By Goh Yi Han and Yeo Sam Jo & Rachel Au-Yong

MR THOMAS Quek, 21, thought his daily 24-lap swim was enough to keep him fit.

But the third-year Republic Polytechnic student failed to attain a silver award at his National Physical Fitness Award (Napfa) test last October.

A poor 2.4km run timing pushed him into the bronze category - and into a club of young men who will begin National Service (NS) earlier than those who managed at least a silver.

This group will be in for a special training programme for recruits who have failed to meet fitness standards. Called the Physical Training Phase (PTP), it is intended to prepare them for the tough nine weeks of Basic Military Training (BMT) that follows.

The multimedia student, resigned about spending extra time in the army, is among many final-year male polytechnic students with a Napfa problem. Last year, seven in 10 such students failed to get at least a silver in the Napfa test.

Have male polytechnic students gone soft?

A Straits Times poll of 100 final-year male students, aged between 20 and 23, found that 74 said they exercised or played sports at least once a week.

But only 56, or slightly over half of them, had achieved a Napfa silver award or better.

Many of those polled attributed the numbers, at least in part, to a lack of compulsory Physical Education (PE) lessons in polytechnics.

Pass rates are significantly higher among their junior college (JC) counterparts, most of whom do PE at least once a week. About 75 per cent of graduating male students at JCs, who are two to three years younger on average, have managed to attain a silver award or better over the past five years.

Public attention was recently drawn to the fitness level of army recruits.

In Parliament last month, Second Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, said the PTP would be increased to eight weeks from the current four, from December this year.

Dr Ng said the move would allow for a more uniform level of fitness among recruits at the start of BMT.

'Four weeks of PTP does improve their physical performance, but many still do not reach the same level of fitness compared to their peers who were enlisted directly for BMT,' said the minister.

Sports experts confirmed that even students who play sports regularly could still fail to do well at the Napfa.

'The Napfa is a balanced test which measures several different aspects of fitness,' said Dr Patrick Goh of SportsMed Central at Gleneagles Hospital.

'Those who exercise regularly can still fail because they are missing one or more of the required components. For instance, you can play soccer every day, but it doesn't mean that you can do enough pull-ups.'

In a bid to improve fitness levels among students, all five polytechnics will be introducing new fitness or training-related programmes by the end of the year.

These optional programmes will range from practical modules on strength and endurance training to talks on preparing for the Napfa.

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) emphasises the importance of taking personal responsibility for one's fitness and overall preparedness for NS.

Its spokesman said that recruit handbooks are handed out to pre-enlistees during medical checkups conducted about six months before they begin National Service, to guide them on this.

Besides information and tips on how best to adjust to a military environment and lifestyle, the books also detail a comprehensive 12-week training programme intended to help new recruits train themselves up before they enlist.

But some students who have failed their Napfa are reluctant to commit to a personal fitness regime.

'I agree that fitness should be a personal responsibility,' said Nanyang Polytechnic student Khoo Zheng He. 'But why should we train now? I will probably wait for army to come around and see how.'

Others said there just was not enough time to get fit, when they were juggling studies, exams and internships.

For every naysayer, there are those like Mr James Quek, 21, who make the time.

The Napfa gold award winner is an athlete in the Singapore Polytechnic track and field team.

While his peers struggle with the fitness test, he easily managed 11 chin-ups and clocked just over 10 minutes for his 2.4km run.

He attributed the ease with which he attained his gold to his rigorous athletic training six times a week.

Most of the 56 male students polled who got at least a silver award were representing their schools in various sports.

Mr Achmad Nasrun, 20, a final-year chemical engineering student at Singapore Polytechnic, trains in the gym three times a week and plays soccer every week. He got a gold in his Napfa last December.

'I felt compelled to train up because I've always wanted to enter Officer Cadet School in NS,' he said. 'Also, I wanted to be able to enlist later. I just feel good when I exercise.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.