Singapore, 16 July 2025 – The Lee Kim Tah Foundation (LKTF), a private family charity, is donating $500,000 to the Singapore Olympic Foundation (SOF). This builds on the legacy of the late veteran sports administrator Edwin Lee Yong Chuan, who was CEO of the Lee Kim Tah Group and a Director at the SOF.

The donation will provide seed funding to establish the SOF–Edwin Lee Yong Chuan Sports Fund, dedicated broadly to advancing competitive sports in Singapore. The Fund will launch with an initiative focused on the sport of swimming – namely, a scholarship for a selected swimming coach to undertake further skills development at Singapore Aquatics’ National Training Centre – with the plan being to expand into initiatives encompassing other sports in the future.

The Fund is set up in honour of Mr Lee’s immense support of Singapore sports. In many ways, it continues what he had done for years. As president of the Chinese Swimming Club for more than two decades, he was known to quietly dip into his own pockets to fund overseas training stints for swimmers. One such recipient was Mr Gary Tan, now Singapore’s National Head Coach and Performance Director.

Across four decades, Mr Lee contributed significantly not just to swimming, but to other sports too, with leadership positions in the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), the Singapore Tennis Association and the Singapore Taekwondo Federation including substantial stints as president of the latter two organisations. He was also the Treasurer of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) from 2014 to 2021 and served on several of SNOC’s committees.

As vice-president of STTA, he was instrumental in the country’s achievement of its first Olympic medal in 48 years. Up till the early 1990s, Mr Lee himself described table tennis as a “sunset sport” which had difficulty attracting funding and players. However, together with then-deputy president Terry Tan, he created a more professional set-up with sports science and analytics. He also helped launch the foreign talent scheme. These efforts would pay off with a women’s team silver at Beijing 2008. It was perhaps his greatest legacy for Singapore sports.

Mr Lee passed away in 2021, at age 65. His children, Mark and Nicole, chose to establish the Fund in memory of him via their family’s Foundation. “For most of his life, Dad was passionate about inspiring young athletes and helping them to achieve their sporting dreams,” said Ms Lee, who was a competitive swimmer during her childhood years. “Through this Fund, we hope to continue his legacy.”

The Fund was launched today at the World Aquatics Championships Arena, with Ms Lee presenting a cheque to Mr Ng Ser Miang, SOF Chairman. The presentation was witnessed by Ms Grace Fu, SNOC President.

The Fund’s mission is anchored on:

• Identifying and empowering young and talented Singaporean athletes to reach their full potential
• Supporting the development of national athletes
• Fostering a supportive environment for sports development through education and coaching programmes
• Backing initiatives, events and activities that benefit Singapore sports

Quotes:

Ms Grace Fu, SNOC President

• “Community support plays a vital role in Singapore’s sporting journey. Through their generous donation, Mr Edwin Lee’s family joins a meaningful philanthropic effort that partners with the Singapore Olympic Foundation and our stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable sporting ecosystem for the future.”

Mr Ng Ser Miang, SOF Chairman

• “Mr Edwin Lee was a great sports leader and a dear friend who worked very hard to support athletes. He was also a generous man who contributed to many worthy causes, and I am thankful that his family and LKTF are continuing his legacy through this Fund.”

Assoc. Professor Kenneth Goh, President of Singapore Aquatics

• “We are honoured to be the inaugural recipient of the SOF-Edwin Lee Yong Chuan Sports Fund. This support will create more opportunities for Singaporean coaches to grow and refine their skills in a high-performance environment. It aligns closely with Singapore Aquatics’ commitment to raising coaching standards in Singapore. With better resources and access to elite training, this initiative will give a significant boost to the development of swimming in Singapore.”

About: SAQ Next Gen Coaching Scholarship

The scholarship is a Singapore Aquatics initiative, supported by the SOF-Edwin Lee Yong Chuan Sports Fund. It will sponsor a year-long programme at the National Training Centre (NTC) for a deserving coach.

Some highlights of the scholarship include:

• 12-month coaching development programme at the NTC (including six months of volunteering within the NTC environment)
• Mentorship by elite coaches
• Technical skill development
• Sports science integration
• Exposure to national programmes
• Customised development plans and structured milestones

For more information on the programme and eligibility criteria, please visit the SAQ website at www.sgaquatics.org.sg

Coaches who are interested in applying for the swimming coach scholarship under the Fund may do so at the SAQ website.