SEA Games: Amanda Lim wins gold in 50m freestyle, Quah Ting Wen bags silver Amanda Lim (right) poses with Quah Ting Wen after their 1-2 finish for the 50m freestyle at the SEA Games. (Photo: Justin Ong) 26 Aug 2017 08:16PM (Updated: 26 Aug 2017 09:14PM) KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore national swimmer Amanda Lim has won gold in the 50m freestyle at the 2017 SEA Games on Saturday night (Aug 26). Her time of 25.41s, which is a new Games record, put her ahead of compatriot Quah Ting Wen who clinched silver in 25.46s. The win is Lim's fifth consecutive gold in the event at the SEA Games. This is Lim's first individual medal at the meet. She was also part of the women's 4x100m freestyle team that eased to a first place finish last Monday. Additional reporting by Justin Ong Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...s-gold-in-50m-freestyle-quah-ting-wen-9160268
SEA Games: Calvin Sim wins Singapore's first men's cycling gold in 20 years Calvin Sim celebrating after his cycle. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY By Noah Tan in Kuala Lumpur noahtanyw@mediacorp.com.sg - Published: 10:46 PM, August 28, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore cyclist Calvin Sim has won the country's first men's South-East Asian (SEA) Games cycling gold medal since 1997, after coming out top in the men's omnium on Monday evening (Aug 28). At the national velodrome in Nilai, the 27-year-old recorded a total of 140 points in the event to finish ahead of Malaysia's Sofian Nabil Omar, whose score of 136 points saw him clinch silver. Indonesia's Nandra Eko Wahyudi (135 points) took home the bronze ahead of the other Singaporean cyclist in the race, Goh Choon Huat, who had to settle for fourth with a score of 128 points. This is Singapore's second cycling medal at this year's SEA Games, following Luo Yiwei's silver in the women's omnium on Sunday evening. The last time Singapore won gold in a men's cycling event at the regional competition was 20 years ago, when Bernard Wong won the men's point race at the 1997 Jakarta Games. Singapore's last SEA Games cycling gold came via Dinah Chan (20km/30km individual time trial) at the 2013 Myanmar Games.
SEA Games: Women’s 470 pair stage comeback to win sailing gold Elisa Yukie Yokoyama and Cheryl Teo celebrate winning at the SEA Games. Photo: Singapore Sailing Federation Elisa Yukie Yokoyama won her race against time to recover from injury and teamed up with Cheryl Teo to triumph at the finish line By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 7:31 PM, August 27, 2017 Updated: 8:43 PM, August 27, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — A month ago, sailor Elisa Yukie Yokoyama suffered an injury that threw her SEA Games participation into doubt. While catching a falling mast, the 20-year-old hyper-extended her right arm, which left her unable to extend it beyond 90 degrees. But on Sunday afternoon (Aug 27), Yokoyama battled through the pain to strike gold for Singapore with partner Cheryl Teo in the women’s 470 class in a memorable victory in Langkawi. “One month ago, I couldn’t raise my right arm and even if we had got silver, it would have been amazing,” she said. “There was cartilage tear and muscle sprain, I was out for three weeks and only started sailing one week before we came here!” Teo, a Games debutant, added: “There were a lot of people who told us not to do the SEA Games… (they advised us) to think long-term.” Training plans were thrown into disarray and Yokoyama underwent vigorous rehabilitation, doing everything possible to accelerate her recovery. She succeeded in making it to the Games, but it took a massive comeback on the waters to win the Republic’s second sailing gold in this edition too. The Singaporean duo headed into the final race with a two-point lead over Malaysians Norashikin Sayed – one half of the pair that won the gold at the 2015 Games in Singapore – and Nuraisyah Jamil, meaning they needed to finish ahead of their Causeway neighbours, regardless of position, to win gold. But things went awry from the start as Yokoyama misjudged the timing and they found themselves blocked by the Malaysians, who took the lead and were ahead by more than five boat lengths at one point. “It was really far and I really thought we lost it,” Teo recalled. “I was prepared to get silver.” Just as it looked like the race was a foregone conclusion, nerves appeared to afflict the Malaysians and Singapore smelled blood. “We both never gave up and just kept praying… and then there was a moment we got close enough to strike and then we did,” Yokoyama said. “I don’t know how, (but) I knew we were going to catch them.” In the end, the Singapore duo won it right on the finish line, edging their rivals by just half a boat length to complete a stunning fightback. “We suddenly got so close and then we just slipped further in front, it was just really intense,” Teo said. “It was quite overwhelming, especially at the finish line (and) we both just broke down and cried.” The gold is Singapore’s second from sailing after the trio of Ryan Lo, Bernie Chin and Mark Wong pipped hosts Malaysia to win the men’s team racing dinghy laser standard last week. Victory also served as a stepping stone for Yokoyama and Teo, who only got together as a pairing last August and decide to quit school this May to embark on a qualifying campaign for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. “Internationally, we are not there yet but we hope this win will give us the confidence to overcome all barriers,” said Yokoyama, a former Optimist world champion in 2011. Before the race, her mother texted “Time to totally kick ass” to Yokoyama. Raising her arms to collect the third SEA Games gold of her career, she did exactly that.
SEA Games: Ryan Lo, Bernie Chin and Mark Wong win S'pore's first sailing gold Ryan Lo, Bernie Chin and Mark Wong pipped hosts Malaysia to win the men’s team racing dinghy laser standard at the National Sailing Centre in Langkawi. Photo: Singapore Sailing Federation Facebook page By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 8:42 PM, August 22, 2017 Updated: 11:51 PM, August 22, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR – Smooth sailing on the second day of the 29th SEA Games competition saw Singapore winning its first gold in the sport. The trio of Ryan Lo, Bernie Chin and Mark Wong pipped hosts Malaysia on Tuesday (Aug 22) to win the men’s team racing dinghy laser standard at the National Sailing Centre in Langkawi. Lo, 20, was part of the side that finished second to Malaysia in the same event two years ago on home soil. Chin, 18, was sailing in the event at the SEA Games for the first time while Wong, 22, is making his Games debut.. A relieved Lo told TODAY that the win was a special one for him and his teammates. “Colin (Cheng) and Scott (Glen Sydney) have left, and so coming in with a new team, it meant that we were training extra hard," he said. "Coming off the water, was just a sense of relief that all the hard work has paid off! It was worth it, all the effort we put into team racing and the hours and work put in the gym and stuff. Grit and hard work won it for us today.” The trio were not the only Singapore sailors to win medals on Tuesday. A silver came in the women’s team racing dinghy laser radial, which saw debutants Simone Chen, 14 and Jillian Lee, 21, team up with Jessica Goh, 20 to finish second to Thailand in the final. In the Under-16 mixed Optimist team event, Daniel Kei Yazid, Finian Lee, Max Victor Teo, Roh Koh and Radiance Koh beat Myanmar in the bronze-medal race to finish third. Apart from Daniel, the rest are all making their major Games debuts. In other events, women’s 470 duo Elisa Yukie Yokoyama and Cheryl Teo are ranked first out of five teams, men’s 470 pair Daniel Ian Toh and Xavier Ng are fourth out of six and Under-19 420 pair Koh Yi Nian and Wong Riji are joint-second out of five after two races each in each category.
SEA Games: Teen exponent Jowen Lim strikes wushu gold again for Singapore Jowen Lim's victory in the optional changquan added to his gold in the optional daoshu and gunshu on Monday, which was his first ever individual Games triumph . Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY The 18-year-old won both his and the Republic’s second gold in Kuala Lumpur with his crisp routine By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 4:30 PM, August 22, 2017 Updated: 7:38 PM, August 22, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Jowen Lim does not fixate on winning medals every time he heads into a competition, preferring instead to simply focus on giving his best. That attitude has paid off handsomely for the wushu exponent at the 29th SEA Games, after he clinched his second gold medal of the competition on Tuesday afternoon (Aug 22) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. A confident display in the men’s optional changquan saw the 18-year-old recording a score of 9.68, which, in turn, enabled him to edge Vietnam's Tran Xuan Hiep by 0.01 to take gold. Indonesia’s Edgar Xavier Marvelo recorded 9.66 to finish third The sixth of 13 competitors to perform, Lim wowed the judges with his crisp routine. Even then, he revealed that he was surprised to emerge top in the end. “For today, I'm really happy and speechless as to how I was able to win the gold,” he told TODAY. “I want to thank my federation for all their support and belief in me, and my family who came down to watch my performance.” The victory added to his gold in the optional daoshu and gunshu on Monday, which was his first ever individual Games triumph and one he described as “extra, extra special”. Lim had won the gold in the duel weapons in 2015 on his Games debut. But medals are secondary for the former two-time world youth champion and Asian youth champion who picked up the sport at five and made the national team at 11. “My parents are both sportsmen and they wanted me to join a sport before I had to join a CCA (co-curricular activity) in Primary 3,” he recalled. “We saw a live wushu performance on television and it was quite cool and quite special, so we just went to try… “Every time I go for a competition, it's just mainly (about) showing how Singapore has strong wushu talents coming up. “Wushu is a performing art so to me, it's just about performing my best to show everybody. It's not all about getting a medal to me.” Lim currently trains from Monday to Saturday, juggling school during the week with his nightly sessions that run from 7.30 to 10pm. It is a routine he has gotten used to and the Year 2 student at Republic Polytechnic is now targeting qualification for next year’s Asian Games in Indonesia, which he described as the “biggest competition” for wushu as it is not an Olympic sport. With the wushu competition coming to an end today, it also means Lim has accounted for all of Singapore’s golds in the sport. The Republic’s six other wushu medals - one silver and five bronzes - came through Samuel Tan (silver, men’s compulsory 3rd taijiquan), Ho Lin Ying (bronze, women’s compulsory 3rd taijiquan), Fung Jin Jie (bronze, men’s optional jianshu), Fung Hui Xin (bronze, women’s optional jianshu), Zoe Mui (bronze, women’s optional daoshu) and Chan Jun Kai (bronze, men’s optional taijijian).
SEA Games: Sweet double joy for Singapore in jumbo squash Mao ShiHui and Sherilyn Yang with their coach at the Women Jumbo doubles final on 24th Aug 2017 at Raintree Club. Photo: Knight Ong/Sport Singapore Women’s and men’s pairs both triumph to earn Republic’s first golds in sport in Kuala Lumpur By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 6:48 PM, August 24, 2017 Updated: 8:58 PM, August 25, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR – There was double joy for Singapore on Thursday afternoon (Aug 24) as they struck gold in both the men’s and women’s jumbo squash doubles at the 29th SEA Games. Debutants Mao Shi Hui and Sherilyn Yang defeated Philippines' Jemyca Aribado and Yvonne Alyssa Dalida 11-5, 11-8 at the Raintree Club, before Vivian Rhamanan and Samuel Kang triumphed 11-3, 11-3 over Indonesian pair Ade Furkon and Agung Wilant. After taking the first set without much fuss, the women’s pair weathered a strong response from their opponents in the second and went 2-6 down. But they dug deep and reeled off eight straight points to take control and see out the match to clinch gold in the event, which was included in the Games for the first time. “I think they definitely changed their strategy a little bit so we tried something different,” Mao, 25, said. “We just looked at each other and knew it was now or never because if the lead got bigger, they’d get more confident. Referring to Aribado, the world no. 98, Yang, 23, added: “She’s a very good singles player so any loose shot I give her, my partner will suffer. We just had to make sure we didn’t make it difficult for each other.” Victory was sweet for the pair, who trained twice daily, full-time, for the last four months. Mao, a management consultant and McKinsey & Company, took six months off work to do so, while Yang made use of her summer break from Franklin & Marshall College in the United States. “I was thinking of doing an internship but I decided I’m going to give my all for the SEA Games and train full-time together with her,” Yang said. “We’ve put in a lot of effort and this is amazing, the win is a bonus.” The partnership was a late swop too, as Mao was teaming up with someone else previously and Yang was pencilled in only for the team and singles events. “There was just strong camaraderie, we’ve played with each other since young in the Under-15 and 17 levels,” said Mao, whose elder sister Shi Yuan won two bronzes in 2015. “We know and complement each other very well, she’s very steady, more of a shot maker, so it’s a good pairing.” “We had a very close semi-final match yesterday, which actually helped us and made us aware of what we needed to improve on,” Kang reflected. “We were able to make those adjustments this morning and mentally as well. In the end, the favourites tag actually helped us as we were more confident going in and able to execute well.” Rhamanan, who won the event in 2015 with Marcus Phua, started training with new partner Kang almost two years ago and have not lost a tournament together since. “We are both back players but we figured out he’s awesome at the back and I’m alright at the front and somehow it’s worked,” the 31-year-old said. “We’ve known each other since we were juniors and our friendship played a part, we trusted and had each other’s back no matter what.” Kang, who won individual bronze and team silver in squash in 2015, was delighted after recovering in time from a back injury to win his first gold. “It’s really special, ever since I saw them (Rhamanan and Phua) win two years ago, I’ve been wanting this so bad and training very hard,” said the 27-year-old Pioneer Junior College teacher, who took three weeks off before the Games to prepare and recover. “We’ve played really well together and this (gold) means so much.” It was a proud moment for Rhamanan to win in front of his two children, Travis, five and Tia, 3, though he turned a little sombre when asked how his quest for a podium finish at next year’s Asian Games was going. He is known as the only squash professional in Singapore, but still has to work as a coach due to insufficient financial support. “I’m really lucky I have sponsorship from Marigold and SSRA (Singapore Squash Rackets Association) but that just covers my tournament trips and not my allowance,” he said. “We are competing against Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, who are all training professionally and covered on a monthly basis so they can do this full-time. “So going into the Asian Games with this kind of preparation, I don’t see myself winning a medal, but if I can prepare professionally like the others, I’m sure I will be able to get a medal.”
SEA Games: Indonesian marathoner praises rival Soh Rui Yong for sportsmanship Soh Rui Yong and Agus Prayogo after the marathon. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY Published: 8:51 PM, August 28, 2017 Updated: 9:08 PM, August 28, 2017 SINGAPORE — It was a moment missed by most media outlets. Save for one Indonesian journalist, no one else reported when Singapore runner Soh Rui Yong performed a small act of sportsmanship during the men’s marathon at the SEA Games two Saturdays ago (Aug 19). In the final 8.9km loop of the 42.195km race, Soh and Indonesia’s Agus Prayogo were leading the pack when Prayogo missed his drink at a designated hydration point. Noticing this, Soh offered the remainder of his own isotonic drink to Prayogo. Although Prayogo declined Soh’s offer, he praised the Singapore runner in an interview with Indonesian sports newswebsite DetikSport. “Even if we are enemies on the field, we still maintain sportsmanship,” Prayogo said. “He (Soh) took his drink, I didn’t managed to take mine, and so he asked me if I wanted to take his.” The Indonesian runner, 31, explained to DetikSport that he didn’t take up Soh’s offer because each athlete had his own drink. Soh later won the race, while Prayogo took silver. The “story of the water bottle” gained over 700 ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ on DetikSport’s Facebook page. Soh wrote on Facebook that he had forgotten about the moment until Sunday (Aug 27) when he saw the article online. The 26-year-old, who became the first Singaporean male marathoner to win back-to-back SEA Games titles, has praised Prayogo several times during this SEA Games. Describing the Indonesian as his “good friend and idol”, Soh said on Facebook that he was emotional during an interview with the media after the marathon as he felt he was winning the race “at the expense of crushing a good friend’s dream”. “Agus is a hero of mine - I’ve always cheered hard for him in every single competition he races, feeling genuine joy when he wins and heartache when he loses. “(The SEA Games) was the first time I’ve ever been good enough to race Agus toe-to-toe over any distance. “That mixed bowl of emotions - elation mixed with guilt, maybe even slight regret - is what made me tear up when asked about Agus. “I hate benefitting at the expense of friends...Sometimes I hate that there can only be one gold medalist per race,” he said. Prayogo has also showed his respect for Soh. After the race, he told DetikSport: “This is the result, and we have to recognise that the opponent (Soh) is better”. This is not the first time that Soh has shown a gesture of sportsmanship during a race. In 2012, it was reported that the marathoner had stopped midway through the Army Half Marathon to check if compatriot Ashley Liew needed help after the latter tripped and fell at the 8km mark. Soh eventually won that race while Liew finished second.
SEA Games: Singapore's Yu Shuran creates history with ice-skating triumph Yu Shuran competes in the SEA Games womens free skating on 27 August, 2017. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY By Low Lin Fhoong in Kuala Lumpur linfhoong@mediacorp.com.sg - Published: 4:48 PM, August 27, 2017 Updated: 7:23 AM, August 28, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Figure skater Yu Shuran looked puzzled as disco music filled the Malaysia National Ice Skating Stadium (Myniss) on Sunday (Aug 27). Seconds later, back ramrod straight, she steeled herself as strains of Lana Del Rey’s “Young and beautiful” – the correct song for her free skating routine – started up. Minor distraction out of the way, the Singaporean figure skater finally got her gold medal campaign underway at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. Ranked first after the short programme on Saturday with her score of 53.28, the Beijing-based skater was clearly the one to beat among the nine-strong field. After all, Shuran, 17, had finished sixth at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo earlier this year, before becoming the first Singaporean to qualify for the World Figure Skating Championships in March. Out to add a first SEA Games gold to her resume, Shuran did not disappoint some 1,000 spectators who turned up to witness the sport’s debut at the regional Games. Skating to Lana Del Rey’s slow tune first before turning on the heat with “Crazy in love” from the Great Gatsby movie soundtrack, she glided and spun her way into the judges’ hearts, scoring 82.24. Sitting with coach Gao Song while waiting for her scores, a nervy Shuran could only manage a smile as the scores came on, with her total of 135.52 clinching both Singapore’s and the SEA Games’ first winter sports gold. Teammate Chloe Ing made it a 1-2 finish, scoring 82.93 – the highest in the free skating segment – for a total of 128.61 to clinch the silver. The Philippines’ Alisson Krystle Perticheto won the bronze in 113.40. While she had her game face on throughout the music mix-up and routine, it was a different scene backstage. Said Shuran who was the last in her group to skate after her victory: “I didn’t watch them (Perticheto and Ing). No, I never watch (other skaters). I always want to focus on myself. “I don’t want any outside factors affecting me, especially since I tend to psyche myself out easily so I try to avoid all noise. When Alisson’s scores were being announced, I covered my ears.” Despite her win, Shuran was not happy with her routine: “I’m really happy with my rank and the result, that’s what I came here to do. “But I’m pretty disappointed with my free skate today, I popped two jumps and popping (doing two jumps instead of three) is probably my worst habit. It probably affected my score so there’s a lot to improve on my free skate and short programme.” Coach Gao Song is hoping for his charge to qualify for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next February. If she succeeds, Shuran, who trains with Gao at a Beijing skating club run by world champion and 2010 Olympic silver medalists skaters Pang Qing and Tong Jian, will be the first Singaporean to compete at the Winter Olympics. “She can still qualify for the 2018 Olympics…she needs to be ranked in the top six at the qualification event in Germany,” said Gao. Meanwhile, despite losing out on the gold, Ing was happy to clinch a one-two finish for Singapore. “Yesterday in the short programme, I was a little disappointed with myself so today I wanted to skate my best,” said the Canada-based teen. “I’m very happy to win a silver…being able to medal means a lot to me. Figure skating is not as prominent here and we came and showed that we (Singapore) have skaters and finished 1-2 here at the SEA Games. This is the first stop to bringing figure skating to Singapore and South-east Asia.”
SEA Games: Sport SG chief Lim praises athletes but rebukes Singapore Athletics From top left (clockwise): Teong Tzen Wei, Michelle Sng, Yu Shuran, and Basil Ng (bowling). Photos: Jason Quah/TODAY Disappointed by SA’s infighting, he wants the NSA to ask itself if it can be depended upon in Team S’pore’s hunt for better results By Low Lin Fhoong in Kuala Lumpur linfhoong@mediacorp.com.sg - Published: 9:26 PM, August 28, 2017 Updated: 12:31 AM, August 29, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — As the action winds down at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Team Singapore’s athletes will return home happy with their best-ever away Games medal haul. To date, the Republic has 49 golds to its name – six more than their previous best of 43 in Korat in 2007. Lim Teck Yin, Sport Singapore’s chief executive officer, paid tribute to the their achievements in an interview with TODAY, and the sports chief said he has been particularly impressed with the performances from Team Singapore’s 308 debutants — who made up more than half of the 568-strong contingent. While seniors like Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, Quah Zheng Wen and top-ranked paddler Feng Tianwei were expected to do well in Kuala Lumpur, a number of young ones also made their mark. Swimmer Teong Tzen Wei, 20, claimed a surprise gold in the men’s 50m freestyle, while the men’s bowling team, which featured four newcomers, beat home favourites Malaysia to the men’s team gold at the Sunway Mega Lanes. “It’s been a very encouraging performance for an away Games, we set out to challenge Team Singapore to achieve the best away Games possible,” he told TODAY. “We were confident we could (better 43 gold) when we looked at the potential of our athletes, and what’s important is even as we look at the medal tally, we've got to look at the next generation that’s coming up, and it’s good that in this Games, many debutants had the chance to earn their stripes.” A number of sports also notched a number of firsts, with the men’s golfers winning their first-ever team gold at the Mines Resort and Golf Club earlier this week, while high jumper Michelle Sng ended a 52-year drought for the Republic after winning joint-gold for the first time since 1965. Figure skater Yu Shuran also had a dream debut at the Games on Sunday, beating her eight rivals on the ice to win the first winter sports gold at the Games. Lim added: “What I’m happy about is that it has been a good broad spectrum of medals coming in from different sports and that augurs well for future Games.” While he was happy with Team Singapore’s performance, Lim, however, did not mince his words when asked about the issues that had plagued national sports association Singapore Athletics ahead of the SEA Games. “The major Games preparation committee that came forward to support the athletics team at the last minute could only steady the ship, try to build a sense of team spirit around the athletics team,” he said. Just two months before the Games, a dispute erupted between coach Margaret Oh and SA technical director Volker Hermann over a number of issues — one of which was the location of the centralised training camp — which resulted in the association threatening to drop Oh's charge, sprinter Shanti Pereira, from the women’s 4x100m relay team. Earlier this year, infighting and discord among the SA’s executive committee saw the association deciding to call snap polls to re-elect its management committee members. That was eventually called off after intervention by International Olympic Committee member Ng Ser Miang. The SA’s woes eventually led to the Singapore National Olympic Council and Sport Singapore stepping in ahead of the Games to appoint a major Games preparation committee to take over the management of the SEA Games athletics squad. Team Singapore’s 29-strong track and field team eventually won two gold (men’s marathon, women’s high jump), two silver and four bronze medals out of the 135-medals on offer in the sport. It was a dip in performance from the 2015 Games, where the athletes won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Pereira, who failed to defend her 200m gold and finished with a bronze, said last Saturday (Aug 26) that she had been affected by the saga with the association, while other athletes said they could have done with better support from the NSA. Lim added: “We know that the sort of infighting and continuing discord in Singapore Athletics is not doing the sport any favours, and I think they need to take a hard look inwards. The management committee, the affiliates who vote them in, they have to ask themselves, ‘is this a sport that Singapore can count on or whether we should be looking elsewhere for our Team Singapore high performance?’” With regional rivals like Vietnam and Indonesia clearly closing the gap in sports such as table tennis and waterpolo, Lim warned that Team Singapore cannot become complacent. He said: “I’m actually quite glad that Singapore felt the heat and know what they have to do to continue on the winning streak. “The message to all sportsmen is quite clear, that once you’re in the competitive arena, it’s not a guaranteed victory ... Joseph Schooling didn’t have an easy 100m freestyle (win) ... you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game to the table every single time you compete.”
SEA Games: Sasha Christian retains women’s slalom gold Sasha Christian competes in the SEA Games womens slalom waterski on August 29, 2017. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY The 24-year-old Singaporean wins her second gold in Kuala Lumpur By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 9:56 AM, August 29, 2017 Updated: 10:05 AM, August 29, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Sasha Christian won her second straight SEA Games women’s slalom gold in the waterski on Tuesday morning (Aug 29) at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex. She cleared 3.5 buoys at 55km/h with a 13m line, doing just enough to edge Malaysian Aaliyah Yoong, who cleared two buoys at the same speed and line. It is the 24-year-old’s second gold at this Games, after she won her third consecutive wakeboard gold on Saturday. Christian only returned to training this January, having suffered a fractured right tibia last July that ruled her out for six months.
SEA Games: "Without Choon Huat, this win wouldn't have been possible," says cycling champ Calvin Sim Calvin Sim and Goh Choon Huat holding up the Singapore flag after Sim's historic triumph. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY The 27-year-old marked eight-year wait to compete in SEA Games again by winning men’s omnium By Noah Tan in Kuala Lumpur noahtanyw@mediacorp.com.sg - Published: 8:31 AM, August 29, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR – He made his South-East Asian (SEA) Games debut at Laos in 2009, but despite being one of Singapore’s top cyclists, Calvin Sim had to wait another eight years before featuring at the regional competition again. And the 27-year-old certainly made the most of his long-awaited return to the Games, as he clinched a gold medal in the men’s omnium on Monday evening (Aug 28) at the National Velodrome in Nilai. Sim’s win in the event also means that he is the first male Singaporean cyclist in 20 years to take home a SEA Games gold. The last time the Republic secured a gold in a men's cycling event was when Bernard Wong won the men's point race at the 1997 Jakarta Games. Reflecting on his achievement after the race, Sim, who was previously with the now-defunct OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team, told TODAY that his love for the sport kept him going in his long-running quest for a SEA Games medal. “There was a huge gap in between my first Games in 2009 and this year’s Games because of various factors like national service (NS) or my studies and work commitments. And sometimes in sports, there's also politics involved,” he said with a wry smile. “So it took a long time in terms of development, especially after the OCBC team folded, but because I truly love cycling, I never gave up. “That’s why winning this medal means a lot to me…there was a lot of training and sacrifices that were involved. Of course, the whole cycling fraternity (in Singapore) also played a huge role in this win that has been a lot of years in the making, and I couldn’t have done it without them.” In particular, Sim highlighted team-mate Goh Choon Huat as “instrumental” to his victory in the men’s omnium, which is a category of track cycling involving four races - the 10km scratch, 10km tempo, elimination and 25km points. Participants chalk up points for each event and the rider with the highest overall total of points is the winner. Heading into the final event of the omnium – the points race – both Sim and Goh were placed fifth (96 points) and eighth (92 points) respectively, with Malaysian duo Sofian Nabil Omar M. Bakri (112 points) and M. Zawawi Azman (100 points) leading the charge in the nine-strong field. However, with Goh’s help, Sim was able to score another 44 points in the final event to finish first ahead of Bakri, who took silver on 136 points. Indonesia's Nandra Eko Wahyudi (135 points) won the bronze ahead of Goh, who had to settle for fourth with a score of 128 points. So while Goh failed to earn a spot on the podium, Sim insists due credit must be given to him for his role in the win. “Cycling is a team sport, so this medal is not just won by me alone because without Choon Huat here, I couldn't have achieved this,” said Sim. “We weren't too far behind the leaders heading into the final event, so we knew we had to be aggressive and catch our competitors off-guard. “So whenever Choon Huat or I made a move (on the track), the other person would standby and prepare to counter any moves that our opponents might make. That's why it's so instrumental that you have your teammate and friend to help you in such a race.” Despite winning the SEA Games gold, Sim, who only raced in his first track cycling event in 2014, admitted his progress in the sport has been slower than he would have liked owing to the scarcity of velodromes in the region. However, with the aid of “several kind donations”, he and his team-mates were able to go on a six-week training stint in Colorado, in the United States, under former USA Cycling head coach Andy Sparks earlier this year. It evidently proved beneficial, with Sim winning the gold and team-mate Luo Yiwei also securing a historic silver in the women’s omnium on Sunday evening (Aug 27). With these SEA Games successes under their belts, Sim hopes it will lead to the sport of cycling receiving greater support and awareness back in Singapore. “You won’t ever know how long it’ll take to make that step forward…but thankfully, I think 2017 has been a breakthrough year for us,” said Sim. “Cycling has always been achieving medals, but sometimes the funding doesn't come in because certain key performance indicators aren’t met. “Now with our successes at the Games, I hope there’ll be more awareness of the sport as well, and that more people will begin to pick it up and not think it dangerous, or see cyclists as a nuisance on the road. “I also hope that my victory tonight inspires whoever is chasing a dream not to give up easily. Yes, you must be realistic as well, but it is important to persevere for what you want.”
SEA Games: Mark Leong wins second straight men’s slalom gold Mark Leong competes in the SEA Games mens slalom waterski on August 29, 2017. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY The 19-year-old reigning Asian champion cruised to victory in Kuala Lumpur By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 10:58 AM, August 29, 2017 Updated: 11:24 AM, August 29, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Mark Leong remained peerless in the SEA Games men’s slalom competition as he retained his crown on Tuesday morning (Aug 29) at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex. The 19-year-old reigning Asian champion, who struck gold on his SEA Games debut two years ago, cleared three buoys at 58km/h with a 13m line to edge Indonesia’s Indra Hardinata, who cleared 1.5 buoys at the same speed and line. It was the second gold of the morning for Singapore in waterskiing after Sasha Christian took gold in the women’s slalom earlier.
SEA Games: Singapore edge Malaysia to win historic T20 cricket gold Singapore's men cricketers in action in the T20 final at the 2017 SEA Games. (Photo: SNOC) 29 Aug 2017 05:49PM (Updated: 29 Aug 2017 05:50PM) KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore's men cricketers made history on Tuesday afternoon (Aug 29) to win the country's first ever cricket gold in the sport's debut appearance at the SEA Games. In the Twenty20 final at Selangor's Kinrara Oval, Singapore beat Malaysia by three wickets with one ball remaining. The home side had scored 117 runs for seven wickets and Singapore replied with 118 runs for seven wickets. Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...-malaysia-to-win-historic-t20-cricket-9167424
SEA Games: Singapore take men's team gold in squash The Singapore men's squash team posing with their gold medal after beating Philippines 2-1 in the final. (Photo: Justin Ong) @JustinOngCNA 29 Aug 2017 10:33PM (Updated: 29 Aug 2017 11:39PM) KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore overcame the Philippines to win gold in the men's squash team event at the SEA Games on Tuesday (Aug 29). The team comprising Samuel Kang, Vivian Rhamanan, Pang Ka Hoe and Benedict Chan beat Philippines 2-1 at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil. Singapore got off to a flying start in the encounter when Pang beat Philippines' Reymark Begornia in the opening game. It was all too easy for the 22-year-old as he won the two opening sets, 11-1 and 11-3. Singapore's Pang Ka Hoe playing Philippines' Reymark Begornia at the 2017 SEA Games. (Photo: Justin Ong) Despite some resistance in the third, Pang held off the challenge to win 11-6 to put Singapore 1-0 ahead. In the second game, Singapore's resolve was tested when Pang's compatriot Benedict Chan faced Philippines' Robert Garcia. Singapore's Benedict Chan in action against Philippines' Robert Garcia in the men's team squash finals at the 2017 SEA Games. (Photo: Justin Ong) Garcia stunned Chan 11-8 in the opening set as Philippines' looked to claw back the lead. But Chan took the second set 11-9, bouncing back from being 6-9 down. Then it was Chan's turn to slip up, losing a 7-5 lead in the third set to fall 8-11 to Garcia. And the Philippines player edged a tight fourth set 11-9, to give his country a crucial point to make it 1-1 overall. In the decisive game, Singapore's Samuel Kang played David Pelino. Kang, who was part of the Singapore team that won a SEA Games silver in 2015, raced to an early lead, winning the first two sets 11-4, 11-4. Singapore Samuel during his decisive match against Philippines' David Pelino. (Photo: Justin Ong) The 26-year-old then stayed the course in the final set to give Singapore the all-important point to win 2-1 overall. After the tie, Kang told Channel NewsAsia that his team pushed hard during the tournament and were glad their "dream came true". "These guys - Philippines, Malaysia - are all full-timers. Ka Hoe and Benedict are right out of NS (National Service), and I'm working and playing," he said. Singapore squash player Samuel Kang reacts after winning the decisive match against Philippines' David Pelino. (Photo: Justin Ong) "So for us to achieve something ... is motivation for us, and hopefully for others as well, to know regardless of which sport you do, there are no limits to what you can achieve." SILVER FOR SINGAPORE WOMEN'S TEAM In the women's team final, Singapore fell to hot-favourites Malaysia 2-1. Singapore's Pamela Chua, Mao Shi Hui and Sneha Sivakumar persevered, but failed to pull of an upset. Singapore made a strong start when Chua beat Malaysia's Ooi Kah Yan 3-2 in a tight first game. Chua kept her nerve to clinch the decisive set 11-9 to put Singapore in the lead. Singapore's Mao Shi Hui playing against Malaysia's Anderea Lee at the 2017 SEA Games. (Photo: Justin Ong) However in the second game, Malaysia struck back. Andrea Lee outplayed Singapore's Mao Shi Hui in straight sets 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 to tie at 1-1 overall. The deciding game saw the battle of two youngsters as Singapore's Sneha Sivakumar, 16, took on Malaysia's Aifa Azman, 15. Sivakumar was left frustrated by a couple of refereeing decisions, but she was ultimately outplayed by her opponent, 3-0 Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/sea-games-singapore-take-men-s-team-gold-in-squash-9167426
SEA Games: Singapore men win first squash team gold in 22 years Singapore's Samuel Kang celebrating with his team mates after winning the SEA Games mens squash team finals against the Philippines on August 29, 2017. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY After four consecutive silvers, the Republic brings home the coveted title again By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 10:25 PM, August 29, 2017 Updated: 11:23 PM, August 29, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore won their first SEA Games gold in the men’s squash team event since 1995 on Tuesday evening (Aug 29) after beating the Philippines 2-1. The quartet of Vivian Rhamanan, Samuel Kang, Benedict Chan and Pang Ka Hoe triumphed at the Nicol David Arena at Bukit Jalil’s National Squash Centre against opponents who had knocked out defending champions and favourites Malaysia in the semi-finals on Monday. The Republic had beaten the Philippines 2-1 in the group stages and held their nerve for a second time – even with their top player Rhamanan ruled out due to a glute injury – to deny the latter a historic first team title. Debutant Pang, 21, drew first blood with a 3-0 (11-1, 11-3, 11-6) win over world no. 400 Reymark Begornia, but world no. 280 Robert Andrew Garcia hit back for the Philippines with a 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9) win against Chan, 20, another Games first-timer. It was left to Kang to bring it home for Singapore in the decider and the 26-year-old delivered, triumphing (11-4, 11-4, 11-5) against David William Pelino, who is ranked 153 places higher at world no. 350. “It’s one-all and you are playing the decider for the gold medal; there were nerves, but I tried to visualise this morning and last night, going into every possible scenario, so that helped me calm down a little bit,” said Kang. “I’ve played this guy before, I’ve been working very hard and I’m confident in my abilities, I knew I had to stay strong as everyone is going to give their best in the final, with the crowd behind me, I managed to push on and get the win.” The gold is Singapore’s fourth ever in the men’s team event and the first since Peter Hill, Anthony Chua, Ernest Tan and Zainal Abidin won 22 years ago at the Chiangmai Games. In the subsequent years that the team event was included in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2015, Singapore always finished second to Malaysia. Rhamanan and Kang were part of the team that won silver two years ago. Their female compatriots also made it to the final but fell 1-2 to defending champions Malaysia, who won a sixth consecutive gold in the team event. Pamela Chua beat Ooi Kah Yan 3-2 (12-10, 4-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9) in the first match, but Andrea Lee topped Mao Shi Hui 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6) to draw Malaysia level before Aifa Azman sealed a 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-4) win over Sneha Sivakumar to complete the comeback. The last Singapore women’s team to win gold was the class of 1993, which Mah Li Lian, Lina Ong, Della Lee and Josephine Choo. Singapore would lose to Malaysia in the finals for the next four editions, after which the team event was not contested until its return two years ago, where Singapore picked up bronze. Having swept the men’s and women’s jumbo doubles titles last Thursday, Singapore ended their squash campaign in Kuala Lumpur with three golds, two silvers (men’s doubles, women’s team) and five bronzes (men’s and women’s doubles, men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles).
SEA Games: Singapore's Sheik Farhan continues dad’s proud gold-medal winning tradition Sheik Farhan of Singapore controlled the match against Malaysia's Khaiul Yaacob. Photo: Huang Xiaolong/Sport Singapore By Low Lin Fhoong in Kuala Lumpur linfhoong@mediacorp.com.sg - Published: 9:23 PM, August 29, 2017 Updated: 10:44 PM, August 29, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — There were no tears, nor wild celebrations, as Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin strode off the competition mat at the Juara Stadium as the newly-crowned SEA Games champion in the men’s tanding class J (90 – 95kg). Just metres away, however, his father Sheik Alau’ddin was bent over a railing, sobbing as he watched his son – the fourth among his brood of six – claim the first gold for the 20-strong silat contingent at the Games. Farhan’s achievement was also a first SEA Games gold for Singapore’s most famous silat family after Sheik’s four titles at the regional Games. Up against Malaysian favourite Mohd Khaizuk Yaacob in the final, double world champion Farhan, who had won a joint bronze in the tanding class H two years ago, was in a class of his own, outwitting and outlasting his rival with his powerful punches and scissor kicks to claim a decisive 5-0 win. Cool and collected, the teenager remained composed even while ‘Majulah Singapura’ was played at the victory ceremony. Keeping a cool head had clearly worked among a crowd of loud, vocal Malaysian supporters, as he said: “I’m usually very calm and very quiet and that helps me to forget my nervousness and not feel any pressure.” While Farhan confessed that he was “crying inside”, he added: “It feels like winning my first world championship. This medal means a lot to me…it’s even sweeter that I’m the first one to win it, but I feel a bit upset because I wanted more of my teammates to win.” Farhan also paid tribute to his father, Sheik, who also won two world titles during his illustrious career as a national athlete. “He doesn’t get so teary so often, I think I will only understand that feeling if I have a kid so I’m just happy,” he said. “After I won, I went up to him, we hugged and he said I love you and thank you for the gold medal.” Nurzuhairah Mohammad Yazid added a second gold for Team Singapore on Tuesday night (Aug 29) after clinching the women’s artistic singles title. The 19-year-old Games debutant, who credited the sport for helping her stand up to her childhood bully, was delighted to win her first SEA Games gold. She said: “I’m very happy and very grateful that all my hard work had paid off. I want to dedicate this gold medal to my parents who supported my throughout my journey, my siblings and my teammates.” While delighted with Farhan’s and Nurzuhairah’s achievements, Sheik, who is also chief executive officer and head coach of the Singapore Silat Federation, was distraught to see the athletes miss out on their five-gold target. World champion Shakir Juanda and 2015 gold medallist (class F) Nur Alfian Juma’en were beaten in their respective finals in the men’s tanding class I and G, losing their bouts to Vietnam’s Nguyen Van Tri (5-0) and Nguyen Duy Tuyen (5-0). The SEA Games silat competition had been hit by accusations of unfair judging and scoring by Indonesia and Singapore, and Sheik said on Tuesday: “Those were tears of joy and sadness. I’m happy because Farhan won, but I’m upset because two of my strong fighters lost. “I’m angry with the situation, and very sad for my athletes because they worked very hard.” Despite their initial five-gold target, Team Singapore’s silat exponents ended their campaign at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games with two gold, four silver and six bronze medals. At the last Games held in Singapore, the Republic’s athletes won one gold, a silver and six bronze medals.
SEA Games: Singapore sailing pair strike gold in laser events Ryan Lo and Jillian Lee celebrating their wins. Photo: Sport Singapore Ryan Lo and Jillian Lee triumphed in their categories, while Radiance Koh, 13, became Singapore’s youngest medallist at this Games By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur- Published: 12:20 AM, August 30, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore doubled their gold medal tally at the 29th SEA Games in sailing on Tuesday afternoon (Aug 29) after winning the men’s laser standard and women’s laser radial titles. Ryan Lo won his first individual gold at the Games, while Jillian Lee struck gold on her Games debut on a fruitful day in Langkawi, which also brought a silver from Bernie Chin in the men’s laser radial and bronzes from Victor Teo and Radiance Koh in the Under-16 men’s and women’s optimist respectively. Lo, who won the team gold in the laser standard last Tuesday (Aug 22), and also has a silver in the same event from his debut in 2015, could barely express his delight at the win. “It feels really great and it’s beyond words, I came here hoping to achieve two gold medals and I’m glad I managed to do it and I’m really thankful,” the 20-year-old said. Currently serving National Service (NS) as a combat engineer, Lo was grateful that he had been allowed half a day off to train daily for the past three months in the lead-up to the Games. “I’m really happy but I need to thank a lot of people who have helped me along my journey – God, my parents, siblings, the Singapore Sailing federation, Sport Singapore and the guys in my army depot and Mindef,” he added. Lo, who will complete his NS next July, is looking forward to bigger things. “I need to prepare myself for the world championships in one week and I need to focus again,” he said. “The next big one will be the Asian Games (next year) and then the Olympic qualifiers, then eventually Tokyo 2020.” For 21-year-old Lee, individual triumph was especially sweet after she had missed it in the team laser radial last Tuesday. “After a disappointing silver medal in the team racing event, I was really determined to give it my all to win the individual event,” the National University of Singapore student said. “It pushed me to really deliver my best racing. The standard in South-east Asia is high and I was up against an Olympian in the Malaysian (Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif). I had to dig deep to pull this one out and I'm very happy to do Singapore proud.” She added: “My parents played a key role in this and I want to say thank you to them. My coaches and the federation are also some people I'm grateful to.” While the colour of her medal was not gold, Radiance’s bronze was remarkable as the 13-year-old became Singapore’s youngest medallist at this Games. The Nanyang Girls High student, also the youngest athlete in the Republic’s 568-strong contingent, admitted she had targeted a medal. “I feel very satisfied with my bronze because at the start of the event I was aiming for a podium position and I did it,” she told TODAY. “I feel that my experience has been a very fulfilling one and I’ve learned more about the support system and how the races go. “My future plans are to keep going for my sailing career and hopefully it will blossom. I'll definitely want to go for another major event so I can do Singapore proud.”
SEA Games: Team Singapore's top 10 moments Here are TODAY’s top 10 moments of the 2017 SEA Games. Which was your favourite? Photos: Jason Quah/TODAY, Sport Singapore Thanks for the memories, Team Singapore By Teo Teng Kiat in Kuala Lumpur Published: 7:27 PM, August 30, 2017 KUALA LUMPUR — Every two years, the SEA Games comes about and Singapore’s athletes make their mark in memorable fashion. In 2015 on home soil, we witnessed iconic images like that of Shanti Pereira crossing the 200m finish line first with a mixture of disbelief and joy on her face and silat exponent Nur Alfian Juma’en sobbing as he sang Majulah Singapura. Over the past three weeks, the 29th Kuala Lumpur Games has thrown up more defining moments from Team Singapore, who will return with their best ever away Games haul of 57 golds, 58 silvers and 73 bronzes. In no particular order, TODAY picks out the best 10. SINGAPORE’S OLDEST WOMEN’S TRACK RECORD FALLS She did not win any gold medals, but this Games will stay on long in Dipna Lim-Prasad’s memory. The 26-year-old finally achieved her aim of besting Chee Swee Lee’s 43-year old women’s 400m mark of 55.08sec, clocking 54.18s to become the first local female to go below 55s. Lowering the longest standing women’s track and field record in Singapore history by almost a full second was sensational, but what made it more remarkable was that Lim-Prasad had sustained an injury earlier this month and battled illness last month. Despite that, she managed to retain her silver in the 400m hurdles thanks to a stunning late burst that saw her go from fourth to second – perhaps a sign of what was to come in the 400m two days later. Lim-Prasad, who was also part of the 4x100m relay side that set a new national record at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, gave a quote for the ages after the 400m as a bonus. “F*** it, just run,” was how she described the moment she decided to go for broke in the race. Read more: Dipna Lim-Prasad conquers self-doubt to break Chee Swee Lee's 43-year-old 400m mark Dipna Lim-Prasad overcomes personal hurdles to win silver Singapore women break 4x100m national record A-QUAH-TIC PHENOM Her elder siblings have flown Singapore’s flag with distinction over the years and at this Games, Quah Jing Wen proved she could hold her own as well. The 16-year-old won individual golds in both the 100m and 200m butterfly – breaking Tao Li’s super-suit national mark for the latter – and three more in the relays to cap a successful second Games outing. It marked the coming of age for Jing Wen, who had won five golds and one silver at the Commonwealth Youth Games last month and all eyes will be on her to emulate and perhaps surpass her elder sister Ting Wen and brother Zheng Wen. Jing Wen will now be enrolled in the Texas A&M University to further her studies as well as swimming career and the hope is for her to blossom further in future. Read more: Quah Jing Wen wins 200m butterfly, sets new national record Quah Jing Wen wins Singapore's 44th gold medal for country's best-ever away haul Schooling’s a fan favourite again while Jing Wen’s star shines Quah siblings take centre stage as Singapore dominate the pool again HOLD ON TO YOUR HANDLEBARS Eight years on from his SEA Games debut, Calvin Sim rode into Singapore cycling’s history when he triumphed in the men’s omnium to end a 20-year gold-medal drought. The 27-year-old’s victory at the national velodrome in Nilai was the Republic’s first men’s gold in cycling since Bernard Wong won the point race in 1997 in Jakarta. It also meant that Sim’s return to the biennial Game ended in glory, having had to wait eight years on from his debut in Laos in 2009 due to various factors like National Service, studies and work commitments. Sim paid tribute to team-mate Goh Choon Huat for his crucial role in helping him to win and hopes his success, along with Luo Yiwei’s silver in the women’s omnium, will help take the sport further in Singapore. Read more: Calvin Sim wins Singapore's first men's cycling gold in 20 years "Without Choon Huat, this win wouldn't have been possible," says cycling champ Calvin Sim Debutant Luo Yiwei wins S’pore’s first-ever women's track cycling medal BOWLED OVER All eyes were on their female compatriots heading into the Games, but Singapore’s male keglers proved their mettle as they won a surprise gold in the team-of-five event. Muhammad Jaris Goh, Darren Ong, Cheah Ray Han, Basil Dill Ng, Keith Saw and makeup bowler Timothy Tham stunned the competition at the Sunway Mega Lanes to emerge on top and win the Republic’s first men’s team gold in 22 years. What made their feat even more remarkable was that the average age was just 20.1 years old. In other words, the last time Singapore won in 1995, Saw had barely just turned one, Goh was only over a month old, while Darren, Ray Han, Basil and Timothy were not even born yet. READ MORE: Singapore male bowlers stunned by first team gold in 22 years, dedicate triumph to late Henry Tan
PUTTING THEIR NAMES DOWN IN HISTORY The quartet of Gregory Foo, Joshua Shou, Marc Ong and Joshua Ho recorded a gold for Singapore’s history books after beating Thailand to win the men’s golf team event for the first time ever. Team Singapore’s golfers last won a gold in the sport at the 1989 Games, when Samson Gimson emerged tops in the individual category. It was a hard-fought matchplay contest that went into sudden death, where Ong, who settled for individual silver two days ago, kept his cool to help his side to a famous win. READ MORE: Singapore golfers win first-ever team gold ICE COOL FIGURE The first ever SEA Games winter sports gold was won by a Singaporean when Yu Shuran took the figure skating crown at the Malaysia National Ice Skating Stadium. The 17-year-old, who is based in Beijing and targeting qualification for the 2018 Winter Olympics, glided and spun her way into the judges’ hearts to clinch victory, though she admitted afterwards that her routines could be better. Team-mate Chloe Ing, 18, made it a one-two finish for Singapore by taking silver. Read more: Singapore's Yu Shuran creates history with ice-skating triumph KIDS CAN WIN TOO At the tender age of 13, Radiance Koh’s star looks set to shine bright after the sailor, who is the youngest member of Team Singapore’s 568-strong contingent, won bronze in the Under-16 women’s Optimist class. The Nanyang Girls High student had boldly targeted a podium finish in her Games debut and showed great determination to make it a reality. She will return home with quite a story to tell her classmates. Read more: Singapore sailing pair strike gold in laser events HOPING TO MAKE A RACKET AGAIN Can the glory days return to Singapore squash again? That is what the sport will be hoping after the men’s ended a 22-year wait for gold in the team event by beating the Philippines in the final. Samuel Kang held his hands to his head in disbelief after winning the point that gave the Republic their first men’s title since 1995, as his team-mates Benedict Chan, Pang Ka Hoe and Vivian Rhamanan leapt in delight. The women narrowly missed out on a first team gold since 1993 but the players hope their three-gold achievement, which also includes the men’s and women’s jumbo doubles titles, will lead to more support, as they look to challenge Malaysia’s hegemony. Read more: Singapore's squash players hope for more support after historic men's team gold DAD’S THE WORD Two years ago, Amita Berthier’s father told his daughter, then a volunteer at the Games, that she would make it to the competition one day. His faith was vindicated and more as 16-year-old Amita took to the piste this time and won gold in the women’s foil to cap a dream debut. It was an emotional triumph for the talented fencer as she dedicated the gold to her father, who passed away early last year. Compatriot Lau Ywen, 17, the 2016 World Junior champion, added to the gold tally by taking the women’s sabre crown to seal her comeback from a serious back injury. Read more: Dream debut ends on an emotional note for fencer Amita Lau Ywen caps remarkable return from injury by winning fencing gold ARCH OF TRIUMPH Six years ago, Michelle Sng decided to hang up her high jump spikes at the Bukit Jalil Stadium. Returning to the venue for the first time since that decision, the 30-year-old came full circle in the best possible way by winning Singapore’s first gold in 52 years. It was only the Republic’s second ever gold in the women’s event after Cheong Wai Hing’s victory at the 1965 edition and the waterworks was in full flow during the victory ceremony for Sng, who only made her comeback to the sport in 2014. Read more: Michelle Sng wins Singapore's first women’s high jump gold in 52 years after successful appeal
Voices Thank you, Team S’pore, for going beyond sporting excellence From Kok Mei Hui - Published: 4:00 AM, September 1, 2017 I have been following Singapore sports closely since 2015. This year, we have had some surprise losses and wins (Well done, Team Singapore — here’s an A–; Aug 31). The price of losing a gold medal and/or not breaking one’s personal best is heavy. Competitions like the SEA Games, Asean Para Games and the Asian Games are, however, about more than the wins, medals or record-breaking performances. I believe Team Singapore and their Asean counterparts have displayed excellence, friendship and respect. I will support Team Singapore because they have striven hard during training and fought competitively alongside their counterparts. They have also shown fair play, resilience and team unity, especially our swimmers in the relays. Their determination and hard work shall surely be passed on year after year. To all our athletes, thank you for being great Singaporeans.
