Time for local firms to support S'pore athletes

IT WAS in 2013 when the Singapore government announced that it would give out S$40 million in sports scholarships over a five-year period; each athlete would get up to S$90,000 a year to train full-time in their respective sport.

Among the first batch of 66 recipients that year was an 18-year-old named Joseph Schooling, a swimmer who, just a week ago, outswam the mighty Michael Phelps in the men's 100-metre butterfly final to clinch Singapore's first Olympic gold medal.

That shiny piece of metal around his neck did not come delivered to him on a platter, nor did it come without much financial strain.