Singapore: the opportunities & challenges facing an emerging sports law jurisdiction

Thursday, 28 May 2020 Author: Chui Ling Goh (Ling)

In the world of sports law, Singapore may (unfortunately) be best known for being the home of ‘the world’s most notorious match-fixing syndicate’,[1] led by Dan Tan, Wilson Raj Perumal, and other associates, who were finally arrested in 2014 just before the start of the World Cup. Thankfully, however, there is far more to Singapore’s emerging sports industry than that. After winning its first gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in swimming (with Joseph Schooling pipping Michael Phelps[2]) Singapore sought to establish itself as a sporting nation to try to rival its own achievements as “the world’s most competitive economy” and one of the world’s safest cities.[3]

This article provides an introduction to Singapore’s sport industry, with a particular focus on the governance and legal challenges that it faces. Specifically, it looks at:

The administrative structure
Sports budgets
Sports initiatives and Vision 2030
Personal and socio-economic obstacles to participation
The need for better governance
The need for improved sports tribunals

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Tags: Arbitration | Dispute Resolution | Governance | Olympics | Regulation | Singapore | Sport Singapore | Swimming

Written by

Chui Ling Goh (Ling)

Chui Ling Goh (Ling) is Foreign Associate with Martens Lawyers in Munich, Germany, and a doctoral researcher with University of Zurich, specialising in sports law and human rights. Ling graduated with a L.L.B. (Hons) from National University of Singapore in 2016, L.L.M. in University of Melbourne in 2020, with special focus on sports law and human rights. Ling is a published author in journals such as Harvard Journal in Sports and Entertainment Law, Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) Journal, and International Sports Law Review. Ling has professionally advised international and national sporting federations and companies on their legal and policy issues, such as governance and employment.