More emails with regards to the Singapore BMX track for YOG

I still keep receiving emails. Many have read about the BMX track in Singapore and the sorry state it is in. You know, it is amazing. We could have had the chance of putting some pretty good riders in Singapore on the pedestal if some one on the top had just listened to my requests to do more for BMX back in 2003 but very little was done. So just now, I get an email:

Hi all. I'm a former BMX pro (42 y o now) and also concerned about the situation. What's UCI doing about it? Will they come (to Singapore) and do an inspection on the BMX track? (what track???) I know a BMX track can be built in a few days but why not having it now to give everybody a chance to practice.
Cheers

Looks like the rest of the world is with me on this. We need to send a message to the YOG people at the top and remind them that the track is needed and fast. We have been asking for 7 years now and still nothing has been done!

An observation about the Singapore YOG, BMX-wise, from a European's point of view

We love receiving emails from people and we do receive emails from all around the world. We just received this email this morning. This gentleman hails from Europe and these are his observations. The names have been edited out for privacy reasons.

Hi,

after I heard first time about Youth olympic games in 2008 I googled for BMX / Singapore and set the first link to your Homepage in May 2008. I was interested in the first youth Olympic games because all my kids ride BMX, and not so bad for (European country named edited out)

I’m one of the so called “commissaires“ never did a BMX race in my live … I’m 49 so it was not may time. With 18 I tried a bit skate boarding, MTB started 10 years later in (European country named edited out).

We also have some (small) Problems with ‘Jokers’ and ‘Monkeys’. What I learned is that age or even BMX Race Practice is not so important than to (try to) understand youth and sport. What I can say about Tampines: For me its shocking. After 2 years the track became even worse. If an official puts a photo -like it is on http://www.singapore2010.sg - from a “BMX-Track” on an official Homepage, he/she don’t understand anything about BMX, MTB, 4x, and I would say Biking as a whole. Because of the “innovative and unique” concept of UCI for the Bike events - Mix of everything - (European country named edited out) doesn’t /can not take part. We are qualified but … When I saw the Event place “Tampines Bike park” on the official Homepage I think its good, because it cost – for parents and national organisations – lot of money to send 4 young riders and staff to Singapore. From parent’s side: We’ll spend that money on European challenges.

Hope to here from you

(name witheld)

PS: Best sentence on off. Webpage is: The trail is being upgraded to make it even more technically challenging ;)

Thank you for your email sir. You just made our day! :-)

Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010

Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) held some shindig at Kay Siang road. John and myself went down to take a look at it to see what was in store for BMX. Well, we saw that people were awed about BMX but when they talked about history, how about the history of BMX and what it stood for? One does not just gloss over important details like that.

And another thing. The guy explaining about BMX there really needs an education in the sport. From what I gather, he does not know about BMX. OK...maybe he is a newbie to the sport. We were all newbies at some point in time. There are reasons why BMX frames are shaped as such for example. There is a reason why it is called BMX aka Bicycle Moto-X or Moto-Cross. People want to know about BMX. People need to know about BMX. But these things were cast aside.

It is now 2010. This is the year for the Youth Olympics in Singapore. The track in Tampines is anything but ready. And then we haveto ask...what about AFTER the Youth Olympics in Singapore? What is going to happen to the track? Is it going to be a while elephant? Will people organise races, just like what was done before? It is a golden opportunity for BMX in Singapore but after what I saw today, I have a nagging suspicion that BMX will be doomed. Someone prove me wrong please. As Winston Churchill once famously quoted, "Eating my own words has never given me indigestion"

As for the attendees being wowed, all I can say is, in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Updates on the Youth Olympic Games for BMX

One of my friends Gene is helping to post articles on our forums and his latest one is located here. However, when I went to take a look at the Singapore YOG website for BMX, they just show this:

BMX-Mountain Bike-Road mixed team event (3M, 1W)

So what is it going to be guys? Only one to represent Singapore in BMX? What are our newly-appointed BMX people doing about it to show more clarity to choice? How about a training regimen and a choice? Only about 600 days left now before the YOG in 2010 and so far, what I have seen has not been very encouraging, to say the least.

Well, we are all waiting for some good news to come out from the BMX camp. We are the core group after all but so far, we have not heard anything. Come on guys! Wake up already!

BMX in the Youth Olympics in Singapore seems doomed

You know, I do not know why I even bother sometimes. Trying to get through to this guy Richard Tan is like trying to get through to the US President, and trying to make him understand the dire situation is even harder. As a matter of fact, I am doing him a favour by calling him but as per normal, he has a PA that filters his calls and it seems that the voices of the BMXers in Singapore are just not worth listening to.

Just this morning. I call his office. His PA answers. Seems he is on the phone. Never mind. I leave a message asking him to call me so that we can discuss. No reply. I call him again and this time I am told that he is at a meeting. See the pattern forming here? So I ask his PA (who else?) if he is avoiding my call. She brazenly says that that he called me and left a message. If that is so, then why am I calling to talk to him? There was NO message left on my phone at all! Then I ask the PA about BMX in Singapore. She says that Richard was mentioning about the Tampines BMX track. I asked her if Richard Tan ever got out of the air-conditioned comfort of his car to check the place out before telling everyone that they have the track in Tampines (which is in a bad state of disarray) and can confidently host the Youth Olympics. No answer but the usual perfunctory "yes I will let him know"

See what I mean? That is what is gonna happen in Singapore BMX-wise. The Youth Olympics is gonna be dooomed, all because some people in the MCYS have not been listening, and have not been listening still. We warned them in 2000 and 2001 but they did not listen. Honestly guys, you guys have NOT done your homework.

The Youth Olympics and Singapore

BMX-wise, do you think we can host it? According to a news report, it is said that "Singapore said it has the right software and enough facilities to put up a good show"

That being said, bicycle motocross or BMX for short. We have been lobbying with the powers that be for almost ten years to bring up BMX in Singapore and we have received little or no help. Only recently, some little trickles have been flowing in. Why? Because BMX is now an Olympic sport.

Back to the question. can we host it? Maybe for other sports but for BMX? What has the SSC done to help us BMX-wise? Have they seen our track? And they want to hold the Youth Olympics here? That is pretty much a rhetorical question.