Singapore pursues grassroot sport development

Singapore Sports Council pursues the development of sport as a strategy to change lives and promote national identity.
Singapore aims high with a new, long-term strategy to develop sport at the grassroots level. The strategy is called 'Vision2030'. sportanddev speaks to Lenard Pattiselanno of the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) to find out how grassroots sport is being developed in Singapore, through the 'Vision2030' initiative.

Vision 2030 not only about sport
As outlined by SSC for sportanddev, 'Vision 2030' recognises the role sport can play to impart social values and encourage social cohesion. In addition to developing grassroots sport: "Vision 2030 will be promoting the use of sport to support social causes. Sport can be an incredible motivator and enabler: it develops a winning spirit, a commitment to leadership, a respect for teamwork and a love of country," explains Lenard Pattiselanno of SSC.

"People of all ages can learn more about themselves and society through playing sport with people with disabilities or youth at risk. Through these learning journeys, young people will experience the power of sport and the difference it can make in their lives."

Involving young people in sport in Singapore
Explaining how Vision2030 will encourage young people to get involved in sport at the grassroots level, Pattiselanno comments: "Vision 2030 will give young people more opportunities to play sport at all levels...Vision 2030 will also enhance and expand the coaching, officiating and volunteering pathways."

"These developments are aimed at keeping youth in sport throughout the sporting ecosystem and to help drive future growth from the grassroots up."

A national strategy built on people's participation
Efforts were made to develop a strategy with people's participation and buy-in to develop the concept for Vision2030. Pattiselanno explained: "The more we talked to people (in classrooms, community clubs, sports halls and boardrooms), the more we realised that sport could be a powerful platform for national strategy."

The year 2030 as the target
However, the milestone of 2030 at the centre of Vision2030 reflects the time needed to set the wheels in motion for grassroots sport to be developed in a participatory way in Singapore.

When asked why a target of more than 15 years in the future had been selected, Pattiselanno explained: "It takes almost a generation to change mindsets, especially when you are pushing the boundaries of imagination to explore possibilities."

He also explained the target of 2030 and average sport planning timeframes. For elite sport events, planning usually takes place 10 years in advance to prepare athletes. The 2030 target has been put in place with these timeframes in mind.