Do you believe our Singapore Paralympians deserve more recognition?

Question

Our Singapore Paralympians have so far brought home 2 bronze medals (Equestrian rider Laurentia Tan), 1 silver medal (50m freestyle final - Yip Pin Xiu), and most recently, Pin Xiu won a GOLD medal in the 50m backstroke finals! However for her gold medal, she will only receive S$100,000, 10% of what an Olympic gold medalist will receive. What more can be done to reward them?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Please do not just look at the prize money and start lambasting away without any knowledge of the national disability sports body, how the organisation has worked over the years, how they have always been campaigning for equal treatment for disabled athletes and how this prize award is actually one of the breakthroughs they pushed for. I see many people here happily pointing fingers at various organisations and bodies without any understanding of the situation.

I do agree that our Paralympians deserve much more recognition and support from the nation as a whole. The medal wins this year in the Paralympics is a crucial step forward for disability sports in general, raising public awareness many fold. Actually, our disabled athletes have always been performing well in many regional games like the Fespic games, the Asean Para Games etc. We also have a lot more other disabled athletes, not just the 6 we see at the Paralympic games. The local disability sports body has to oversee many aspects of disability sports, ranging from kick-starting sports programmes to introduce disability sports to the disabled population in SG, to identifying and training elite athletes to represent SG in regional and international games. And they have to do all these with a very limited budget, simply because they operate as a charity.

More support should be given to all our disabled athletes, not only just those who won medals. What is more important is more funding is provided to disability sports as a whole to kickstart more programmes, encourage more people with disability to pick up a sport, and have a larger talent pool to train as elite athletes to represent SG.

It should not be a case where attention is only given to the top few elite athletes, and the rest are all neglected.

Answer 2

Yes,,,,,,,,,,,

Source(s):

Send them on Holidays.............

Answer 3

Give them more recognition. They need to train as well and given their condition, i believe they need more money to survive and to train harder for the games.

Answer 4

We are a very practical society - disabled and old aged are never recognized as they are seen as not contributing to our economy, more like burdens. It is a shame that they are not recognized; even if they are, they are not recognized to the same level as the abled others.

Answer 5

yes, as they are also part of Singapore.

Answer 6

Yes...indefinitely.
Unlike atypical people who could do anything under the sun without any difficulties; this are people with special needs who have to go through tough and rigorous trainings despite their disabilities. They are the ones who should be commended for their fighting spirit despite the difficulties they face.

Answer 7

Whether it is the main Olympics or the Paralympics, they are just as important in their own field. I personally think that rewarding the Paralympians a fraction (10%) of what the Olympians would have received is totally unfair. In my opinion, achieving these kind of results inspite of being handicapped only shows more determination and guts for glory on the Paralympians part. They have taken a very positive approach inspite of their negative physical ability to achieve these results. The Olympians could sure take a lesson or two from the Paralympians...

Answer 8

There should be more publicity for singapore paralympians! Altogether we won 4 medals including 1 gold, but i don't see much news about them and much rejoicing among singaporeans. A GOLD MEDAL for the olympics is $1000000 VS a gold medal for paralympics is $100000. NOT FAIR! Besides these contestants are true singaporeans.

Answer 9

Paralympians must get more recognition than Olympians. Why should they deserve anything less? The media could help in the same way they've done for our table tennis and badminton teams. Our Government could help by rewarding the paralympians the same way as they do Olympians. We should have a world class sports school for aspiring paralympians!

Answer 10

they should received the same benefit as our able body sports person.

Answer 11

They definitely deserve the at least the same amount, in fact they should get MORE. They have a life with more obstacles with their physical challenges and need more assistance to get on in daily life leave alone practicing to compete in the ParaOlympics. They should get 150% of whatever was promised to the Singaporean Olympians. This 100,000 is yet another indication of how the we disrespect people who are special. It really is an outrage, but accepted as not many speak out.

Answer 12

Yes...they deserve equal recognition as they are also carrying Singapore flag.

Answer 13

YES she should deserve more. Maybe not in monetary but can be any kind of recongization. She is REAL Singaporean

Answer 14

Yes, I feel that more should be done to reward them. I feel that there is so much more coverage of the olympics and much less of the paralympics. For example, for 2 weeks or more after the olympics, Channel 5 was still broadcasting our silver medal win. However, though we won so many medals in the paralympics, I still do not see any congratulatory messages in the newspapers or television hailing their achievements.

The paralympics are also on an international level like the olympics. Shouldn't they deserve just as much in prize money and glory and honour or even encourgement as that of the olympic athletes?

Answer 15

Definitely! And how come the paralympic winners only get 10% of the olympic winners? Life is so unfair!!!

It is probably more tedious for them, they have to endure greater mental/physical challenges. Somemore is Singapore born citizen, should get at least equal or more $$ as reward since they are not so recognised in the first place in terms of media publicity.

Answer 16

Definitely! This is the first time in history that our National anthem has been played at the Olympics (and yes, i do consider the paralympics part of this most prestigious of games). I wish I could have been there to hear the strains of Majulah Singapura being played there. I can't begin to describe how proud I am of our Home Gal, Pin Xiu's achievements. Much has been made of the paralympians overcoming their disabilities. However, at the end of the day, the fact remains that they are world class elite athletes, and deserve the same recognition and support as our other world class elite athletes. They should not receive anything more, nor should they get anything less. After all, Pin Xiu and Laurentia have brought glory and recognition to our Little Red Dot, we should show them how proud we are of them!!!

Answer 17

You mean there's only 5 zeros on the figure? I thought there's a printing error, one zero being left out. Didn't the silver winners of the olympics each got a higher reward? You mean silver better than gold ma? Or immigrants better than locally born and bred? Or disable are low class citizens? Hmmm..... Surely handis need more monetary encouragement than able people, rite?

Answer 18

Yes, definitely...!! Though they tend to be underrated most of the time.

They deserve to be rewarded and recognised more than any Olympians as im sure the effort they put in is much more in order to achieve the same result of an Olympian.

Answer 19

definitely.

only until our athletes got bronze did they decide to even show the opening of the Paralympics. Yet they showed the whole Turino winter games when no Singaporeans were actually competing.

and at least they're singaporean.

What can be done? give them the same amount the olympic medalist would get. They would put it to better use.

Answer 20

Yes - they should be on par with other olympians. Well done Pin Xiu, Theresa and Laurentia. We would have loved to hear the anthem and the flag rised. What a shame that it's be telecast to the nation. But Singapore would camp and cheer for bought in foreign talent. Where's the values of the society?

Answer 21

I feel very disappointed with this news! A normal healthy person doing sports,and excelling in it takes a lot of hard work and effort, but for someone who's handicapped and doing sports, their efforts and hard work put in are many times more. They have earned themselves medals - GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE!!! They are Singaporeans making us proud, obtaining all the MEDALS which we are all hoping for!! Hope that more care and consideration would be looked into. Congratulations to all the Paralympians of Singapore!

Answer 22

Yes, they do deserve more recognition for their efforts. The recognition will bring happiness in their life since all of us do acknowledge that they are capable despite all of their limitations.

I salute them whether they win the competition or not.

Answer 23

Yes of course, they worked and trained harder than a normal person..
And they have shown their potential and great effort.

Answer 24

Definitely they should be given the same recognition. It is just so sad that they should be treated with only 10% of what an Olympic gold medalist will receive. Are we not striving to be an inclusive society? If by this token of recognition, it is not inclusive but exclusive where even rewards and recognition for disabled are excluded or only given 10%. What form of inclusive society are we striving towards then?

Answer 25

Singapore Paralympians are true Singaporeans and not imported talents but look at the media coverage of the Beijing Paralympics 2008 by our media. The Paramlympians deserve equal or in fact more financial rewards as they have to overcome physical disabilities. If Singapore Government is trying to move towards a caring society then they should disburse more funds for people with disabilities. I am proud of you Singapore Paralympians.

Answer 26

Our Paralympians definitely deserve more praise and honour in Singapore. These athletes have to face so many obstacles both on a personal level as well as in our competitive and perfectionist society. We should have them as our role models for all able-bodied citizens of Singapore.

We should provide necessary financial support (e.g. waiver of medical fees for those recurring costs/therapy , introduce proper/additional medical care, building appropriate facilities & infrastructure to all the handicapped so that we can groom more Paralympians.

They have brought Singapore into the world's sporting arena!

Answer 27

They are the true heroes of Singapore and should be duly rewarded and recognised by all. Our government should do more here instead of just providing easy access in public places. $100,000 for the gold medal may not be sufficient for their medical welfare and not to mention the sacrifices they put in.

Answer 28

No , They don't deserved more recognition ..
But ......
THE HIGHEST RECOGNITION ...

They are truly Our Singaporean Heroes who brings us proud and glories.. I salute them ...

They are really special ...
why there are double standard in their recognition ..?

10% of the Gold Olympic that's not fair...

Whatever the Olympic athlete gone thru they also hav gone thru ...

They deserved what the Olympic medalist got .. nothing less .. Just because they are less physically , the prize also less .. ?

They got Gold not half Gold.
They got Silver not half Silver.
They got Bronze not half Bronze.

Ain't we proud of them .. ?

No matter what , if its Olympic or Olympic .. its still Olympic ..whats the diff...

Three cheers for our "OWN Athletes "

Answer 29

Yes, i give them thumbs up!!!
This is what we call real Singapore Blood achieving Gold/Silver/Bronze medals, Unlike the other so called Singaporean who won silver for Olympics 2008.

Cheers Pin Xiu you have done a great job & made Singapore really proud this time, forget about the silver medallist (table tennis).
Not to forget Coach Ang Peng Siong too.....................................…
who have brought you this far & your effort.

Don't you think that she deserves more than what she is receiving ?

Why based @ only 10% ? Don't you think that she deserves more.

After considering that she had won for two events.
Besides that she should also be given a title of Sports Woman of the year 2008 and be awarded by our dear His Excellency Mr President S R Nathan.

I guess not many of us are familiar with paralympics.

Hope this will open Republic's eyes wider as to whom to vote for.

What about Equestrian Rider ?
She deserves the same too. In other words increase the reward amount
Whereas, for EQUESTRIAN RIDER Ms Laurentia Tan, congratulations to you too. You make Singapore proud.

Good Day !

Paramjit Kaur

Answer 30

Yes! Most definitely yes! They are our own 'flesh and blood'. Why cant we reward them with more?

Answer 31

Yes, they should be given equal recognition and reward no less.