TODAY

Ng Ser Miang , a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1998, was in Myanmar this past week to observe the 27th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). Possessing a strong passion for sailing, he spent a few days in Ngwe Saung to soak in the action of the SEA Games sailing event hosted at the new Ngwe Saung Yacht Club and shared his thoughts about the sport as well as the successful hosting of the SEA Games in Myanmar. 

How did you get involved with the sport of sailing?

I started sailing when I was 16 years old. I was on a student exchange programme in the US at the time. I’m 64 years old now so it was a quite a long time ago. I went on to represent Singapore at the 1969 Southeast Asian Penin-sular Games (when it was then named the SEAP Games) which was held in Myanmar. The sailing event was held in Ngapali and we won a silver medal there. It was a very exciting experience. Since then, I’ve served as the presi-dent of the Singapore Sailing Federation, the Singapore Sailing Club and as the Commodore of Changi Sailing Club in Singapore, as well as vice-president of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). I believe in sailing and all my children took up the sport.

What are your thoughts about the development of sailing in Asia?

In Southeast Asia, I think that a number of cou-ntries are all rather strong in sailing. Thailand has a strong team and Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are dominant in some of the sailing classes. In Asia, countries like China, Japan and Korea are strong in the sport.
I have always believed that there needs to be more competition and collaboration between Asian countries for us to reach the level of global competition.

It has been 44 years since Myanmar last hosted the SEA Games. What are your thoughts about Myanmar’s hosting of the 27th SEA Games?

Firstly, I find it very exciting that Myanmar has hosted the SEA Games again after 44 years. The SEA Games itself also mirrors the develop-ment of Myanmar in recent years. You can feel the excitement, the emotion and passion of the people in Myanmar. Sport is always something that binds a community and creates a sense of national pride. At the same time, sport also builds friendships. For me, I have a long-standing friendship with U Moe Myint (President of the Myanmar Yachting Federation) and his family and I am happy to support him at the SEA Games sailing event in Ngwe Saung.
In your opinion, how important is government support towards developing sports such as sailing?
I was the chairman of the Singapore Sports Council for 11 years and spearheaded the government’s support for the development of sports in Singapore. The government in Singa-pore has been very active in supporting sports. Here, I can see the support of the Myanmar government towards organising the SEA Games. I see sport as a way to encourage community bonding, to build national pride and break down barriers. I would like to congratulate the Myanmar government for its efforts.
How do you think the region can support the sport of sailing in Myanmar?
I would like to find out more about Myanmar’s plans for sailing and I believe we can collaborate with ASEAN and Asian countries to support Myanmar’s efforts and further develop the sport in the country.

What do you think about the Ngwe Saung Yacht Club and its potential to host future sailing events?

This is an amazing facility. It is a great location and everything is under one roof. I would like to congratulate U Moe Myint for the way he developed the Ngwe Saung Yacht Club. He has also been the force behind sailing in Myanmar. You can see how the sport has developed in the country over the years. We started an exchange programme (between Singapore and Myanmar), sharing knowledge and expertise over the years.

The expertise and knowledge that they (the Myanmar Yachting Federation) have developed over these years, especially with the hosting of the SEA Games, and with the great facilities in place, will enable Myanmar to host future regional, continental and even global sailing events.

 Shane Neubronnerw