• SMU represented by 25 student athletes, 30 staff, 100 student volunteers, and various SMU talents
• Twelve SMU student athletes contributed five golds, one silver and four bronzes to Singapore’s medals tally
• SMU was one of the six local universities involved in organising 2016 Games

Twelve SMU student athletes, in both individual and team sports, contributed five golds, one silver and four bronzes to Singapore’s overall medals tally at the 18^th ASEAN University Games (AUG) held from 10 to 19 July 2016 in Singapore.

In the list of 11 participating countries, Singapore took fifth spot with a total of 73 medals consisting of 24 golds, 20 silvers and 29 bronzes, while Thailand topped the charts with 52 golds and 121 medals in total.

The SMU medallists for the AUG 2016, comprising six undergraduates and three incoming freshmen who represented six sports, were:

They were part of the 240-strong Team Singapore contingent of athletes.

Over 150 members of Singapore Management University (SMU) – comprising some 25 student athletes, 30 staff, 100 student volunteers, and various SMU talents – took part in the Games.  

This was only the third time that the biennial Games was hosted here – the event returned after more than 20 years from the last hosting in 1994. Involving the 10 ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste, the 18^th AUG was attended by more than 1,800 athletes and officials. More than 1,500 tertiary-level students representing the 11 nations pitted against one another in the 16 sports featured.

[Photos: The AUG website, Facebook and Instagram were overseen by SMU.]

Behind the scenes, SMU is one of the six local universities involved in organising the 18th ASEAN University Games in July 2016. It is part of the six-member Singapore University Sports Council, formed by National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design, besides SMU, and chaired by NUS this time. The AUG Athletes Village was housed in NTU, and the competitions were held at various venues across the island.

SMU oversaw five core functional areas of the Games and two sports – Accreditation; Education; Protocol; PR, Media and Publications; Info-Technology; Badminton and Swimming.

About 30 SMU staff from the Office of Student Life (OSL), as well as various SMU offices including the Centre for Social Responsibility, Office of Advancement and Office of Business Improvement, were part of the main organising committee and sub-committees. Together, they supervised nearly 100 SMU student volunteers involved in various areas of the Games. Other offices also provided support.

Signing of Memoradum of Understanding with SEARADO

On 22 February 2016, the AUG Organising Committee — of which SMU is a member university together with five other local universities — signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Southeast Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (SEARADO) to promote a dope-free AUG.

Besides establishing the processes for Results Management and Therapeutic Use Exemption (which allows the use of prohibited substances in sport for medical reasons) during the 18th AUG, the MOU also signified a broader vision to encourage a culture of clean sports and promote the right sporting values to college-level athletes in the ASEAN region.

Education Functional Area Spearheaded by SMU

[Photo: Led by volunteers under the Education functional area, participants from various countries embarked on a walking trail which culminated in a food fest at SMU’s T-Junction featuring local delicacies.]

As part of a new initiative spearheaded by SMU, the Education functional area that was led by SMU brought 150 AUG student athletes on a walking trail covering various iconic landmarks around Singapore’s civic district and the Sports Hub over two days. In addition, 348 local students from nine institutions across Junior Colleges, Institutes of Technical Education and Secondary Schools took part in a series of Learning Journeys organised by the Education functional area to understand first-hand how the Games were organised.

[Photo: SMU EMix delivered an exhilarating dance piece inspired by some of the 16 sports competed during the AUG, including athletics, basketball, rugby and football, at the Opening Ceremony. (Photo credit for bottom right: Joelle Chan / ASEAN University Games 2016)]

Apart from the organising committee and volunteers, SMU arts groups SMU Eurhythmix, SMU Sound Foundry, SMU Voix, SMU MIC, and SMU Artdicted were involved in the Games’ Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as athletes’ experience activities. Students from SMU Broadcast & Entertainment were voice talents providing youthful commentaries and emcee-ing at some of the sports venues.

Kenneth Tan, Director of SMU Office of Student Life said, “SMU is proud to be one of the organising universities behind the 18th ASEAN University Games. We are also pleased to have contributed 10 of the 73 medals garnered by Team Singapore during the games. To say that this has been an invaluable experience for the SMU staff, students and volunteers involved is an understatement. Besides showcasing our young sporting talents, the AUG has also given us ample opportunities to learn lifelong skills in project and people management, as well as leadership. The values and life lessons gained through being part of such a large-scale sporting event are priceless and serve to remind us that sports is a wonderful platform to bring communities together.”

For more information on the AUG, please visit http://aug2016.sg/

[Featured photo: Incoming freshman Lionel Khoo won two gold medals in swimming for the Men’s 200m Breaststroke and Men’s 200m Individual Medley events. (Photo credit: Cheah Chin Poh / ASEAN University Games 2016)]