Are you PROUD?

For once, I feel proud as a Singaporean.

For this time only. I repeat.

Forget about the Olympic. (They are crap…) It is the Paralympics that I am proud of.
On the other hand, I am truly displeased with the recognition that the nation is giving to these Singaporeans.

See, those Singapore citizens who made us proud are not given the same recognition here in Singapore, for the fact that the reward for Paralympics gold medallist is S$100,000, a pathetic 10% of what an Olympic gold medallist will receive.

Apart from the reward, we can certainly see and feel that there’s not much hype about the Paralympics (I don’t even know it exists!). Until some one actually won a medal.

For 2 weeks or more after the Olympics, the national TV was still broadcasting their (should it be “our”?) silver medal win. However, though we won so many medals in the Paralympics, I still do not see any congratulatory messages in the newspapers or television hailing the athletes’ achievements.

This is the first time that our national anthem was played in the Olympic Games, and funny, we don't actually get to see the live footage on TV.

Why?

In fact, it is probably more tedious for the athletes because they have to endure greater mental/physical challenges. A normal healthy person doing sports, and excelling in it takes a lot of hard work and effort, but for someone who is handicapped and doing sports; their efforts and hard work put in are hundred or thousand times more!

The honour that the Paralympics winners bring to the nation is not any lesser if the medal is won, albeit with a physical impairment.

In fact, the Paralympics athletes should be given more rewards as they are truly the ones who need the financial support and encouragement from us.

If resources are limited, then between rewarding disabled Singaporeans and able-bodied overseas ‘talents’, I rather we honour OUR VERY OWN SINGAPOREANS.