After a 17-year absence, the Malaysia Cup fever is back again.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) last month, which among other things included the participation in the Malaysia Cup.

Starting next year, a Singapore Lions side will participate in the 14-team Malaysian Super League and the Malaysia and FA Cups while the Malaysian Under-23 team, the Harimau Muda (Young Tigers) will join the S.League, League Cup and the Singapore Cup.

The Singapore team will comprise three foreign signings and five senior national players with the rest of the 33-man squad made up of Under-23 footballers.

World renowned and Olympic gold medal winners such as Australia's Stephanie Rice and Leisel Jones and French Freestyle specialist Alain Bernard and Frederick Bousquet were in Singapore last month, making their final training preparations en route to the 14th FINA World Championships, held in Shanghai, China from 16 to 31 July 2011.

Joining them were more than 300 other swimmers, divers, and water polo players from 24 countries, including powerhouses Canada (swimming), Sweden (diving) and Hungary (water polo).

For some athletes, the World Championships will be their first ever taste of competition in Asia. Singapore, sharing the same time zone as Shanghai, having similar climates and urban landscape, and being a mere five and a hour flight away, makes it an ideal pit-stop for teams travelling from Africa, Europe, Australia and the Americas.

Since 2006, Singapore has been the preferred training destination, having hosted over 1500 world-class athletes from over 30 countries including famous stars like Ronaldhino and Michael Phelps.

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One Voice

Events in August

What a match, what a week, what a month!

Singapore's sporting scene was alive and kicking in the month of July.

Headlining the action was news that Singapore is back in the Malaysia Cup. And what a ride it has been for Singapore since the announcement by the Football Association of Singapore and the Football Association of Malaysia in early July.

We have witnessed two spell bounding football matches between the Singapore Lions and the Malaysian Tigers during the World Cup qualifier matches. Playing to capacity crowds in Singapore and Malaysia, and seeing the fierce rivalry on and off the field, many are saying that the football spirit in Singapore is getting a much needed shot in the arm and are quietly confident that it is here to stay.

If the two World Cup qualifier matches are anything to go by, next year’s matches between the Lions and Tigers in the various tournaments are almost certain to bring local football fever back to Singapore throughout the year - on the field, in homes and in the pubs.

Even as Singaporeans continue to savour our two victories, the Vision 2030 exercise is generating another kind of buzz in Singapore.

Launched by Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth & Sports Mr Chan Chun Sing on 18 July 2011, Vision 2030 is an exercise to chart Singapore sports in the next 20 years collectively with the public-people-private sectors.

Unlike previous exercises where sports plans were created by government policy makers and the sports fraternity, Vision 2030 will actively engage the public in co-creating the sports masterplan. Underpinning this new approach is the fundamental belief that sports benefits everyone – be it for individual development, community bonding or nation building.

Since the launch of the vision2030.sg website, which was set up especially for the public to share their ideas, we have seen 233 ideas and 827 users in less than two weeks. More ideas are also being shared on social media sites such as Yahoo News, Facebook and personal blogs.

We strongly encourage everyone to continue sharing their ideas. No idea will be too far-fetched and no views too controversial. We are listening.

We will also begin online discussions at vision2030.sg soon to further discuss and develop ideas that have been shared.

Three cheers for the Lions! And do join the conversation at vision2030.sg.