[29 January 2007]
SMU students establish sports scholarship

New SMU Sports Scholarship marks the first time in Singapore where undergraduates are giving back to the university to reward sporting excellence

Singapore, 29 January 2007 – Singapore Management University undergraduates and national sailors Mr Renfred Tay (???) and Mr Koh Seng Leong (???) have each pledged a contribution of S$5,000 towards setting up a new SMU Sports Scholarship. This is the first time that a scholarship has been set up in a local university dedicated to recognizing outstanding athletes and supporting them in their undergraduate studies. It is also the first time in any local university that current students are giving back to the university to help future cohorts of students. The SMU Sports Scholarship, valued at S$2,000, will be a one-year scholarship awarded annually to one outstanding sportsman who is a first year full-time SMU undergraduate. The scholar must demonstrate sporting excellence such as representing Singapore in the national team as well as a good academic track record.

Both medalists at the recent 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 held in Qatar from 1-15 December 2006, Renfred brought home a gold medal for Singapore in the Keelboat race while Seng Leong clinched the silver medal in the Laser Radial category. As first year SMU students and young sportsmen themselves, Renfred and Seng Leong recognized the challenges faced by schooling athletes in achieving the right balance between sports training and academic studies. To encourage young sports talents in SMU, they have decided to donate part their winning money from the Asian Games to establish this scholarship. The S$10,000 donation will attract 1:1 matching by the government. The university will be working with both student donors to source for more contributions from other sportsmen to enlarge the pool for the scholarship fund.

“The challenges faced by young sportsmen in universities cannot be understated. They have to juggle the demands of academic studies and the rigours of frequent intensive training. What I hope to achieve through this scholarship is to recognize and reward the sacrifice and achievements of fellow athletes whether they eventually bring home medals or not,” said national sailor Renfred Tay, a first year accountancy student at the Singapore Management University.

“SMU has built a very supportive and conducive environment for sportsmen to develop their talent. For example, I was granted a year's leave of absence from SMU to train for the Beijing Olympics 2008. This, to me, is a tremendous show of encouragement in nurturing young SMU sportsmen. Giving back part of my prize money to SMU is a way of showing gratitude and promoting sporting excellence in the university,” said national sailor Koh Seng Leong, a first year business management student at the Singapore Management University.

“From the very beginning, SMU's holistic admissions criteria have opened the doors for many sportsmen who demonstrate high achieving potential to enrol in the university. Many of them have excelled in their studies, earned scholarships, made the ranks of Dean's Lists, and have graduated with good jobs. It has been SMU's longstanding practice to nurture diverse talents. They have all done us proud and I commend Renfred and Seng Leong for carrying on this fine tradition. I hope that their giving will inspire present and future sportsmen in SMU to also contribute towards sporting excellence,” said Professor Howard Hunter, President, Singapore Management University.

The S$10,000 donation was formally presented to Professor Howard Hunter, President of SMU at the university's 7th Patron's Day this afternoon held at its city campus in Bras Basah. The annual Patron's Day celebrations were graced by His Excellency, President S R Nathan who is also Patron of SMU. It was a fun-filled carnival for the university's Board of Trustees, management, faculty, staff and students to interact on a social basis and to reflect on a year of remarkable milestone achievements. President S R Nathan also presented the SMU University Student Life Awards to honour outstanding students who have achieved both academic excellence and exceptional performance in various CCA categories, contributing to the vibrant student life in SMU.