9 Recipients Honoured With Inaugural spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship

spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship, spexPotential, spexScholarship


On 15 April 2025, 9 past and present student-athletes were among the 12 recipients of the inaugural spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship. First announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Sports School’s 20th Anniversary, the scholarship enhances academic support for national athletes pursuing or planning to pursue university studies alongside or after their sporting careers.

Among the recipients is Jessica Tan, a former national badminton player who made the bold decision to retire from competitive sport to resume her studies in sport management in the United Kingdom. Jessica, 31, is a recipient of the scholarship under the New Career Track, which supports athletes who have completed their sporting careers and wish to pursue higher education. She paused her studies at Nanyang Technological University in 2011 to pursue badminton full-time. Her dedication culminated in a historic Commonwealth Games Mixed Doubles gold medal in 2022 with husband Terry Hee, and a proud appearance at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The recipients of the scholarship under the Dual Career track are Cheung Kemei (Fencing), Si To Jian Tong (Fencing), Tiffany Seet He Yun (Fencing), Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin (Pencak Silat), Fernel Tan Qian Ni (Shooting), Zeanne Law Zhi Ning (Wushu), and Zoe Tan Ziyi (Wushu). The Dual Career track is for athletes who will continue their competitive sporting career while pursuing their university education. I am grateful to be awarded the scholarship, and it has added to my drive to give my best in sports and university studies in the future.”

Recipient of the spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship, wushu exponent Zoe Tan Ziyi, intends to take gap years before pursuing degree studies in sport science in 2027 – a field she chose to give back to the sporting community in the future. She shared, “Previously, I was apprehensive about pursuing a university education as I knew that balancing sports and university studies would be tough. However, with the scholarship and efforts to have more athlete-friendly practices in universities, I am convinced that sports and studies can coexist. I am grateful to be awarded the scholarship and will give my best in sports to bring glory to my nation, and do well in my studies so that I can give back to the sporting sector in the future.”

Another 11 student-athletes have been inducted into the spexPotential programme, introduced last year to strengthen the transition from youth to senior-level sport. It is designed specifically to bolster support for talented athletes aiming to excel at the SEA Games through financial and programmatic support for athletes within the high-performance sports pathway. A total of 26 new athletes across 15 sports were inducated into the spexPotential programme this year.

Cyclist Valencia Tan, one of the new spexPotencial inductees, shared, “I feel grateful and honoured to be able to receive the spexPotential as it is a stepping stone for me to achieve my sporting goals and bring my dreams closer to reality. ⁠⁠spexPotential will substantially increase my funding to have training camps overseas which will be beneficial for me as a track cyclist as we do not have a cycling track (velodrome) in Singapore for training. Going overseas to train also offers better training environments, in places with more mountains and less traffic, for example. The increased funding also provides more opportunities to race overseas, which can help me to gain exposure and racing experience by competing with other high-level cyclists.”

Also, bowler Nu’man Syahmi Yusri progressed from spexPotential in 2024 to being awarded the spexScholarship in 2025 - the highest tier of support for high performance athletes in Singapore. He was part of the gold medal-winning Singapore Men’s Team at the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships in Bangkok, marking the nation's first win in this event since 1982.

The spexAthletes Investiture Ceremony also marked a milestone partnership, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Singapore Sports School and all six local autonomous universities. This agreement ensures enhanced athlete-friendly support for national athletes enrolled in higher education.

The event was graced by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and celebrated the collective commitment to supporting Singapore’s athletes in their pursuit of excellence.