Singapore Sports School student, 14, dies after feeling unwell following fitness time trial

SINGAPORE – A male Secondary 2 student from the Singapore Sports School’s (SSP) badminton academy died on Wednesday, the school has confirmed.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, SSP said the 14-year-old Singaporean boy had felt unwell after completing a 400m fitness time trial on Oct 5 and was then taken to hospital, where he died.

SSP said it will investigate the incident, thoroughly review its safety protocols and keep parents updated. It added that as investigations are ongoing, it cannot provide further details.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force told ST that it received a call for assistance at SSP at about 6.50pm last Thursday and conveyed a person to the National University Hospital.

SSP updated its Facebook page on Wednesday with an all-black cover photo and a black-and-white school logo.

Principal Ong Kim Soon said: “He was a role model student-athlete who excelled in badminton and had exemplary character.

“He was cheerful and pleasant, and always maintained a positive attitude towards his training and studies.

“He was a promising youth athlete and had won several national age-group competitions. He was also well-liked by his peers, teachers and coaches.”

The school added: “The SSP extends our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. The school has been supporting, and will continue to support the family of the student-athlete.

“Our school counsellors and staff have also been rendering support to affected student-athletes, coaches, and staff during this difficult period.

“The continued well-being of our student-athletes remains our utmost priority. We seek the public’s understanding to give the family privacy during this time of grief.”

Mr Alan Ow, the chief executive of the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA), said that he has been in touch with the student’s family.

Mr Ow, who said that the boy was in SBA’s national intermediate squad, added: “We are lending the family support and we should give them room to get over this episode.”

Since its first intake in 2004, SSP has been a popular choice of student-athletes in Singapore.

Unlike mainstream schools, SSP tailors the academic curriculum around a student’s sports training and competition schedule.

SSP has produced many champions, including sprinter Shanti Pereira, who won the gold medal at the women’s 200m at the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou. Former badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew is a product of SSP’s badminton academy and regularly returns to the school for engagement sessions with its students.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.