Olympics is already an extraordinary achievement. To win an Olympic Gold medal is the dream of every Olympian. For many athletes and nations around the world, the dream remains a dream. For Joseph and Singapore, the dream has become reality.

I was at the OCBC Aquatic Centre to witness this historic moment with the Singapore Swimming Association and the rest of the local swimming fraternity. There were cheers, ecstatic screams and hugs when Joseph won the race in record time. It was an amazing moment that I share with all Singaporeans and one that I will never forget.

From a young age while swimming for ACS (Independent), Joseph was already breaking Schools and National age-group records. At 16, he was also the youngest ever to be crowned Sportsman of the Year, an accolade he would go on to win two more times. His achievement at the Rio Olympics is the culmination of years of hard work and unwavering support from his family and friends around him. So, congratulations once again to Joseph, as well as to Mr and Mrs Schooling!

This morning, I was at the airport to receive Joseph with many other Singaporeans, and I could feel the sense of pride and joy of those around me as we welcomed home Singapore's first-ever Olympic Gold medallist. The entire nation cheered him on while he was in Rio and now we will celebrate together as One Team Singapore. Not everyone could make it to the airport this morning. So, I am delighted that Sport Singapore is planning an open top bus victory parade out on the streets to celebrate Joseph's achievement. This will allow even more Singaporeans to join in the celebrations to share Joseph's and Singapore's joy and triumph of winning the Olympic Gold medal.

Joseph's victory is another milestone in our nation's sporting journey. Like Joseph said, this Gold medal proves that even as a small country, we can do extraordinary things. We just need to believe in ourselves and work hard to chase our dreams.

When Joseph first met Michael Phelps, he was a young star-struck teenager, hoping to one day compete alongside his idol. On Saturday, he went one step further, beating Phelps to the Olympic Gold medal. I am glad that our spexScholarships and Race to Rio programme has helped Joseph and the rest of our Olympians fly our flag high on a stage like this. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), together with Sport Singapore, will continue to support many more young athletes, who have no doubt been inspired by Joseph, to similarly excel and fulfil their sporting aspirations.

Madam, in the coming weeks, our Paralympians will be heading to Rio. This year, we are sending our largest-ever contingent to the Paralympics: 12 athletes across six sports, and almost half of them are debutants.

I met most of them at a Team Singapore Send-Off Reception last week. They were in high spirits and all ready to fly our flag high. I urge all Singaporeans to cheer them on with the same fervour and passion.

Joseph and his family are here, so I want to convey my heartfelt congratulations to them once again. Joseph, I am sure your best years are still ahead of you. I am happy that your request to extend your National Service deferment has just been approved. [Applause.]

All the best for the 2020 Olympic Games. All of Singapore will be behind you and every Team Singapore athlete who flies the flag for us so proudly, as you have done. [Applause.]

Mdm Speaker: Mr Christopher de Souza.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Madam, 2,000 residents gathered on 13 August 2016 to watch the replay of Joseph Isaac Schooling's incredible feat. It was our constituency's National Day dinner and many of the residents had already watched the 100-metre butterfly Olympic final earlier. But when we saw you again, Joseph, on the starting block, the crowd roared. Singaporeans of all races – Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian – were spurring you on in your race, your 100-metre butterfly Olympic final. We watched you fly down Lane 4, Singapore's flag on your swimming cap and all of us roared until you touched the wall. It is an honour to have you here today in Parliament House with your parents, Mr and Mrs Schooling. An Olympic gold, an Olympic record – how marvellous! But it was also how you embraced your victory that has moved many people, many Singaporeans. You spoke highly of Michael Phelps and shared that to race for others greater than yourself is deeply motivating. What humility and courage!

Like several Members of this House, I played hockey competitively. For some time, I played for Singapore. Before every match, the team understood what it meant to have the Singapore flag over our heart on our jerseys. We would try to overcome the butterflies in our stomach before going on the pitch. Once on the pitch, our single focus was the scoreboard, always looking to ensure Singapore was up, trying our best.

As I watched you "live" on your starting block, I thought to myself how completely composed you looked, how you were getting rid of those butterflies, how you had laser-like focus. Then you leapt, engulfed with only your thoughts in the silence of the water, knowing what it means to carry that Singapore flag in your heart. And you flew and you nailed it. What you said at your press conference is completely true – that people from small countries can do extraordinary things. When I was 15 years old, I played one of the toughest hockey matches of my life. The team gave it our all. At the end of it, I remember our coach shouting from the sidelines, "Well done, sons! Lift your heads up high!" Joseph, well done, son, you have lifted our heads up high! [Applause.]

Mdm Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mdm Speaker, the Workers' Party joins the Minster and all Members in congratulating Joseph Schooling and his family on a most remarkable achievement at the Rio Olympics. Behind what seemed to us as an effortless 50.39 seconds must have been a lifetime of discipline, training and sacrifice. Joseph's parents have given him the security to enable him to pursue his dreams, supported his passion for the sport, and tirelessly fought for his cause. They did not take the easy course of asking him to abandon his passion and buckle down to the more conventional paths of success. Without them, Joseph becoming an Olympic champion would not have been possible.

Despite their son making history by becoming the first Southeast Asian to ever win an Olympic swimming gold, Joseph's parents did not gloat in his victory, but were fully grounded in what his victory meant. I was personally disarmed by the reaction of his father, Mr Colin Schooling, who said, and I quote: "The most important thing is to be an ambassador for all our children in Singapore that gives them hope that they also can do it. There's nothing special about him, just a boy who is interested in the sport."

Indeed, sport has always had magical powers to inspire generations and galvanise nations. Singapore has experienced the unifying nature of sports in the early years of nation building and was again reminded of what it meant to support our sporting heroes flying our flag. Singaporeans from all walks of life, of all ages, tuned in to watch the 100-metre butterfly final. Even my neighbour, who hardly talks to me, asked me in the lift whether I caught the event on TV. The imagination of Singaporeans was captured by the exploits of a third-generation Singaporean about to be a world-beater.

Madam, as we celebrate Joseph's success, we should also honour and celebrate all Singaporeans who devote their hearts to represent Singapore in sport. Many have slogged to be selected to don the national colours, simply for the love of the sport and the privilege of representing Singapore. We well up with pride watching our compatriots representing little Singapore compete with the world's best. We know you have put in so much just to get there. Whether you win or lose, we salute you. [Applause.]

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Mdm Speaker, this achievement by Joseph Schooling is truly history in the making for our nation. It serves to inspire all of us that no matter our personal circumstances, as long as we put our minds to the task, the sky is the limit. With this, I would like to ask the House to give their whole-hearted support for this Motion. [Applause.]

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, that this House congratulates Joseph Isaac Schooling on his achievements at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Thereupon, hon Members stood to their feet and applauded.

Mdm Speaker: Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 2.20 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 1.53 pm until 2.20 pm.

Sitting resumed at 2.20 pm

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]