SINGAPORE – The Republic’s most bemedalled Olympian Feng Tianwei never doubted her long-term future in Singapore after she hung up her bat in 2022.
On April 15, she officially opened the Feng Tianwei International Table Tennis Academy (FTTA) at The Sports Arina @ Jalan Kayu, a facility in Fernvale built by sports aficionado Richard Tan that will also feature badminton, contrast therapy, futsal, gymnastics, padel, pilates, pickleball and swimming.
In her speech, delivered in English and Mandarin, she cited a Chinese idiom about remembering the origins of water while drinking it, which means to remember where one’s success came from.
Feng, who has a women’s team silver from the Beijing 2008 Olympics and women’s singles and team bronzes from London 2012, said: “We built this academy right here in the heartland because I have always believed world-class training should never be out of reach. It belongs to every young person with a dream.
“Therefore, our vision is simple: to connect grassroots sports with elite development pathways. We want every promising young talent to be seen, nurtured and supported. Our mission is clear – to expand Singapore’s table tennis talent pool, ensuring that no child with potential ever slips through the cracks.
“Without Singapore, there would not be the Feng Tianwei of today. Singapore fulfilled my sporting aspirations, and I hope I can give back to society through my experience with the FTTA.”
The FTTA will kick off with 20 tables and 10 coaches from China and Singapore, and classes are available for players from age five.
There will be periodic competitions and in time, she will invite international clubs and national teams to train there, as well as illustrious coaches to host clinics, providing her trainees opportunities for sparring and exchanging of ideas. More information will be available on ftta.sg
