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Speaking to CNA on Friday, Lim said Chay’s remarks were “totally uncalled for” and risked setting back the sport’s push for NSG inclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n “Schools may not want to consider tchoukball, and now we are so close to going to the National School Games and you make such a statement. Obviously I would be angry,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “If schools are thinking that it’s a ‘dead-end sport’, then (they) are not going to invest in it, my coaches overnight will be out of a job.”<\/p>\n In response to queries from CNA, an SNOC spokesperson said that every sport, regardless of its presence on the major Games programme, has “intrinsic value”.<\/p>\n “Sport plays an important role in fostering character development, community bonding, and lifelong participation, particularly through platforms such as the National School Games, which serve as a key foundation for broad-based engagement and talent identification,” said the spokesperson.<\/p>\n SNOC remains committed to working closely with stakeholders to strengthen both participation and high-performance pathways, said the spokesperson.<\/p>\n “We will continue to support efforts that enable Singaporeans to pursue sporting excellence, while also recognising and respecting the contributions of all sports to our wider ecosystem.”<\/p>\n Mr Adrian Chiang, who is the president of the National Instructors and Coaches Association, said that references to certain sports as having limited pathways reflect a “narrow perspective and may not fully capture the continued efforts of coaches, educators, and athletes who are actively developing these disciplines”.<\/p>\n “We also note that views expressed by individuals in positions of influence can carry added weight and may shape perceptions among parents and schools, influence programme continuity, and affect participation and coaching opportunities.”<\/p>\n Those who spoke to CNA argued that a broader range of sports at the NSG level would provide more options for students to get their first taste of competition.<\/p>\n “When students start out, they may go for sport A. But the interest may be switched off (in favour of) sport B or C,” said Rasip Isnin, who is the general manager of the Singapore Sports Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. <\/span>“With those options, they then can actually take part.”<\/p>\n While sport climbing has been contested at SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympic levels, NSG inclusion will help create a “pathway”, with athletes being able to start from a younger age, he added.<\/p>\n “School sports are probably your first experience in competition, and maybe you only have that one opportunity in your lifetime to be a competitor,” added Lim.<\/p>\n Distance runner Soh Rui Yong, in an Instagram video, said sport in schools builds values such as tenacity and teamwork, and can serve as a way for authorities to identify talent.<\/p>\n “There are sports that, while they may not be a medal sport in and of itself, they can also be an opportunity to discover talent that you can then nurture,” he said.<\/p>\n Lim added that alternative sports can provide an avenue for those who do not compete in “mainstream sports”.<\/p>\n “If we can create as many sports as possible at the school level, that’s the best,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nOPPORTUNITIES VS RESOURCES<\/h2>\n