Jim Nassium discusses about the development of sports and male

dominance in sports. He also explores the undesirable side of sports

where countries have become too focused on winning. While some of
his observations are true, it may not be applicable to my society because
of the hasty generalisation made as well as the cultural difference
between Western countries and Singapore.
Nassium argues that sport is always male-dominated (lines 3940), this is due to the predominant perception of women to be ladylike
hence they are being dissuaded to compete in aggressive sports.
However, this is not relevant to my society, Singapore. In Singapore,
females are given equal opportunity to participate in sports that are once
dominated by males and their efforts are also widely recognised by
citizens, hence this contradicts with the author's observation that
women in sport have less television exposure [and] restricted game
options (lines 40-41). For instance, the formalisation of Physical
Education, as part of the school curriculum, has stimulated greater
awareness and facilitated greater exposure for girls to a domain that had
otherwise been neglected. Female students in schools are also able to
choose from a wide range of sports such as basketball, football and
hockey to participate in. In addition, in the recent 28th Southeast Asia
(SEA) Games, Singapore women athletes won over 40 gold medals
collectively in 16 sports which includes canoeing, swimming and
equestrian. These sports are once viewed as a male domain. Hence it is
evident that females in Singapore are given equal rights and
opportunities to excel in different type of sports.
Nassium observes that in the industrialised world today, many
forgo outdoor sports in exchange for activities indoors that allow us to
play games in the secure and cosy atmosphere of our living room,
insulating us from the harsh but needful external elements of the
weather that toughen us up. (line 65-66) He believed that due to
technology and the infiltration of many products such as Xbox, Wii
etcetera, many people prefer to stay indoor and play sports in a
comfortable environment, which adds on to our lacking in aspirations to
be faster, higher and stronger(line 91). However, this observation does
not resonate with society. It is a parochial view to say that the
technological revolution has dramatically altered the way we engage in
sport in the twenty-first century(line 62) as we see the rise in number of
activities nation-wide that encourages the citizens to engage in outdoor
sports. This is prevalent in schools, where every school will hold annual
sports meets to encourage students to participate in competitions and

annual sports day where every student in the school has to play a sport
such as soccer or basketball. National Physical Fitness Assessment
(Napfa) is also compulsory in every primary, secondary and tertiary
schools in Singapore which makes sure that every student is fit and
healthy. This year, Singapore held the 28th Southeast Asian games at
the newly built national Sports Hub which ignited the passion of many
Singaporeans for sports, and the Sports Hub has been bustling ever
since. The upcoming OCBC WaterFest 2015 event is organised by the
Sports Hub includes activities such as water sports, a showcase of
radio-controlled boats, and competitions hosted by National Sports
Associations and their affiliates to foster a healthy lifestyle and to bring
the nation together through sports. The event director Calvin Palyama
said, "Coming off the success we had in the recent SEA Games,
especially with more than half of our gold medals (coming) from water
sports... we want to promote water-based sports to the public, as well as
showcase the unique land and water assets that we have at the Hub."
Hence it is evident that while technology is advancing, the love for sports
is also growing in my society, thus, Nassiums observations are not
applicable to my society.
However, I agree with Nassium when he states that in order to
boost international standing, nations persuade and purchase foreign
athletes to win medals for them, in exchange for the prized citizenship
and a remuneration package (Line 53) Glaringly, the Singapore Table
Tennis Team is made up of mostly Chinese nationals who were offered
Singapore citizenship as an incentive to represent Singapore at the
international level. This includes Feng Tianwei who clinched a bronze
and silver medal in the past two Olympics. This drew much flak from
many Singaporeans who were disapproving of the way Singapore
incentivized foreign talents using citizenship offers. Hence, it is evident
that Singapore uses citizenship packages to attract foreign players to
improve Singapores sporting standards. Moreover, Singapore rewards
athletes close to a million dollars if they are able to clinch a gold medal in
the Olympics - a marked difference from the $25,000 US offers. This
attracts many foreign athletes in various sports such as noticeably
swimming as of late, where Joseph Schooling earned a whooping
$370,000 for his four medals in the Commonwealth Games 2014.
Therefore, this shows that the generous remuneration packages
Singapore offers to her athletes play a pivotal role in drawing in talented
foreign athletes.
In conclusion, I disagree with the observations that Nassium has
made as it is not applicable in the context of my society. Sports have

become an integral part of Singaporeans lifestyle and will continue to be

enjoyed by all, regardless of gender. I am optimistic that the sporting
culture in Singapore will develop well under the governments effort in
promoting sports.