“Health is wealth”, and well, looks like the two truly go hand in hand.
During the Budget debate on Monday (8 Mar), the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has announced that it would top up the Sports Resilience Package with an additional S$25 million.
Originally launched to help the industry survive the detrimental COVID-19 pandemic, the package now comes up to a total of S$75 million.
According to The Straits Times, the majority of the additional funds will be channelled towards the extension of the Enterprise Innovation and Capability Development Grant (EICDG) and a new Self-Employed Person (SEP) Project Grant.
Freelancers will now receive this new aid in developing projects that will benefit Singaporeans’ health and wellness. The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Edwin Tong, would like to support and recognise the vital role that many sports freelancers and self-employed persons play.
The grant will be capped at S$25,000 per application.
S$22.5 million of the additional funding will go towards the EICDG, helping to extend it for five more years till 2025, as reported by TODAYonline. The grant was launched in June 2020 with S$3 million to encourage innovation and the uptake of technology into sports enterprises.
Sport Singapore (SportSG) will release the application details for both grants on its website next month.
In addition, other areas of the sports sector will also be supplemented. The S$13.5 million Operating Grant will be extended from April to the end of this year. Similarly, MCCY’s Training Allowance Grant for sports coaches will be extended from April this year to March 2022.
However, the Ministry has noted that with the gradual reopening of all sectors, the amount of support given will be reduced.
The Operating Grant saw sports academies and league operators receiving a grant amounting to 25% of their operating expenses set at a cap of S$15,000 monthly limit last year. Next month, the cap will be lowered to S$10,000 a month and only 15% of expenses will be covered.
Likewise, the coaches used to be able to receive an allowance of S$10 an hour when they take up courses with SportSG’s coaching academy, beyond their required Continuing Coach Education hours. It will be lowered to $7.50 an hour.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth has also announced that a structured mentoring programme will now be extended to March 2022. Mentees receive a monthly allowance of S$400, while mentors get S$600 monthly for six months.
New Safety Code; Commission Consulted Experts
The Safe Sport Commission has also come up with a new unified code of conduct to eradicate inappropriate behaviour in the sports industry.
Mr Tong expressed, “[n]o sportsperson, male or female, should feel unsafe as they train, compete or play any role in sports. We also need to address emerging trends such as cyberbullying and online harassment.”
The code will define what counts as sexual, psychosocial and physical misconduct, including threats such as cyberbullying, hazing and online harassment.
The commission consulted experts when developing the new safety code, reaching out to government agencies and non-governmental organisations like the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), as well as experts in safeguarding vulnerable groups.
Even leaders in the Singapore Olympic and Paralympic movements, such as national bowler Shayna Ng and former national swimmer and mixed martial arts athlete May Ooi from the Athletes’ Commission, were roped in.
They will also conduct a wider community discussion from April to October, gathering feedback from athletes, parents, coaches and sports administrators.
They’ve also promised confidential third-party reporting channel and enhanced case management offered to victims of such misconduct.
TODAYonline also states that there are plans for the unified code of conduct and other yardsticks to form an accreditation scheme, with entities being given a clear mark.
With this in place, parents and students will be able to rest assured and be more confident about organisations that abide by the code.
Feature Image: Alex from the Rock / Shutterstock.com
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