SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced on Saturday, July 6, that Maximilian Maeder, a Singaporean world champion kitefoiler, has been granted a deferment from full-time National Service (NS) for approximately four years.
Maeder was supposed to enlist in the NS in September, but he turns 18 this year.
According to MINDEF, Maeder applied to postpone his full-time NS to prepare for and participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth (MCCY) approved his application.
According to the Defence Ministry, Mr. Maeder satisfies the requirements for a long-term moratorium because he has demonstrated success in elite competitions, such as the 2022 Asian Games and the 2023 and 2024 Formula Kite World Championships.
Maeder’s moratorium will run from September 12, 2028, to August 31, 2028, at which point she will enlist for full-time NS. Maeder successfully defended his world title in kitefoiling in May. At the Sailing World Championships in the Netherlands in August of last year, the kitefoiler won gold in the men’s kite event.
He’ll be Singapore’s representative at the Olympics in Paris in 2024. Per MINDEF’s NS policy, deferment may be granted to exceptional athletes who are judged to be potential medal winners for Singapore at elite international competitions like the Olympic Games.
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