Tan Howe Liang - Our 1st Olympic Medalist

He has finally been recognized... I wonder if our Table Tennis Team had not won an Olympic Medal, would he still get this small reward?

Olympic medallist Tan Howe Liang receives S$10,000 cash award
31 August 2008 2030 hrs (SST)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/372915/1/.html

SINGAPORE: Singapore's silver medal win at the Beijing Olympics prompted celebrations across the island. At the same time, the nation's first Olympic medallist has not been forgotten.

Tan Howe Liang shared the stage and the spoils with Singapore's latest Olympic medallists at a celebration on Saturday. Like the three table tennis players – Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu – Mr Tan received a warm reception from the crowd, as well as a S$10,000 cheque from NTUC FairPrice.

Seah Kian Peng, managing director of NTUC FairPrice, said: "He continues to be a great inspiration to the entire sporting fraternity and to all Singaporeans. People like him are able to inspire people like us to try to do what we believe we can.

"He continues to be highlighted at each Olympics because he is a big inspiration, and he remains an active, humble person that everyone wants to help."

Mr Tan took silver for weightlifting in the 1960 Olympic Games – a first for Singapore. Back then, there were no cash reward schemes for sports excellence.

Since the women's table tennis team took the silver in Beijing and with it, a S$750,000 cash reward, there have been calls for Mr Tan to be rewarded as well for his trail-blazing feat 48 years ago.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: "I am glad they did that, it's a good gesture and we remember him fondly because for 48 years, he was the one man who broke through and it has taken us a long time to equal his record."

As for Singapore's first Olympic hero, he declined to give a TV interview, but said he was grateful for the recognition and the cash gift.

- CNA/so

Our Olympic Silver Medalist Up-Close with the Fans!

Singapore's paddlers celebrate Olympic medal win with fans
30 August 2008 1637 hrs (SST)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/372744/1/.html

SINGAPORE: With the recent controversy over management issues in the team put firmly behind them, it was celebration time in the heartlands for Singapore's Beijing Olympic silver medallists.

A crowd, carrying placards, turned up at Ang Mo Kio's FairPrice Xtra a good hour before the arrival of Singapore's Olympian paddlers.

Some 100 fans were rewarded with an autographed poster.

Others behind the players were also given their due recognition by FairPrice who sponsored the celebrations.

Among them was team manager Antony Lee, who was moved by the accolade given by Ng Ser Miang, vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council.

Lee, who spent little time with his 5-month-old child in the preparations leading up to the Beijing Olympics, received a gift of milk powder from the supermarket chain.

Also honoured was Singapore's first Olympic medallist, Tan Howe Liang, who won a silver in the 1960 Games. He was acknowledged as the inspiration for Singapore's medal quest.

President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association Lee Bee Wah was given a pair of running shoes - a reflection of the the big shoes she has to fill in building on the team's Olympics success.

Mr Ng said the recent controversy involving the table tennis team has been a blessing in disguise, because they can learn valuable lessons from this incident as they prepare for their next big challenge, the 2012 Olympic Games.

He said it gave the National Sports Associations "something to ponder on how we should really do team-building and resolve issues first."

After the weekend celebrations, the paddlers will have to prepare for another competition - the Women's World Cup starting in Kuala Lumpur next week.

- CNA/ir

The S'Pore Table Tennis Olympic Team Fiasco Settled...

MCYS says table tennis saga is over
29 August 2008 2144 hrs (SST)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/372602/1/.html

SINGAPORE: The controversy surrounding the Singapore Table Tennis Association has been called to a close by the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

In a special media conference on Friday evening, it announced that team manager Antony Lee will continue for another three months, to finish up his Olympics reports. He will then move to the Singapore National Olympic Council in November.

The association will also have two separate head coaches, one each for the women's and men's teams.

President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association, Lee Bee Wah, apologised for causing grievances and stress. With that, the dust has settled over a week-long saga that mired Singapore's silver medal win at the Olympic Games.

Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the issue was caused by misunderstandings and ties have been mended.

He added that the local sports scene, especially the Singapore Table Tennis Association, has emerged stronger from the incident.

He said the strong public reactions such as those online, showed how sports play an important role in unifying Singaporeans and that the sports scene here has come of age.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "Can I promise there will never be a problem? I can't make such promises. What is more important is the trust and discipline is in place in the team to overcome these problems, get on with the mission, do their best and hopefully their best is good enough to win medals for us."

When asked for their reactions, the table tennis team members stood up in solidarity and said they were all very satisfied with the discussions and decisions.

Other officials also called for Singaporeans' continued support, especially for the association's president Lee Bee Wah.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck, said: "For Ms Lee to come in and carry on this work, she will need time. She is only a month-plus old.

"And I believe that she will need the time in order to know what's happening and to gain that knowledge in order to run STTA and bring it to greater heights."

Ng Ser Miang, vice-president, Singapore National Olympic Council, said: "Its time for the athletes to reflect on the values, become true Olympians and go back to our celebrations."

The table tennis team will meet their fans on Saturday at a special autograph session in Ang Mo Kio. - CNA/vm

Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp

What a powerful testimony from Jeremy Camp... his faith for the Lord shines through.

"We live by faith, not by sight." - 2 Cor 5:7

"5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Prov 3:5-6



Lyrics - Walk By Faith
Would I believe you when you say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words you say
Every moment of every day

Chorus
well I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road prepares Your will for me

Verse
Well help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

CHORUS

Bridge
Well I'm broken, but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken, pouring your words of grace

CHORUS (x2)

Ending
well hallelujah hallelu
(i will walk by faith)
well hallelujah hallelu
(i will walk by faith)

Mooncake Time... yummy!

Each year my boss will give out Mooncakes to each staff.... ok we only have 4 in the office, but still it's the thought that counts... :)

This year it's from Bakerzin, the Assorted Mini Snow Skin - Macha Red Bean Paste, Orange Paste, Sweet Potato Paste & Yam Paste.

Checkout the AsiaOne Ultimate Mooncake Guide

Living it up - but at what cost?

I think there is not enough education put into this area especially the youth... back in Jul 2008, I put up a posting called You, Finances and Your Parents where it also deals with finances.

This is another article that was published on 25 Aug 2008, in The Straits Times.

Link to AsiaOne - Living it up - but at what cost?

Living it up - but at what cost?

Most youth today are inept when it comes to managing their finances .
-ST

Wed, Aug 27, 2008
The Straits Times

By Tan
Weizhen

BEING financially free for the first time is a delirious experience.

As young adults in our 20s and fresh out of school, the taste of a first full month's salary feels not unlike the freedom to do anything.

So, we start eating out at expensive restaurants, buying brand-name items, maybe even a small car.

Build a nest egg? That thought never crops up - not at least for one group which has been making the news.

Going by a recent report in The Straits Times about under-30s today being the fastest growing group of debtors, it seems this set has gone a bit silly with their spending.

Among defaulting on credit card bills, growing bankruptcy and gambling, young adults aged between 21 and 29 are notorious for living it up.

The common reason given for getting caught in the debt trap: Materialistic desire for the high life, although most could not truly afford it.

That need is driving us into a hole.

Credit Counselling Singapore, which advises debtors, revealed that under-30s formed 9
per cent of all cases it handled in 2006, leaping to 15 per cent in the first three months of this year.

This age group is also forming a bigger percentage of those who become bankrupt, says credit analysis firm Amequity.

Talk about throwing it all away.

Gaining more financial freedom, and not knowing how to manage it, is a lethal mix that is propelling young people on the highway to destruction.

Personally, I have been guilty of overspending. When I first started earning money, I began to splash on expensive nights out. Weekly shopping sprees were a way to reward myself for working hard. Spa packages costing thousands of dollars? Not a problem, I simply whipped out my credit card.

My friends were the same way. Frequent overseas trips - up to three times a year - were fairly common. One even bought a car shortly after starting work.

Managed rightly, the empowerment of financial freedom can set us up for the future. Wrongly, and our mistakes will follow us into our 30s, 40s and even beyond.

Yet this is what many young adults in their 20s are like: incapable of managing money, let alone be ready to get married and have babies.

We are lost, all right.

As a friend lamented to me, he does not know where his career is headed. His tuition fee
loans have barely been paid off. The figures in his bank account are a joke. He is not sure whether that someone is special enough for marriage. How does the Government expect us to get married and have babies early, he asks? I can't help but agree.

With newer and more responsibilities on the horizon, how can youth mature into adults, with their bank accounts intact? We need people with more worldly experience to impart it to us. Parents should be teaching children the value of hard work and thrift, from an early age.

Schools should educate students on setting goals and making choices before they get pushed out
into the corporate jungle. And perhaps companies could hold workshops or programmes to teach us how to manage or invest our money properly.

Start the young early on how to live wisely and they will gain the advantage.

Abby Wilner and Alexandra Robbins, authors of the book, Quarterlife Crisis, The Unique Challenges Of Life In Your Twenties, said that though the youth of the past faced the same questions as the youth of today, the difference is that this generation has a lot more options.

The big question is: How to make the right choice from the myriad of options, and not have it haunt us for the rest of our lives?

The 20-something years are when our ability to make decisions is drastically challenged. It is a phase filled with much turmoil, indecision and angst. In many ways, it is worse than adolescence.
For me, it is the new adolescence.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on August 25, 2008.

Strength Will Rise As We Wait Upon The Lord

We sang this at Church on 24 Aug 2008... maybe it'll minister to you as it did for me. Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." NIV



Everlasting God
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Another lesson on New Song Cafe....

Meritorious Service Medal for Olympic medal-winning paddlers

My family are so happy that the Team has been awarded this Meritorious Service Medal... certainly did a great honor for Singapore! Congratulations to our Table Tennis Team... Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei, Liu Guodong, and Antony Lee

Meritorious Service Medal for Olympic medal-winning paddlers
25 August 2008 2240 hrs (SST)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/371597/1/.html

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Olympic medal-winning team returned home to a rousing welcome on Monday.

Some 300 well-wishers were at the Changi Airport to cheer Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu. They had broken Singapore's 48-year-old Olympic medal drought by winning the silver medal in the women's team table tennis final.

After the cheering welcome, the athletes were whisked onto an open-top bus for a tour of the city to showcase their medals.

When the entourage arrived at Raffles City, there were another 500 people to greet them. The route also included Geylang Serai and Orchard Road.

"(I) felt very emotional and touched, with so many people supporting (me). I am very grateful," said Feng.

"I don't think age is a problem. 2012 (Olympics) is just 4 years away, I think I will take a break for a while and reconsider 2012," said Li.

The women's table tennis team will be conferred the Meritorious Service Medal by the Singapore government.

The award was last given to swimmer Joscelin Yeo, in 2006, and before that, in 1962, to Tan Howe Liang, whose weightlifting silver from the 1960 Rome Games had been Singapore's only Olympic medal before the table tennis team's achievement.

The authorities will also intervene in the coach-and-manager saga, where the Singapore Table Tennis Association's president Lee Bee Wah had said the officials will not be retained.

"I am very concerned with the way it is spinning out of control because I don't want a situation where people say things or do things which destroy relationships," said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Away from the controversy, the government is looking at building on the momentum of the victory in Beijing. A more integrated approach will be taken to groom athletes for future events, including London Olympics 2012.

- CNA/ir

A CNA video of their return to Singapore, getting onto an open-top Hippo bus for the Victory Parade as well as the celebrations at Raffles City.


ST News - Minister wants full review - My job is to keep Team Singapore united, says Sports Minister

"Eager crowds at Raffles City giving Team SIngapore a warm welcome home yesterday. It was an afternoon of acclaim for the athletes who received rapturous greetings right from their arrival at Changi Airport. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN"

"Table tennis team manager Anthony Lee and IOC executive board member from Singapore Ng Ser Miang (back to camera) share a moment of triumph and a hug. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE"


"It is a bittersweet welcome for head coach Liu Guodong, who, along with the paddlers' team manager, is uncertain whether he will still be with the athletes on their next Olympic adventure. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE"

Michael Phelps Journey to 8 Golds!

05 September 2008 - Just read from Channel News Asia report that Michael Phelps has been offered a role on "Entourage" - more here CNA - Michael Phelps offered recurring role on "Entourage"

Michael Phelps Facebook

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There will never be an Olympian as great as Michael Phelps. Swimming 17 times and achieving 7 World Records & 1 Olympic Record: Image from Wikipedia:
Click here for Michael Phelps Wikipedia page

A video highlighting and celebratiing his achievements at Beijing 2008 Olympics.

STTA President....sigh... :(

Although I agree with Lee Bee Wah that someone had to be responsible with respect to Gao Ning's match without a coach.

I felt she lost the plot when she went about unprofessionally and definitely showing her inexperience by indicating that Antony Lee services where no longer needed.

What a knee-jerk reaction! She has really dampened our Celebrations for this Olympic Silver after 48 years!

She should've waiting until they got back from Beijing, let them and Singaporeans have their deserved Victory Celebrations, then have an inquiry to find out what actually happened and then decide what to do.

I'm stunned by her handling of this issue!

Related AsiaOne Article - "S'pore's table tennis team manager told to leave"

AsiaOne Report Is Found Here

Is sacking of table-tennis team manager Antony Lee justified?

S'pore has just won its long-overdue second Olympic medal after a 48-year hiatus. This achievement is partly due to Lee's hard work. -myp

Mon, Aug 25, 2008
my paper

MANY in Singapore are shocked at the seemingly rash decision by the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) to sack table-tennis team manager Antony Lee.

According to media reports, its new president, Ms Lee Bee Wah, was just appointed last month, making this her "first foray into sports".

Singapore has just won its long-overdue second Olympic medal after a 48-year hiatus.

This achievement is the culmination of government and STTA policies as well as the hard work of players and support staff, which include team manager Lee and head coach Liu Guodong.

The country was looking forward to welcoming these heroes and heroines home.

Notwithstanding the incident where no coach was present at Gao Ning's match, is the STTA's action justified? We wait with bated breath to hear why such drastic action had to be taken without a proper inquiry being carried out.

The alleged infraction must have been extremely grave to warrant immediate dismissal in Beijing.

Project 0812 chairman Ng Ser Miang is not the only one who is puzzled - the whole of Singapore is too.

Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan