SINGAPORE: Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu was elected as president of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on Friday (Jan 5).
Having overseen Singapore’s sport agenda as Culture, Community and Youth Minister from 2015 to 2020, Ms Fu was co-opted to serve the SNOC executive committee in October last year. Her term as SNOC president will end in 2026.
“I am thankful for the privilege to serve the SNOC and the Olympic Movement,” said Ms Fu after her unopposed election at the SNOC extraordinary general meeting on Friday at the Singapore Sports Hub.
“I hope we can continue to work together with our NSAs (National Sports Associations) and stakeholders to realise the potential of our athletes to bring Singapore sport to greater heights and continue to create opportunities for our athletes to represent Singapore at the major Games.”
The post of SNOC president was vacated in July last year after former president and ex-Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin resigned from his position, following news of his extramarital affair with Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui.
SNOC’s most senior vice president in office, Mrs Jessie Phua, was then appointed as acting president.
The SNOC constitution states that if the president resigns, the vice president who is most senior in office shall be appointed as the acting president for the remaining term of the resigned president.
Mr Tan, who had been president of SNOC since 2014 until his resignation, was slated to serve to 2026.
With Ms Fu’s election, Mrs Phua will return to her duties as vice president.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to my fellow executive committee members and our National Sports Association affiliates for their support, and to Mrs Jessie Phua for her contribution as Acting President,” said Ms Fu.
The SNOC was established in 1947. It coordinates the selection of Singapore athletes for major Games like the Olympics, the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Southeast Asian Games.
