By Cheryl Ng, PR Consultant

When I was 13 years old, I dreamt of becoming a professional basketball player.

My parents laughed, not too unkindly, and told me that this was not possible in Singapore so I should just focus on my studies and get a good "proper" job in future.

Just like most practical Singaporeans, I've applied that advice and I stopped playing basketball for the national team after graduating from school last year so that I could focus on my "proper" job.

I believe this scenario that I've described is familiar to many young athletes in Singapore.

Many who wish to pursue a career playing sports here simply resign themselves to the fact that there is no sustainable and developed system for sports lovers who wish to turn their passions into a lifetime affair.

An informal poll of 30 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 22 who represent their schools in sports revealed that all 30 teenagers believe that they will not be able to enjoy a promising future playing sports in this country.

Most felt that sports was "not practical in the long run" as many parents still tell their children that they "cannot make a living out of playing sports in Singapore".

World-class venue

In recent years, the government has pumped in a tremendous amount of money to position us as a world-class venue for international sporting events and even foreign talent.

However, money may buy us the best athletes, medals and events but if it does not help to improve local sports standards or develop a genuine sporting culture among Singaporeans, then we need to ask ourselves if Singapore is truly a sporting success.

While I laud Singapore's remarkable returns on its investment in sports so far, I believe that there is room for improvement.

I look forward to the day that Singapore can call itself a true sporting success, when children who wish to pursue sports will no longer be told that it is a foolish dream but instead, an achievable passion.

I hope that is what I will be able to tell myown children in future.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Jan 3, 2009.