8/02/2012

52 years of fantasising come true



The Olympic medal finally arrived after 52 years of waiting since Howe Liang did us proud in Rome in 1960. We can now feel it, touch it, kiss it and pray to it. Maybe a little shrine shall be built for the public to visit these two medals, to touch them for good luck or something like that. On hindsight, who are the people craving for such a medal in the first place? The men in the street, the Ah Kongs and the Ah Mahs, the Ah Ter and the Ah Kow, the sports fraternity, the adolescence or the mature oldies? We have been talking about this craving for an Olympic medal but who is the one that wanted it so badly to spend so much money for it? How much has been spent, must be ‘very much’ taking into account the logistics, medical and training support, coaches, food, training expenses, salaries and rewards etc, not just for Feng Tianwei but for the whole gang of players and supporting staff over so many years.

One thing for sure, no Sinkie sportsman or woman would want it so badly to sacrifice time and effort to go through a very tough and discipline regime to be world champions. The Chinese factories and other European factories are churning up champions by a very thorough full time process from a very young age. I don’t think any Sinkie or Sinkie parents would want to put their wards through the regime.

Anyway, the medal has arrived. Where to go from here? Would this be so exciting to stimulate people to want more, or would want to go for the gold and spend more money and resources for it? Or would people said, okay, enough of fantasies and youthful infatuation, time to grow up, no need to keep up with the Joneses. Let’s move on to more serious things in life? Some may want to use this medal as a springboard to go ahead in a big way. Some may want to tone it down or want to spend the money on the real Sinkies. And if no real Sinkies want it bad enough to put in the effort, then the money can be better spent on the welfare of the people in other areas.

Sports is about sporting spirit and competition. It would be acceptable too if it could be turned into a commercial enterprise like the European Football Leagues, creating jobs and generating revenue. But if it is a cost centre and for a little bit of glory, is it worth the expenditure, effort and resources? Do we want to go for more medals in the same way?

PS. There have been many negative remarks made about these imported sports talents. I think it is unfair as they are here because we asked them to be here. If any country would to offer any Sinkie such attractive terms it is fair for the Sinkie to accept the offer. They are not to be blamed, just like the FTs that are here. The person to take the blame should be the one that opened the legs wide wide.

PS, the 52 years wait is a mistake. Singapore won a silver medal in table tennis women's team event in 2008 Beijing Olympics.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many decisions are not made by the people. Decisions such as on imported talents are made by some people who think it is best for all of us. I think it can be argued that "what's best for us" is often obscured by personal profits or profitability.

patriot said...

Hey, the President Of Sin was there to cheer for our mostly imported Sports Athletes.
Dont pray pray and dont play play hor!
It must be one very important function of a president; You know?

patriot

Anonymous said...

Maybe the President has nothing else to do lah.

Anonymous said...

>>Maybe the President has nothing else to do lah.

Maybe LBW who has nothing else to do invited him?

Anonymous said...

Was there any other head of state or even parliamentarian enjoying the Olympic in London?

Anonymous said...

After 52 years Singapore finally bought a Bronze Olympic medal with a foreigner,paid and nutured to be a PR

Anonymous said...

Is a bittersweet taste.

I congratulate her for winning a medal for Singapore. She has done her best, and done us proud. She deserves the $250k for 4 years of her hard word, resilience and success. That works out $62k per year/or $5.2k per month of pay. She deserves the reward for all her personal effort.

Ironically, towards the end, she threw the bouquet of flowers towards her china cheering fans at the shock of the singaporean fans. This is like a foster mother who have raised and adopted the child all these years, and when she stand on podium of her graduation ceremony, she thanked her biological mom who has given her up!

One word = speechless.

Anonymous said...

Why can't singaporeans be real? Can win, win. Cannot win, accept loss with grace and dignity. Why import and divide the people?

Foreign talents can't really inspire locals to be like them because we are not like them. Is like asking us to speak American accented English when we are not Americans.

Anonymous said...

Is winning a medal that important, to win at all cost, by what ever means?

Anonymous said...

We, Singaporeans, are real. Can win, win lah, Cannot win, dont need to go there lah.

It is our great leaders who wants the medals, and they rather have medals instead of helping the poor and the needy.

Anonymous said...

Is actually freak show. Anything that pushes you to extremes, you become freaks.

Anonymous said...

Moderation in all our endeavors is the law of balance and the law of peaceful coexistence. If we encourage extremes, we only open ourselves to self destruction.

Anonymous said...

Sports yes. Sports should be naturally pursued. No need to lose one's life or sanity to be the best. We should be contented with being best through balance.

Dare to be different?

Anonymous said...

What is bronze medal..compared to the following by a local talent???

http://sin.stb.s-msn.com/i/5F/6DC8EF433F4780B6322769B63E6F.jpg

Anonymous said...

Red bean frankly who cares when u are struggling daily

Anonymous said...

anon 5:29, you so pathetic. so unhappy with redbean but still must come here to smell his fart. your karma is to be ordered to smell redbean.

Anonymous said...

[Almost 8 in 10 not proud of medal won by foreign import: Yahoo! poll]

The three-day poll, which ended on Thursday, saw 77 per cent of the 17,227 respondents who took part chose “No”.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/almost-8-in-10-not-proud-of-medal-won-by-foreign-import--yahoo--poll.html?

Anonymous said...

Frankly, most do not really care if we get a medal.I do not feel any excitement after we won the Bronze. Perhaps it is because Feng is not a true blue Singaporean or maybe people are more concerned about bread and butter issues rather than something they do not enjoy and will not be playing in the first place.

The hype is by ministry in charged. They have to justified their multi million expenditures. With the win they can now ask for more. Whether is for the people or for their own glary, only they will know.

Anonymous said...

FTW is at least a lot more humble and lovable than the stuck-up arrogant swimmer that ended up empty handed.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I think most of them are nice young people. They are just trying their best to do a job, their profession.

The politics of their being here is not their fault and we should not pick on them personally. Many came here as innocent youth, to train hard to earn their keeps. They did not think of anything else.

Eagles 2nd Eye said...

The carrot of $250,000 is open to everybody in Singapore. If any true blue deserving Sinkie is up to the task, then he/she will win the medal too.

Anonymous said...

What is so great to show the world that you have enough money to throw around buying other peoples' backside for your face?

Joseph Tan said...

Dear Redbean,

You said at the closing there has been many negative remarks from all over, may I be allowed to share one that I just read this morning from someone in a forum as follows:

QUOTE:

"I had said it few days back.. FTW's victory is a victory for the PAP.. They are now gloating about this success in the National media.. Its a hollow victory.. A self shiok feeling being shared among the PAP, their loyal dogs, and the 60%..

The 60% are masturbating each other and gleefully licking the cum of propaganda that's being released by the PAP.. This gayish incentous behaviour will only gets worse when the PM of the 60% make his National Day speech.. Then the mass orgy begins with all of these 60% faggots waiting to bask in the glory of that Ah Tiong lady and claiming her as our own."

UNQUOTE

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Joseph, unfortunately many Sinkies share this view. And the leaders are still in enjoying their wet dreams, thinking the people are with them, sharing this great glory, that the nation has arrived in the world stage of sports.

You want to know the truth? So it was asked.