Singapore Sports Council have no answers

Received an email today from someone. At least I am not alone in finding out how secretive the SSC is. I know how this person feels because I myself encountered many brick walls when I was asking questions.

Hi

I saw your post about the BMX track being closed and I thought I would call the number to ask anyone there about the situation with regards to the BMX track. My son and some of his friends used to ride on that BMX track on a regular basis but now it is closed and totally levelled out. When I called the Singapore Sports Council, I was promised calls from some of their "media" folk but no call came, considering the fact that I left my number for them to call. I asked them how soon the BMX track will be up and why would it be closed till after the Youth Olympic Games I got no answer but the person that took my call was very helpful but only because she had no access to information.

It is almost as if the Singapore Sports Council or SSC do not want to answer questions or evade any questions asked.

My son and his friends do not have any other place to practice. That was the only BMX track, or rather, a resemblance of a BMX track and in land-scarce Singapore, we do not have much choice when it comes to places to ride in. From what I can read in your blog, they are being pretty cagey over this. So much for a professional sports body.

Well, there you have it. Yet another person upset about the lack of communication from the SSC. Keep sending in your mails!

Closed for so long?

I kind of suspected that something like this would happen and now here it the proof. I kind of suspected that they would put off this track upgrade till the last minute and not even let the local kids have a try at it. They could have done it a LONG time ago but the SSC and SACA chose to turn a deaf year to me and put it off till the last minute. I have been clamouring for a new track since 2003 and when do they do it? The year when the YOG is going to take place. So that means our locals cannot even have s tab at a race that is held in their country. Thank you very much guys. It just shows how much you have the BMXers in your thoughts. But then again, maybe one of the so-called "BMX consultants" (and boy are the numbers growing) out there told them it was for the best.

Stu Thomsen - The Legend

There have been many names thrust at Stu throughout his career... Mighty One, Stompin' Stu, the list goes on. This guy is a stuff of legend, someone I looked up to while racing and someone I still look up to till today. This, my friends, is what BMX is all about.

This is how the BMX should be

BMX has progressed a lot since the heydays of the 70s and 80s. This event was from the X-Games 2002. Look at this. Even though this has huge jumps, this is the way BMX should be raced. No clips, just raw BMX racing. Sure, one says we have to keep up with the times but a BMX racer having to ride a roadbike in the YOG? I said it before...different muscles and different bike handling skills. I like this video because it shows what BMX is. BMX now is all about being a jock, or a joke if it held in Singapore, who put things off at the last minute by building that BMX track only now. For me, BMX is in my blood, ever since the day I watched the film ET which was over 28 years ago.

The development of the new track

I had some emails asking me about it. I told them what I already know, which was very little. I did hear that the track will be up before April this year. It really makes me wonder. It takes some hand-twisting to make the powers that be build a new BMX track. Maybe that, and the fact that the YOG are beginning to be the laughing stock of the whole world for the lack of BMX facilities. We will be following this development with great interest and if there is any other news, it will be posted up here.

'Youth' Olympic Solidarity

There is a new group in Facebook that will serve as a wake-up call for the BMX scene in Singapore as far as the YOG is concerned. It is located here. The mission of this Facebook group is to give a “wake up call to the National Olympic Committee of Singapore”, not only to try to do the best as hosts of the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) – investing money in IT, PR, and so on - but also to support athletes in their own country. Check it out

The Tampines BMX Track has been flattened

And about bloody time too. I wonder what made them pull up their socks and get it happening? But let us take a good look at this. It is now February. SYOG is going to be in August. How about our local riders? How are they going to train? Did our local cycling association even think about fielding in our local riders to race against the rest of the world? If they had, they would have built up the bloody track earlier. I do not know how fast they can work to build up the track but I will say this...fat hopes about having any of our locals making it. I hope to be proven wrong so to all you local BMX racers, prove me wrong. Win something for Singapore please. Put us on the BMX map. make Singapore BMX proud!

More emails with regards to the Singapore BMX track for YOG

I still keep receiving emails. Many have read about the BMX track in Singapore and the sorry state it is in. You know, it is amazing. We could have had the chance of putting some pretty good riders in Singapore on the pedestal if some one on the top had just listened to my requests to do more for BMX back in 2003 but very little was done. So just now, I get an email:

Hi all. I'm a former BMX pro (42 y o now) and also concerned about the situation. What's UCI doing about it? Will they come (to Singapore) and do an inspection on the BMX track? (what track???) I know a BMX track can be built in a few days but why not having it now to give everybody a chance to practice.
Cheers

Looks like the rest of the world is with me on this. We need to send a message to the YOG people at the top and remind them that the track is needed and fast. We have been asking for 7 years now and still nothing has been done!

An observation about the Singapore YOG, BMX-wise, from a European's point of view

We love receiving emails from people and we do receive emails from all around the world. We just received this email this morning. This gentleman hails from Europe and these are his observations. The names have been edited out for privacy reasons.

Hi,

after I heard first time about Youth olympic games in 2008 I googled for BMX / Singapore and set the first link to your Homepage in May 2008. I was interested in the first youth Olympic games because all my kids ride BMX, and not so bad for (European country named edited out)

I’m one of the so called “commissaires“ never did a BMX race in my live … I’m 49 so it was not may time. With 18 I tried a bit skate boarding, MTB started 10 years later in (European country named edited out).

We also have some (small) Problems with ‘Jokers’ and ‘Monkeys’. What I learned is that age or even BMX Race Practice is not so important than to (try to) understand youth and sport. What I can say about Tampines: For me its shocking. After 2 years the track became even worse. If an official puts a photo -like it is on http://www.singapore2010.sg - from a “BMX-Track” on an official Homepage, he/she don’t understand anything about BMX, MTB, 4x, and I would say Biking as a whole. Because of the “innovative and unique” concept of UCI for the Bike events - Mix of everything - (European country named edited out) doesn’t /can not take part. We are qualified but … When I saw the Event place “Tampines Bike park” on the official Homepage I think its good, because it cost – for parents and national organisations – lot of money to send 4 young riders and staff to Singapore. From parent’s side: We’ll spend that money on European challenges.

Hope to here from you

(name witheld)

PS: Best sentence on off. Webpage is: The trail is being upgraded to make it even more technically challenging ;)

Thank you for your email sir. You just made our day! :-)

Stu Thomsen

When I was a kid, growing up in the 80s (Yeah, I am an old fogey BMX-wise) one of the heroes I literally worshipped was Stu Thomsen. Stu on his RedLine was unstoppable. I really wanted a RedLine PL-20 back then but they were kinda out of my range because they were pretty expensive. At the last gathering, there were quite a few folks out there with RedLines so I decided that I would love to get one again, just to relive my old-school longing. I already have a Kuwahara but a RedLine is what I would love. So be wary out there...this old man will be riding on a PL-20 soon when I can find one. The only problem is...what colour do I paint it? Some of us here have PL-20s painted in white, black and school-bus yellow. Hmmm...decisions decisions but I have to get that frame first!