Additional Support to Strengthen Well-being of National Athletes

34 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what additional support measures will be introduced to strengthen the psychological well-being of national athletes, especially in areas of (i) financial stress (ii) performance pressure and (iii) in their transition to life after professional sports.

Mr David Neo: The Government is committed to supporting our athletes throughout their sporting careers and their transition beyond competitive sport.

In April this year, we integrated the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) and the National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI) to create the High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI). This structural change enhances our ability to support our athletes holistically across youth to senior levels.

HPSI supports our athletes’ holistic development through Sport Psychology and Athlete Life Management, integrating sports performance with overall well-being, mental health support and preparation for life outside sports.

Our national athletes receive comprehensive mental health support throughout their sporting careers.

First, through psychoeducation, which are one-on-one consults and imparting skills and knowledge to help them cope with mental and emotional issues. Second, regular proactive monitoring by HPSI to screen for possible psychological and mental distress, where cases requiring attention are flagged and assessed by the HPSI's sports science team and further clinical expertise sought, where necessary. Third, resilience training that simulates high-pressure situations athletes are likely to encounter. This equips them with the knowledge to recognise symptoms of poor mental health and employ appropriate coping mechanisms and self-care practices.

We have robust support systems in place and are actively enhancing our support. HPSI is looking at ways to reduce the stigma of help-seeking, establish more partnerships with private practices and further upskill stakeholders and support staff to enhance support for our athletes.

Next, in our push to make sports a viable career, we also recently announced enhancements to our Sport Excellence (spex) programmes.

To bolster the financial stability of our top athletes, we introduced monthly Central Provident Fund top-ups for our spexScholars from April this year. This helps them accumulate savings while they compete full-time.

The spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship, launched in 2024, supports our athletes' academic aspirations alongside their sporting ambitions, whether during their sporting career or after they retire from active competition.

Furthermore, in April this year, the Singapore Sports School and the six local autonomous universities signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance athlete-friendly practices on campus, helping our national athletes better balance academics with their sporting commitments.

Corporate partners on our spexBusiness scheme provide not only employment opportunities to current and ex-sportsmen, but also career development support for active athletes through internships and apprenticeships. They have also put in place flexible work arrangements that enable our sporting talents to balance work and sporting commitments.

The Government cannot do this alone. To create a truly supportive environment for our athletes requires the collective commitment of our society.

I call upon fellow Singaporeans to support our athletes' development through contributions to the One Team Singapore Fund. I also encourage corporates to join the spexBusiness network and strengthen our support for athletes' employability. Together, we can foster a culture where we celebrate our athletes' dedication and effort not merely when they win medals, but throughout their sporting journey.