On March 20 to 28, 2017, 12 shooters, comprising nine secondary and three post-secondary student-athletes from the Singapore Sports School Shooting Academy travelled to Dortmund, Germany to attend an exclusive shooting training camp, which was funded by the EW Barker Endowment, part of Temasek Foundation Nurtures. Six of the participants were Air Pistol Shooters, while the other six were Air Rifle Shooters. This is the Shooting Academy’s fourth trip to Dortmund and the first training stint there since it started in 2012.

The primary aim of the training was to help the young student-athletes prepare for qualification to compete in the Kuala Lumpur 2017 Southeast Asian Games in August this year, and the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games. Overseas training camps such as these not only improve the participants’ skills, but also expose them to competing against other international shooters. Ultimately, the Singapore student-athletes have their sights set on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games.

“I trained under a very jovial coach, Heinz Reinkemeier, who taught me what it means to have a champion’s mind-set. I also learnt that it is fine to adjust my rifle and shooting posture as many times as it takes to suit the range condition during a competition. I had the opportunity to meet a number of world-class shooters and this was a truly amazing experience for me,” said Cecilia Ng (Secondary three student-athlete). Several student-athletes from the Shooting Academy have also achieved success in international competitions such as the World Junior and Southeast Asian Championships. This is testament of the success of the Learn-To-Shoot programme in identifying student-athletes with potential. The Academy also adopts a Long-Term Athlete Development approach in coaching, integrating sport science services and world-class coaching to deliver a premier youth shooting programme.

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About the EW Barker Endowment

The S$35 million EW Barker Endowment is part of Temasek Foundation Nurtures, which is funded by Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings. Its aim is to nurture young talent in the area of sports and support the Singapore Sports School and its student-athletes. The endowment was named after one of Singapore’s pioneering leaders, Mr EW Barker, a prominent Singaporean politician and minister, who was also a top student athlete in his youth. One of the many roles Mr Barker held during his distinguished career was presiding over the Singapore National Olympic Council from 1970-1990.

About the Singapore Sports School and its Shooting Academy

The Singapore Sports School is a Specialised Independent School under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. It is the only school in Singapore that offers select youths an integrated academic and sports programme in a world-class environment. Singapore Sports School Shooting Academy trains in a world-class 10m shooting range on the school’s premises. The 30-bay range, built to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, is fully equipped with an electronic target scoring system. This state-of-the-art shooting facility paved the way for the setting up of the Shooting Academy in 2012. To find out more, please visit www.sportsschool.edu.sg.

Did you know…

The Olympic Training Center in the city of Dortmund, Germany is one of the largest indoor shooting centers in the world. The student-athletes who take the leap to train there don’t simply get the opportunity to improve their skills in world-class facilities, but also gain a competitive mental edge over other players. Being thrown into situations where you don’t understand the language being spoken around you or are simply trying to absorb the new daily routine in another country, gives you a greater sense of humility and awareness of your surroundings. At the same time, you are making international friends who are passionate about the sport you love, which allows you to broaden your network over the long term.