Rejected by ST Forum
Time to reconsider the meaning of being Singaporean
In light of the recent push by various national sportsassociations to scout for talent from other parts of theworld to play for Singapore at the international level, I think that Singaporean citizens need to seriously reconsiderthe meaning of what it is to be a Singaporean.
One of the strongest factors I feel that clearly define aSingaporean from people from other parts of the world is that a Singaporean should believe that Singapore is his true home. Be it the cosmopolitan or the heartlander mentioned by PM Goh not long ago, a Singaporean should harbour asense of belonging to the country itself. Just because a Singaporean may be working overseas does not make him any less Singaporean if he has been born in the countryand has experienced the culture and lifestyle, but is earning a living abroad.
Likewise, the same would apply to a heartlander, whoproactively defines the culture and society of Singapore because he essentially forms the pillar of the socialstructure that defines what it is to be a Singaporeanliving in Singapore. The cosmopolitan and the heartlander therefore go hand in hand in defining the Singaporean.
A foreigner who was born, bred, and nurtured in another country but has been brought to Singapore on a Permanent Resident basis to play a certain sport for our nation thus clearly lies outside the boundary of being Singaporean. In such cases the person in question does not recognize Singapore as home, and does not intend to in the future as well, regardless of the numerous excuses the sports associations choose to offer.
We cannot mistake picking talent from other countries witht alent choosing to make their homes in Singapore. The spirit in which foreigners may choose to migrate to Singaporeis inherently different in nature with those who have been paid to do so, and I am disappointed that the sports associations have failed to see this glaring loophole in their quest for international recognition.
The way soccer clubs work around the world can be a good analogy to further illustrate my point. Soccer clubs hire players around the world to further strengthen their squad, regardless of their nationality, for the sake of maintaining or enhancing their reputation.
The same mindset cannot be applied to the context of international recognition in terms of the sporting arena. International recognition in this field is determined not by the quality of players that can be imported from othernations, but rather the quality of Singaporean players whose hearts are with Singapore, and who have developed themselves either locally or overseas.
It is indeed saddening that associations such as the Basketball Association have chosen to pick players from China in the hope of nurturing them here, after they have lived there all their lives, and then using them to play against other international teams. An entire Singapore squad to have been born in China will ultimately make us the laughing stock of the century, if not the millennium.
These people are not Singaporean because they have chosen to do so, but because they havebeen paid to do so. This is not Singapore the country, but Singapore the club. There is no national pride in fielding Singaporeans who do not feel the slightest bit for their nation even if they win.Why bother winning then, if winning is not everything but rather national pride is?
This attitude should not be mistaken as being anti-foreigner, which I am not. I fervently believe that Singapore can further enhance herself by tapping onforeign potential by hiring foreign coaches, andtarget their efforts like in the S-League, where foreigners are there to complement, and enhance the quality of the play of the locals.
To further clarify my stand it would be good to comment on the background that I come from. My mother is a Filipino, and her heart is still withher motherland even though she has been a Permanent Resident in this state for almost 20 years. I, on the other hand, feel much closer to Singapore because I was born here, and it is this country that has shaped the way I think, feel, and behave. To have my heart in Singapore makes me a Singaporean, and likewise my mother would feel a strong sense of belonging to her country because in her mind that will always be her home. Even then, Singapore too does havea place in her heart since she has been through many experiences here that has made her become the person she is today. Perhaps that might mean she would qualify as a Singaporean, even though she stands staunchly by her country and has very animatedly put down every suggestion that she apply for Singaporean citizenship.
However, referring once again to the sports associations in question this situation is a far cry from the sorry state that some of them are in. To eventually have to resort to hiring players from abroad, without taking into consideration the development of players locally in some cases is extremely disturbing. Not only are these associations hiring players from abroad who clearly do not have their hearts in Singapore, furthermore they put down local talent by forming a completely foreign Singapore squad.
It was thus pleasing when I read some months back that the monstrously tall Chinese nationals of the Basketball Association were humbled by our Singaporean players. If I'm not mistaken, these players were from RGS, who I wouldbelieve would have been somewhat terrified that they wereup against the future 'National' squad, although littledid they know that they were in fact the true Singaporeans,and not their adversaries.
Choo Weisen Christopher Ledesma