Singapore, 12 March 2018 (Monday) – The Singapore Management University (SMU) is pleased to announce that the Yip Pin Xiu Scholarship has been awarded to national swimmer Teong Tzen Wei and national wakeboarder Sasha Christian.

Launched in December 2016, the bond-free Yip Pin Xiu Scholarship honours and recognises the efforts of three-time Paralympic gold medallist and world-record holder Yip Pin Xiu, an SMU alumna. SMU’s first full sports scholarship is open to outstanding Singaporean athletes who have gained admission into any SMU undergraduate programme and have shown and will continue to demonstrate the spirit of excellence, outshining in sports and representing Singapore with pride and glory. National sprinter Shanti Veronica Pereira, from the School of Accountancy, is the first recipient of this scholarship.

Similarly, Teong Tzen Wei and Sasha Christian, will receive a waiver of tuition fees for four years, as well as a Growth Opportunities Allowance of $12,000, that allows them to enjoy a wide range of leadership and personal development programmes, and overseas community service projects, student exchanges and school study missions.

Teong Tzen Wei, who took the 50m freestyle crown in his debut S.E.A. Games last year, was very composed in his excitement, “It became clear that SMU is an obvious choice for me in so many aspects, but to be offered the Yip Pin Xiu Scholarship is indeed an honour.” He will read Business Management at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business when he returns from the Palembang Asian Games in August 2018.

Multiple S.E.A. Games gold medallist, Sasha Christian, on the other hand, who has been training full-time for the past four years, was equally thrilled, “I am very excited to be joining SMU this August. It is truly an honour to be a recipient of the Yip Ping Xiu scholarship and I’m extremely grateful for this unique opportunity. I look forward to growing holistically as a scholar-athlete, fully immersing myself in a dynamic environment where the world is constantly evolving.” Sasha is currently in Bueno Aires, Argentina for the World Wakeboard Championships and will join the School of Social Sciences in August 2018

Said SMU’s Provost, Professor Lily Kong, “We are indeed very happy that Sasha and Tzen Wei have chosen to come to SMU. They are both outstanding athletes and have demonstrated the very qualities that are the embodiment of the Yip Pin Xiu scholarship holder – excellence in sports, dedication, resilience, humility and leadership. I am certain that both will continue to inspire us as they pursue their dreams and be amongst SMU’s finest graduates that will not only bring further glory but also make meaningful impact for us and for Singapore.”

SMU will award up to two Yip Pin Xiu scholarships each year. Candidates must be outstanding sportspersons with the potential to win medals at minimally the SEA Games and also be able to demonstrate the qualities and values of excellence, dedication, resilience, humility and leadership, both in and out of the classroom. The scholarship also delivers on SMU’s promise of a holistic education and hopes to attract students with sports excellence at the international level.

More information on the Yip Pin Xiu Scholarship can be found at: https://admissions.smu.edu.sg/scholarships/yip-pin-xiu-scholarship-new

[Photo credits: Tzen Wei and Sasha Christian's photographs are courtesy of Singapore Swimming Association and Stefanus Ian/Sport Singapore respectively]