Promising shuttler quits

Source: The Straits Times

ONE of Singapore's rising foreign badminton talents has quit the national team, complaining that he was told to either take up citizenship or go.

Doubles specialist Riky Widianto, 17, who has been here since 2005, flew home to Indonesia yesterday after tendering his resignation to the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) earlier this month.

Badminton officials had wanted him to become Singaporean in time to represent the country at this year's South-east Asia Games, but Riky said his parents felt he was too young to make the move.

'I wanted to stay and fulfill my dream as a badminton champion for Singapore,' he told The Straits Times. 'But I had no choice because the association told me I had to become a citizen now, or quit.

'My family told me to wait another year or two, but the SBA couldn't wait.'

Of course what the article fails to mention is that if Riky were to become a citizen, guess what happens the second he turns 18?

TWO-year compulsory military service!

Singapore is making a habit out of getting foreigners to play for them. I don't think there are even any Singaporeans on the national football team!