• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

There is no justification for disparity in payouts between Paralympians and Olympians

by onlinecitizen
14/09/2012
in Commentaries, Current Affairs
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

By Ghui –

Singapore has long been trying to produce world classed athletes. 2012 has finally seen some results. Feng Tianwei bagged an individual bronze medal in the Olympics and Laurentia Tan has become the first Singaporean to be a double medalist at an international sporting event two consecutive times.

Yet both these achievements have been somewhat bittersweet. Feng’s victory was immediately dismissed as that of a foreigner while there has been controversy with regards to the payout that Tan stands to receive. For her bronze medal, Feng will receive SGD250,000. This is compared with Tan who will only receive SGD150,000 for both her medals.

This disparity is a travesty not lest because both athletes would have trained equally hard and endured the same amount of pressure. Both athletes would also have faced equivalently stiff competition from their peers all over the world.

In fact, Laurentia’s achievements are arguably way more admirable than those of Feng given that she had to overcome the twin hurdles of riding on a borrowed horse and competing with athletes who could hear the music at the dressage event. Believe it or not Laurentia entered the event on the basis of her cerebral palsy and not her profound deafness because, remarkably, there is no category for deaf athletes! Laurentia was therefore competing with people who had the added advantage of being able to hear the music for dressage as it came on while she had to rely on hand signals from a third party!

 

What then justifies the difference in payouts?

Having had the privilege to watch a few events at both the Olympic and Paralympic games, I see no difference between the sporting prowess of Olympians or Paralympians. Both are outstanding athletes in their own right and both have taken part in international sporting events. In fact, in some of the sporting events, the supporters for the Paralympic Games outnumbered those at the Olympic Games! When Oscar Pistorius appeared on track, the crowds roared as loudly for him as they did for Usain Bolt!

In London, both Paralympians and Olympians alike have been snapped up for various advertorial endorsements and many spectators who were interviewed have paid glowing tribute to the Paralympians who have truly inspired a generation.

Reflecting on the Games, Lord Coe said: "We set a goal to create awareness; I really think we have done that in helping converting some of those extraordinary talents into household names. I really genuinely think we have had a seismic effect in shifting public attitudes. I don't think people will ever see sport the same way again, I don't think they will ever see disability in the same way again. One of the most powerful observations was made to me, by one of our volunteers, who talked about having lifted some of the clouds of limitation." Lord Coe's comments come as new research shows eight in ten British adults say that Paralympics 2012 has had a positive impact on the way disabled people are viewed by the public and according to an Ipsos MORI poll, three in four Britons say the Paralympics have had a positive effect on the mood of the British public.

This same powerful impact should also apply to Singapore. The fact that Laurentia Tan’s medal haul outweigh Feng’s is testament to the fact that that the disabled are in fact as enabled as any able bodied person to achieve the highest levels of sporting excellence and do their country proud.

If Singapore is truly committed to creative an inclusive society where everyone is able to be a part of Singapore’s growth, then this disparity must come to an end.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police
Indonesia

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%
AFP

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille
AFP

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn
AFP

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm
AFP

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023

Latest posts

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
18

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

September 2012
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Aug   Oct »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia