Table tennis player Feng Tianwei joins SportSG to help develop sport pathways for children, youths

SINGAPORE: Table tennis player Feng Tianwei has joined Sport Singapore’s sport development group, where she will work on the development of sport pathways for children and youths, particularly in table tennis.

Feng, Singapore’s most bemedalled Olympian, will also pursue a master’s degree in sport industry management in Beijing’s Peking University, SportSG said in a news release on Monday (Sep 26). 

She will work part-time over the next two years, committing about eight to 10 hours a week while she studies. This is to equip her for a wider scope of career opportunities in SportSG in the future, SportSG said. 

SportsSG is not paying for Feng’s school fees, a spokesperson said in response to CNA’s queries. 

“Like other high-performance athletes, I have come to a point to transit beyond my playing days,” Feng said, adding that her work involves advancing the youth development landscape to allow more young Singaporeans to play the sport and hone their skills.

“I am very pleased with what I have done for Singapore so far and, it is now time for me to give back to Singapore in a different way.

“I love sport and I do want to understand and learn more about the sport ecosystem beyond being an athlete.”

During her latest outing at the Commonwealth Games, Feng bagged three gold medals, bringing her Games total to 13 and breaking former table tennis player Li Jiawei’s record haul of 10. She is also the first Singaporean to win the outstanding athlete award at the Games.

She follows former national athletes in joining SportSG, such as former football players Lim Tong Hai, Aleksandar Duric and Razali Saad, former pencak silat athlete and two-time world champion Muhammad Shakir Juanda, and former badminton player Vanessa Neo.

Feng will leave Singapore for Beijing by the end of this month and will work closely with her colleagues at SportSG during her time there.