Cheers to Feng Tian Wei,Wang Yue Gu, Sun Bei Bei;Li Jia Huei was reserve
Firstly, lets congratulate the Singapore Womens Table Tennis Team for the Greatest Achievement in winning the World Team Championship played in Moscow yesterday 30th May 2010. Its a great achievement and the pinnacle prize for a sport dominated by mighty China with a population of 1.3 billion, for the last 40 years.
The ladies have done us once again proud, and as a Singaporean, I can feel that a small nation of 5 million with a clear vision and plan,dedicated strategy and above all, excellent sportmen and women with national level backing and funds,can win at the world stage. Bravo !
The flipside is that, when I posted this article ( source :Channel News Asia) on Facebook, the responses were overwhelming as to the fact that all the paddlers (table tennis players) were born in China, and the coach and reserve were also from China. It raised the question again about the controversial 'foreign talent' policy of accepting foreign born people to our shores to represent Singapore in everything from Research and Development (read AStar researchers and Biopolis life sciencists)to sports ranging from table-tennis, soccer,athletics and swimming (Tao Li).
Were we not once a nation of foreigners too ? Our forefathers made their ways from China, India, Persia, and Europe to trade and seek out a better life. Times were tough and many did not make it, but the one who stayed and persevered and put in their honest days work and built up this country from a poor fishing village would have been very pleased with the result. A thiving metropolis with new talents and great infrastructure (2 casinos !) and a world class table tennis team.
True, our children will not have it easy, what with all these smart foreign talents in the local schools and excelling in academia, sports and culture but then again, I have this to say :
"When the going gets tough, the best will prevail". Lets take on these challenges together and make Singapore truly Our Singapore.
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