Contributed by Singapore Sports Fan
National swimmer and recent World Cup gold-medallist and record-breaker Tao Li has hit out at the Singapore Swimming Association for failing to turn up at Changi Airport last week to welcome her and her team-mates back from the World Cup.
The 18-year-old sensation had a fantastic FINA/Arena World Cup series in November, bagging three golds, a silver in the 100m butterfly and three bronzes in the 50m butterfly.
Her World Cup campaign ended on a high in Berlin, the last leg of the seven-leg series, when she set a new World Cup record in the 100m butterfly on 16 November. She clocked 56.28 seconds to beat the record of 56.34sec set by American swimmer Natalie Coughlin in 2002.
That made her the first Singapore swimmer ever to set a world record in the World Cup.
Prior to that, Tao Li had bagged a gold in the 100m butterfly in Singapore. She won a silver in the same event in Moscow, Russia before striking gold again in Stockholm, Sweden.
However, despite all her successes in the pool, Tao Li was left disappointed by the no-show by Singapore Swimming Association officials when she returned to Singapore last week.
The no-show was a huge contrast to the huge reception that national bowler and Qubica AMF World Cup champion Jasmine Yeong-Nathan received from the Singapore Bowling Federation at the airport upon her return from Mexico, where the tournament was held.
Not only had the Singapore Bowling Federation arranged for a huge crowd of friends, fans and well-wishers to welcome Yeong-Nathan back, the association also arranged for a vintage Bentley convertible, decorated with balloons, to chauffeur her back to her home in Clementi.
Said Tao Li in an interview with The Sunday Times (23 November 2008): "There was no one from the association to receive us at the airport on our return from the last leg in Berlin, compared to the bowlers.
"I competed in a world event and it's my world record there. There were three other swimmers, and they put all their effort in as well. Where's the support for them?"
The airport no-show by the Singapore Swimming Association is a sign that the Team Singapore spirit has yet to be fully embraced by some quarters.
Tao Li, keep your spirit up ok. There are many people out there are supporting you!
But I think she is just being frank and unhypocritical.
She has just highlighted the lack of passion and team spirit in the association and hopefully things can be corrected.
I think it is a good contribution from her and it will benefit the next generation of swimmers and other sport’s athlete as well, if the situation can be corrected from here onwards.
I hope she’s been misreported for if this is true, then Tao Li’s arrogance is disappointing.
A no show by the swimming association should not affect you, Tao Li. You have done what you are supposed to do and I dont think you need any further glorifications by the association. Your results already put you in lime light and given you the recognition.
Such a no show by the association would instead affect the many swimmer wannabe or those who have aspired to excel in this sport. Such lack of suport by the association would have made them feel like a big slap in the face and dampened their spirit and vision. if our own sports body doesn’t support us, who will? and what future do we have in the sports world??
In any case, well done Tao Li!