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Chefs de Mission appointed for Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games

By 31/03/2018No Comments

Singapore, 31 March 2018 – The Singapore National Olympic Council announced the appointment of the chefs de mission for Team Singapore at the upcoming Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Three-time Olympian shooter Lee Wung Yew (52) will lead Team Singapore at the Jakarta and Palembang Asian Games in August this year. He was recently the assistant chef de mission at the Kuala Lumpur 2017 SEA Games where Team Singapore recorded their best performance with 58 gold, 59 silver and 71 bronze medals. Former rugby national athlete Mohammad Azhar bin Yusof (45) and fencer Ruth Ng (31) will take on the assistant chef de mission roles.

“Being at the 2017 SEA Games as assistant chef de mission was very beneficial in preparing me for this role. I gained a lot of insight into dealing with and understanding the complexities of managing a team at the Games and providing solutions to hiccups which may surface over the course of the Games. The 2018 Asian Games will be held in two cities and I am very thankful to have the support of Azhar and Ruth who are both very passionate about sports and have intricate knowledge in athlete management. With the help from the support team, we hope to create the most conducive environment for Team Singapore to perform to their potential,” said Wung Yew, an Academy Officer at the Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy.

The Asian Games marks Azhar and Ruth’s debut major Games as assistant chefs de mission. “Being involved in sports since my school days, there is still plenty to learn and discover. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve Team Singapore and hope that I am able to bring my experiences as an athlete, educator, coach and match official to support the team as best as I can,” said Azhar.

Ruth served on the SNOC Athletes’ Commission from 2010 to 2017 and is now a volunteer at Fencing Singapore. She competed in fencing at five editions of the SEA Games and two Asian Games. Said Ruth, “During my transition from a competitive athlete to a sports administrator, I realised the importance of having the right support as an elite athlete. In the course of engaging and interacting with the athletes and the NSAs, I have also learnt to understand issues and their needs better. I hope I’m able to contribute and add value to the team set-up.”

Leading the contingent to the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games is Olympian swimmer Tao Li. The 28-year-old remains the only Singaporean woman to make an Olympic swimming final. Tao, who now heads her own swimming academy said, “When I was competing as an athlete, I used to observe the CDMs at the major Games and had always wanted to learn from them. It is with great privilege that I accept the honour and responsibilities to lead Team Singapore at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

There are many people working behind the scenes to prepare the YOG team for Buenos Aires, and also many athletes who are trying to qualify. I hope to be able to work closely with them to deliver a positive outing for Team Singapore.”

Said Chris Chan, Secretary-General of the SNOC, “There are many athletes, both active and retired who are eager to contribute to sports. We are very pleased that Wung Yew, Azhar, Ruth and Tao Li have responded to our calls with commitment and enthusiasm. We are confident that they will be able chefs de mission to lead Team Singapore at the Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games.”

The 2018 Asian Games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia from 18 August to 2 September 2018. The Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 6 to 18 October 2018 in Argentina.