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Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Charting his own course: How a business degree helps this national sailor prepare for life after sport
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, national sailor Ryan Lo flew Singapore's flag in his second Olympic campaign. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO BRANDED CONTENT Charting his own course: How a business degree helps this national sailor prepare for life after sport A flexible curriculum, engaging modules and supportive lecturers at James Cook University help to make this athlete's return to school more smooth sailing National sailor Ryan Lo is used to setting his sights on the finish line in the horizon. But last year, he chose to return to the starting line – this time, in a classroom. After nearly a decade spent mostly overseas for training and competitions, he returned to Singapore last year at age 27 to pursue a Bachelor of Business (Majoring in International Business) at the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU). The university's business school is one of just four in Singapore accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – a recognition held by only six per cent of business schools worldwide. Mr Lo sees the move as a transition to prepare for the corporate world once he retires from professional sailing. Returning to his studies marked a significant shift for someone who has dedicated most of his life to sailing. Inspired by two elder siblings who were also national sailors, he picked up the sport at seven and began making waves as a teenager. Some of his recent achievements include winning gold at the Hangzhou Games in 2023 and representing Singapore at the Paris Olympics last year. Track and field athlete Shanti Pereira and Mr Lo in Paris, flying the Singapore flag high at the 2024 Paris Olympics. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO But even with a shelf full of medals and years of experience under his belt, he knew his sporting career would not last forever. This realisation made him revisit a path he had put on hold: education. Mr Lo's academic journey has been anything but conventional. After completing his first year of junior college, he left school to focus on training for the SEA Games. He later resumed his studies in Australia, followed by a stint at a university in the Netherlands – often taking gap years to keep up with his competition schedule. 'I have taken the most different route – a prolonged one – and I have sacrificed quite a bit in my educational journey,' he says. When he returned to Singapore, he began looking for a university that could support both his academic and athletic pursuits – and found JCU. 'As athletes, we need to transition into working life after a certain age so having an education definitely helps,' he says. For Mr Lo, studying while continuing to sail competitively is not just about planning for the future – it is about finding balance in the present. With the right support from JCU, it allows him to pursue both his academic goals and sporting commitments without having to choose one over the other. Mr Lo's family welcomed him home at Changi Airport after his return from the 2024 Paris Olympics. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO From classroom to competitions A dedicated study advisor was 'instrumental' in helping him plan his modules ahead of each term to ensure minimal clashes with training and competitions. But if he has to miss any classes due to sports commitments, he can still access assignments and lecture slides through the university's online platform. His lecturers, he says, have also been very helpful and supportive in helping him to get up to speed for any classes that he would have to miss. Mr Lo says: 'A few athletes have studied at JCU and have excelled in their education and sports. JCU has the flexibility that I would require to balance between my education and my sporting commitments.' He was also awarded the JCU Sports Scholarship. Dr Su Chun Wei, chief of High Performance Sport Institute, Sport Singapore, says: 'We appreciate Sport Excellence Education partners like JCU, who partner us to support student-athletes in pursuing both their academic and sporting ambitions. 'Balancing elite sport and education is never easy, and therefore the flexibility and support provided by institutions such as JCU through their sports scholarships make a palpable impact for our athletes to succeed.' JCU's Trimester Program also gives students the option of joining the workforce more quickly. With this, students can complete their bachelor's degree in two years instead of three. Local students, however, can choose to pace themselves by taking on fewer subjects per term and completing their course over more than two years. For Mr Lo, who previously studied business and economics in the Netherlands, his prior experience earned him a four-month exemption. He is now on track to graduate by May 2026. A melting pot of cultures Although he is nearly a decade older than most of his course mates, Mr Lo enjoys his classes and project work. He values the diverse perspectives of his international peers, who come from countries such as China, Vietnam and Germany. The diversity extends to JCU's faculty as well. 'They are very passionate about what they do and deliver their lectures in an enthusiastic, entertaining way instead of just reading off lecture slides.' One of the more memorable modules was one on business negotiation. 'It was engaging because I'm a conservative person and I don't express myself very much. This encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone.' He also found some finance modules valuable in helping him make better investment decisions. For instance, he recalls having to read up on electric vehicle company Tesla's annual reports and financial statements to churn out a financial report for a class project. 'This finance project equipped me with the knowledge to determine the different methods of valuing companies and their effectiveness,' he adds. Mr Lo still plans to sail professionally and understands that his journey is different from many of his peers who followed the conventional academic path and are already ahead in their careers. 'Everyone has his or her own journey, even more so for athletes. Learning is a continuous journey and age is not a pivotal factor. It means a lot to us athletes that there is a university here that appreciates us.' Find out more about the Bachelor of Business (Majoring in International Business) programme available at the Singapore campus of James Cook University. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Shereen, Irfan take centre stage at Asian meet
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia are banking on Shereen Samson Vallabouy and Irfan Shamsuddin to deliver medals at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, on May 27-31. Malaysia Athletics (MA) technical director John Ballard said Shereen and Irfan are currently ranked among the top three in the women's 400m and men's discus events, respectively. The 26-year-old Shereen clocked a season-best 53.66s at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida last month and holds the national record of 51.79. She is expected to battle for gold with Bahrain's Kemi Adekoya, the reigning Asian Games champion, and compatriot Salwa Eid Naser. Shereen bagged bronze in the Hangzhou Games in 2023. Irfan, 29, threw a season-best 60.00m to claim silver at the Queensland Open in March. He will face stiff competition from Qatar's Moaaz Mohamed Ibrahim and China's Abuduaini Tuergong in Gumi. "Irfan is in good form and should be on the podium in Gumi," said Ballard. Hangzhou Asian Games 100m bronze medallist Azeem Fahmi will skip the Asian meet. Ballard confirmed Malaysia will field 36 athletes in Gumi. "Sprinter Russell Alexander Nasir Taib will contest the men's 200m alongside youngster Sayyid Amin Roslan. "Teenager Danish Iftikhar Roslee, who stunned the seniors to win the 100m title with a 10.57s at the Cahya Mata Super Series on Saturday, will feature in the 4x100m. "Jonathan Nyepa and Khairul Hafiz Jantan will race in the men's 100m." Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli will double up in the women's 100m and 200m, joined by youngsters Nur Aishah Rofina Zulkifli (100m) and Izzatul Musfirah Ahmad Kamal Azira (200m). At last year's Asian Championships in Bangkok, Malaysia managed just one bronze through Irfan.
India.com
30-04-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Asian Games 2026: Cricket Retained Amid Olympic Comeback Hype, Set for Action in Aichi, Japan
The announcement was made during the 41st meeting of the AINAGOC Board of Directors held at Nagoya City Hall on April 28. Scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4, 2026, the Asian Games will be co-hosted by Japan's Aichi and Nagoya prefectures. Cricket events will be staged in Aichi, although the exact venue has yet to be finalized. A Growing Cricket Legacy at the Asian Games Cricket's presence at the Asian Games has grown steadily, despite being featured in only three of the previous 19 editions. The sport debuted at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, returned in 2014 in Incheon, and after a brief exclusion in 2018, made a strong comeback at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Both men's and women's cricket competitions have followed the Twenty20 (T20) format. Notably, the 2023 edition saw India field a strong squad and clinch gold in both categories. Afghanistan and Sri Lanka earned silver in the men's and women's events, respectively, while Bangladesh secured bronze in both. Crucially, cricket matches at the 2023 Games were recognized with international status by the International Cricket Council (ICC), a move that significantly boosted the sport's global profile. This recognition is expected to continue in 2026. Road to the Olympics: T20 Cricket Gathers Momentum The retention of cricket in the Asian Games is seen as part of a broader strategy to promote the sport on the international stage. With T20 cricket confirmed for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the Asian Games could serve as a vital platform for teams to prepare and compete in high-stakes international fixtures. This return to the Olympic fold marks cricket's second-ever Olympic appearance. The only previous instance occurred at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France in a one-off match. The Asian Games appearance will be crucial for the team to get prepared for the upcoming Olympic Games 2028.
Reuters
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Mixed martial arts to make Asian Games debut at Nagoya
April 30 (Reuters) - Mixed martial arts will make its Asian Games debut next year in Nagoya, Japan, while cricket will remain on the programme after its controversial return at Hangzhou, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said. MMA will feature in six events and be classed as a discipline under contact sports along with the Japanese martial art of ju-jitsu and kurash, a Central Asian wrestling sport. The inclusion of MMA, a full-contact combat sport that combines various fighting styles, continues organisers' record of pushing the boundaries having included e-sports as medal events for the first time at the COVID-delayed Hangzhou Games in 2023. Cricket was approved for the 2026 programme in a win for organisers who were pushing to retain it after the sport's superpower India sent a men's team to Hangzhou. "The venue for cricket will be in Aichi prefecture but the exact location has not been decided," the OCA said in a statement. "Interest will be high, not only because of cricket's popularity in South Asia in particular but also because the T20 (20 overs per side) format will be included in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028." Dropped for the 2018 Games in Jakarta, cricket's return at Hangzhou was panned by some media and fans for producing a T20 tournament blighted by lopsided results between established powers and cricketing minnows. The rain-hit men's final was also slammed after India were awarded gold over Afghanistan by virtue of their higher global ranking after the game was washed out. Nagoya will be the third Japanese city to host the Asian Games, following Hiroshima in 1994 and Tokyo in 1958. More than 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories competed across 40 sports in Hangzhou, with hosts China topping the medal table for the 11th successive Games.
