Singapore and Western Australian Strengthen Sporting Ties

Aiming to further develop friendly relations and sporting collaboration between Singapore and the State of Western Australia, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation (WADSR), Royal Life Saving Society Western Australia (RLSSWA) and the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS).

The MOU will enhance and facilitate sporting exchanges and cooperation in the areas of high performance and sports safety.

As Oon Jin Teik, SSC's Chief Executive explains "this MOU formalises our existing commitment to share knowledge and enhance our mutual capabilities in the development and promotion of sports and recreation.

"Through stronger cooperation and collaboration, we will see greater achievements in sports safety, sports science and high performance specifically, as well as the development of research and educational resources for use by all."

Ron Alexander, Director General of WADSR adds, âthe Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation believes that sport and recreation has a big role to play in creating stronger, healthier and happier communities, and therefore we are very happy to share our experience and expertise with our Singapore neighbours.

"We are particularly keen to help develop strategies to increase participation in sport, which in turn will result in success at the elite level."

The MOU will enhance cooperation between the parties to promote exchanges in sports safety frameworks, best practices, campaigns, and research developments with the goal of fostering a sports safety culture through accelerated learning and outreach to the public.

Both parties will help develop a safety validation framework and enhance training in risk and incident management for Singapore. This will help build Singaporeâs capability for sports risk and incident management and directly help equip stakeholders like the National Sports Associations and event organisers with the skills necessary to assess hazards and provide mitigation for sports events.

Delphine Fong, SSC's Director for Sports Safety, states that "for a start, weâll be working together with the RLSSWA to promote and provide training in risk management, incident management and investigation. This is a continuation of our efforts to champion and develop sports safety practices in Singapore as laid out in the Sports Safety Implementation Plan launched in 2008."

Alex McKenzie, RLSSWA Executive Director, added "Royal Life Saving is very pleased to be associated with the Singapore Sports Council over the last few years.

"The MOU further develops this relationship to enable the sharing of ideas and programs that are designed to make sport safer. This ongoing collaboration will ensure that together we can make sport a safer and enjoyable experience for all."

The MOU caters for high-level sports delegation visits between SSC and WAIS to facilitate exchange of views and sharing of information in the areas of sports science, sports medicine and research and development.

This cooperation may extend to athletes to use Singapore and Western Australia as their training hubs to prepare for international competitions. Grant Boyce, WAIS Chairman added "the formalisation of the relationship developed over the past five years between WAIS and the Singapore Sports Council through this MOU provides the opportunity for even closer ties between our high performance coaches and scientists.

"We look forward to developing specific projects of mutual benefit to Western Australian and Singaporean athletes."

Bob Gambardella, Chief of Sports Development & Singapore Sports Institute concludes âwe are very pleased to work with WAIS over the years and it is timely to make our relationship official. The MOU will present us more opportunities to share and learn from each other, especially in the areas of Sports Science and Coaching. I ...

11th May 2009 - SINGAPORE TO HOST SPORTELASIA 2010