23 May 2012

SSI FORMS PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL INSTITUTES IN PREPARATION FOR RIO 2016 AND BEYOND@SSC

SSI Signs MOUs with China, Hong Kong and Korean Sports Institutes to Boost Sports Science and Medicine Support for Team Singapore


Singapore, 17 May 2012 - To help Team Singapore athletes prepare better for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and beyond, the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) is tapping on its wider network of Asian Sports Institutes for more training, athletes development as well as sports medicine and sports science capability development opportunities. By collaborating with these sports institutes, the SSI hopes to increase its depth and breadth of sport science and medicine support for our athletes.

2 The MOU signings are part of the sports science and medicine symposium that is being held in Singapore on 17 and 18 May 2012. The conference brings together the widest representation of regional sports institutes to date, with delegates from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Malaysia taking part.

3 Established just two years ago, the SSI will certainly benefit from the vast experience of these well-established institutes, some of which have produced multiple Olympic champions. Areas of collaboration include cooperation in sports science and medicine research and development, sharing of data and research methodology, athlete and coach training exchange programmes, as well as specialist exchange and development programmes.

Sports Science and Medicine Research & Development

4 The China Institute of Sports Science (CISS) is the country's oldest and largest sports research institute. With 50 years of experience under its belt, CISS has extensive knowledge in the area of elite sports science research. They are also very well versed in applying scientific research to enhance their athlete training systems. The SSI is certainly looking to tap into their expertise to further develop our nation's capabilities in this area. CISS is also very much experienced in using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat sports injuries. This is a niche area of expertise that the SSI can look into to better serve our Team Singapore athletes.

5 Having recently visited the CISS facility in Beijing in February, Associate Professor Fabian Lim, Executive Director of the SSI said, "CISS is the lead organisation for the more than 100 sports institutes in China. The SSI is looking to incorporate more scientific research and evidence to enhance our training systems. Hence, the collaboration with CISS will be an effective gateway into the network of the sports institutes in China, enabling us to gain insights into their scientific and training capabilities, which in turn will be a key resource for our athletes."

6 Through our partnership with these institutes the SSI's aims to also further develop our local sports science and medicine specialists so that they are able to better care for our athletes. Professional attachments will give our scientists and trainers the opportunity to widen their knowledge in their respective specialisations, as well as the chance to apply their knowledge to a wider pool of athletes.

Athlete and Coach Training Exchange Programmes

7 One of the challenges of having a small athlete population is the practicality of heavy investment into setting up sophisticated facilities and programmes. However through SSI's affiliation with these regional institutes, national sports associations (NSAs) with a smaller pool of elite athletes and coaches will be able to send them for training programmes at these partner institutes. Sports that could possibly benefit from this include archery, canoeing, and winter sports.

8 Lim June Liang, a Team Singapore speed skater who hopes to qualify for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics said, "I just started training on ice five months ago, and have made short trips to China and Korea to train with teams over there. Training with them has really helped me to improve by leaps and bounds. I am fully committed to putting in my all to try to qualify for the Olympics and an opportunity to train overseas for an extended period of time will certainly help a lot."

Athlete Development Programmes

9 With about 70% of Team Singapore athletes, having to juggle between pursuing sporting and academic excellence at the same time, a holistic sports scholarship framework is needed to support our athletes in balancing their school and sports commitments. With over 20 years of experience in this area, Singapore will be looking to the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) as a guide when formulating our own framework. The SSI plans to introduce the sports scholarships system to better support Singapore's sports talents soon.

10 Mylene Ong, a Team Singapore swimmer who will be starting university in January 2013 welcomes the new scheme. She said, "At the Singapore Sports School, classes were arranged around my training schedule. However, I will not have this luxury once I start university next year. As I plan to continue training full time, a scholarship will certainly give me the financial help and flexibility in timing that I need to effectively balance school and training."

11 Ultimately, the aim of the SSI is to provide Team Singapore athletes with structured multidimensional training programmes by incorporating all aspects of sports science and medicine. Through the athlete services unit, the Institute looks to continue to develop a support system that takes care of the holistic development of the athlete, nurturing them into well-rounded individuals.

15 May 2012

SSI Sports Science & Medicine Symposium 2012

Sports Corporate - SSI Sports Science & Medicine Symposium 2012

The Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) will be hosting its inaugural Sports Science & Medicine Symposium from 17 to 18 May 2012 at Concorde Hotel. The theme of the symposium is "A Holistic Support System for Elite Athletes". This 2-day event will bring together leading practitioners to share and discuss best practices in recovery strategies for elite, high performance sports planning and athlete support management.

The scientific and athlete management programmes will be presented on 17 May 2012 and presentations by the respective sports institutes from the region (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia) will take place on 18 May 2012. Simultaneous interpretation from English to Chinese language will be provided.

Click below to learn more about:
Programme
Speakers' Profiles
Session Description

For more information about the symposium, please email to ssi.symposium2012@gmail.com
UK Sport and P2i team up to create winning formula@UK Sport

UK Sport, the nation’s high performance sports agency, has announced a unique innovation partnership with P2i, the world leader in liquid repellent nano-coating technology, to help protect equipment and accessories developed through UK Sport’s Research and Innovation programme in cycling and sailing, two of Britain’s leading sports.

The liquid repellent coating dramatically reduces the surface energy of a product, so that when liquids come into contact with it, they form beads and simply run off. By repelling the uptake of liquids, the nano-coating will ensure that the sporting equipment and accessories don’t gain any extra weight during the competitions that they enter, remaining lightweight and dry.

Scott Drawer, Head of Research and Innovation at UK Sport, said: ”Our job is to ensure our athletes make it to the start line among the best prepared and most feared in the world. Britain has a wealth of expertise in science, engineering and technology and by creating novel partnerships with world leading companies like P2i, we can tap into a much wider network of skills and abilities from other industries to ensure we are leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of sporting excellence.”

Stephen Coulson, CTO, P2i said: “P2i has been identified by UK Sport to bring winning advantage to the sports men and women of this country by applying our award-winning nano-coating technology to protect cycling and sailing equipment and accessories developed through UK Sport’s Research and Innovation programme. For example, our technology applied to the footwear of outdoor cyclists means that even in the harshest of conditions, they will remain lightweight and dry. In a year when sportsmanship is at the forefront of our nation’s minds, we are delighted to be able to present our cutting edge process into the sporting world to improve the chances of success.”

Chris Boardman, Head of Research and Development, British Cycling, said: “British Cycling has recognised for some time that to succeed at the highest level in modern sport, you need to do more than just be fit and healthy. Every detail, every nut and bolt has to be scrutinised and perfected.

“In our Research & Development program we have learned that the big changes nearly always come from outside the sport, new people brining new thinking and ideas. This was very much the case with P2i who are helping us bring a cutting edge process into the sporting world to enhance our chances of winning.”

Peter Bentley, Technical Projects Manager for RYA Skandia Team GBR, said: “The P2i process allows us to virtually eliminate water absorption in some of our technical equipment. This reduces all-up weight by a few grams, which in turn equates to seconds saved around the race course; all part of our leave-no-stone-unturned strategy."

01 May 2012

Australia to lead the world in sports technology@Kate Lundy

Minister for Sport and Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation, Kate Lundy, today launched a new collaborative initiative which brings together universities, sports technology enterprises and other industry players to help the development of new sporting technologies in Australia.

The Gillard Government has provided $225,000 in funding to establish the new Australian Sports Technologies Network and invest in Australia’s continued improvements in sporting performance.

“This new network has the potential to unearth a new wave of Australian-made sports technologies,” Senator Lundy said.

“As global market opportunities emerge, growing this industry in Australia could lead to great economic opportunities and thousands of jobs.

“This is why the Australian Government is supporting the establishment of the Network and investing in continued improvement in sporting performance and economic performance.

“With some of our finest researchers, developers and entrepreneurs supporting this new initiative, I am confident it will deliver dividends.”

The Australian Sports Technologies Network is a national collaboration based in Geelong.

Its foundation partners include four universities, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), eight sports technology enterprises, venture capitalists and Information Technology experts.

In its first year, the Network will focus on projects that bring technology developers together, examine market opportunities and support product exposure and marketing.