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Forum: Winning an Olympic medal is a form of national service too

It is perhaps time to relook the issue of our young Olympic medallists’ future with regard to their national service commitments.

It is perhaps time to relook the issue of our young Olympic medallists’ future with regard to their national service commitments. Max Maeder has won Singapore its sole medal at the latest Olympics. To me, winning the medal means he has served the nation much more than doing two years of national service. I believe other Singaporeans would agree with me that this service to the nation should be treated as national service ( , Aug 13). South Korea recognises its Olympic medallists and exempts them from doing military service. We should also do the same, especially when Singapore is a small country and it means a lot for us to have winners flying the country’s flag high in the Olympics. It is an achievement that deserves to be acknowledged.