Why do we play? For individual and group achievement? For national pride? To get into the school of our choice? The question about whether a sporting career is suitable for individuals in a paper-obsessed city state with a tiny domestic fanbase is at the fore again. A society that prizes speed, efficiency, and relentless progress has never been able to embrace the long-termism needed to cultivate a sporting culture. Meanwhile, as inequality has grown, arguably so has the gap between well-resourced sports, like swimming, and less-resourced ones, like football. And what should sportspeople do after they’re too old to compete? Post-career employability reveals a lot about whether our society values sportspeople as assets or liabilities. How can Singapore boost interest in local sports, and support our sportspeople so as to become a genuine sporting nation? May, Ting, and Shyam will help us unpack these issues.