9/26/2016

Sports rewards – Equal for all sportsmen, including Masters Athletes

 

The one million dollar question is in everyone’s lips. Yip Pin Xiu’s gold medals in the Paralympics should stand shoulder to shoulder with Joseph Schooling’s gold medal in the Olympics. Both should be given the $1m cash award.

Paralympians faced greater odds because of their disabilities. And don’t blame them just because they are competing against a smaller pool of competitors. It is not their faults. They cannot determine how many competitors in the race. So don’t be sour grapes. Even though sports is not about money, but about competing, about sportsmanship, but if you give someone one million bucks, it is only fair to give the paralympians the same one million bucks.

The other argument for the Open Olympians is that they are competing in an open field, against anyone that chose to race, chose to compete, be it 10 year olds or 90 year olds, normal or with disabilities, it is an open challenge.

How about a little support for the seniors competing in such events? The seniors’ only handicap is their age and the ageing muscles that refused to behave like when they used to. They are in no condition to compete in the Open category with the younger guys. I tried, a 10 year difference, or even 5 year difference would mean a few seconds difference, unless one is super fit and running against an unfit younger man. How about allowing the seniors to compete in the Paralympics? Maybe the 35 year old Masters athletics would pack too much power. How about the above 60 or above 70 Masters athletics? Their physical conditions are very challenging.

I have competed in a few masters events in the 100m sprint for the 65 – 69 age group. Not many competitors but understandable. How many oldies could still run or do the 100m dash?

Oh, I am not asking for a million dollar reward in the World Masters Event. That would be asking too much. I have known Masters athletics that have been consistently attending and participating in international meets for more than 30 years but barely got a cent in support from the Singapore Sports Council. They have to pay every cent for everything, air fares, accommodations, food, supplements, training, medical assistance, all from their own pockets.

Would the Minister in charge of Sports, of Singapore Active, think about giving a little financial support to the Masters athletics to compete and to keep healthy. No need million dollar awards. These Masters athletics are doing it for sports, for the love of being active, and in the course of it, representing the country too. Oh, Singapore Athletics did provide the sports attire when the masters are competing in major international events. How about a little support in transportation/air fare and accommodation, for representing Singapore?

No need million dollar awards. But a little or small award would really be nice. What is Singapore Active waiting for when so much money are spent on other athletes and sports? The seniors need some encouragement in what they are doing, to stay healthy to compete in sports. The medicine and supplements to keep their bodies supple and functioning are not cheap.

10 comments:

  1. If the paralympians want their $1m reward, they should compete in the Olympics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "The seniors need some encouragement in what they are doing, to stay healthy to compete in sports. The medicine and supplements to keep their bodies supple and functioning are not cheap."
    RB

    I thought PAP already give pioneer package to seniors? Which could even have contributed to the 70% votes PAP got in GE 2015?

    So will doing more (as suggested by RB above) help PAP to get more votes? What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Paraolympic and real olympic is different thing. I dont see why para got to be paid similarly to real olympian.

    It create perverse incentive. Maybe one day if Schooling got bankrupt or cant compete anymore, he will think of hacking off his leg and compete in para to make $.

    Too many morons in Singapore.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The sports world is full of corruption and bullying. It creates lots of miseries and pain for many. It should all be abolished and the resources channelled to the needy children of the world. Just look at Brazil, the people are so poor. The gov used the event to transfer public monies into their own subcontractors pockets instead of helping the millions of poor in their own country.

    ReplyDelete

  5. When the Days come to Sinkies having no job and facing problems of survival,
    let us see how passionate about Olympics, World Cups or even keep fit exercises.

    lt is quite sickening to see billboards of the Olympic Athletes
    everywhere and the State Media harping about them 24/7.

    Even blogs and Fb are full of them.


    patriot



    ReplyDelete
  6. Rewards must commensurate with prestige of the game. We all agree there is very little interest by the world community to watch Paralympic games. It is therefore not the same as Olympics. There is really no comparison.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Political Satire
    --------------------
    If we are willing to pay million dollar salaries to mentally disabled people to become our Ministers;
    what's wrong with a one time million dollar prize to the physically disabled?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Another can of worms. But, as always, in Sinkieland, it is the wise and learned worms that make all the decisions for the walking dead. They know, because worms infested the bodies of the dead.

    ReplyDelete
  9. "It is quite sickening to see billboards of the Olympic Athletes everywhere and the State Media harping about them 24/7" unquote

    Aiyoh, they were even invited to sit in Parliament, like elected MPs. Next step they may even be invited to take part in debates. If they can win gold medals, must also be as good as any elected Paramentarians of Sinkieland.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Equal for all? In Sin City some beans are more equal than others. For example white beans are more atas than red, blue or yellow beans of different political ideology.

    ReplyDelete