Good morning to all of you here!

I am happy to join you this morning to officially open the National Sailing Centre or NSC. This is an important milestone for the promotion of sailing in Singapore.The success of our national sailors at last year’s Asian Games has given the sport a higher profile. This has in turn encouraged more Singaporeans to take up sailing for recreation.

I know that the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) wants to promote sailing to become as popular as swimming as a recreational activity. This makes a lot of sense. We are an island-state surrounded by the sea. Sailing is a sport that all Singaporeans can enjoy. It helps develop self-discipline and mental and physical stamina. It brings us closer to the great outdoor and helps us to better appreciate our environment.

Sailing is also relatively easy to learn. The abundance of beachfront facilities in Singapore makes it easily accessible to Singaporeans from all walks of life. I hope that more Singaporeans will give sailing a try. More schools should also offer sailing as an ECA. Likewise, community centres and clubs can include sailing as one of their activities.

The completion of the NSC is, therefore, most timely. It is a facility designed for Singaporeans of all age groups and skill levels. The NSC is also the training centre for our national sailors. This is where they will sweat and shed blood and tears when preparing for international competitions.

We are proud of our national sailors. In recent years, they have performed very well in various regional and international competitions. More importantly, their discipline, commitment and spirit of sacrifice have been exemplary. We need more athletes like them to keep the Singapore flag flying high in international sporting events.

Sports can entertain, excite and bind a nation. Many of you will remember how Singaporeans of all races, religions and backgrounds cheered and supported our footballers as one people when Singapore competed in the Malaysia Cup. And when our team finally won the championship, we were ecstatic.

Whether it is football or sailing or any other sport, every time a Singapore athlete or team mounts the winners’ rostrum and our national anthem is played at the victory ceremony, we all feel proud. Clearly, sports play a vital role in building our multi-racial society and in forging a strong Singaporean spirit.

The triumph of our sportsmen and sportswomen reflects Singapore’s commitment to strive and succeed in the competitive global arena. Ask any of our successful athlete. He will tell you his achievement is not a fluke. It takes years of sacrifice, pain and hard work. Above all, it requires sheer determination, dedication and faith in oneself.

Champions are not born. They are made. They train and learn, learn and train and are single-minded in their pursuits. When combined with a strong character, they are good role models for our young people. Their passion and determination to succeed are worth emulating. Such values help us to achieve national goals and win in all kinds of big league competitions.

The SSC introduced Sports Excellence 2000 in 1993 to nurture and support athletes striving to excel in their chosen sport. Through this programme, those athletes who have the talent and commitment are provided with all possible support to maximise their potential. With Sports Excellence 2000, the overall standard of competitive sports in Singapore has improved. This is encouraging. The SSC and the athletes must continue to strive for better results.

The passion to succeed is the essence of distinction in the sporting world. Our national sailors had displayed this quality at the 1998 Asian Games.

My challenge to the sailing fraternity is to win an Olympic medal for Singapore at the 2008 Olympic Games. This is an ambitious goal but one within reach. Sailing requires skills, intelligence and experience. Our small physique does not put us at a disadvantage in sailing. You can be the little giant who succeeds in an Olympian task.

Finally, I want to convey my best wishes to all the competitors at today’s National Optimist Sailing Championship. Have fun even as you compete with each other.

It is now my pleasure to declare the National Sailing Centre open.

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