SINGAPORE — After more than a decade in the post, Sport Singapore (SportSG) chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin will be handing over the reins to Alan Goh, deputy secretary (development and regulation) at the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) from 1 Apr 2023.
According to a media release by the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth on 21 Dec, Goh will be appointed as CEO-designate of SportSG from 15 Feb 2023 before taking over when Lim steps down in April.
“I thank Teck Yin for his years of service with SportSG. Under his leadership, SportSG has made strides to enhance our sporting culture, delivering more robust programmes and services so that more Singaporeans can enjoy and benefit from sport. We have much more to do, as we continue our aspiration to build up a sport ecosystem where our aspiring athletes can participate, excel, and aspire to greater heights. Teck Yin’s contributions over the past decade have given us a good platform from which to make those changes,” said Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth.
Incoming Chief Executive Officer Alan Goh
As the deputy secretary (development and regulation) at MCI, Goh played a key role in leading and guiding the ministry’s efforts in developing digital technology infrastructure in Singapore, content and data regulation, and national security issues under MCI’s mandate.
He spearheaded the rapid setup of the Singapore Digital Office in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to promote the adoption of contactless digital payments by hawkers, coffee shop operators and micro-retailers and the education of our senior citizens on digital knowledge and skills, including how to operate commonly-used mobile phone digital applications.
Goh also oversaw MCI’s strategic planning, finance, corporate and human resource functions and drove MCI’s efforts in support of the Public Service’s Singapore Agenda. He also led the team that introduced the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill that was passed in Parliament last month.
This was the same Bill that Workers’ Party member of parliament Gerald Giam suggested for a broad content filtering system offered for free to all new mobile and broadband users to ensure that children are kept away from undesirable content.
Before joining MCI, Goh served in the Republic of Singapore Navy and held various command and staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Ministry of Defence in areas such as policy and strategy, operations, planning, human resource and maritime security.
Goh is a former competitive sailor in his school days and previously served as vice president of the Singapore Sailing Federation and Commodore of the SAF Yacht Club. In addition to sailing, he is also a keen follower of local sports such as football, basketball, badminton, table tennis and swimming.
Outgoing Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin
Current SportSG CEO Lim, an accomplished national water polo player in the 80s and 90s, winning multiple gold medals for Singapore in the SEA Games, joined SportSG as CEO in 2011 after serving in the Singapore Armed Forces for 30 years.
The media release by the ministry mentioned that Lim was the driving force behind the SportSG Vision 2030 master plan, helped create greater sporting opportunities and access to playing spaces for Singaporeans, and leveraged sport to build a more caring and inclusive nation.
He spearheaded the successful national movement ActiveSG, achieving record memberships by introducing various innovative programmes that provided options beyond conventional sports and setting up ActiveSG academies and clubs nationwide. Lim strengthened SportSG’s collaborative efforts with agencies, such as the Ministry of Education, to provide youths with opportunities to pursue sports in and out of school, and enhanced the high-performance system for Team Singapore athletes.
Lim was instrumental in SportSG responding quickly to support the sports sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of grants and blended initiatives helped preserve capabilities, protect livelihoods, and ensure that Singaporeans could continue participating in sports.
He also played a pivotal role in driving plans to strengthen the disability sports ecosystem in Singapore. Through the SportCares initiative, more inclusive opportunities were developed for persons with disabilities and seniors, and children and youth at risk were empowered to use sports as a force for good deeds.