Singapore - Weekend warriors eager to take part in mass events such as a marathon in Singapore will likely undergo pre- participation screening to help determine their health, news reports said Saturday. The move is one of several recommended by a committee formed following several sports-related deaths this year.
The Sports Safety Committee's report in The Straits Times recommends pre-participation screening, public education, safe sports facilities, medical coverage and surveillance, evaluation and follow- up.
The panel was formed following the death of national triathlete Thaddeus Chong. The 17-year-old Cheong died of heart failure after completing a South-East Asia Games selection trial on June 24.
At least four other people have died this year while running, practicing taekwondo or working out in a gym.
More pre-participation screening could prevent such deaths in the future, the report said, ranging from compulsory screening for professional and elite athletes to filling in a questionnaire for recreational athletes.
The recommendations were formed after studying such countries as the United States, Australia and Italy, seen as more technologically and culturally advanced in the field of exercise, said Dr Benedict Tan, head of the 12-member panel.
"Recognizing danger symptoms and understanding the effects of overtraining are crucial," the report said.
Participation rates at mass events in the city-state have been steadily increasing. The Singapore Marathon is expected to have 40,000 runners this year, up from 6,000 in 2002.
