SINGAPORE — The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) wants to work with the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to provide the Republic’s top male athletes with more flexibility when performing their National Service (NS) duties.

In a posting on SNOC’s blog today (June 22), the Council’s president Tan Chuan-Jin said while the NS issue for the country’s top male athletes is “tricky”, he hopes to “push the boundaries” to see how they can collectively take a step towards including more promising athletes into the band for consideration.

Mr Tan, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development and a former Brigadier-General in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), addressed the issue of whether the number of athletes who obtain deferment can be increased.

Speaking at a dialogue session entitled “Singapore Sports — Ready to go Solo?” at the National University of Singapore’s University Town this evening, Mr Tan said all relevant parties should continue to see how existing programmes and arrangements can be improved.

“We have existing formalised approaches, so we are looking at whether can that be expanded, and that is something we have constantly discussed,” said Mr Tan.

“With regards to boundaries, as with every issue, (they) have to be pushed. I don’t think that is peculiar to sports and national service. I think for every issue that matters to society and is important, we should looking at boundaries, and perspectives...It is an issue that is ongoing, and not new.”

Mr Tan’s comments come about a week after Singapore posted its best ever performance at the SEA Games with a record haul of 84 gold, 73 silver and 102 bronze to finish second in the medal standings behind Thailand. The Republic’s total medal haul of 259 is also the most of all 11 participating South-east Asian countries.

Responding to queries from TODAY, a MINDEF spokesperson reiterated that their policy on granting deferment from full-time NS is applicable in “exceptional circumstances” to sportsmen who are “assessed to be potential medal winners at international competitions like the Olympic Games and bring national pride for the country.”

The SAF have been supportive of Singapore’s top athletes, such as footballer Hariss Harun and sailor Darren Choy, in allowing them time off to train and compete for the country.

Presently, only 2014 Asian Games swimming champion Joseph Schooling has been granted long-term deferment until Aug 31, 2016 to allow him to prepare for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he is considered a possible medal potential.

National swimmer Quah Zheng Wen, 18, is another athlete also understood to be seeking a deferment from NS. And Mr Tan believes the criteria to be considered for deferment should not be cast in stone.

“For us, it is constantly looking at those arrangements — can it be defined, can it be adjusted, expanded somewhat. This is something that those involved in sports have will have to continually discuss with MINDEF,” he said.

“There is a very real responsibility that all of us have to discharge, and then it is about how we strike that balance.”

Writing earlier in the SNOC blog, Mr Tan also said: “The question now is do we expand that space (for more deferments). Could you have a slightly bigger band? So you adjust your threshold, so that those who are promising — and you have to define what promising means — therefore may have the possibility of deferment?”

Mr Tan added that even if a deferment is not possible, he hopes that greater flexibility can be introduced to accommodate an athlete’s training while serving NS.

“Could they still clock in the hours, and as much as possible coming closer to the Games, are there things you could do to afford them more targeted training?,” Mr Tan wrote in the blog.

“We do not need a blanket agreement, but can we work out local solutions with units...If the commander feels he can accommodate, (and) he can make the call, why not? So, (we) try to explore that, and work closely with army units and Home team, and see how to make it more accommodating.

“We should constantly have this to-ing and fro-ing with them (MINDEF) on this. We should try to see whether that space can be expanded somewhat.”

One NSA supportive of SNOC’s move to push for greater flexibility to enable top athletes to better juggle their NS and sporting commitments is the Singapore Sailing Federation (SSF).

MINDEF had granted the SSF’s application to allow Mr Choy to defer his NS to compete at the SEA Games, where he won the 470 class.

“It is probably the biggest contribution to my SEA Games gold, because if I were to enlist before that, I may not be able to train properly, or take part in it altogether,” said Mr Choy, 21, who is to enlist for NS next month.

But for more like Choy to benefit, SSF president Benedict Tan believes the criteria on assessing an athlete’s application for deferment must be clearly set.

“The criteria has to be set with expert advice from people in the sports community such as SNOC, Sport Singapore and NSAs,” he said.

“It has to be a collaborative approach by MINDEF, but NSAs should also be careful not to abuse the system, but only push for deferment for deserving athletes.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LOW LIN FHOONG