24 November 2009

Singapore's Foreign Sports Talent Scheme

Foreign athletes welcomed if they raise standard of Singapore sports@CNA

Singapore will continue to embrace talented foreign athletes who want to represent the country, as long as they raise the standard of sports here, according to Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.

Dr Balakrishnan revealed that the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) Schemes currently make up 4.6 per cent of the total number of athletes among the development and national squads of the seven key sports in the country.

There are currently 19 FSTs out of 97 badminton players, and 11 FSTs out of 85 table tennis players.

Dr Balakrishnan also laid down the three principles that guide the FST policy: openness to global talent, fairness in treatment of FSTs and local-born athletes, and ensuring the integration of the foreign-born athletes into society.

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