In about a month, a Singaporean might just do us proud. Ng Ser Miang’s audacious move to become the Olympics supremo will be decided in a secret ballot in Buenos Aires in September.
If he hits the jackpot, it will not only be a joyous occasion for Singapore but also for Asia as the rising continent has never had somebody to head the International Olympic Committee.
British sports columnist Alan Hubbard, who met the Singaporean in London last week, says in a column: “There is a huge groundswell for Ng, not least because all the eight presidents of the IOC have been either from Europe or America.”
Ser Miang also has the credentials. He is an IOC vice-president, campaigned vigorously to get his committee to choose Singapore as the venue where London was picked as the destination for the 2012 Games and was the prime mover in convincing officials to hold the inaugural Youth Olympics here.
If he hits the big time, it will be a major trophy for a country that is insignificant in the world sports map.
With the country caught in a mid-life crisis, we need something that will give us a chance to celebrate.
