By Chia Han Keong

[Above: Singapore's Feng Tianwei training for the Beijing Olympics.]

IT HAS been a stellar year so far for the Singapore sports fraternity.

First, it clinched the hosting rights of the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympics in February.

Then, at the recent Beijing Olympics, it broke a 48-year medal drought as the women's table-tennis team brought back a precious silver.

Yet, these achievements have not caused a spike in young athletes seeking a long-term career.

Most still face their parents' disapproval. Seven out of 10 parents my paper spoke to believe that studies should still come first.

Many of them are unsure of the relatively young local sports industry, and whether their kids will have a stable job when their sporting careers end.

Yet, there are signs of a shift in perception, as some parents have given their blessings to their kids' sporting pursuits.

Tan Xiang Ting, 14, is mad about wushu, but had struggled to juggle his training with his academic studies last year.

So his parents made the decision to let him put his studies on hold, and send him to a wushu training centre in Hebei, China.

Such instances are still rare, but more Singaporeans are seriously considering a career in sports.

For example, national goalkeeper Lionel Lewis is pursuing a sports-management degree, after graduating from Nanyang Polytechnic's sports- and wellness- management programme.

"As long as it's in sports, I won't mind," he said about his career after football.

Slowly but surely, the sports industry is thriving amid increasing acceptance.

Perhaps, together with the Republic's Olympic successes, more parents may soon change their minds.

For more my paper stories click here.