26 December 2001

SINGAPORE POWER EMPOWERS RONALD SUSILO

Come next year, Ronald Susilo, one of Singapore’s full-time badminton players, can look forward to receiving greater care and coaching from the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) that will help him climb up his international ranking from his current world position at 28. On top of that, the professional player can also expect to reap greater rewards for excellent performances at the various badminton Opens.

Making these possible is Singapore Power Ltd (SP) which will sponsor a sum of $50,000 to aid Ronald Susilo in pursuing his dream of becoming the world’s number one shuttler. The objectives of the sponsorship are 2-prong: to enhance his skills through training and to spur him on to scale greater heights in his career with incentives.

Part of the amount will be used to defray of Ronald’s training expenses while a portion will be set aside as incentives to reward Ronald for achieving his targets at 8 of the world’s most prestigious events. Some of these include the All England Open, China Open, Japan Open, Singapore Open, Indonesia Open, Malaysia Open and Thailand Open. This means that, on top of the incentives provided by SBA, Ronald will receive rewards from SP if he clears the various levels of these events.

On why SP supports badminton, BG Boey Tak Hap, President & CEO of SP said, “It has long been the desire of Singapore Power to support and aid in nurturing sporting talent for Singapore. Few of us are willing to set aside our everyday work lives and let our passion for a sport consume us totally. Those of us who show that commitment deserve to pursue that dream in every way possible. Singapore Power hopes to help some of these athletes and sportsmen live that dream.”

“Singapore once had a Wong Peng Soon who won the Thomas Cup in the 1950s – that proves that though we are built smaller in size as compared to our western counterparts, we have a chance to produce a champion in this particular sport. If we succeed in grooming another Wong Peng Soon, Singaporeans can once again, rejoice in the glory and recognition that such a feat will bring. In coming forward to support the Singapore Badminton Association, we hope that SBA can nurture and produce the next Wong Peng Soon for Singapore in the near future.” added BG Boey.

Recognising SP’s contribution, Dr Wang Kai Yuen, President, SBA and Member of Parliament for Bukit Timah said, “Singapore Power has given the sports scene in Singapore and badminton a big boost by sponsoring Ronald. I am confident that Ronald will go on to develop into a better player and bring honours to Singapore. Singapore Power’s contributions towards his success would be remembered.”

To help Ronald succeed, SBA will embark on a series of training programmes to sharpen his skills and strokes as well as enhance his agility and speed in the court. Ronald will also undergo a programme specially designed to boost his mental preparation so as to help him better control and cope with his emotions and focus his mind during the competitions.

• Speech by BG Boey Tak Hap, President & CEO, SP