National table tennis coach Liu Guodong, who helped deliver Singapore's first Olympic medal in 48 years, on Thursday revealed this detail of the two-year deal offered to him by the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA). $6300/mth not including housing.

Liu, whose contract expires at the end of the year, has rejected the deal, dismissing it as insulting and insincere'.

In China, where table tennis is the national sport, national coaches can expect to earn over US$10,000 (S$15,000) each month - inclusive of rewards and bonuses,' said the source. 'Even coaches of provisional teams can earn about US$6,000 (S$9,000) per month.'

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_294096.html

Given the level of publicity and need for national pride in sports and arts, this somewhat looks like a low point. How much is our talents worth to us? As one of the NTU professor like to say in class,

"If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys loh."

Perhaps that's the message for us.