Yesterday was raceday at the Tampines BMX Track as far as the YOG was concerned. We had two riders, a male and a female in the BMX category. Both failed to make it but at least they had a taste of Olympic glory. They tried and did their best. I am sure all of Singapore is very proud of them because they gave their best. I was a BMX racer. I know what it feels like to race in competitions. These two riders took part in an Olympic competition. Let that sink in...an Olympic BMX race. Imagine all the butterflies-in-the-stomach moments. The pressure is on you. You feel it. It is dang near impossible to get the feeling that our two riders felt. Alvin and Nasthasiah, we are proud of you. You two did your best and we know that.
Now that the cycling part of the YOG is over, let us look at what we have. Will we be having BMX races again? I think so. I hope so. Will we be having better coaches than what we had? I hope so too. From what I heard, the coach that was coaching them had NO BMX experience. I do not think he has even ridden BMX competitively. Then there are the ones who want to cash in on this BMX fad that has been fuelled by the YOG. Have you guys ever raced before? Ever lined up at the gate with six other riders? I doubt so. The saying goes...a bad leader is worse than having no leader at all. The same thing can be said about teachers.
The track will be there. Whether or not people pour money into it to maintain it is another factor. Over $300 million Singapore dollars was spent on making this YOG possible. What is a few thousand dollars? We need to keep the sport alive. We need to keep the hopes and dreams of the BMXers alive. This is not 2005 when I was very bluntly told, as VP of BMX in Singapore, that there was no budget for BMX and that they were only going to concentrate on road and mountainbike. I just wish that these so-called sports people would not walk with blinkers on.
There is hope for BMX. I know there is. We will keep fighting for it. I have seen the fire in the eyes of the young kids when they race. I see myself in them, as young kid over 20 years ago, on my BMX bike. It meant the world to me then and it still does.
I will say it again. We are proud of you two, Nasthasiah and Alvin. You made history.
Now that the cycling part of the YOG is over, let us look at what we have. Will we be having BMX races again? I think so. I hope so. Will we be having better coaches than what we had? I hope so too. From what I heard, the coach that was coaching them had NO BMX experience. I do not think he has even ridden BMX competitively. Then there are the ones who want to cash in on this BMX fad that has been fuelled by the YOG. Have you guys ever raced before? Ever lined up at the gate with six other riders? I doubt so. The saying goes...a bad leader is worse than having no leader at all. The same thing can be said about teachers.
The track will be there. Whether or not people pour money into it to maintain it is another factor. Over $300 million Singapore dollars was spent on making this YOG possible. What is a few thousand dollars? We need to keep the sport alive. We need to keep the hopes and dreams of the BMXers alive. This is not 2005 when I was very bluntly told, as VP of BMX in Singapore, that there was no budget for BMX and that they were only going to concentrate on road and mountainbike. I just wish that these so-called sports people would not walk with blinkers on.
There is hope for BMX. I know there is. We will keep fighting for it. I have seen the fire in the eyes of the young kids when they race. I see myself in them, as young kid over 20 years ago, on my BMX bike. It meant the world to me then and it still does.
I will say it again. We are proud of you two, Nasthasiah and Alvin. You made history.
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