NZ boost for high performance sport

Govt Boost for High Performance Sport@SPARC

The Government has today announced a major re-shaping and expansion of high performance sport in New Zealand. Minister for Sport and Recreation, Murray McCully, says the aim is to ensure that New Zealand is consistently one of the most successful sporting nations in the world.

Key features of the changes announced today by Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Sport and Recreation, Murray McCully are:

-The most significant funding injection into high performance sport in New Zealand, amounting to new Budget funding of $10 million in 2010/11, $15 million in 2011/12, and $20 million annually after that. By the 2012/13 year, total funding for high performance sport will be over $60 million annually, compared to the current annual allocation of $42 million;
- $15 million injection from Lottery Grants Board reserves, of which $10 million has already been received by SPARC, which will contribute towards high performance infrastructure development;
The establishment of a new High Performance Institute as a separate entity within SPARC, charged with overseeing government investment into world class sporting facilities and delivery of athlete support, with a distinct high performance culture of excellence;
- $40 million expansion of the Millennium Institute (into which the Government will invest $15 million) which is currently the home of the North Island Academy of Sport and the majority of our top athletes, and will become the National Training Centre for High Performance Sport;
-Plans for a further $40 million development of a network of satellite high performance facilities (to which the Government will make key cornerstone contributions) at QEII in Christchurch, the home of the South Island Academy of Sport; rowing and canoe racing high performance centres at Lake Karapiro; a centre for sailing, triathlon, and ocean kayaking at Takapuna; a new high performance centre for cycling; and regional Academy feeders in Wellington and Dunedin;
- significant boost to supporting our best athletes with direct funding, by retaining and recruiting top coaches, providing world class sports science and medicine services through the two Academies of Sport, and through innovation and technology that will give our athletes a competitive advantage on the world stage.

S'pore will be represented in all 26 sports at upcoming YOG

S'pore will be represented in all 26 sports at upcoming YOG@CNA

Singapore will be represented in all 26 sports at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games.

The selectors said the remaining five slots have been awarded and the republic will field a 130-strong contingent.

YOG social networking platform

YOG social networking site 'WhyOhGee' launched@CNA

SINGAPORE: A social networking platform for youths around the world to celebrate the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was launched Tuesday.

The WhyOhGee Community (www.singapore2010.sg/community) complements the WhyOhGee microsite (www.singapore2010.sg/whyohgee) that features multimedia content produced by young people for young people, and connects youths globally through the digital media.

The beta site was introduced eight months ago and currently has more than 10,000 registered users.

If you do not speak the same language as the other users in your group, the chat function on WhyOhGee Community translates their messages for you.

Visitors on the WhyOhGee microsite can also discuss the content featured on the WhyOhGee Community forums, as well as start discussions on topics of their own.

There will be a section soon to feature athletes who have signed up for profiles on the WhyOhGee Community.

This will allow users to follow what these YOG hopefuls are doing through their updates and allow them to send them personal messages of support.

Meanwhile, Sing! Singapore 2010 finalists performed to a lunch-time crowd at Lau Pa Sat at the central business district on Tuesday, in celebration of the upcoming YOG.

The performance is part of the Youth Outreach Initiative to bring the excitement of the inaugural games to more young working adults.

An album "Voices of Singapore 2010: In Celebration of Youth Olympic Games" will also be launched soon.

The initiative is supported by the National Youth Council.

ICPESS 10 conference review

From 25th to 28th May 2010, III International Conference of Physical Education and Sports Science 2010 (ICPESS): Youth in Physical Education and Sport was held at National Institute of Education, Singapore.

There were more than 1200 participants from over 30 countries. I have presented 2 oral presentations and 2 poster presentations:

symposium (Optimization of athletic performance in childhood): The optimization of aerobic fitness in childhood
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

ICPESS optimisation of aerobic fitness in childhood

View more presentations from Taisuke Kinugasa.

special interest group (Singapore Sports School): Sports science: empowering athletes, enhancing performance
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ICPESS SSP sports sci intro

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poster 1: Effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performance and psychological characteristics in youth soccer players
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ICPESS ramadan poster 10

View more documents from Taisuke Kinugasa.

poster 2: . Relative age effect in Singapore Sports School
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ICPESS relative age effect in SSP 10

View more documents from Taisuke Kinugasa.

It was good to catch up with friends and colleagues at the conference. I also showed Japanese visitors around our school. Thanks all.