He has gone from being a national athlete to an actor, and now president of two associations.
In a recent interview with AsiaOne, local actor and wushu champion Vincent Ng shared what he hopes to achieve as the first president of Mind Sports Federation of Singapore (MSFS).
The organisation, which was just launched on Aug 15, aims to bring mind sports communities together and give it a “stronger collective voice”, he said.
Under their umbrella is a diverse range of mind sports including chess, xiangqi, weiqi, mahjong, Rubik’s Cube and card games.
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While Vincent, who turns 51 in December, has spent most of his life in physical sports, growing older has helped him realise that sports isn’t limited to physical ability.
“Strategy, discipline, concentration, decision-making and mental resilience are equally important,” he said.
So when he had the opportunity to contribute to the development of mind sports in Singapore, he saw it as work that is complementary to what he’s been doing.
His personal goal as president is to “create and nurture talent” and impart “correct values” to future generations. He also hopes for mind sports to be recognised in public schools.
In addition, Vincent became the founding president of the Mixed Martial Arts Association of Singapore (MMAAS) in 2023.
‘I want whatever I do to have meaning’
Vincent, who is a three-time gold medallist at the SEA Games, is also Singapore’s first wushu world champion after winning the daoshu event in 1995.
He switched to acting and appeared in Mediacorp shows from 1997 to 2007, also establishing his martial arts school Wufang Singapore in 2004.
He got married in 2017 and his son, currently the only child, was born the following year.
Vincent left acting to focus on his school and returned briefly in 2022 for the film Deleted, which was produced by local veteran actor Zhang Geping.
As the president of MMAAS, he’ll be following Singapore’s MMA team to Japan for the upcoming Asian Games to be held from Sept 19 to Oct 3.
MMA will feature as a medal sport for the first time at the competition and Tiffany Teo Hui Hoon, 36, will be representing Singapore.
Being a former athlete, Vincent told us it’s a trip he’s looking forward to as he has missed attending major games. He doesn’t want to pressure the athlete, but he thinks she stands a good chance for medals.
Vincent also made another brief return to acting recently with the short drama The Executioner, his first since Deleted.
Admitting it was a “refreshing” experience, he added: “I hadn’t been doing much acting for some time, so getting back on set reminded me of how much I enjoyed that environment. It was nice to be back in front of the camera and working with a team to create something.”
While there have been discussions for a Deleted sequel, there’s nothing he can officially announce.
Is he placing his acting career on the backburner?
“I wouldn’t say I’ve closed that chapter. I’m just much more selective now. If something interesting comes along and I feel I can contribute meaningfully, I’d consider it,” he said.
He admitted there are projects he doesn’t feel like doing, but would still take up to “give face and help” friends including directors and colleagues.
“If I can help, I will help, within my means,” he said.
In terms of what’s next for him as an actor, Vincent said there have been discussions but nothing is concrete, given the “current climate” in showbiz.
“I feel the whole media industry is evolving. Audiences have many choices. They can watch livestreams, TikTok, Netflix, or anything,” he explained.
Creators now have to weigh the effectiveness and costs of a show or film. “You need to have a very strong concept, stories and team to go into such a such a big production.”
He occasionally misses acting and the creative process behind it, but not enough to do it “just for the sake of doing it”.
“At this stage of my life, I want whatever I do to have meaning,” he reiterated.
‘Plans might not be able to keep up with the changes’
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After his multiple career pivots throughout his life, we asked Vincent if he ever intended to get to where he is now.
“I have never planned or wanted to be an association president… When it was offered to me, I took up the challenge because I’ve always believed in doing your best in whatever roles you are given,” he shared.
He believes “things will just flow” and doesn’t over-plan because “plans might not be able to keep up with the changes”.
“You might have planned something 10 years ago, but when it comes to the present… How would you have expected AI to be coming up so fast?” he said.
He put it simply: “If I’m willing to do it, and I can do it, then I do it lah. Don’t need to overthink.”
Vincent described his 40s as a transformative period of his life.
“I was still very much in the mindset of building the school, developing athletes, taking on new responsibilities and trying different things,” he recalled.
But as he entered his 50s, he has become “more conscious” of what he spends his time on.
“It’s less about doing everything and more about doing things that have meaning. That’s also part of why MSFS is meaningful to me. I’ve spent many years competing and coaching. Now I want to contribute in a different way – building platforms, developing sports and creating opportunities for the next generation,” he said.
“Ultimately, I hope that the things I’m involved in can continue to have an impact beyond me.”
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