Conference
Keynote Speakers
Dr Alex Roberts
Dr Alex Roberts is an accredited Sport Scientist and Trainer of Coach Developers, with over 15 years’ experience in all levels of sport from grassroots to high-performance. With a background in skill acquisition, talent identification, and athlete development, Alex’s unique skill set has seen her work with over 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports, and she has consulted to professional and Olympic/Paralympic sporting organisations across Australia and the USA.
Alex is currently the Talent Identification and Development Lead at the Queensland Academy of Sport (Brisbane, Australia), where she and her team are responsible for identifying and developing potential Australian Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Games. Alex is also an adjunct lecturer at La Trobe University (Melbourne), where she maintains an active research role focusing on coach development and talent identification.
Tim Newenham
Tim Newenham is a distinguished sport leader whose four-decade career spans from international athlete to executive director across multiple countries. Starting as an international athlete in athletics, he progressed through roles as National Athletics Coach for Great Britain, Performance Director for GB shooting, CEO of Guernsey Sports Commission, and National Director at Malaysia's Institut Sukan Negara, where his programmes delivered record Olympic and Paralympic medals at Rio 2016 Tim Newenham - Director of Performance and Pathway - Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC). Currently Director of Performance and Pathway for para sports at Singapore Disability Sports Council, Tim brings proven expertise in building high-performance systems that consistently deliver results at the highest levels of international competition.
Joscelin Yeo
Breakout Speakers
Eddie Kohlhase
Eddie Kohlhase MNZM (Member of the NZ order of Merit) is a New Zealand sporting legend who made history as the first New Zealander to win world championships as both a player and coach.
He played for the "Black Sox" national softball team from 1983, winning the 1984 world championship, then became head coach in 2004 and led them to multiple world titles until his retirement in 2013.
He currently serves as General Manager of Performance Partnerships at High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), where he oversees strategic investment, pathways, partnerships and coaching support across New Zealand's high performance sporting system.
Dina Levačić
Dina Levačić, the first Croatian overall and 23rd person globally to complete the Oceans Seven challenge, is a national icon in open water swimming. At 29, she has conquered some of the world’s toughest channels and was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Class of 2025) as an Honour Swimmer.
Beyond her athletic achievements, she is pursuing a PhD in sports medicine and psychology at the University of Split. Her academic work aligns with her advocacy for children with disabilities, mental health, and environmental causes, often using her swims to raise awareness and support for these causes.
Tan Yong En
Yong En is a Sport Psychologist with a Master of Psychology (Sport and Exercise) from the University of Queensland. He has worked both locally and internationally, including roles at Brisbane Pain Rehabilitation Service and LifeTime Tennis Academy - home to elite players like Patrick Rafter and Jason Kubler.
Currently at the High Performance Sport Institute, Singapore, he supports athletes through workshops and one-on-one consultations. Beyond his work, Yong En is passionate about sport and can be found enjoying matches or playing ultimate!
Alex Jago
As Paralympics Australia's Coach Development Advisor, Alex has extensive experience in high-performance sport coaching, athlete development, and coach development across diverse Paralympic contexts
He's been involved in challenging traditional coach education models and developing "learner-centred, social, experiential learning opportunities" through collaboration and innovation
He's pioneered the "Connected Coaches" initiative and Communities of Practice approaches, recognizing that "coaching can be an isolated pursuit" and there's "value in cross-pollination and creating safe spaces for coaches to connect
Chan Tin Wing
Chan Tin Wing is a Sports Nutritionist at the High Performance Sport Institute. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science with Honours.
In 2021, she was part of the team that developed the Body Confidence Guidelines in collaboration with Singapore Gymnastics. Drawing from her experience beyond aesthetic sports like Artistic Swimming and Gymnastics, Tin Wing has worked with athletes and coaches across various sports—regardless of gender—who often hold unrealistic expectations around body image, shape, and size.
Azhar Yusof
Azhar Yusof is the Director of CoachSG at Sport Singapore. He has a diverse background; having been a national athlete in rugby, an international referee, a high performance reviewer, and a coach in multiple sports.
A trained-teacher, Azhar taught and coached in schools before joining Nanyang Technological University as a Senior Lecturer. He is also a Master Trainer with World Rugby. He is currently the Head Coach of Singapore’s Wheelchair Rugby Team.
Julia Lawrence
Julia has over 30 years of experience in the sports industry, beginning as a secondary physical education teacher before serving 15 years at Netball Victoria in coaching and business development roles. She spent five years in Singapore as Technical Manager with Netball Singapore, then returned to Australia in 2016 to become General Manager – Coach & International Development at Netball Australia.
From 2014 to 2022, she contributed to the International Netball Federation’s Coaching Advisory Panel. In 2018, Julia broadened her expertise by joining the Australian Football League as National Coach Development Manager and, in 2022, she joined the Australian Sports Commission as a Senior Coaching Advisor.
Passionate about social learning and capability building, Julia now leads initiatives to modernise coaching and officiating in community sport. She is currently creating contemporary training programs and tools that empower facilitators of group learning and those who support coaches and officials on the job.
Hansen Bay
Hansen Bay is a Mental Performance Consultant and Coach Developer with extensive experience supporting student-athletes, Olympians, coaches, and business leaders to perform with clarity and resilience under pressure. He works closely with National Sports Associations (NSAs) to designevidence-informed coaching curricula, facilitate coach development, and delivertargeted psychological interventions to enhance athletic performance
Dr Scott Xu
Dr. Scott Xu is a Sport and Exercise Medicine specialist at SSMC@Novena, where he helps both elite athletes and active individuals achieve their best performance and recovery. His expertise has been trusted by Singapore's National Football Team as their team physician, and he has provided medical coverage at major sporting events including the World Rugby 7s Series, international tennis tournaments, and multiple SEA Games.
Dr. Xu also extends his expertise to patients at SSMC@CGH and the High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI). He specialises in diagnosing and treating sports injuries using advanced techniques like ultrasound-guided therapy. He is particularly passionate about helping patients understand the root causes of their injuries and developing personalised treatment plans that get them back to their favourite activities.
Hamkah Afik
Hamkah is the current head coach of the Singapore National Relay Squad for men and women. He was a former Singapore national sprinter who competed at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games seven times with multiple medals, finalist at the Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan in 1994 and also represented Singapore at the Commonwealth Games in 1998. He missed 1996 Atlanta Olympics due to injury.
In 1991 he was awarded with the Most Promising Singapore Track and Field Athlete and nominated for the Singapore Sports Boy of the Year Award by the Singapore National Olympic Council. In 2009 he was the coach of the men’s national 4x100m relay team who clinched silver medal at the Sea Games and broke the 40sec barrier for the first time in Singapore’s history.
In 2024 he was awarded with the Coach Medallion Award by CoachSg for his contribution to Team singapore athletes at the SEA Games and Asian Games.
Ivan Ee
Ivan Ee is a sport biomechanist at the High Performance Sport Institute, with over a decade of experience supporting high-performance athletes through data-driven insights. He holds a degree in sports science from the University of Western Australia and a master’s from NTU. Ivan began his career lecturing and working with junior national athletes at NYSI, and now supports national athletes in swimming and athletics. With a keen interest in movement, he works closely with coaches to interpret complex data and applies practical, evidence-based approaches to help athletes achieve their performance goals.
Siti Nurhaliza
Siti Nurhaliza has been a Singapore Floorball Athlete since 2018.
Her floorball career has been growing steadily and this year she has committed to becoming a full-time athlete to ensure that Singapore is able to secure/maintain our rankings with the tournament filled year.
Besides her outstanding floorball abilities, Siti is dedicated to the floorball community, often volunteering her time to mentor younger athletes and promote teamwork. She embodies the true spirit of competition, showcasing not only talent but integrity, perseverance, and a genuine love for the sport. She is currently a youth development coach for the U18 and U18 Girls Teams, hoping to inspire the future generations of floorballers.
Syahirah Latiff
Syahirah leads the training and education work for Safe Sport in Singapore, shaping its development since 2018. With a Masters in Organisational Psychology, she has developed the training framework, curricula and content for diverse sports stakeholders. She has conducted workshops, from awareness to sport-specific safeguarding and first responder training, built partnerships and guided Sporting Organisations in their policies and case management work.
Syahirah served as a Safeguarding Officer at the Paris Olympics and is an Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Safeguarding Instructor and a coach educator.
Isa Halim
Isa is the Head Coach of the Singapore Sports School Football Academy. He is a former Singapore international footballer with 63 caps, having competed in the SEA Games, Suzuki Cup, and ASEAN Games. A title-winner with LionXII and Home United, he transitioned into coaching and now serves as Head Coach at the Singapore Sports School Football Academy. He has led both grassroots and elite youth programs, holding an AFC 'A' Coaching License and also received the Singapore Coach Medallion Award in 2023. Currently pursuing his AFC Pro Diploma, Isa is committed to developing technically skilled and mentally resilient young players, with a mission to raise the standard of Singapore football on the international stage.
Shasi Kumar
Shasi Kumar is an experienced educator, coach developer and former professional footballer with a passion for shaping the next generation of coaches. With a degree in Exercise & Sports Science and a background as a head coach and football commentator, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the sporting arena.
In 2023, he was honoured with SPEA’s Outstanding Coach/Teacher Award. Shasi is also the voice behind The Silverfox Hustle Podcast, where he highlights inspiring stories of hustle and growth.
Ong Kaiwen
Kai Wen is a Canoe-kayak sprint coach and has been coaching local school and developmental teams in Singapore since 2011. She holds the ICF Canoe-Kayak Sprint Level 3 Expert coach certificate and is registered as a Senior Coach in Singapore. She is also a certified ICCE Coach Developer.
As a coach, Kai Wen has been the head coach of several Junior and Youth school teams in Singapore. She is also concurrently a Lead Coach of Singapore's ActiveSG Canoe Academy, supporting and complementing the high performance developmental pathway of over 400 participants. Several of her athletes have gone on to join the National Junior Team or Senior Team.
Besides coaching athletes, Kai Wen is also involved with coach development in Singapore. She believes coaches are the key to the "success" of any athlete, and has helped conduct modules for local coaching certification courses to aspiring coaches, as well as actively mentoring and supporting new and current coaches.
Lionel Lewis
Lionel Lewis is a retired Singaporean football goalkeeper, renowned for his commanding presence in goal. On the international stage, he earned 73 caps for Singapore, notably winning the 2004 Tiger Cup and being named its MVP. He was also nominated for the 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year award, the first Singaporean to receive such an honour.
Off the pitch, Lionel currently works in the Student Development and Alumni Relations Office at Nanyang Polytechnic overseeing the sport CCAs and sport modules to engage the learners.
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Elizabeth-Ann Tan Shee Ru
Elizabeth-Ann is a Team Singapore Sprinter, specialising in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m events. She is the second-fastest Singaporean of all time in the 100m and 200m events, holding the U23 100m Record. She is also part of the 4x100m quartet who broke the National Record at the recent Asian Championships 2025 in Gumi, Korea.
Khairyll Amri
Khairyll Amri is a former national sprinter who has since transitioned into a leadership role in Singapore’s athletics scene, bringing his experience and expertise to the next generation of sprinters.
He currently serves as the Assistant Head Coach of the Singapore National Relay Team, where he plays a key role in coaching strategy, relay development, and athlete progression at the national level.