Posting a happy picture of sitting with Singapore kids, with his own customary big smile on his face, Portuguese football great Cristiano Ronaldo has announced on Instagram that he will return to Singapore “next month”.
Ronaldo’s post explained the reason for this trip. He is coming to promote football in Singapore, through his association with Singaporean business magnate Peter Lim and the latter’s scholarship fund for the Singapore Olympic Foundation (SOF).
The captain of the Portugal national team and a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball, awarded annually to the world’s best football player of the previous year), Ronaldo has visited Singapore a number of times in the past 10 years. His June trip and personal interaction with young Singaporean athletes comes as a huge encouragement to recipients of the Singapore Olympic Foundation-Peter Lim Scholarship.
Lim, a billionaire and the owner of the Spanish La Liga club Valencia, donated SGD10 million to SOF for a sports scholarship, and it was instituted in his name in 2010. He and Ronaldo are believed to be good friends.
The social media post in which Ronaldo made his announcement showed the football legend sitting with children at Yumin Primary School in Singapore, during a 2019 visit.
In April, Ronaldo received a plaque from Ng Ser Miang, Vice-President of Singapore National Olympic Council and Chairman of Singapore Olympic Foundation — it was an award for a “decade of outstanding contribution”.
A photo was posted by Instagram/sgolympics and under it, Ronaldo wrote: “Very proud to have supported the Singapore Olympic Foundation Peter Lim Scholarship for the past 10 years. They are doing fantastic work in youth development and creating opportunities for young people most in need. Let’s continue the good work.”