SNOC chief Mark Chay's 'dead-end sports' remarks ignite debate over school competition programme

SINGAPORE: Comments by Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary-general Mark Chay describing certain school sports as "dead-end" have drawn flak from some sections of the local sporting community.

In an interview with The Straits Times on the National School Games (NSG) published on Wednesday (Apr 15), Chay said the programme's goals could be more focused on sports contested at major games.

"There are a few things that (the Ministry of Education) can improve. It's a good programme and sports in schools is where kids learn to play and compete, where we hope to inculcate certain skills and values through structured sport," added the SNOC secretary-general.

"What I struggle with is that some of the other sports which don't have a pathway to major games are included, but to do what? As an administrator, these are what I would call dead-end sports and we are putting these resources for what?

"And if a student is going to choose tchoukball ... I just don't know how it'd fit into the larger scheme of things."

Tchoukball is played in over 80 countries, and Singapore's national teams are among the world's best. In 2024, it was announced that the scope of donations for the One Team Singapore Fund (OTSF) would be extended to emerging sports like tchoukball to provide better support for athletes.

Delane Lim, general secretary of the Tchoukball Association of Singapore, said he disagreed with Chay's "characterisation".

"Almost immediately after the article was published, the tchoukball community responded strongly. Parents, sponsors and stakeholders reached out to seek clarification, asking why tchoukball had been singled out," he wrote in a post on Facebook.

"Many of our current student-athletes were also confused and concerned about what this meant for the sport they are committed to, particularly since the remarks came from the Secretary-General of the Singapore National Olympic Council."

Speaking to CNA on Friday, Lim said Chay's remarks were "totally uncalled for" and risked setting back the sport's push for NSG inclusion.

"Schools may not want to consider tchoukball, and now we are so close to going to the National School Games and you make such a statement. Obviously I would be angry," he said.

"If schools are thinking that it's a 'dead-end sport', then (they) are not going to invest in it, my coaches overnight will be out of a job."

In response to queries from CNA, an SNOC spokesperson said that every sport, regardless of its presence on the major Games programme, has "intrinsic value".

"Sport plays an important role in fostering character development, community bonding, and lifelong participation, particularly through platforms such as the National School Games, which serve as a key foundation for broad-based engagement and talent identification," said the spokesperson.

SNOC remains committed to working closely with stakeholders to strengthen both participation and high-performance pathways, said the spokesperson.

"We will continue to support efforts that enable Singaporeans to pursue sporting excellence, while also recognising and respecting the contributions of all sports to our wider ecosystem."

OPPORTUNITIES VS RESOURCES

Those who spoke to CNA argued that a broader range of sports at the NSG level would provide more options for students to get their first taste of competition.

"When students start out, they may go for sport A. But the interest may be switched off (in favour of) sport B or C," said Rasip Isnin, who is the general manager of the Singapore Sports Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. "With those options, they then can actually take part."

While sport climbing has been contested at SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympic levels, NSG inclusion will help create a "pathway", with athletes being able to start from a younger age, he added.

"School sports are probably your first experience in competition, and maybe you only have that one opportunity in your lifetime to be a competitor," added Lim.

Distance runner Soh Rui Yong, in an Instagram video, said sport in schools builds values such as tenacity and teamwork, and can serve as a way for authorities to identify talent.

"There are sports that, while they may not be a medal sport in and of itself, they can also be an opportunity to discover talent that you can then nurture," he said.

Lim added that alternative sports can provide an avenue for those who do not compete in "mainstream sports".

"If we can create as many sports as possible at the school level, that's the best," he said.

Not all responses were critical. Former national fencer and sports administrator Nicholas Fang said Chay's remarks reflected the reality of finite resources at every level of the sporting ecosystem.

"I think he is looking at it very much from a national framework point of view, where national resources, national budgets, taxpayers' money are being deployed to support sport at a certain level in the country. And NSG is one of the early stages of this entire ecosystem," he added.

He said that if policymakers have to make a decision on which sports to include, it could depend on a range of factors, including the current pathways of sports.

Fang added that from what he knows of Chay, the ex-swimmer would not dismiss any sport outright. He said that some of Chay's comments have sparked broader national discussion around sports, which is a good thing.

"One thing that I do respect and appreciate from Mark is that he is not afraid to speak his mind," he said.

It is not the first time Chay's public remarks have drawn a mixed response. Following last year's SEA Games, his criticism of the national football and athletics teams prompted some pushback from both sporting communities, with Soh among those who spoke out.

In his Facebook post, Lim, who is also president of the International Tchoukball Federation, called on Chay to clarify his and SNOC's position on these remarks.

"Given the impact such statements may have, it would be appropriate to retract the term and offer an apology to those affected," he said.

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