1.Good afternoon to all our competitors. I am happy to see all of you.
2.You must be excited to be heading off for the next one month or two to compete at the WorldSkills Competition, at different locations. Allow me to say a few words before your departure.
3.First, let me congratulate you. I know all of you have trained very hard over the last one or two years, notwithstanding COVID-19. And the fact that you are here today is really a testimony of your talent and hard work. Well done to all of you!
4.The WorldSkills Competition has always held a special place in my heart. And I am heartened that so many of you are participating in this competition.
5.Each and every one of you is talented in your own ways. We want all of you to be able to fulfill your potential, according to your own unique gifts. I have always encouraged young people by pointing out that the most important thing is not what you choose to do. The most important thing is to choose to excel in what you have chosen.
6.You may be good in academics, you may have certain skills, you may excel in sports, or you may be talented in the arts. Whatever you have chosen, follow your passion and strive to be the best in the field. And that is most important.
7.In Singapore, we do not have a single yardstick of success. We want to celebrate the diverse talents among all of you. Today, you are here not because you excel based on measurement against one yardstick. You are here because you are excelling in your respective areas and will fly the flag high for yourself, your school, and your country. This is a celebration of the diversity of talents in Singapore.
8.The second point I would like to share with you today is this: regardless of how well you do in the competition, remember that what matters is not surpassing others. Surpassing yourself throughout life is more important than surpassing someone else in one competition. You may win in a competition, or you may not do as well as you had expected. But what matters is the spirit to keep aspiring to perform better than what you achieved yesterday, the day before, the week before, or the month before. This is the spirit of lifelong learning – consistently surpassing yourself, and not surpassing someone else at a particular point in time. So continue to keep up this good spirit of trying to surpass yourself, and own the skills in the area that you have chosen.
9.Finally, the last point is to enjoy yourselves. It has been quite a while since you have been able to join your friends and your fellow competitors from other countries.
10.Go enjoy yourselves, see the world and learn from others. There is always something to learn something from others. And even if you find that others have made mistakes, or you have made a mistake, there is always something to be learnt and such reflection will help us to avoid repeating the same mistake. It is okay to make mistakes, just don’t make the same mistake twice. If you want to make a mistake, make a new one, and learn from it.
11.So on that note, I wish you all the very best. Enjoy yourselves, do yourselves proud, do your family and school proud, and do Singapore proud. Well done to all of you!