SBA 74th AGM

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, MR LEE YI SHYAN,
AT THE 74TH SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION (SBA)
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
HELD ON SATURDAY, 26 JUNE 2010, 10.00AM,
IN THE KAMPONG CHAI CHEE COMMUNITY CENTRE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SINGAPORE – 26 JUNE 2010

1. Good morning, delegates and observers. .

2 Financially, FY2009 has turned out to be better than expected for SBA. Faced with a projected deficit of about $200,000, we ended the year instead with a surplus of about S$143,000 due to prudent spending, conscious cost-cutting and the conducting of several revenue earning initiatives without compromising training objectives and quality, and in compliance with audit and corporate governance measures as a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character.


3 In addition to the operating surplus, SBA has also managed to raise new sponsorships. The additional financial resources have enabled more players to participate in relevant international tournaments. SBA has also enhanced its incentive system to reward high performers. The enhancements come in the form of more cash incentives and increments in training allowances provided by our new individual player sponsors. As an illustration, the annual remuneration of our better-performing shuttlers could be in the range of S$80,000 to S$150,000. For winning the Singapore Open Super Series, besides the prize money of US$15,800 from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and title sponsor Li-Ning, the local champion receives another S$50,000 from SBA.


4 2009 was also a year of breakthrough in terms of forging new partnerships. We are very pleased to have secured a sponsorship from Li-Ning Sports, which in total is worth S$8.8mil in cash and in kind. Li-Ning's sponsorship will enable us to continue to organise, for 4 years, the following key tournaments which are important for the development of the sport in Singapore:

(a) Li-Ning Singapore Open Super Series
(b) Li-Ning Singapore International Series
(c) Li-Ning Singapore Youth International
(d) Li-Ning National Age-Group (Singles) Championships

5. Speaking of the Li-Ning Singapore Open Super Series, we had a very pleasant surprise when Shinta Mulia Sari and Yao Lei upset the South Korean doubles pair of Kim Min Jung and Lee Hyo Jung to win the women's doubles gold before an ecstatic home crowd. Bearing in mind that the Korean players were part of the team that overpowered China's women's team in the Uber Cup in April 2010, the victory shows that Yao Lei and Shinta are maturing. Since the inception of the Singapore Open in 1990, only Ronald Susilo made it as far as the finals in 2002. No Singaporean has ever won the Singapore Open although Ronald did win the Japan Open in 2004. Ranked 14th in the world during the tournament, Shinta and Yao Lei's latest world ranking has improved to 9th position.

6. Other highlights of the past year also came in the form of Shinta and Yao Lei who just a week before the Singapore Open Super Series, beat their Indian opponents to capture the India Open Grand Prix Gold. Last December, they kept our national flag flying in Laos during the SEA Games by winning the silver medal in the Women’s Doubles individual event. On the SEA Games still, our men and women won the team bronze medals.


7. Up and coming Chayut Triyachart and Danny Chrisnanta are two of our other doubles players who have also done well in the past year. As a Men’s Doubles pair, they overcame the odds to make the quarter-finals of this year’s Singapore Open Super Series. Like Shinta and Yao Lei, they were also the runners-up in last year’s Li-Ning Singapore International Series.


8. Actually, this past year has been part of a period of transition for the national team with the retirement of Ronald Susilo, Kendrick Lee, Jiang Yanmei and Li Yujia. However, besides the doubles pairs that I’ve just mentioned, our younger singles players Robin Gonansa and Thng Ting Ting have also given us hope for the future and done us proud by capturing the gold at the Li-Ning Singapore Youth International last year in the men’s and women’s singles categories respectively.


9. We are not going to rest on our laurels, of course. We will continue to work on our existing players and develop the next generation of national shuttlers. Towards this end, we recruited former All-England champion Mr Luan Ching as our new Singles Chief Coach. We believe his arrival will add to the overall strength of our coaching team.

10. SBA has also established a Partners In Excellence (or PEX) programme with six primary and secondary schools, namely Maris Stella High and Primary, Montfort Secondary and Junior, Boon Lay Secondary and Xin Min Secondary – and we are in the process of working out the details of a similar programme with six commercial training centres – all to help and motivate junior and youth shuttlers to hone their skills so that they may one day make it to our national team. In conjunction with SSC, SBA has also set up a Satellite Centre for Youth Sports Development in badminton at North Vista Primary School.

11 With the same objective of raising the standard of badminton played by the young in Singapore, SBA has evolved a National Syllabus Version 1.0 for badminton coaching and learning, a National Grading System 1.0 with bronze, silver and gold grades. SBA also implemented a Tournament Sanction policy for badminton competitions held in Singapore to raise the quality of domestic tournaments. These moves will help to create more demand and supply for the coaching industry.

12 Finally, to facilitate the continued smooth and efficient conduct of badminton tournaments both in Singapore and overseas, SBA has supported the training and upgrading of our Technical Officials, particularly with the view of ensuring renewal and succession in their ranks. I am pleased to announce that two of our younger qualified TOs Grace Cheah and Chen Yew Chor have been selected to officiate at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games, while Ser Bee Yee who is in her 30s, was promoted to become an Asia Continental Accredited Umpire at the end of last year. I encourage the recruitment and upgrading of more young officials.

13 In conclusion, this has been a good year for SBA. We have been able to achieve progress because of the passion, hard work and commitment of our partners, sponsors and of course, members like you. My special thanks also to the Singapore National Olympic Council, Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore Sports School for their unwavering support. I cannot work alone. Supporting me always are my dedicated MC members and staff of SBA. To all of you, a big "Thank you".

14. At this juncture, I would also like to take the opportunity to place on record my utmost appreciation to several MC members who are stepping down at the expiry of their 8-year term of office as mandated by the SBA Constitution. They are Deputy President Sam Goi, Secretary-General Tan Kian Chew, Finance Sub-Committee Member Benjamin Teh, Development and Selection Sub-Committee Members Lau Wing Cheok and Wong Shoon Keat. You have made great contributions. Please continue to support SBA in other ways.

15. As President of SBA, I look forward to your continued support and contribution to the badminton sport in Singapore to bring it to greater heights.

Thank you very much.

 

SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2010/2012

PRESIDENT MR LEE YI SHYAN 李奕贤
Minister of State (MTI and MOM)

DEPUTY PRESIDENT MR TAY ENG HOE 郑永和
(CO-OPTED) (NEW) Executive Director & Vice Chairman of ECS Holdings Limited

VICE PRESIDENT MR NG YOKE WENG 吴毓荣\
CIO of SingTel

SECRETARY GENERAL MR FRANCIS KOH KENG SIANG 许庆祥
Managing Director of Koh Brothers

HONORARY TREASURER MR LAWRENCE LEOW CHIN HIN 廖振兴
Chairman / CEO of Crescendas Group

MC MEMBER MR PHILLIP LEE TIONG SENG 李长成
Businessman

MC MEMBER MR LOW TAI SAN 蘆大山
Sales Manager

MC MEMBER MAJ (NS) VICTOR SIM CHIN CHUAN 沈振全
Civil Servant

MC MEMBER MR MICHAEL FOO DOON CHIN 符敦真
(NEW) Managing Director of Ram Industries Pte Ltd

MC MEMBER MR PHILIP LU HAN KUN 蘆翰瑻
(NEW) General Manager of Mazda Motors

MC MEMBER MR LOK CHEE HOW 陆志浩
(NEW) Civil Servant

MC MEMBER MR CHEW KIA SENG 周家成
(NEW) Managing Director of Credit Agricole

MC MEMBER MR MICHAEL S. CHIA 谢甦
(CO-OPTED) (NEW) Partner of Sankar Ow & Partners LLP