For the first time ever, Singapore competed in four major Games in a year in 2018 with the country also sending athletes to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

Fifty-nine athletes represented Singapore in 11 sports at Gold Coast 2018, where they amassed five gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Shooter Martina Lindsay Veloso was responsible for two of the golds having triumphed in the women’s 10 metres air rifle and 50m rifle prone events.

The three others came in table tennis with Gao Ning taking the men’s singles title and also partnering Yu Mengyu to victory in the mixed doubles.

Yu and Feng Tianwei joined forces to claim the women’s doubles crown.

The Gold Coast 2018 contingent, led by Chef de Mission Mark Chay, comprised of 39 debutants with some who impressed to push through to the semi-final stages.

Singapore sent its largest contingent yet to Jakarta Palembang 2018 with a 264-strong athlete representation in 21 sports.

It was a first Asian Games for 202 of the athletes and some posted outstanding performances to win medals on their debut.

Led by Chef de Mission Lee Wung Yew, Singapore concluded their outing with four gold, four silver and 14 bronze medals as well as one Games record, eight national records and 18 personal best performances at the continental event.

Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Joseph Schooling came out on top in the men’s 50m and 100m butterfly events, while there were also victories for sailors Kimberly Lim Min and Cecilia Low Rui Qi in the women’s 49er FX, and the men’s contract bridge team.

Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament and President of the SNOC, complimented the Singaporean team for their hard work in 2018. 

He also announced a name change for the award - from Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme to Major Games Award Programme.

"No longer will we refer it to as the Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme, but the well-known acronym that has been fondly accepted by the community will stay," Tan said.

"Instead, MAP will now mean Major Games Award Programme.

"The new name will carry more relevance in these times, and better reflect the heights and scale of the events that our athletes reach."

The MAP rewards medallists of the Southeast Asian, Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games.

Sponsored by the Tote Board Group - comprising Tote Board, Singapore Pools and the Singapore Turf Club - medallists receive cash in amounts based on major Games events and medals won.

It is mandatory for athletes to give a percentage of their MAP awards, 50 per cent for the Commonwealth Games and 20 per cent for the Asian Games, to their respective national sports associations for the purposes of training and development.

Tan was unanimously re-elected as President of the SNOC in June.