Lawyer and sports advocate Edmond Pereira will lead a team into the Singapore Athletics elections for office bearers at the upcoming annual general meeting to be held on 25 September 2020.
TeamSGP Athletics will bring together a team of professionals and former athletes with a five-point plan to develop the state of the sport in Singapore through the following:
- Plan
- Engage
- Empower
- Professionalise
- Act
Details of the team’s mission and manifesto will be released on 10 September.
TeamSGP Athletics includes seven potential appointment holders who have not held office at the management committee at Singapore Athletics, Mr Pereira included.
Only two members in TeamSGP Athletics are currently part of the Singapore Athletics management committee from 2018 to 2020 – Olympian Ang Peng Siong and lawyer S Govindaraju.
The new faces in Pereira’s team include Chief Financial Officer of Ce La Vi Penh Huynh, banker Gerald Kua, medical doctor and former Chief Air Force Medical Officer Dr Robin Low, lawyer Desmond Ong, who is also the Chairman of Tampines Rovers Football Club and former national sprinter and 100m record holder U.K. Shyam, currently a Senior Manager at national sports agency Sport Singapore, among others.
The full slate of TeamSGP Athletics candidates and the positions they are challenging for, are as follows:
| Name | Occupation | Position |
| Edmond Pereira | Lawyer, Executive Director of Edmond Pereira Law CorporationFormer national athlete | President |
| Ang Peng Siong | Founder of APS Swim School and Aquatic Performance Swim Club, Olympian and Singapore Sports Hall of Famer | Vice-President (Training and Selection) |
| S Govindaraju | Lawyer and International Walk Judge | Vice-President (Competitions) |
| Gerald Kua | Executive Director, Credit Suisse AGFormer track athlete and hurdler | Vice-President (Finance and Partnerships) |
| Nadine Yap | Chief Product Officer, Tickled Media Former national gymnast and high jumper | Honorary Secretary |
| Penh Huynh | CFO, Ce La Vi, Certified Public Accountant | Treasurer |
| Desmond Ong | Senior Partner, Solitaire LLP and Chairman of Tampines Rovers Football ClubFormer track and field athlete | Management Committee Member |
| Dr Robin Low | Medical Director, Singapore Aeromedical Centre and former Air Force Chief Medical Officer Former track and field athlete | Management Committee Member |
| U.K. Shyam | Senior Manager, Sport Singapore and national record holder for the 100m | Management Committee Member |
Said Mr Pereira, who is the President of Flash Athletics Club, “There is a combination of energy, diversity, experienced and passion in this team and they are motivated to take Singapore track and field forward. There is a lot of work to revamp Singapore Athletics and the state of the sport, and move sport forward on so many levels.”
Added Mr Kua, a banker, “As a team, we strongly believe that we can contribute to the development of the sport in Singapore, and look after the interests of all our athletes, coaches, officials and affiliates. For many of us, the sport has given us many wonderful moments and memories. Our ambition is to have as many Singaporeans enjoy the sport and be a part of it, to run, jump or throw and to realise their potential to be champions.”
Stags chairman and lawyer Mr Ong, a former hurdler who will serve as a committee member, marks his first volunteer foray into track and field.
He said, “Sports occupies a space close to our hearts and we see this as a way of continuing and extending our connections with the community. It is our collective dream to see the sport produce champions at all levels, and for me, it is an extension of my contribution to the sports fraternity in addition to my work at Tampines Rovers.”
Apart from the team to contest for positions, TeamSGP Athletics will start various working committees to be helmed by professionals, who will assist in the growth, strength and delivery of the secretariat.
Fahmy Raimi, Chief Marketing Officer of digital marketing firm RAWR Global will head up a Marketing and Communications Committee, and Alan Chua, who is an executive director of Concorde Security Pte Ltd will lead a Fundraising and Sponsorship Committee, while candidate for Honorary Secretary Ms Yap will also be tasked with leading a committee to look into developing the sport for female athletes across the country.
Other committees to be set up will include the Athlete Development Committee to be helmed by Mr Ang and Mr Shyam, a Coaching and Training Committee, an Athletes Medical Committee, a Legal Support Committee and a Masters Development Committee which will be made up of representatives from Singapore Masters Athletics and Singapore Masters Track and Field Association.
“This is not a sprint we are embarking into, but will be a marathon, and the team is determined to get down to work as soon as possible, for the benefit of the affiliates, the athletes, officials and everyone who loves track and field. We look for the mandate of the affiliates to help us realise our goals and objectives,” said Mr Pereira.
The team will be holding a Zoom session with affiliates on 10 September, where it will discuss elements of its manifesto and its plans for the sport.
The team will also be releasing its content through its Facebook page leading up to the elections.
Photos: SW Strategies