Dear NSA Presidents and Secretary-Generals

With the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi eight months away, we trust that your athletes are training hard for the Games. However, we also understand the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, primarily the lack of competitions in the last 12 months to obtain the benchmarks to meet the SNOC Selection Criteria. 

SNOC and SSI have discussed and feel that because of this extraordinary circumstance, we will allow NSAs some leeway to justify your nominations using the following:

1. To review the last 2 or 3 SEA Games (for those sports that are included in them) and look at the trend in results and trend in the number of athletes selected per sport.
2. Extend the selection window back to include results from SEA Games 2019. (Top 3 finish)
3. NSA’s assessment and projection at the 31st SEA Games

Based on the above considerations, we would request that you update your Selection Policy appropriately with an addendum (Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, SNOC will assess nominations based on a wider parameter {which are points 1 to 3 above}. The NSA’s addendum to our Selection Policy is as follows:…). Please submit this addendum to SNOC and SSI for approval by 31 March before publishing it.

The SNOC Selection Criteria is as follows below. Kindly use this opportunity to explore objective measures for the SNOC Selection Committee’s consideration based on the above parameters. Please feel free to contact us if you need to discuss further.

Yours sincerely
Mr Chris Chan
Secretary-General

1. Nomination criteria

• NSAs seeking to nominate athletes for the Games should establish qualifying standards and criteria, at least 15 months before the Games, which are open to all athletes. These athletes should satisfy these standards in the NSA sanctioned championships and time trials. NSAs are required to submit their NSA Selection Criteria to SNOC/SSI for endorsement before publication. 
• NSAs should state clearly in the nomination forms (sent to NSAs about 6 months before the Games) the justification for the athletes to be selected.
• Athletes must be Singapore Citizens, and should not be holding dual citizenship if they are above 21 years old, at the time of nomination. 

2. Selection criteria

Subject to the other considerations listed at paragraph 3 below, the following criteria shall be applied in the selection process: 

• Athletes who have currently achieved at least 3rd placing e.g., time/distance/score/mark of the 2019 SEA Games. For team sports, they should currently be ranked 3rd among the SEA Games countries. 
• Athletes/Teams who miss the qualifying standard marginally but show potential to equal or surpass it in time for the Games. 
• All achievements submitted for consideration should have taken place at NSA sanctioned championships and trials, but NSAs may submit the achievements from overseas championships and meets of athletes studying in overseas tertiary institutions. However, these have to be properly accredited and sanctioned to be accepted. 
• All achievements should be achieved from August 2020 up to the Entry by Name deadline, which is likely to be in August/September 2021 (this has been extended to 10 March 2022, with the postponement of the SEA Games to May 2022).
• Pursuant to the Olympic Charter (By laws to Rules 27 and 28, paragraph 2.1), “Selection shall be based not only on the sports performance of an athlete, but also on his ability to serve as an example to the sporting youth of his country.” 

3. Other considerations

In addition to the above selection criteria, the following “qualities” of the athletes will be taken into consideration: 

• Attitude and behavior towards coaches, teammates, fellow athletes, officials and sports administrators, whether in relation to sporting matters or otherwise;
• General conduct and character which may affect the reputation, image, values or best interests of the athlete or the sport;
• Past disciplinary record; 
• Current skill level and fitness; and character; 
• Level of commitment and attendance;
• Potential for future development;
• Ability to demonstrate team spirit and work well with teammates and officials; and 
• Such other non-performance related qualities as the selectors may consider to be relevant. 

4. Extenuating circumstances

In consideration of the performance and “qualities” of athletes, the selectors may at their discretion give consideration to extenuating circumstances. For this purpose, “extenuating circumstances” mean an inability of the athlete to compete in and/or attend event, training camps or other required attendances arising from: 

• Injury or illness.
• Equipment failure.
• Travel delays.
• Bereavement; and
• Such other circumstances as the selectors may consider to be relevant. 

5. Selection and appeals

• The SNOC Selection Committee will meet to discuss the nominations from NSAs and select athletes/teams for the 2021 SEA Games in accordance with the schedule (paragraph 6) below.  Please note that the schedule is a guide for your planning and is subject to change in accordance to the Organising Committee’s timelines.
• NSAs can submit appeals to the SNOC Appeals Committee for athletes/teams who are not selected at the Selection Committee.  In the appeals, NSAs have to provide new information that meets the selection criteria, information which had not been previously submitted to the Selection Committee.

Addendum

Additional consideration to justify your nominations using the following: 

1. To review the last 2 or 3 SEA Games (for those sports that are included in them) and look at the trend in results and trend in the number of athletes selected per sport. 

2. Extend the selection window back to include results from SEA Games 2019. (Top 3 finish) 

3. NSA’s assessment and projection at the 31st SEA Games 

Based on the above considerations, please update your Selection Policy appropriately with an addendum (In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, SNOC will assess nominations based on a wider parameter {which are points 1 to 2 above}. The NSA’s addendum to our Selection Policy is as follows:…). 

Please submit this addendum to SNOC and SSI for approval by 31 March 2021 before publishing it. 

Updated: 2 March 2022