Singapore Sports Scene

Discussion in 'Chit-Chat' started by Loh, Jan 13, 2016.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.goal.com/en-my/lists/fr...a0yhz185o5hcf7phpw#1sffqscmu705m16f98n5oaq0hn

    From Ilhan Fandi to Farhan Zulkifli - Meet the future of Singapore

    Jay Parmar
    Last updated 2 days ago
    09:00 28/4/20

    We take a look at some of the country's finest talents born in the 21st century

    Singapore might not have had too many superstars throughout its young history, but there's no denying we've seen some truly exciting players donning the jersey of the national team.

    The legendary Fandi Ahmad dancing past opponents was a sight to behold, while Nazri Nasir leading the Lions to AFF Cup glory in 1998 is something most Singaporeans still fondly remember. The likes of Daniel Bennett and Mohd Noh Alam Shah were instrumental in more AFF Cup success in 2004 and 2007, with Shahril Ishak one of the shining lights in 2012.

    It has been dark days for Singapore since, though, regardless of the presence of the supremely talented Hariss Harun.

    The Lions failed to make it through the group stages at the AFF Cup in 2014, 2016 and 2018 and have started to build on a new team, with promising youngster Ikhsan Fandi quite possibly the standout performer in Singapore's most recent outings.

    From Hariss Harun to Khairin Nadim - Meet Singapore Premier League's youngest debutants

    It might be upon the next generation to turn Singapore into a force to be reckoned with again, however, as there are a number of hot prospects around in the game who were all born after January 1, 2000.

    We look at some of the best players around in that age category as we present #NxGnSg, the wonderkids representing the future of Singapore.

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    1. <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-917804496&quality=60&w=300" alt="Ilhan Fandi" />
      Goal x Adidas
      Ilhan Fandi | 08-11-2002 | Young Lions
      First up on the list, and probably the biggest name of the lot, is the Young Lions’ energetic striker, Ilhan Fandi. The third son of Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad, Ilhan is looking to make waves in the local game, having made his league debut last season.

      Aged just 17, the young attacker already has experience playing abroad, having turned out for the i2i Football Academy in England, a prestigious youth setup with links to Leeds United.

      With three goals in his first five appearances for Young Lions, Ilhan will look to follow in the footsteps of his two older brothers Irfan and Ikhsan, who play for Thailand’s BG Pathum United and Norway’s Raufoss IL, respectively.

    2. [​IMG]
    3. <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-917804496&quality=60&w=300" alt="Farhan Zulkifli" />
      AIA Singapore Premier League
      Farhan Zulkifli | 10-11-2002 | Hougang United
      Already a household name in Singapore football despite his relative inexperience, 17-year-old Farhan Zulkifli became the SPL’s second-youngest goalscorer when he netted on his debut against Home United in 2019.

      Farhan has already been called up by the national team and was described as a “player who can bring the ball 30m” by Singapore manager Tatsuma Yoshida.

      Having started Hougang’s SPL opener against Young Lions and been selected for centralised training with the national team, 2020 could be a huge season for Farhan.

      FULL STORY: From NFA rejection to Singapore call-up aged 16 - Inside the meteoric rise of Hougang hotshot Farhan Zulkifli

    4. [​IMG]
    5. <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-916027984&quality=60&w=300" alt="Marc-Ryan Tan" />
      Goal x Adidas
      Marc-Ryan Tan | 08-01-2002 | Young Lions
      Yet another youngster with familial football heritage, Malaysia Cup hero Steven Tan’s son, Marc-Ryan, seems to have the world at his feet. Fleet-footed and nimble, the winger has displayed the quality and willingness to take players on and provide the X-factor for his side.

      Having trained with the academies of English sides West Ham, Wolves, Stoke and Charlton back in 2016, Marc-Ryan now plays for the Young Lions in the SPL, and made his professional debut in March when he came off the bench against Geylang International.

      With his sights set firmly on the national team, the 18-year-old could be set to form a lethal partnership with Ilhan Fandi in the Young Lions strikeforce this season.

      FULL STORY: Meet Marc Ryan Tan - The globetrotting youngster who models his game on Sterling

    6. [​IMG]
    7. <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-913742080&quality=60&w=300" alt="Zikos Chua" />
      Zikos Chua | 15-04-2002 | Geylang International
      Looking to recover from a serious ACL injury sustained last August, Singaporean-Greek striker Zikos Chua will once again don the green and white kit of Geylang in the SPL this season. Having already notched five goals in 13 games for Geylang, the Ultras Eagles will be eagerly awaiting the return of their 17-year-old starboy to the fold.

      A strong, physical striker with an instinctive ability to finish, Zikos displayed his prowess in front of goal on numerous occasions for both club and country, having made 13 appearances for Singapore’s age-group sides and scoring eight goals.

      As his return from injury nears, it is hoped that the 1.84m centre forward will be able to recapture the form that made him one of Singapore’s brightest young talents.

    8. [​IMG]
    9. <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-910420368&quality=60&w=300" alt="Iman Hakim" />
      Albirex Niigata
      Iman Hakim | 09-03-2002 | Albirex Niigata (S)
      Winner of the 2019 Dollah Kassim award, the hugely exciting Iman Hakim has signed for SPL giants Albirex Niigata (S) this season and is all set for a training stint in Europe, one of his rewards for winning the coveted youth prize.

      A member of the Singapore AFF Under-18 side that travelled to Chonburi last year, Iman showed his maturity and class on the pitch despite some underwhelming results for the team.

      Having made an impressive start to life at Albirex, Iman could become the first local player to become a mainstay in the Albirex side since one of his own idols, Adam Swandi, in 2018.
     
    #461 Loh, Apr 30, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2020
  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    • [​IMG] <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-915016560&quality=60&w=300" alt="Harhyss Stewart" />
      FAS

      Harhys Stewart | 20-03-2001 | Young Lions
      The younger brother of Ryhan Stewart, 18-year-old Harhys operates primarily as a defensive midfielder, and made his debut this season as he started the Young Lions’ opening few league games.

      Harhys, who is versatile enough to play across the backline as well, has been described by Singapore Under-18 coach Fadzuhasny Juraimi as a hugely committed player, whose dedication earned him a starting spot in Singapore’s age-group teams. His most recent outing for the national team came at the Jockey Youth Cup in Hong Kong last year.

      Having looked promising in the opening stages of the season, Harhys will be looking to kick on, and if all goes to plan, earn himself a senior national team call-up in the near future.
    • [​IMG] <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-917804496&quality=60&w=300" alt="Khairin Nadim" />
      AIA Singapore Premier League

      Khairin Nadim | 08-05-2004 | Young Lions
      The youngest player on the list, and one that has been all over the back pages recently, is 15-year-old forward Khairin Nadim. Having come on as a substitute against Hougang on matchday one of the 2020 campaign, the striker became the first-ever player below the age of 16 to play in the league.

      Despite having yet to score for the Young Lions, young Khairin has already netted twice for Singapore Under-16, with one of those being a wonderful solo goal against North Korea U-16 at the AFC Under-16 Championship 2020 Qualifiers.

      Having been regarded as a special talent by coaches and pundits alike, it could be a while before we see Khairin in the national fold, but given his irrepressible talent, it seems more a question of when, rather than if.
    • [​IMG] <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-912457888&quality=60&w=300" alt="Veer Karan Sobti" />
      FAS

      Veer Karan Sobti | 06-05-2004 | Young Lions
      Perhaps the most obscure, and yet one of the most exciting names on this list is that of 15-year-old goalkeeper, Veer Karan Sobti. Yet to make his professional debut, Sobti has been hugely impressive at national age-group level, leading to him signing his first pro-contract with the Young Lions this season.

      Having been selected for a trial at Cardiff City after being spotted by scouts while on a training tour in Prague, the 1.78m stopper impressed the Welsh club’s coaches so much he was invited back for a second, six-day trial in October last year.

      With Singapore U-16 struggling greatly at tournaments like the AFF U-16 and AFC U-16 Qualifiers, huge credit must go to Sobti for his stellar performances in goal, which helped keep the scoreline respectable on more than one occasion.

      Given his excellent displays between the sticks, Sobti looks set to continue to the rich tradition of Singapore producing great goalkeepers.
    • [​IMG] <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-911518592&quality=60&w=300" alt="Jacob Mahler" />
      FAS

      Jacob Mahler | 20-04-2000 | Young Lions
      And then we have the Young Lions’ captain fantastic, Jacob Mahler. Just 20 this year, Jacob has already made his senior debut for Singapore, with three caps to his name to date. In what was a landmark moment in the young midfielder’s fledgling career, he made his AFF Suzuki Cup bow away in the Philippines back in 2018.

      Having made 30+ appearances for the Young Lions and scoring three goals, Jacob operates primarily as a holding midfielder, but can also be deployed at centre back or as an attacking midfielder. Should he manage to follow up his assured performances from last year with another solid campaign, the versatile midfield handyman could be set for a big move abroad.

    • [​IMG] <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-911026528&quality=60&w=300" alt="Jordan Vestering" />
      AIA Singapore Premier League

      Jordan Vestering | 25-09-2000 | Hougang United
      Despite being aged just 19 years old, Jordan Vestering has been around a long time, having made his professional debut as early as 2018. Since then, the Singaporean-Dutch footballer has made over 30 appearances for his club Hougang, including one in the AFC Cup, when he started against Yangon United in this season’s 1-0 defeat.

      A hardworking left-back with pace to burn, Vestering was also part of Singapore squad for last year’s SEA Games, and is rapidly building an expansive CV. He has a knack for scoring goals too, netting twice in the league for Hougang and once for Singapore Under-22 in a friendly against Macau.

      Set to face big, powerful strikers in the league and AFC Cup this year, Vestering will have the opportunity to hone his game further and test himself against the best.

    • [​IMG] <img src="https://images.daznservices.com/di/...t=-908720432&quality=60&w=300" alt="Ryhan Stewart" />
      FAS

      Ryhan Stewart | 15-02-2000 | Young Lions
      Given his solid performances for both club and country over the past two seasons, it was rather surprising that no foreign club jumped on the opportunity to sign 20-year-old Ryhan after his former side Warriors FC were ordered to sit out the 2020 season.

      After a breakout 2019 season in which he made 28 first team appearances, the versatile youngster eventually signed for the Young Lions ahead of the 2020 SPL campaign.

      Capable of playing both in midfield and at fullback, Ryhan has played a lot of football despite his tender age. Playing 2,355 minutes across 28 matches for Warriors last season followed by a draining SEA Games campaign in the close-season, he is very much the experienced campaigner already.

      At 20, this season could be his chance to earn a move either abroad, or to either a bigger local club
     
  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094733/singapore-olympic-foundation-scholarship


    Singapore youth sports scholarship reaches 10th year
    By Michael Houston
    • Thursday, 28 May 2020

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    The Singapore Foundation-Peter Lim scholarship is celebrating its 10th year of funding promising athletes with more grants given to under 18s this year.

    Funded by Singapore businessman Peter Lim who the scholarship is named after, it has been running since 2011 giving 2,930 recipients in 54 sports a total of $8 million (£6.5 million/€7.2 million) to support sport.

    This year 289 recipients in 32 sports from 194 schools will receive a total of $825,000 (£670,000/€746,000) this year with 53 of those qualifying for the high performance category.

    Those who reached this upper tier come from sports including cycling, ice hockey, jiu-jitsu, softball and water polo who all have athletes in the high performance level for the first time.

    Traditionally those who win funding from the SOF-Peter Lim Scholarship would attend a ceremony for their awards, however due to the COVID-19 outbreak it will not be possible.

    Recipients will instead have the amounts deposited to their bank accounts.

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    Peter Lim will fund the scholarship until at least 2030 ©Getty Images
    SOF chairman Ng Ser Miang said: "Pursuing sports excellence is life changing - it gives inspiration and hope.

    "Over the past 10 years, Mr Lim's continued generosity has allowed many young Singapore athletes to pursue and excel in their sporting dreams.

    "It stemmed from his simple wish that no young athlete be held back, or have unrealised potential because of financial difficulties."

    Lim started the fund when Singapore hosted the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and has since extended his commitment to the programme by funding the scholarship until 2030.

    Those who have benefited from the scholarship have gone on to represent Singapore at various major events, with 13 going to the Olympics, 77 to the Asian Games, 28 to the Commonwealth Games and 146 to the Southeast Asian Games.

    Among those awarded is Putri Nur Syaliza Binte Sazali who at 16 is the youngest footballer to play for the Singapore national women's team and in 2018 had scored on her debut for the nation at the age of 14.

    Despite her talent, her family's financial difficulties have made the support very helpful.

    The eight-time recipient said: "The scholarship has really helped me a lot over the years.

    "It was very difficult for me when I needed the money to get good sports equipment."

    Four-time recipient of the scholarship and 2019 SEA Games gold medal winning short track speed skater Xu Jing Feng became part of the high performance team for the first time.

    He said: "Last year, the funds helped defray my competition fees and equipment expenses which were necessary for my SEA Games preparations.

    "This year, I'm planning to replace my skating boots which are coming apart after four and a half years, and hope to use the scholarship funds to cover the replacement."

    Lim has a vested interest in football as the owner of Spanish side Valencia and having a 40 per cent share of English fourth-tier team Salford City, known for their link to former Manchester United players, who also part-own the club.
     
  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.tnp.sg/sports/others/singapore-floorball-association-makes-remarkable-turnaround-4-years
    Singapore Floorball Association makes remarkable turnaround in 4 years

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    Singapore's women floorball team celebrating after retaining the SEA Games gold last year. TNP FILE PHOTO

    [​IMG]
    SFA's current president Kenneth Ho.TNP FILE PHOTO
    Singapore Floorball Association attains IPC status, after previous chief left it in a muddle in 2016
    [​IMG]
    Narendaren Karnageran

    Jul 30, 2020 06:00 am

    From being mired in a financial mess four years ago, the Singapore Floorball Association (SFA) has made a remarkable turnaround, attaining Institutions of a Public Character (IPC) status earlier this month.

    An organisation with IPC status is allowed to issue tax- deductible receipts for donors.

    Among the considerations for IPC status approval is whether the governing board members are capable of proper administration of the organisation and whether there are sufficient policies and plans in place to ensure that it is well-run.

    Being granted IPC status is vindication of the good work SFA president Kenneth Ho and his team have put in, which has also showed on the court, as both the national men's and women's teams have performed with distinction in recent tournaments.

    Last year, the women's team retained the SEA Games gold and placed 12th at the World Floorball Championship (WFC), their best-ever showing since the tournament switched to a one-division format in 2011.

    The men's team won a SEA Games silver, adding to the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup, which the women's team also won in 2018.

    Ho, 33, credited the open and transparent nature of their financial dealings - as well as having proper bookkeeping and auditing processes in place - as instrumental in getting the house in order.



    He added that the IPC status bodes well for the sport's future.

    "We got the sport back on track," Ho told The New Paper.

    "We have to thank Sport Singapore for their support and their recognition, we are able to stand up again. The IPC news charts a good future for the sport.

    "That said, we are still a growing sport and our office is also growing. So there will be hiccups along the way, but we are always looking to improve ourselves."

    The IPC status will also allow SFA to apply for a matching grant from SportSG, which would go a long way in defraying overseas competition expenses, among others.

    Donors also stand to benefit as they would be able to claim tax relief from their assessable income at the prevailing rate for the amount made out to SFA.

    Already, the SFA has received $8,888 from an anonymous donor amid this Covid-19 crisis.

    The current glow is in stark contrast to the gloomy scenario four years ago.

    In May 2016, a police report was lodged against Sani Mohamed Salim, the then-SFA president, for misappropriating the association's funds.

    In 2018, Sani was jailed for three counts of forgery and two criminal breach of trust charges involving $114,860 in total.

    CHARGES
    Nine similar charges involving another $31,200 were considered during sentencing.

    Sani's actions left SFA with outstanding debts totalling about $139,000 as of June 2016 and a bank balance which showed it owed $32.87.

    Not surprisingly, there was an exodus of sponsors.

    But, with SportSG's help and under the stewardship of Ho, who was elected as interim head in May 2016, SFA has since hauled itself out of the muddle.

    It doesn't stop there for Ho and his team.

    The SFA is looking at ways in which it can give back to the community.

    Said Ho: "We would like to give back to donors and sponsors as well. For example, floorball players who have recently completed their studies may find it tough landing jobs during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    "So SFA hopes to link these players to our donors and sponsors, who may have job openings or valuable internships.

    "Also, with more donors and sponsors, there are more opportunities for players to compete both locally and overseas which, in turn, give mileage to the brands that have endorsed us."

    On the court, there's no letting up. The men's team are eyeing a historic top-12 finish at December's WFC in Finland.

    Ranked world No. 16, the Republic are drawn with Australia (13), Canada (11) and Japan (17) in the group stage.
     
  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...-singapore-from-sea-games-gold-hunt-next-year

    Water polo: Coronavirus will not stop Singapore from SEA Games gold hunt next year
    [​IMG]
    Singapore water polo has been rebuilding for next year's campaign.PHOTO: SNOC
    Published
    Aug 12, 2020, 11:12 pm SGT

    Nicole Chia
    cnicole@sph.com.sg

    SINGAPORE - Like many of their South-east Asian rivals, the national men's water polo team faced several challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, chief among them circuit breaker measures that saw the athletes being unable to train in the swimming pool.

    But these hurdles will not stop them from returning to the top of the SEA Games podium in Vietnam next year, insisted Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) vice-president (water polo) Dominic Soh.

    Since suffering heartbreak at the biennial Games in the Philippines last year, when the men's team were beaten to gold for the first time at the biennial event, Singapore water polo has been rebuilding for next year's campaign.

    With sports facilities closed during the circuit breaker, athletes adapted by doing "water polo-specific" exercises at home such as pushing off the wall to simulate shaking off an opponent. Soh said: "We still have that same confidence (of regaining gold). Everyone in the world is affected. We're all at the same starting line.

    "With the team being larger, you also have more options in terms of how to choose the team make-up, so that raises confidence."

    To build camaraderie and communication within the team and among players, the coach and officials, they also decided to involve athletes in the selection of their team leaders. While the captain and vice-captain were previously appointed by officials, players can now nominate one captain and two vice-captains according to certain criteria for assessment by team officials.

    "This will really help in rallying the team together and building the team's bond, therefore growing the strength of the team," added Soh.

    The 59-year-old will return unopposed for his second two-year term at the SSA's annual general meeting next Thursday. Nominations for its executive committee positions closed on Aug 5 with no contests for all 10 positions.

    In addition to reclaiming the men's water polo SEA Games gold, his other priorities are to continue strengthening the youth development system and improve the quality of coaching here.

    Back at training, but no contact[/paste:font]
    Powwow puts water polo in right frame of mind for SEA Games, Asiad[/paste:font]

    Recalling how there were no selection trials for the 2018 Asian Games with only 13 players, Soh said the national youth development squad's formation when he took office that year was aimed at grooming male and female players to be ready for the senior teams.

    Also on the cards is a more comprehensive programme to ensure a smoother and more effective transition from the development squad to the senior teams. This includes paying closer attention to each player's progress via a journal that tracks their development, with coaches providing advice and guidance.

    Noting that there was no formalised system previously as they relied on the "hand-me-down" personal experiences of coaches who were former national players, Soh said that this is crucial to ensure continuity and maintain standards.

    "Through this structured process, we hope to increase the rate of success with regard to producing high-quality players, he added.

    Soh will be aided in his quest by Lee Thin Cheong, who is set to replace Ang Ban Leong as assistant secretary-general of water polo.

    SSA president Lee Kok Choy said Lee's addition is a boon for the team, saying: "Thin Cheong has been team manager for the men's water polo team since 2014 and he was a former national player himself. Given the fact he's willing to commit extra effort and time, understands the direction of our water polo (efforts) and works very well with Dominic, he's a very good asset to the team."
     
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/yog-helped-li-feel-rooted-to-nation

    YOG helped Li feel rooted to nation

    Published
    Aug 23, 2020, 5:00 am SGT

    [​IMG]

    Laura Chia

    "When I saw my last shot hit the net, yes I was disappointed but… one by one, the people in the crowd got to their feet and started cheering for me like I'd won the game, even though I didn't.

    "I realised there's beauty in defeat and I found family in the crowd because who else would cheer for you in the midst of defeat?

    "The lesson I had there was that failure is never final and there's so much more ahead."

    Carrying this sentiment with her, Li went on to compete in the 2011, 2013 and 2015 SEA Games, bagging a total of two team golds and two singles silvers.

    But a SEA Games singles gold proved elusive and, in 2015, she injured her knee, resulting in a group-stage exit on home ground.

    As she recovered from the injury, Li focused on her studies and, during that time, realised that she wanted to pursue other things.

    Her final outing in national colours was the 2016 World Team Championships in Selangor.

    Li said the injury was a huge disappointment, and "not going as far as I'd wished in the 2015 SEA Games made it harder" to retire as she "wanted to end on a good note".

    "I didn't want to make it seem like I was quitting on something but I was at peace with myself because I knew I was moving on instead of quitting," said Li, who enrolled in Yale-National University of Singapore College to study liberal arts after the 2015 Games.

    She says her YOG experience will always remain close to her heart.

    "It helped me feel rooted to Singapore and my identity as a Singaporean became stronger," she said.

    "Little things like that motivate me to want to contribute to my community and society, so the YOG had a greater impact than just within table tennis."
     
  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...ia-goutseva-appointed-new-national-head-coach

    Artistic swimming: Belarusian Anastasia Goutseva appointed new national head coach

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    Belarusian Anastasia Goutseva replaces Venezuelan Geraldine Narvaez, whose two-year deal ended in Aug 2020.PHOTO: COURTESY OF SINGAPORE SWIMMING ASSOCIATION

    PUBLISHED
    SEP 15, 2020, 6:02 PM SGT

    Laura Chia

    SINGAPORE - Having made their mark in South-east Asia by topping the medal table at the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games, Singapore’s artistic swimming team is aiming to shine on an even bigger stage next year.

    Artistic swimming duet Debbie Soh and Miya Yong have set their sights on becoming the first Singaporeans in the discipline to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, while the team is aiming to compete at the 2022 Asian Games. And they will be counting on newly appointed head coach Anastasia Goutseva to help them achieve their goals.

    The 45-year-old Belarusian was announced as the new artistic swimming head coach by the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) yesterday. She replaces Venezuelan Geraldine Narvaez, whose two-year deal ended last month.

    The ex-artistic swimmer shares a connection with the Singapore team, as she had previously worked with its former consultant coach, the late Julie Sauve who died in April, when the duo were coaching the Canadian national team.

    Soh, who has won five SEA Games gold medals, noted Sauve had previously “spoken highly” of Goutseva.

    “Before Julie left us, she spoke of a coach who had been her assistant for six years under the Canadian Olympic team.” said the 22-year-old. “We didn’t know who it was yet at that time, but I do know that Anastasia was spoken highly of by Julie.

    “With how Julie touched our lives, we trust in the process and will work hard to achieve our Olympic dreams to honour Julie’s legacy and her belief that we have the ability to be the first Singaporean artistic swimmers to make it (to the Olympics).”

    A former junior athlete, Goutseva represented the Soviet Union from 1982 to 1991. She later competed for Belarus at the Fina World Championships and European Championships from 1991 to 1998.

    As a coach, she worked with the Canadians from 2010 to 2016, leading the team and the duet of Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon and Elise Marcotte to fourth-place finishes at the 2012 London Olympics.

    Prior to that stint, she had also coached the Greek national team from 2005 to 2009.

    With artistic swimming omitted from the SEA Games schedule in the Philippines last year, Goutseva’s first task will be to help the team retain its top spot in the region if the discipline makes a return to the Hanoi SEA Games next year.

    Ariel Sng, who competes in the team event, said: “We are looking forward to working with Anastasia. With her wealth of experience in the sport, we hope that together, Singapore artistic swimming will continue to reach new heights and retain its position as the top artistic swimming country in the region.”

    SSA vice-president of artistic swimming Steve Chew said yesterday: “Anastasia, with her wealth of experience coaching Olympic teams and a proven track record at international competitions, will build on this and take Singapore artistic swimming to even greater heights.”
     
  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/swimming-siblings-quah-zheng-wen-ting-wen-up-for-top-honours-at-singapore-sports-awards

    Swimming siblings Quah Zheng Wen, Ting Wen up for top honours at Singapore Sports Awards

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    Siblings Quah Zheng Wen (left) and Quah Ting Wen are among the nominees for this year's Singapore Sports Awards.PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, DESMOND WEE
    PUBLISHED
    OCT 11, 2020, 6:27 PM SGT
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    Kimberly Kwek

    SINGAPORE - Quah swimming siblings Zheng Wen and Ting Wen could create history at the Singapore Sports Awards this month by becoming the first brother and sister pair to win the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year after both earned nominations for their achievements last year.

    Their younger sister Jing Wen is also in the running for the Sportsgirl of the Year award.

    Ting Wen is up against Cheyenne Goh (ice skating), Tessa Neo (shooting) and Cherie Tan (bowling) for the Sportswoman of the Year gong.

    The 28-year-old, who won six gold medals at last year’s SEA Games in the Philippines, said the nomination is a form of encouragement for the trio.

    “It’s particularly meaningful because 2019-2020 has not been an easy year for us and there have been many transitions and challenges, but we are still hanging on to our dream of being in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics together representing Singapore,” she said on Sunday (Oct 11).

    Ting Wen, who is in Budapest to compete for International Swimming League team, DC Trident, also lowered the 50m freestyle national record twice and the 100m free record four times last year.

    Zheng Wen, 24, will have to fend off the challenge from fellow nominees, veteran billiards world champion Peter Gilchrist - who took home his first Sportsman award in 2014 - and silat exponent Sheik Ferdous Sheik Alau'ddin.

    Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, who won the accolade six times in 2012 and 2015-2019, is not in the running this year.

    Zheng Wen, who is an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, is gunning for his first Sportsman accolade after making a splash at the SEA Games in the Philippines last year, where he was named the Games' Most Valuable Player for male athletes after bagging six golds and two silvers.

    The finalists for the awards were revealed by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) in a press statement on Sunday. Organised by the SNOC and Sport Singapore, and supported by the Tote Board Group, the Sports Awards honour the most deserving individuals and teams in sports for 2019.

    This year's awards on Oct 28 will also see a newcomer crowned Sportswoman of the Year, with the nominees comprising Ting Wen (swimming), Cheyenne Goh (ice skating), Tessa Neo (shooting), and Cherie Tan (bowling).

    The heroics of the national men's softball team also earned them a nomination for Team of the Year (Team Sport) alongside the women's floorball team. Last year was a breakthrough season for the softball team, who competed at the Men's Softball World Championship for the first time since 1992 before going on to clinch a first-ever gold medal at the SEA Games.

    The nomination came as a pleasant surprise for former captain Ivan Ng, who retired after the SEA Games.

    The 32-year-old, who had captained the team for a decade, said: "It was fortunate that we made history and that motivated a lot of youngsters, who want to continue this legacy. It was great not just for softball in Singapore but those overseas too because they now think it's possible to turn the tide.

    "For myself, it was great to end with the historic SEA Games gold and this nomination is unexpected so it's the cherry on top."

    It was also a memorable year for the women's floorball team, who won Team of the Year (Team Sport) in 2018, as they successfully defended their SEA Games gold medal with a 3-2 win over Thailand in the final.

    Less than a week later, they were back in action at the Women's World Floorball Championship in Neuchatel, Switzerland, where they finished in their best-ever position of 12th.

    Swimming: Quah siblings reunited and regrouping for Olympic Games[/paste:font]
    Singapore finish 12th for their best result at Women's World Floorball Championship[/paste:font]
    Softball: National men's team aiming for home runs on bigger stage after SEA Games gold[/paste:font]
    Louise Khng, the women’s team coach from 2017 till January this year, said: “It’s a recognition of their hard work and performances in the last year. They play well as a unit and that’s really important in team sports because it helps when we face tough opponents in events of the highest level.”

    The 37-year-old was also grateful to be one of the six nominees in the Coach of the Year category, adding: “I would have never expected to be nominated for such an award.”

    The Straits Times' Sazali Abdul Aziz and Rohit Brijnath are among the four nominees for the Most Inspiring Sport Story of the Year. The other two nominees are Chia Han Keong of Yahoo News Singapore and Justin Kor of the SNOC.

    This year's main awards selection committee was chaired by SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin and the selection committee for the Sportsboy and Sportsgirl awards was helmed by its vice-president Jessie Phua.

    This year's winners will be announced at a presentation ceremony on Oct 28, which will only be attended by finalists owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event will be streamed live on SNOC's Facebook page.

    Phua, chairman of the award's organising committee, said: "While we are unable to gather for the awards ceremony this year, it doesn't mean we can't still celebrate the sporting fraternity's achievements in the last year.

    "Our heartiest congratulations to the finalists, and we hope that supporters will tune in on Oct 28 to cheer on the winners."

    THE NOMINEES:
    Sportsman of the Year: Peter Edward Gilchrist (Cuesports), Quah Zheng Wen (Swimming), Sheik Ferdous Sheik Alau'ddin (Silat)

    Sportswoman of the Year: Cheyenne Goh (Ice skating), Tessa Neo (Shooting), Quah Ting Wen (Swimming), Cherie Tan (Bowling)

    Sportsboy of the Year: Darren Chua (Swimming), Muhammad Hazim Mohd Yusli (Silat), Koen Pang (Table Tennis)

    Sportsgirl of the Year: Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier (Fencing), Siti Khadijah Mohamed Shahrem (Silat), Quah Jing Wen (Swimming), Arianne Tay (Bowling)

    Coach of the Year: Gao Ning (Table Tennis), Mulyo Handoyo (Badminton), Kirill Ivanov (Shooting), Louise Khng (Floorball), Stephan Widmer (Swimming), Jason Yeong-Nathan (Bowling)

    Team of the Year (Team Sport): Floorball women's team, softball men's team

    Team of the Year (Event): Swimming women's 4x200m freestyle team (2019 SEA Games), ice skating men's team 3,000m relay team (2019 SEA Games), bowling women's team of four (2019 SEA Games), fencing women's foil team (2019 SEA Games), silat men's artistic team (2019 SEA Games), underwater hockey women's team (2019 SEA Games)

    Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Team of the Year (Event): Bowling mixed team (2019 World Junior Bowling Championships), table tennis men's doubles team (2019 SEA Games)

    Best Sports Event of the Year (Local): OCBC Cycle 2019, Play Inclusive 2019, Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2019

    Best Sports Event of the Year (International): FINA Swimming World Cup 2019, HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2019, 2019 International Champions Cup Singapore presented by AIA, Super League Triathlon Singapore

    Most Inspiring Sport Story of the Year: Is Singapore truly a sporting city? by Muhammad Sazali Abdul Aziz (The Straits Times), Heroes are found on all types of wheels by Rohit Brijnath (The Straits Times), World champ Constance Lien wants to give back after her second chance in sport by Chia Han Keong (Yahoo News Singapore), Sharpshooter's 80-year passion for basketball by Justin Kor (SNOC)

    Best Sports Photo of the Year: Andy Chua, Leandro Ngo, Lim Sau Boon, Lim Weixiang, Kohei Ueno
     
  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.tnp.sg/sports/team-singapore/floorballer-hafiz-zubirs-finnish-stint-paying-dividends
    Floorballer Hafiz Zubir’s Finnish stint paying dividends

    [​IMG]
    Hafiz Zubir has been playing for Finnish third-tier floorball team Classic United since last September. PHOTO: HAFIZ ZUBIR
    His coach at Classic United says he can develop into a top-tier player in the No. 1-ranked floorball nation
    [​IMG]
    Narendaren Karnageran

    Oct 12, 2020 06:00 am

    Singaporean floorballer Hafiz Zubir's gamble a year ago to test himself in the sport's top-ranked nation is starting to pay dividends.

    Since signing a one-season deal with Finland's Classic United last September, the forward's career path has been fraught with challenges.

    However, he continued to push boundaries, earning another season's contract at the third-tier club and a recall to the national set-up.

    The 30-year-old did not take long to repay the faith shown in him, getting on the scoresheet in United's 10-6 season-opening win over Mailattomat on Oct 3 in Group A of the Suomisarja.

    "I took it (playing in Finland) as a challenge, I just wanted to push myself," the Tampere-based Hafiz told The New Paper.

    "I have won quite a few titles in Singapore (six with Black Wondersticks), so I wanted to move to push my boundaries and get out of my comfort zone.

    [​IMG]
    TEAM SINGAPORE
    Quah siblings up for 4 gongs at Singapore Sports Awards
    Oct 12, 2020
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    "Also, last year, I was dropped from the national team, so I didn't want to sit around and pity myself."

    Hafiz enjoyed a great start to his overseas stint 12 months ago, bagging a goal on his home debut, but the financial burden was beginning to take a toll.

    With a pay packet absent from his initial deal and a protracted visa complication hindering Hafiz from securing a job, his gamble had begun eating into his savings.

    "It was getting tough, but I weighed the pros and cons. I thought about my goals and I felt I had to persevere," he said.

    And that was exactly what he did. Focusing on why he moved over 9,000km away from home, Hafiz worked his socks off to merit 12 appearances for United, contributing six goals and three assists.

    It was the kind of form that clinched him a national-team spot for the World Floorball Championship (WFC) qualifiers in March, with coach Lim Jin Quan also impressed with Hafiz's eagerness to keep abreast of team tactics.

    "His aggression, tactical movement and finishing are three areas where progress has been most evident," said Lim.

    "He was called up due to his ability, and how quickly he was able to adapt to the team's tactics and gel with the team. This was possible because of his willingness to consistently communicate with the coaching team and his teammates to stay up to date with the tactical changes."

    BLOW
    While Hafiz put in a Man-of-the-Match display in the 7-6 friendly loss to Australia in February, his hopes of representing Singapore competitively again suffered a blow when the qualifiers were scrapped due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    Then came the double whammy. Within days of returning to Finland, he learnt that the league had been annulled, possibly damaging his chances of earning a new contract.

    With his savings depleting and the prospect of furthering his floorball career in tatters, Hafiz found himself at a crossroads again.

    "I felt I didn't get a full season (to prove my worth)," he said.

    "The purpose of my coming here is to challenge myself and to play at a higher level... I felt that the fulfilment wasn't enough... so I stayed."

    To sustain a longer-term stay, Hafiz managed to secure a job as a marketing influencer with software developer, Third Wave International.

    Taking up a job unrelated to the Nitec course (Engineering in building services technology) he completed at ITE College (East) and working long hours to compensate for his floorball training highlight Hafiz's resolve.

    "It is what it is," he said casually, when asked about juggling his responsibilities.

    Easing the financial burden was a huge relief, but it was not as satisfying as signing on for a second season, as Hafiz felt he had more to achieve.

    "I have evolved as a player," said Hafiz, who has represented Singapore in three WFCs and was also part of the 2015 SEA Games gold medal-winning squad.

    "I'm fitter and better suited to the pace and intensity of the game in Finland. I am technically better, like my ball handling, and my decision-making has improved as well.

    "As a forward, knowing when to shoot or pass is key."

    United coach Vesa-Matti Virtanen, who took charge in May, was effusive in his praise of the club's first Asian import.

    "Hafiz is a competitive floorballer, a great goalscorer, who is eager to develop his skill set," said the 42-year-old Virtanen, who is also the assistant coach of top-tier SC Classic, with whom he has won four league titles and three cups.

    "Since I've come in, he has improved on his shooting, passing and ball control, and I believe his development will continue.

    "He has a good chance to become even better. His current level is that of the (Finnish) second or third tier and, if he keeps it up, he can go further (to the first division)."
     
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://mothership.sg/2020/10/quah-ting-wen-interview/

    S'pore Olympian Quah Ting Wen on 20 years in swimming, mental health & bouncing back

    Stories of Us: South East Asia's fastest female swimmer, 28, tells us how being diagnosed with depression served as the turning point of her career.

    Andrew Koay | [​IMG] October 10, 2020, 01:56 PM
    [​IMG]
    The dive, the underwater, the breakout, the swim, the turn, the swim back, the wall touch.

    And then the look up at the clock.

    In August 2016, Quah Ting Wen’s head broke the surface of the Rio Olympic pool’s water only see that she had finished third in her 100m butterfly heats with a timing of 1:00.88 minutes.

    She was more than one second slower than her Olympic qualifying time and the disappointing performance meant that she would not qualify for the semi-finals.

    Quah had wanted success at the Rio Olympics to be her glorious exit from the national swimming team 11 years of representing Singapore.

    Instead, it turned to a source of what-ifs and an unshakeable feeling that retiring from the sport then would leave a sour taste in the decorated swimmer’s mouth.

    “I had the mindset of like, ‘okay, yes, I will be done after Rio’,” said the 28-year-old in an interview with Mothership.

    “And I think because of that, I put a lot of pressure on myself at the meet. It was just a combination of nerves and maybe not prepping very well like two weeks before that.”

    The moment right after the race is when you see an athlete in their “rawest state”, Quah had written in a long reflection on the Rio Olympics, published to her Facebook profile shortly after the games.

    For those bearing witness — the reporters waiting in the media area and the fans sitting in the stands — Quah must have been an image of despondency.

    She didn’t grant any media interviews at the games, a snub that escaped the spotlight only because of her younger brother Zheng Wen’s own decision not to speak to reporters.

    “I feel like I have let my people down… I feel like I have let my coaches and myself down,” she wrote, four days after her race.

    From splashing in a pool to high-performance training

    Quah’s journey to becoming an Olympian began at the swimming pool of the National University of Singapore Alumni clubhouse, where her parents would bring their eldest child — then a pre-schooler — on the weekends.

    “I’d play and soak in the water until my fingers became all pruney — like raisins — and I’d get out and get a waffle and like fries,” said Quah.

    Soon leisurely splashes at the pool turned into a water safety and survival course, the kind where students would be taught to use pyjamas as makeshift floatation devices.

    “Now that I think about it, if you actually fell into the ocean — like if you were on a cruise — I don’t think you’d be wearing pyjama pants. I don’t know what you would use to blow up into floaties.”

    “I can’t imagine trying to do that with jeans, or like khaki pants,” she said, laughing.

    Her next step, her parents decided, was to learn to swim the different strokes properly.

    They were recommended a coach who had a reputation for being very good with technique. And so Quah began swim-lessons proper, aged seven, at a public pool in Queenstown.

    “I would have stayed there a little bit longer if he hadn’t passed away when I was 10.

    He was the coach who really taught me the value of precision and detail.”

    [​IMG](L-R) Quah Zheng Wen, Jing Wen, and Ting Wen. Image courtesy of Quah Ting Wen
    As circumstances would have it, the need to find a new swimming coach brought Quah to the Toa Payoh branch of the Singapore Swimming Association where her new instructor encouraged her to begin competing.

    Her first ever race? A freestyle relay.

    "I just remember that meet very clearly, because it was the relay at the end of the competition.

    I think my team was behind and the kid next to me was like 'Just go! Just go! We're losing!' And I was like 'oh, okay' and I dived in and disqualified my whole team because I didn't wait for the kid to touch the wall before I jumped."

    A year and a half later, Quah was drafted into the swimming association’s Centre of Excellence programme, designed to nurture young athletes with potential.

    In the 17 years since then, Quah said that her training schedule has largely been the same: Two sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. One session on Wednesday afternoons and one session on Saturday mornings.

    “It would be the same every week,” she explained.

    “Swimming is a year-round sport. There’s no on and off-season really. We can’t take too much time out of the water because you don’t want to lose the feel. If you’re out for too long, your body just loses the feel of the water.

    The longest break I would take every year would be about two or three weeks — since I was 11.”

    Nowadays, she has added weight training sessions — three times a week — and what “swimming people” call “dryland training” — which Quah admitted is a funny name because land is almost by definition dry.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Nowadays, she has added weight training sessions — three times a week — and what “swimming people” call “dryland training” — which Quah admitted is a funny name because land is almost by definition dry.



    2009: "A very busy year"

    All this training has developed Quah into one of Singapore’s premier swimming talents, as evidenced in 2009, a breakout year for her, at the age of 17.

    Among a bevy of swim meets, Quah’s highlights that year include being Singapore’s flag bearer for the Asian Youth Games, where she swept the freestyle events, winning three individual gold medals, and a team gold and bronze in the 100m freestyle relay and the 100m medley relay respectively.

    Further glory came at the end of the year, with Quah taking home two gold and two silver medals at the South East Asian Games in Laos, along with three team gold medals.

    “I remember that was also the year where I broke barriers. I went under two minutes for the 200m freestyle, I went under 56 seconds for the 100m, and under 26 for the 50m.”

    “A very busy year,” said Quah, rather modestly.

    [​IMG]A 17-year-old Quah Ting Wen (centre) at the awards ceremony for the 100m Freestyle at the 2009 SEA Games. Alongside her is silver medalist J Natthanan of Thailand, and bronze medalist Lim Xiang Qi of Singapore. Photo by BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images
    Then, Singapore knew it had a star in the making.

    However, her path since 2009 has been anything but straightforward — Quah missed the London Olympics of 2012 after breaking her arm in a surfing accident and true success on the world stage has been elusive.

    Thus, the Rio 2016 Olympics games was to be her swan song, but the poor showing made it hard for Quah — then 24 — to walk away from the sport.

    “That’s what kept me going. I didn’t want to end on a bad note. I know I can go faster, I want to keep trying to push the limit.”

    “And I was still, you know, the top (in Singapore) in my event, and I wanted to keep it that way,” she said giggling.


    "Left me feeling like I was missing out"

    Yet, it was only about a year later that Quah considered leaving the sport once again.

    “I was diagnosed with depression at the end of 2017,” she said, her usual laid-back cadence now punctuated by long pauses.

    “I was on medication for about a year. And I think during that time, I just felt very lost. I was just very unsure of what I was doing and who I was.

    Being an athlete, I think people just assume that we're very strong physically and also mentally, and I think that was also how I thought I should be all the time, 100 per cent of the time.

    And so I think to be diagnosed with something that I didn't really understand, and there's a very huge stigma which was very confusing for me, I just felt very ashamed that there was something wrong with me or like I was defective somehow."

    The complexity of the circumstance pushed Quah into the mire of an identity crisis.

    Since the age of 11, she’d been in a sort of high-performance athlete auto-pilot mode; following a training schedule set for her by someone else and working towards racing at swim meets, all en route to becoming South East Asia’s fastest 100m freestyle swimmer.

    Make no mistake, she’d worked hard for it, pushing her body to the limit. But perhaps cognitively she’d been cruising through, never really calling any of the shots.

    “I wouldn’t be here without a ton of people along the way — all the different coaches… my parents, bunch of my friends, my teammates, schoolmates, teachers.

    Having so much help along the way, there is a tendency to... well I allowed myself to kind of just be steered in whichever direction people thought was best for me.”

    Only exacerbating the sense that her life was drifting about passively, was the fact that her friends were now experiencing graduate life — the excitement of starting a promising career and a distinct new chapter.

    “I would go out with my friends or my classmates who had graduated and had started working. And we’d be talking about their new jobs and new adventures and things that they were trying out.

    When it was my turn to contribute to the conversation, it would just be well, ‘I’m still swimming’, you know?

    I'm still doing the same thing that I’ve been doing since I was eight. It just kind of left me feeling a little bit like I was missing out.”

    While she wasn’t exactly keen to “join the rat race… and climb ladders”, Quah couldn’t help but wonder if all the time spent in the pool meant she was lacking experiences that seemed integral to normal life.

    Apart from enlisting medical help with her depression and learning to apply some mental practices, Quah went on something of a soul search.

    “That was the first time I actually looked in the mirror was like: What do I want? And how am I going to get there? And, you know, what am I going to do?”

    Comfort, complacency, and changing her mindset

    The search culminated in a 26-year-old Quah making her first-ever conscious decision to pursue swimming seriously.

    “I realised I don’t just want to be good anymore. I wanted to be great — like I wanted to be a great athlete. I didn’t want to be comfortable and complacent, just being good and just winning.”

    “I wanted to see how far I can push it,” she said.

    With that came a change in mindset for Quah, a resolution to take charge of her career.

    “I started having enough confidence in myself to actually want to follow that inner voice — that gut feeling like oh, maybe like training in this place would be like a good idea, or like doing this race, or maybe stepping back from something else.”

    At the national training centre — where Singapore’s national team is put through their paces — Quah’s newfound direction raised a few eyebrows.

    With most of the team made up by young swimmers still schooling, Quah’s assertiveness about her own training strayed from the norm.

    The tension further mounted when Quah decided that she wanted to spend some time training in the United States, at Texas A&M University — where her younger sister Jing Wen studied and trained.

    “It was a decision I made in March of 2019, and it was definitely not aligned with some of the plans that the coaches here locally had in mind.
     
  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    There were a lot of conversations about the reasons I wanted to go and why they preferred me to stay. But I can be very stubborn when I want to be, you know?”



    What followed was a year reminiscent of 2009.

    On the back of the “ultimate swimming experience” in Texas — “I was just swimming, sleeping, and eating… I had nothing else on my plate” — Quah once again broke several timing barriers.

    “I made it a goal to go under 55 seconds for the 100m freestyle and 25 seconds for the 50m freestyle.”

    “And I did it,” Quah said in a relaxed manner which belied the fact that she was the first Singaporean woman in both events to break those barriers.

    The eventful year ended with Quah once again dominant at the SEA Games — this time held in the Philippines.

    She left the meet with six gold medals — three individual, three from relays — setting SEA Games records in the 100m freestyle, 100m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle relay, and 100m medley relay.

    [​IMG]Image from Quah Ting Wen's Instagram

    Clicking into gear

    Today, the momentum from the 2019 SEA Games has ebbed somewhat, with a global pandemic largely seeing competitions cancelled, and training brought to a halt during Singapore’s circuit breaker.

    Quah admits that even now, about four months since the start of Phase 2, she is still getting up to speed.

    Things are quickly clicking into gear though.

    On Sunday, Oct. 11, Quah will be heading to Budapest to join up with her teammates from DC Trident, one of 10 teams competing in the International Swimming League (ISL).



    The tournament — designed with spectacle and exhilaration in mind — will see Quah, the only Singaporean competing, share the pool with global swimming superstars and Olympic medalists.

    According to the 28-year-old, it’s an opportunity that arose because of her 2019 training stint in the U.S.

    An old swimming coach, also based in Texas, had gotten in touch with Quah and got her to make a stopover in Washington en route to Singapore to fill in for the DC Tridents during the 2019 season of the league.

    This year, she’ll make her debut on the team’s roster proper.

    “I’m a little bit apprehensive,” Quah said when I asked how she was feeling about competing.

    “I actually haven’t done any racing for a long time… so I do get a little bit nervous when I think about it, but also like very excited.”

    "I've been very close for a long time"

    The ISL will be Quah’s preoccupation for at least the next six weeks — longer if the DC Tridents make the finals — but afterwards, the Tokyo 2021 Olympics looms large.

    Unlike 2016, the Singaporean is making no promises as to whether it will be her last dance — “(I’ll) see how I feel,” she said with a knowing smile.

    “If I feel like there’s still more that I want to try and accomplish in the sport, I will keep going. I don’t think I want to stop until I’ve gotten everything I want out of swimming.”

    But we’re getting ahead of ourselves — Quah has yet to officially qualify for the games.

    To do so with minimal fuss, she will have to make the Olympic Qualifying Timing — 24.77 seconds for the 50m freestyle and 54.38 for the 100m freestyle.

    This allows her to qualify for the games automatically and her desire to hit these timings is a clear signal of her intent to make a splash on the world stage.

    As things stand, Quah is 0.15 and 0.24 seconds away from automatic qualification in the 50m and 100m freestyle respectively.

    “I’ve been very close for a long time. I just need to get...” she says, almost to herself, trailing off into thought mid-sentence.

    With the margins so fine, an athlete's mental preparation can be all the difference. For Quah, that involves regularly practising visualisation — a technique where the athlete runs through each facet of race in their mind as if they were actually in the pool swimming.
     
  13. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore Athletics, marathoner Soh Rui Yong call truce over legal dispute

    https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/si...lxIZjrxPNwxmzlD2qb2NXwz61FQc0zrUuw_tXNjhcDOkz

    [​IMG]
    Staff Writer, Singapore
    Editorial Team
    Yahoo News Singapore17 Oct 2020, 08:22
    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Soh Rui Yong celebrates winning the men's marathon gold at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. (FILE PHOTO: Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee / Action Images via Reuters)
    SINGAPORE — Singapore marathoner Soh Rui Yong has withdrawn and discontinued all his lawsuits against Singapore Athletics (SA), after the two sides decided to put an end to their disagreements.

    The truce is a major boost for the new SA management team, led by Lien Choong Luen, who were elected into power on 25 September. Among their campaign promises, Lien and his team had pledged to prioritise the resolution of legal issues SA had become embroiled in over the last two years,

    In a media statement on Friday (16 October), SA said that it will:
    • unconditionally withdraw the portion of its media statement on 3 August 2019 stating that Soh had “on several occasions breached (SA’s) Athletic Code of Conduct” and “(for) his transgressions, (SA) had attempted to counsel and reason with him, as part of a holistic rehabilitation process”;

    • extends its sincere apology to Soh for any inconvenience and distress that the aforesaid statement caused him;

    • stand down the disciplinary proceedings initiated by the outgoing management on 25 September against Soh.
    On his part, Soh – a two-time SEA Games men’s marathon gold medallist – acknowledged that as an athlete who has represented Singapore and as one of the country’s brightest athletic prospects, he is a role model for younger athletes. He will henceforth work with SA and Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) to promote a positive image of the sport.

    SA committed to support Soh again
    SA said in the media statement that it is committed to supporting the 29-year-old to don national colours and compete for Singapore again.

    “With this chapter behind him, Soh shares the association’s sentiment and ambitions,” SA added. “He is more determined than ever to break new ground by becoming the first Singaporean man to qualify for the Commonwealth Games marathon and Asian Games marathon.”

    The lawsuit was initiated by Soh in August last year, following comments made by SA after the SNOC rejected its nomination of the marathoner for the 2019 SEA Games.

    Hours after the SA media statement on Friday, its executive director Malik Aljunied, who is also involved in a legal dispute with Soh, announced his departure from the association. He indicated that he would be returning to SNOC, his previous employer.
     
  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Peter Gilchrist, Cherie Tan clinch top honours at Singapore Sports Awards
    https://sg.news.yahoo.com/peter-gil...onours-singapore-sports-awards-030931044.html

    Chia Han Keong
    Editor
    Yahoo News Singapore
    29 October 2020

    [​IMG]
    Peter Gilchrist (Sportsman of the Year) and Cherie Tan (Sportswoman of the Year) at Singapore Sports Awards 2020. (PHOTO: Chia Han Keong/Yahoo News Singapore)
    SINGAPORE — For five years, Peter Gilchrist has had to watch Joseph Schooling dominate the Sportsman of the Year honour at the annual Singapore Sports Awards, as the Olympic swimming champion swept the accolade from 2015 to 2019.

    On Wednesday (28 October), however, the reigning billiards world champion finally added a second Sportsman of the Year award to his maiden one in 2014, receiving the honour in a stripped-down ceremony at the Sports Singapore auditorium in the Singapore Sports Hub.

    “It’s a fantastic feeling, especially after Joseph Schooling had a stranglehold on the award for the past few years. To win it again after 2014 is a dream come true,” the 52-year-old said.

    He certainly has the outstanding credentials to win the award, after a 2019 in which he claimed his sixth world title, as well as his sixth consecutive English Billiards singles SEA Games gold.

    While Gilchrist celebrated his second Sportsman of the Year award, bowler Cherie Tan took home her first Sportswoman of the Year honour, after a stellar 2019 in which she became the first Asian to win the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship, as well as the Masters trophy at the World Bowling Women's Championships.

    The 32-year-old also won part of the gold-winning women’s national team at the SEA Games, and such was her winning momentum that she was a little disappointed at the disruption to the bowling calendar this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    There's definitely disappointment that we can't carry forward the momentum but at the end of the day, it’s still good to have a long break to reset and get going for the next year,” she said.

    Louise Khng is 1st woman to win Coach of the Year
    Former national women’s floorball coach Louise Khng made history by being the first woman to clinch the Coach of the Year award since its inception in 1970.

    The 37-year-old beat five men – Gao Ning (table tennis), Mulyo Handoyo (badminton), Kirill Ivanov (shooting), Stephan Widmer (swimming), Jason Yeong-Nathan (bowling) – to the trophy.

    Under her guidance, the floorball women’s team came in 12th at the 2019 World Floorball Championship in Neuchatel, Switzerland. It is the team's best performance at the world meet.

    "It really opens up the field for female coaches out there to strive to be really good coaches, to be there for their athletes, and to know that no matter what they do, they will be recognised eventually,” Khng said of her win.

    The women’s floorball team – which also retained their SEA Games gold – were rewarded with the Team of the Year (Team Sport) award for the second time, ahead of the only other nominee, the men's national softball team.

    Table tennis player Koen Pang and fencer Amita Berthier were honoured with the Sportsboy and Sportsgirl of the Year awards following breakthrough years in their respective sports.

    Winners’ list:
    • Sportsman of the Year: Peter Gilchrist (cue sports)

    • Sportswoman of the Year: Cherie Tan (bowling)

    • Sportsboy of the Year: Koen Pang (table tennis)

    • Sportsgirl of the Year: Amita Berthier (fencing)

    • Coach of the Year: Louise Khng (floorball)

    • Team of the Year (Team Sport): floorball women’s team

    • Team of the Year (Event): swimming women’s 4x200m freestyle team at 2019 SEA Games (Christie Chue, Gan Ching Hwee, Quah Jing Wen, Quah Ting Wen)

    • Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Team of the Year (Event): table tennis men’s doubles team (Josh Chua, Koen Pang)

    • Best Sports Photo of the Year: Andy Chua

    • Most Inspiring Sport Story of the Year: “Heroes are found on all types of wheels” by Rohit Brijnath of The Straits Times

    • Best Sports Event of the Year (International): 2019 International Champions Cup Singapore Presented by AIA

    • Best Sports Event of the Year (Local): Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2019
     
  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore Athletics pledges to ensure no repeat of conflict over selection criteria between athletes and SNOC
    https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...peat-conflict-over-selection-criteria-between

    By Justin Ong

    SINGAPORE — Singapore Athletics (SA) on Thursday (Nov 5) pledged to ensure no repeat of past conflicts between athletes and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), which selects athletes whom it deems fit for national representation.

    SA was setting out the criteria for selection for next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan during an online Zoom meeting with coaches, parents, athletes and some members of the media.

    The Zoom meeting was disrupted by a hacker who displayed pornographic material to those in the meeting.

    Responding to a question by TODAY on how SA plans to prevent conflicts between athletes and SNOC, SA's vice-president of training and selection Gary Yeo said that the association will “expect athletes to hold themselves to a high standard”.

    “SA will act as the first barrier in the filter process,” Mr Yeo, who was a former national sprinter, said.

    He added that there will be a due process — which includes an appeal option — to determine if the athlete has stepped out of line.

    “I can promise that the athletes will get transparency (and) accountability… at the same time, athletes that step out of line will have to accept our decision to submit or to not submit to SNOC,” he added.

    “Moving on, I don’t see the same situation arising again where we submit an athlete and SNOC overturns the decision.”

    Separately, there will also be a feedback channel created where athletes may raise issues that it has with the association or any related matters. The names of those providing the feedback will not be known to SA’s management committee.

    Members of the athletes’ commission — which is still in formation and will comprise athletes representing different track-and-field disciplines — will take charge of a new email address where athletes can send their queries and complaints.

    Athletes’ commission representative Poh Seng Song, who was previously embroiled in a controversial whistleblowing spat with SA’s previous management committee, said that this new channel is to “really put all the athlete’s hearts at ease”.

    “As much as possible, we want to create a feedback channel that athletes will not have reason to find questionable,” he said.
     
  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Tributes pour in for 'godfather' of Singapore water polo Tan Eng Bock
    Tributes pour in for 'godfather' of Singapore water polo Tan Eng Bock, Latest Others News - The New Paper (tnp.sg)

    [​IMG]
    Tan Eng Bock took part in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and also won gold at the 1954 Asian Games. PHOTO: TAN ENG BOCK
    Tan Eng Bock, who died yesterday, was a distinguished player, national coach, sports administrator and police officer and left a huge legacy

    Dilenjit Singh
    Sub Editor
    Dec 01, 2020 06:00 am
    Members of the local sporting fraternity hailed the humility of Singapore water polo's "father figure" Tan Eng Bock after he died early yesterday morning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital aged 84.

    He suffered a stroke on Sunday afternoon, after returning home from a golf game. He was promptly hospitalised and later diagnosed to have suffered a brain haemorrhage.

    Tan, an Olympian and Asian Games gold medallist, was part of the Republic's first family of water polo. His uncle, brothers and sons also represented Singapore in the sport.

    Following a successful career in the pool, which saw Tan win gold at the 1954 Asian Games and multiple golds at the South-east Asian Peninsular Games, he transitioned to being a coach and sports administrator.

    Tan, who was Coach of the Year in 1977, guided a new generation to an Asian Games bronze medal in 1986.


    Kuah Kar Huat, who played alongside Tan's son Matthew when he joined the national team in 1986, described the deceased as a father figure to the whole team.

    Brunei, Thailand to join Singapore's Netball Super League next year

    The 52-year-old told The New Paper: "He's really like a father to most of us. He gave us a lot of guidance along the way... how we should treat life, how we should treat people.

    "The famous term he always told us was a Hokkien saying that one should be humble because you'll bump into others either at the front or back of the ship.

    "Try to help each other, be nice to each other because somehow, we will meet again somewhere in life...

    "He's a real legend that left behind a big legacy for everyone to follow... Since he stepped down, the sport has missed him."

    Matthew, who won 10 straight gold medals at the SEA Games and later coached the national team, recounted how his father would be a chauffeur to him and his teammates, and arrange meals and tuition sessions for them.

    The 58-year-old ex-national captain, whose brother Mark also won a SEA Games gold, said: "We used to have centralised training at Toa Payoh at 6am.

    "So along the way, he used to pick up the other boys because... if you don't drive or have a motorbike, there's no bus so early in the morning and (at) that time there was no MRT...

    "So he would arrange for them to be picked up or carpool...

    "He would also ensure that after training the boys could find their way back or arrange for food... For the boys who were studying, he would arrange for tuition - our own boys helping each other...

    "He looked after the other boys like his own sons."

    Tan and his younger brother Eng Liang, 83, were also among the first sets of siblings to represent Singapore at the Olympics at Melbourne 1956.

    Their eldest brother Eng Chai, who died in October at 86, also played for Singapore.

    Tan captained the team to the SEAP Games gold in 1965, when water polo made its debut. It started a great unbeaten run that ended only last year.

    After his coaching stint, Tan went on to become Singapore's deputy chef de mission for the 1988, 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

    Sport Singapore chief executive Lim Teck Yin, himself a former SEA Games water polo champion, said: "His first words to me were to encourage my love for the game. In the years that ensued, he always opened our conversation with, 'How are you, young man?'.

    "It told me that he cared about all the players. His emphasis on being proud to play for the love of the game and for country resonated strongly with me."

    Veteran sports official Eric Song said being the deputy chef de mission alongside Tan at the 2000 Sydney Olympics was his career highlight.

    Said the 60-year-old: "He's a very straightforward guy, direct but you know he is very genuine. Although he can be a little loud, he's very humble...

    "He's very helpful, very caring. He always calls just to check how you are - one of my few friends who actually does that... I will miss a great friend."

    Outside the sporting arena, Tan had a distinguished career in the police force, having served as the director of the Criminal Investigation Department before retiring in 1991 as an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

    He received a Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1981, a State Long Service Medal the following year and a Public Service Star in 1986.

    Tan is survived by his wife Jenny, three sons Matthew, Mark and Mitchell, and three grandchildren.
     
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Obituary: Tan Eng Bock, 'Mr Water Polo', dies at 84
    Obituary: Tan Eng Bock, 'Mr Water Polo', dies at 84, Sport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Tan Eng Bock's dedication to the sport earned him the name 'Godfather of Water Polo'.PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI

    Kimberly Kwek
    • PUBLISHED
      NOV 30, 2020, 6:32 PM SG
    SINGAPORE - Former national water polo captain and coach Tan Eng Bock died on Monday (Nov 30) morning after suffering a stroke. He was 84.

    Along with his brothers Eng Chai and Eng Liang, who were also part of the national team, Tan excelled in the sport. He captained the national team to their first South-east Asian Peninsular (Seap) Games title in 1965, starting a glorious undefeated run that ended only last year.

    Besides being a three-time Seap Games winner (1967 and 1969), he was also an Asian Games gold medallist in 1954 and an Olympian at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

    After retiring from the sport, Tan went on to helm the national team for over 20 years. His decades-long dedication to the sport earned him the name "Mr Water Polo".

    He was also appointed deputy chef de mission for Singapore's 1988, 1996 and 2000 Olympic delegations.

    Still in shock, Eng Liang, a veteran sports administrator, paid tribute to his brother.

    The 83-year-old said: "Our relationship is not just as brothers, but also comrades in arms in the water polo and swimming worlds.

    "Eng Bock is very close to me because we've done a lot of things together. We worked together all the time in the water polo and swimming arenas, of which I have great respect for him, his eagerness, commitment, dedication towards water polo."

    [​IMG]
    Brothers Tan Eng Bock (far left and far right) and Eng Liang. PHOTOS: ST FILE, TAN ENG BOC

    Eng Chai, the eldest brother, died last month. He was 86.

    Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong noted the influence Tan’s family had in nurturing his interest in water polo in a Facebook post entitled “Goodbye, Mr Water Polo”.

    He added: “Mr Tan’s legacy as a player and mentor will be remembered by the sport fraternity. He will continue to be an inspiration and role model for future generations to come.”

    Singapore National Olympic Council president Tan Chuan-Jin, who was also saddened by the news, said: "He was a stalwart and devoted leader, having contributed more than half of his life to Singapore sport and water polo.

    "As a firm disciplinarian, he continued to coach for decades after retiring as an athlete. His dedication is unparalleled and his legacy will live on in the many lives he has touched."

    Eric Song, former deputy chef de mission for the 2000 Sydney Games and himself a long-time sports administrator, described Tan as an affable person who was the life of any gathering.

    Calling Tan his mentor, Song said: "With him there was always laughter and he cared a lot for friends.

    "He has personally called me many times to check that I am okay and would offer valuable nuggets of advice. Beneath his booming voice, he was a very humble and down-to-earth person."

    Former national water polo players recalled how Tan would always ask after them.


    [​IMG]
    Tan Eng Bock (front row, fourth from right) with his national teammates in 1956. PHOTO: ST FI
    [​IMG]
    Tan Eng Bock (in blue) visits the Singapore men's water polo team preparing for the Asian Games at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in August 2018. PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI

    Sport Singapore chief executive Lim Teck Yin, a six-time SEA Games gold medallist, said: "His first words to me were to encourage my love for the game.

    "His emphasis on being proud to play for the love of the game and for country resonated strongly with me. He was exemplary in serving through water polo for many years."

    Tan initially came across as someone who was very strict to former national water polo vice-captain Yip Ren Kai, but with time, Yip began to see him as a father figure, who shared his life experiences with them.

    Yip, a three-time SEA Games champion, said: "I'll miss him for who he is. Singapore sport has lost a very good mentor."

    As a police officer, Tan also earned many accolades. He rose to become Assistant Commissioner of Police before retiring in 1991. Along the way, he received a Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1981, a State Long Service Medal the following year and a Public Service Star in 1986 for his years of distinguished service.

    Tan is survived by his wife Jenny, three sons Matthew, Mark and Mitchell, and three grandchildren.

    The wake will be held at the Singapore Funeral Parlour in Tampines and the funeral will take place at Mandai Crematorium, Hall 2 on Thursday.
     
  18. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...ted-technical-director-in-boost-to-spore-team
    Water polo: Australian Paul Oberman appointed technical director in boost to S'pore team
    [​IMG]
    52-year-old Paul Oberman is on a two-year contract.PHOTO: COURTESY OF SINGAPORE SWIMMING ASSOCIATION
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    • Published
      Jan 9, 2021, 5:05 pm SGT
    SINGAPORE - In its bid to kick-start a new era of water polo supremacy in the region and make the Asian Games podium by 2030, the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) on Saturday (Jan 9) announced the appointment of former Australia assistant coach Paul Oberman as its water polo technical director.

    The 52-year-old, who is on a two-year contract, is a familiar face in the local fraternity, having been SSA’s water polo coaching director from 2007 to 2008. The former player had competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, where Australia finished fifth.

    He said: “Singapore water polo has a stellar track record at Asean level but has the potential to go so much further.

    “The SSA has rightly identified long-term sustainability in pipeline and technical capability development as the strategy that will enable Singapore to realise its full potential. I look forward to being part of the team in implementing this crucial piece of the strategy and working with the head coach and athletes.”

    After winning 27 straight gold medals at the SEA Games since 1965, Singapore's men's water polo team returned from the Philippines with just a bronze in 2019, while the women's team were silver medallists from 2015 to 2019.

    The SSA subsequently conducted a review of its water polo strategy and identified key areas in which the team could improve, which included the limited pool of players for the national squad, mental resilience in competition, and leadership.

    While Oberman, a former Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) coach, told The Straits Times he will be meeting the SSA executive committee to align their vision and goals, he noted the importance of building a critical mass of players and increasing their international exposure, and communicating with athletes and relevant stakeholders such as parents and schools.

    He said: “We need to go to the grassroots and schools to create a really strong pathway and pipeline. And it’s not just the athletes, it’s also coach education, referee development, and enabling volunteers to become technical officials to move forward as a whole.”

    Noting the pressure athletes face to balance studies and sports, he added: “It is all about putting together a plan for the athlete, and thinking about the quality more than the quantity of training. There needs to be a bit of compromise between the competing entities.

    “When I was at WAIS, the programmes were based on an athlete-centred, coach-led, multi-disciplinary approach. This takes into consideration all the competing elements for the athlete’s time and energy to help them get better in every area.”

    The national youth teams can also broaden their horizons by aiming to compete at the world junior championships, said Oberman.

    On the SSA’s new role, Dominic Soh, its vice-president for water polo, said that Oberman will complement the role of its head coach by focusing on reviewing and improving long-term athlete and coach development programmes at club and school levels while the latter focuses on the tactical improvement of the national teams.

    While water polo has been omitted from the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam – it was among more than 15 sports and events dropped by the hosts – the sport is still holding out hope for an inclusion via an appeal through the Singapore National Olympic Council.

    If that happens, Soh believes that the team are in good hands as they rebuild for their gold medal challenge.

    He said: “While we have had good coaches in the past who were able to steer the men’s teams to glory at each SEA Games, long-term sustainability was an issue as we had gaps in pipeline and technical development capabilities.

    “This meant that our progress would eventually stagnate and others would catch up and they did. The technical director role is a crucial piece in our strategy that will not only help us regain our SEA Games gold medal but enable us to up our game at the Asian Games level.”

    More on this topic
    SEA Games: Reduced programme in Vietnam this year will hit Singapore's medal haul
    Water polo: Coronavirus will not stop Singapore from SEA Games gold hunt next year
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    E-sports: M2 World Championship success a boost for S'pore's ambitions, Sport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
    E-sports: M2 World Championship success a boost for S'pore's ambitions

    [​IMG]
    Burmese Ghouls versus Bren Esports on the final day of the M2 World Championship at the Shangri-La Hotel on Jan 24, 2021.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
    [​IMG]
    Kimberly Kwek

    • UPDATED
      JAN 25, 2021, 3:36 AM

    SINGAPORE - After an action-packed week at the Shangri-La Hotel, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M2 World Championship culminated in a thrilling grand final between eventual winners Bren Esports of the Philippines and Myanmar's Burmese Ghouls on Sunday (Jan 24), wrapping up one of the first major sports events that Singapore has staged this year in the midst of the pandemic.

    The Jan 18-24 event, which featured two local and 10 foreign teams, ran into an early hurdle just days before the start when three players from Brazilian team DreamMax tested positive for Covid-19.

    But the US$300,000 tournament went on smoothly behind closed doors with no other Covid-19 cases and the Brazil team competed while isolating in their hotel rooms.

    With the event deemed a success, organisers and experts say that it proves that Singapore is able and ready to host major sports events during this Covid-19 era.

    Lee Shu Ling, manager of Deloitte South-east Asia's Sports Business Group, said: "This event has definitely proven Singapore's ability to host and organise such major events, even in the midst of a global pandemic with strict safe distancing restrictions and regulations."

    Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association (Scoga) co-founder Nicholas Khoo said on Sunday that the success of the world championship has erased doubts of Singapore's ability to host major e-sports tournaments owing to factors such as cost and its small market size. "As evidenced by the successful organisation of M2, Singapore is a trusted and safe place for world class events," he added.

    Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said in a Facebook post on Sunday: "E-sports has a lot of potential for growth here, and we are in a good position to become a regional hub. In time to come, I am confident that we will build a thriving e-sports ecosystem, and nurture more Singaporean e-sports legends!"

    The week-long tournament was co-organised by MLBB developer Moonton and Scoga, with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board.

    In Sunday's final, Bren beat Burmese Ghouls 4-3 in the best-of-seven series to claim the winner's prize purse of US$140,000 (S$186,000).

    Singapore has also previously hosted the 2017 world championship for mobile game Vainglory, which had a US$140,000 prize pool, while the US$500,000 One Esports Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational was staged here in 2019.

    Bren Esports’ Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, felt that the Covid-19 protocols were sufficient and that the tournament was run well.

    The 16-year-old, who was the final’s Most Valuable Player, said: “The staff were good to us and I wasn’t worried about getting Covid-19 because we had to quarantine for 14 days. “I believe Singapore can be big in e-sports.”

    This week's event could pave the way for more tournaments, with Moonton managing director Lucas Mao saying that Singapore "will definitely be high up in the list of potential host cities for our future world championships".

    Such events can only be a boon for the Republic, as Lee added that this would "solidify our position as an international sporting hub for the most popular and emerging sports, which in turn can boost tourism and the economy".

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    E-sports: Surreal experience for players as the M2 World Championship kicks off in Singapore[/paste:font]
    E-sports: From insurance agent to full-time live streamer, Singapore gamer eyes spot in M2 World C'ship grand final[/paste:font]
    She also pointed to factors that make Singapore an ideal destination for e-sports events, such as its location in the centre of Asia, which is the global hotspot for e-sports and one of the first to embrace e-sports in major Games such as the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines and the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

    Singapore also boasts some of the strongest infrastructures for technology in the world and has an IT-literate population, added Lee.

    While noting that Singapore has a track record of hosting marquee sporting events such as the Formula One's Singapore Grand Prix, HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens and football's International Champions Cup, she noted that e-sports "is a whole different concept and it requires its own infrastructure for tournaments, streaming and facilities for the teams".

    Large amounts of bandwidth and a reliable network are needed to host a successful e-sports tournament to guarantee a good experience for players and spectators.

    Khoo believes Singapore has shown that it is an ideal place to hold such tournaments, pointing to South Korean e-sports team T1 choosing to hold its Dota 2 bootcamp here early last year.

    Education in e-sports is also crucial in helping Singapore gain its foothold in the industry.

    Lee said: "With heightened publicity and more e-sports viewership comes increased investment from sponsors, and more players and fans would translate to higher engagement and spending across the market, bringing the interest of e-sports game developers and franchises and setting the stage for Singapore as an e-sports tournament destination."
     
  20. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore Sports School launches Alumni Association, Latest School Sports News - The New Paper (tnp.sg)
    Singapore Sports School launches Alumni Association

    [​IMG]
    (From left) Tan Gee Keow, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore Sports School principal Ong Kim Soon and its Alumni Association's president Janice Yun. PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS SCHOOL
    Jan 29, 2021 06:00 am
    The Singapore Sports School (SSP) launched its Alumni Association and handed out two new awards at its awards night yesterday.

    The Alumni Association aims to develop a community of former students to both spur each other on as well as inspire current SSP student-athletes.

    Members of the association will also be offered opportunities to guide their juniors.

    The president of the Alumni Association is SSP alumna Janice Yun, a national ultimate frisbee player and lawyer.

    She said: "The Alumni Association is currently working with Sports School to support the Education and Career Guidance initiatives this coming year, which will give student-athletes valuable insight into further schooling options, internship opportunities and diverse career tracks.

    "In this way, the Alumni Association and the School will work together in empowering student-athletes to discover their direction and unlock their fullest potential as they progress into the next phase of their life."

    [​IMG]
    SPORTS
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    Feb 01, 2021
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    SSP principal Ong Kim Soon added: "The setting up of the Alumni Association provides the structure for the 'big brothers and sisters' to guide and support the juniors, while the two inaugural awards are a boost for the sport ecosystem."

    The new gongs are the Annabel Pennefather Excellence Award and Tan Howe Liang Excellence Award, which are funded by the International Women's Forum Singapore Education Grant and Singapore Olympic Foundation respectively.

    The late Pennefather was a trailblazer for women in sport while Tan was Singapore's first Olympic medallist.

    Criteria for the awards include outstanding sports achievements, strong leadership, passion, integrity, moral character and conduct and community spirit.

    The winners of the Annabel Pennefather Excellence Award were Eunice Lim (table tennis) and Au Yeong Wai Yhann (squash).

    The Tan Howe Liang Excellence Award was presented to Nicholas Rachmadi (triathlon) and Jowen Lim (wushu).
     

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