Singapore will no longer appear as SIN but as SGP at sporting
events worldwide.
The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) applied to have the
code changed and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has
approved the application.
"It is official: Singapore is no more SIN but SGP at regional and
international sport events," Mr Low Teo Ping, SNOC vice-president
and chef de mission at the recent Rio Olympic Games in Brazil, said
in a Facebook post.
The Singapore Golf Association also released the news in a brief
statement on its website.
"In line with the United Nations' International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO) official 3-letter country code, IOC has
approved SNOC's application to change Singapore's... code from SIN
to SGP," it said.
Singapore's UN country code is SGP.
The IOC database has been modified and the new SGP code will be
reflected on the IOC website and in future games, it said.
"We hope to be seeing more of SGP on the leader board of our major
golf tournaments," said the Golf Association.
At the Rio Olympics, SIN was used on the results boards beside the
names of Singapore athletes.
Singapore's International Air Transport Association airport code
remains SIN, The Straits Times reported.
Most of the comments from readers on the newspaper's Facebook page
did not approve of the change.
SGP is known as the abbreviation for the Singapore Grand Prix, one
pointed out. "Why change something that is not a problem?"
How about SPG, another asked cheekily, possibly referring to the
well-known acronym for sarong party girl.
TNP