Swimming: Gary Tan appointed new S'pore head coach, vows to build core group of swimmers Gary Tan was part of the backroom staff that helped Singapore swimmers capture 42 gold medals at the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games. PHOTO: SINGAPORE SWIMMING ASSOCIATION David Lee PUBLISHED DEC 23, 2021, 12:09 PM SGT SINGAPORE - After overseeing the National Training Centre for five years, Gary Tan will make the step up to become the national swimming head coach until the end of the Paris Olympics in Aug 2024. In its bid to make the Republic “a world class aquatic nation”, Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) president Lee Kok Choy said the governing body conducted a comprehensive search, which yielded 26 applicants worldwide including coaches of top Olympians in Europe and Australia, before settling on Tan. Tan, 39 and a former national swimmer, was part of the backroom staff that helped Singapore swimmers capture 42 gold medals at the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games. The squad also achieved their best result at the Asian Games with two golds, one silver and three bronzes in 2018, when he was also named Coach of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards. Lee said: “Gary impressed us the most and displayed he has gained the expertise after working under (former national coaches) Sergio Lopez and Stephan Widmer in the last seven years. “We believe that Gary is the best fit amongst all the candidates to influence the NTC and affiliate clubs, to mentor local coaches, to continue to bring forth world class expertise through his connection with leading experts in the world, to adapt and relate to the local swimming ecosystem of athletes, coaches, and clubs. “We hope his appointment will inspire more local coaches to take up coaching as a profession and follow his pathway to be a world-class high-performance coach here.” Tan will continue to act as NTC head coach until a replacement is found. The last local to head the coaching set-up was Ang Peng Siong from 2009 to 2012. With the SEA, Asian and Commonwealth Games coming up, Lee’s target for Tan is to retain Singapore’s position as the top swimming nation in Asean, and for all participating swimmers to record personal bests at these meets. The national head coach position had been vacant since October after the SSA and Widmer mutually terminated his contract in October. The Australian, who was also SSA's performance director, had gone on overseas leave before the Tokyo Olympics opened on July 23 and did not return after his leave period expired in October. He had also appeared in a promotional video published by China-based LJ Swimming Club that claimed he had joined the Beijing-based outfit in August when his contract was to run till Dec 31. Singapore swimmers had a disappointing campaign in Tokyo, with Olympic champion Schooling failing to retain his 100m butterfly gold, while Quah Ting Wen and her brother Zheng Wen did not advance out of their respective heats. However, after the 9th Singapore National Swimming Championships (SNSC) in November, Tan said the arrival of Hungarian Alex Mordvincev, Brazilian Gustavo Schirru and former national swimmer Lionel Khoo as NTC assistant coaches since August has contributed to a "feel-good environment" again as 20 national records were broken at the short-course meet. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Swimming: National squad eager to 'write a new chapter' after tough few months, says head coach Swimming: Incoming S'pore head coach will have new role in high performance structure Tan added he is "living my dream to be able to lead the development of swimming in my home country", and noted the aim is to "achieve sustained podium success at Asian, Olympic and World Championships, through good and sustainable investment in the development of our clubs, athletes and coaches". He acknowledged the challenges from Covid-19, National Service and juggling of sports and studies, and will work on building a system to retain talents. He also said that there are ongoing discussions to work out a programme for NS enlistee Quah Zheng Wen to be able to train, and the same would be done for Rio 2016 champion Joseph Schooling, who is set to enlist in January, if he wishes to continue competing. Tan said: "Knowing the local landscape and struggles that clubs and swim school businesses face during this period, I will reach out to all our affiliates to address their issues and provide adequate help."The success of clubs and swim schools is crucial as they are the backbone of our system and provide the talent pipeline for the national team."We will need to rebuild a core group of swimmers through a system-based approach in both the clubs and the NTC, giving our swimmers access to an elite training in environment on a daily basis."
4 Singapore athletes to be honoured with open-top bus parade Clockwise from top left: Yip Pin Xiu, Loh Kean Yew, Aloysius Yapp and Shayna Ng. (File photos: Facebook/Edwin Tong, SportSG; AFP/Jose Jordan; Aloysius Yapp; Facebook/Edwin Tong, Singapore Bowling Federation) Published December 24, 2021 Updated December 24, 2021 SINGAPORE — Four Singapore athletes who made their mark in 2021 will be honoured with an open-top bus parade on Sunday (Dec 26). The four athletes are Aloysius Yapp, Loh Kean Yew, Shayna Ng and Yip Pin Xiu. "Four athletes have done extraordinarily well this year, by coming in top positions at global competitions in their respective sport," said Sport Singapore (SportSG) on Friday. Members of the public who are in town can expect to catch a glimpse of the champions on an open-top bus on Sunday afternoon, which will be held in the city area between 1pm and 3pm. "In view of the Covid-19 situation, specific locations and route details will not be shared prior to the parade to avoid congregation," said SportSG. There will also be no pit stops in between. The parade is held in recognition of their achievements and to "celebrate their successes with fellow Singaporeans", it added. READ ALSO A 10-year dream: Former teammate, coach recount Loh Kean Yew’s determination to become world’s best Aloysius Yapp was the first Singaporean to reach world number 1 in the World Pool-Billiard Association rankings. Loh Kean Yew, who won a gold medal at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships, was the first Singaporean to clinch the prestigious world title. Shayna Ng won a gold medal at the women's singles event at the International Bowling Federation Super World Championships in November, defeating compatriot Cherie Tan in the final. Yip Pin Xiu added to her Paralympic haul with two gold medals at the Tokyo Games in September, taking her total to five gold and one silver, dating back to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The parade is held by the Singapore Sport Institute, in collaboration with Cuesports Singapore, Singapore Badminton Association, Singapore Bowling Federation and the Singapore Disability Sports Council. In a Facebook post on Friday, Team Singapore (Team SG) reminded members of the public not to gather in crowds and to maintain safe distancing. READ ALSO Mediacorp to air encore of Loh Kean Yew’s historic badminton world championship win on Dec 25 "As the year comes to an end, we would like to celebrate our national athletes’ achievement with Singaporeans, and thank everyone for your support as One Team Singapore," said Team SG. CNA For more stories like this, visit cna.asia.
Athletics: Teen sprinter Louis granted NS deferment as he chases national record, SEA Games success in 2022 National sprinter Marc Brian Louis has been granted short-term deferment from NS to train and prepare for the SEA Games. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN Sazali Abdul Aziz Correspondent PUBLISHED DEC 24, 2021, 12:35 PM SGT SINGAPORE - As 2022 approaches, sprinter Marc Brian Louis has set himself a goal of claiming the national 100m record at the SEA Games in Hanoi in May – which would put him in contention to win a first gold medal for Singapore in the event. And as he plots to take down U.K. Shyam’s 10.37-second mark, the 19-year-old on Friday (Dec 24) received a boost after he was granted short-term deferment from national service (NS) to train and prepare for the biennial regional meet. He was due to enlist on Jan 3, but Singapore Athletics (SA) president Lien Choong Luen told The Straits Times that on the back of his scintillating 10.39sec run on Dec 12, it sought a second short-term deferment for him. His first was to compete in the World Youth Championships in Nairobi in August. Lien received a positive response from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Friday. He said: “The fact the deferment was approved speaks to Marc’s performance and potential. His results speak for themselves, and without them we would not even have had a conversation about NS. “We are also very grateful to Sport Singapore, the Singapore Sport Institute and Mindef for agreeing to the appeal (for deferment), and we’re all very excited about what Marc can do in major Games in 2022.” Aside from the SEA Games, 2022 will also feature the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July and Asian Games in Hangzhou in September, although the qualification marks for those meets are 10.24sec and 10.19sec, respectively. Said Louis: “I’m shocked and very happy I can continue training regularly ahead of the SEA Games. “For the past few months, I haven’t trained at the (higher) intensity I do when I work toward a major competition because I was expecting to enlist. “With this news, I can hopefully improve a little bit more. I’m really grateful to Mindef, because the first deferment helped me set a new U-20 national record (in Kenya), and I hope to make the most of this second one too.” Lien, the general manager of ride-hailing firm Gojek, added that Louis possesses a “very positive work ethic and attitude” which would help him as he hopes to reach his full potential in the years to come. Local sprint icon C. Kunalan shares Lien’s enthusiasm for Louis’ potential. The 79-year-old said he had encountered Louis at a recent training session for the national relay team, and felt the youngster had the “right maturity” to make good progress. “He still has a very young body and has not started serious strength work,” added Kunalan, who held the 100m record of 10.38sec for 33 years from 1968 until Shyam bettered it. “There’s so much potential that can be developed when his coach puts him into the next phase of training. “At this age, clocking even 10.5sec would be special. And he’s already done 10.39.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Athletics: Marc Brian Louis breaks U-20 100m record; 0.02sec off senior mark Athletics: Teen sprinter Marc Brian Louis wants to be fastest Singapore man in 100m In the long-term, Louis and his coach, Benber Yu, are aiming for him to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics – a tall ask given the qualification standard for the 2020 Tokyo Games was 10.05sec. But Yu is undeterred, adding: “Give Marc time. He’s only 19 now and we are training six times a week, with strength and conditioning twice a week, but I would still say it is still at a casual level.” In addition to ramping up training intensity and frequency, Yu said that fine details such as rest and recovery, a tailored diet, leveraging on sports science and even working with a sports psychologist, will also matter. While Louis has had a taste of some of these through the National Youth Sports Institute, Yu said that “there’s still so much to do, and they must all combine”. Lien also pledged SA would explore opportunities to give Louis overseas exposure, either through competitions or extended training stints. “But this has to be tailored and co-created with both the athlete and the coach, and not something we unilaterally decide,” he stressed. “We may have our aspirations for them but ultimately it’s for them to want… and it also depends on which receiving parties have something to offer. What is clear is that we want to do this together, and do more.”
Lets help Loh Kean Yew to win this award for all badminton players. Anyone need coaching or stringing can let me know. Sunday still got one slot in yishun 10am if keen. Open to all levels. Do share the link below. https://www.gevme.com/the-straits-times-singaporean-of-the-year-2021-voting
4 local athletes who conquered the world in 2021 honoured in bus parade (From left) Loh Kean Yew, Aloysius Yapp, Shayna Ng and Yip Pin Xiu aboard the open-top bus.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Sazali Abdul Aziz, Kimberly Kwek and Deepanraj Ganesan Dec 26, 2021 03:09 p The click of cameras, flare of flashbulbs and punctuated instructions of photographers pierced the stillness and silence outside the OCBC Arena on Sunday afternoon (Dec 26). Four of Singapore's top athletes had gathered to set off on a celebratory parade aboard an open-top bus, which took them from the Sports Hub through the city area and back. The four are world badminton champion Loh Kean Yew, Tokyo Paralympics double gold medal swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, world bowling champion Shayna Ng, and pool player Aloysius Yapp who became the first Singaporean to be ranked world No.1 in his sport. The bus set off just past 1pm and the journey ended at 3pm. Before he boarded, Loh, wearing a broad smile, said he was thrilled when he learnt about the planned celebratory parade. "I'm quite surprised and very honoured," said the 24-year old. "This is my first time going on a bus tour without a roof on." TEAM SINGAPORE Loh’s victory stirs memories of the great Wong Peng Soon Dec 25, 2021 Related Stories Catch badminton world champ Loh Kean Yew, S'pore athletes in Dec 26 bus parade Kelvin Ho, the 'big brother' coach always in Loh Kean Yew's corner Water salute, warm welcome home for champ Loh Kean Yew Loh claimed the biggest milestone in his sporting career on Dec 19 when he beat former world No.1 Srikanth Kidambi of India 21-15, 22-20 in the final of the World Championships in Huelva, Spain. Asked how life has changed for him since returning to Singapore two days after his win, he laughed and quipped: "I haven't had much time thinking about life! "I've just been meeting friends… and replying to messages. A lot (of messages)." The celebratory parade was arranged by the Singapore Sport Institute, in collaboration with Cuesports Singapore, Singapore Badminton Association, Singapore Bowling Federation and Singapore Disability Sports Council to recognise the athletes' achievements. It was also meant as a way for Singaporeans to celebrate their success. In view of the Covid-19 situation, however, organisers opted not to share specific locations and route details so as to avoid congregation, stating only that the parade would take place in the city area. It also meant there were no stops in between.
Singapore eliminated from AFF Suzuki Cup after 3 red cards, penalty miss in extra-time loss to Indonesia in semis Singapore's Safuwan Baharudin is sent off during his side's AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 semi-final second leg match against Indonesia at the National Stadium in Singapore on Dec 25, 2021. Published December 25, 2021 Updated December 26, 2021 SINGAPORE — On the pitch at the National Stadium on Saturday (Dec 25), they fought like Lions. Backs against the wall, in the face of several questionable refereeing decisions, they stared into the abyss of a loss. Yet they battled, clearing shots off the line, defending stoutly, throwing bodies around. And then came heartbreak in extra-time for Singapore, courtesy of two Indonesian goals. Tatsuma Yoshida’s side were eliminated from the AFF Suzuki Cup on Saturday (Dec 25) after a 4-2 loss to Indonesia in the second leg of their semi-final. Extra-time strikes from Irfan Jaya and Egy Maulana Vikri gave the away side a 5-3 aggregate victory and ensured that the search for the Lions’ first Suzuki Cup title since 2012 would go on. The Lions’ first leg match on Wednesday ended 1-1 as an Ikhsan Fandi equaliser pegged back the Indonesians. However, with Yoshida making several changes, Ikhsan started the game on the bench for a different-looking Singapore side for the second leg. In his place was Geylang International striker Amy Recha, making his first Singapore start. Faris Ramli was also dropped to the bench, with Hafiz Nor starting for the Lions. It was the Indonesians who took the lead in the 11th minute, as a Hassan Sunny pass was intercepted by Witan. He brushed off two defenders and found Ezra Walian for the opener. Four minutes later, they almost doubled their lead but Pratama Rifai could only curl his effort over. Singapore struggled to find their foot in the game, with a series of misplaced passes handing the momentum to the ever-pressing Indonesia team on a number of occasions. The Lions’ best chance came courtesy of a lung-busting run from Song-Ui young, who found Hafiz Nor, but his shot was parried wide. Amy Recha then looked to have been brought down in the box when he was about to latch onto the rebound but vehement appeals from Singapore were waved away. Then came a flashpoint. Defender Safuwan Baharudin, who was flashed a soft yellow card earlier by referee Qasim Matar Ali Al Hatmi, was booked again and sent off after a tussle in the box before a corner kick was taken. But the Lions held their nerve and drew level, with Song firing home in added time to the delight of the Singapore fans. Singapore's Song Ui-young celebrates after scoring during his side's AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 semi-final second leg match against Indonesia at the National Stadium in Singapore on Dec 25, 2021. Indonesia piled on the pressure in the second half, and had a shot rebound off the bar in the 59th minute. Yoshida threw caution to the wind with a triple substitution, bringing on Ikhsan, Faris and Shawal Anuar. And it was Shawal who almost made an instant impact a minute after coming on but his dipping shot drifted just wide. Defender Irfan Fandi received his marching orders in the 67th minute, after he hauled down Irfan Jaya as he ran towards goal. The referee deemed the Singapore defender to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. Shortly after, Singapore midfielder Shahdan thought he had turned game winner as he curled a gorgeous free kick past the Indonesian keeper to put Singapore ahead. But Indonesia were not done yet, and they grabbed an equaliser with four minutes to spare, courtesy of Pratama Arhan. With the game on the line, Faris had the chance to seal a famous win, but his penalty was pushed away by Indonesian keeper Nadeo Winata. Then came the clincher for the Indonesians with just a minute played in extra time. As Irfan Jaya tried to force the ball across the line, it rebounded off Shawal into goal. Indonesia almost extended their lead on several occasions, if not for the excellent work of Singapore’s Hassan Sunny. Substitute Egy then doubled the Indonesians’ lead just before the first half of extra-time to seal the victory. Hassan received his marching orders with time ticking down as the Lions went down to eight men. Despite the loss, the crowd’s appreciation for the crestfallen team at the full-time whistle said it all. Singapore may have fallen to a defeat, but on a pulsating Christmas night at the National Stadium, they roared. CNA
Commentary: 3 ways to build Singapore’s 2021 sporting highs into sustained success Raj Nadarajan/TODAY Singapore badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew arriving at Changi Airport on Dec 21, 2021. BY NICHOLAS FANG Published January 7, 2022 Updated January 7, 2022 The year 2021 was something of a purple patch for Singapore sports. Despite being the second year of the pandemic, Singaporean athletes across a broad range of events served up exciting performances and superlative results on the global stage. These included our Olympians and Paralympians in Tokyo who competed in a significant number of different sports, young cyclists stepping up to the professional ranks in Australia, excellence in cue sports, world champions in badminton and bowling, and a resurgence in football. The Olympics alone showcased the strength in breadth of our athletes, with 23 athletes competing in a record 12 sports, including first-time appearances in equestrian, marathon swimming and diving events. Swimmer Yip Pin Xiu also flew our flag high at the Paralympics, winning her fourth and fifth gold medals in a campaign that dates back to 2008. We then saw Aloysius Yapp becoming world number one pool player, Shayna Ng clinching gold at the International Bowling Federation Super World Championship, and of course the much-heralded World Championships win by shuttler Loh Kean Yew. READ ALSO Sports vs NS — a zero sum game or possible win-win? The year ended with a solid Suzuki Cup run by the Lions, who made the semi-finals for the first time since 2012 with some gutsy and gritty displays. This united footballing fans and the general public alike, who have been justifiably critical of the lack of success by the team over the years. Looking at all the results by Team Singapore in 2021, it is important to remember these were achieved against the backdrop of Covid-19, which severely curtailed training and competition opportunities at home and abroad, and created a general atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Even more heartening was the fact that the athletes who excelled were from both genders and spanned a range of age groups and demographics, demonstrating that we are no longer dependent on a few powerhouse sports to deliver reasons to cheer. Before we consider how we can build on these strong results, it is worthwhile to examine some of the possible reasons behind such successes. YEARS IN THE MAKING READ ALSO Tokyo Paralympics: Yip Pin Xiu wins gold in women’s 50m backstroke S2 Not many of us pay close attention to the process of sports development that takes place at the national level. But one area worth tracking is funding, given how financial support is integral to many aspects of developing elite sports. In Singapore, government support plays a major role, lacking as we do a robust sports industry that features strong corporate and commercial funding from the private sector. The Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth manages the budget for sports at various levels in the country, and funds are disbursed and monitored by Sport Singapore (SportSG) to the national sports associations (NSAs) which then manage their individual programmes and initiatives. In 2012, S$62.5 million was disbursed to some 30 NSAs. Figures from 2020 show that some S$70 million is now spent each year on the High Performance Sports system to support the development of national athletes and NSAs, as well as invest in new and existing public sports infrastructure. READ ALSO Loh Kean Yew becomes first Singaporean to win World Championship men's singles title
The exact budgets for individual sports are rarely disclosed officially. Personally, I have seen the budget for fencing grow from around S$100,000 a year when I first entered the national team in the mid 1990s, to over S$500,000 when I retired in 2009, and subsequently to over S$1 million when I was president of the national federation. These increases, while unspectacular, at least show steadily growing support for sports in the form of hard cash. A portion of this goes to athletes who have been identified as having the results or the potential to excel, and the quantum ranges from a few hundred dollars a month for those at the lowest tier, to thousands for those who have won Olympic medals. Loh Kean Yew for example was awarded the Sports Excellence Scholarship in 2019, after he knocked out China’s Olympic champion Lin Dan at the Thailand open in January of that year. The support he receives will surely go up following his world championship win. READ ALSO Singapore eliminated from AFF Suzuki Cup after 3 red cards, penalty miss in extra-time loss to Indonesia in semis More important than cash has been the discipline imposed by national sports regulator SportSG, which in 2009 introduced multi-year planning requirements for NSAs as a part of efforts to improve capabilities in the associations. This was aimed at incentivising the federations to plan long-term to ensure the sustainable development of sporting talent that typically does not happen overnight. There have been other significant initiatives that have impacted the local sports scene in positive ways, such as the launching of the Singapore Sports School in 2004, which offered a pathway for young budding sports talents to train and manage their academic lives at the same time. And then there were the individual milestones, such as Joseph Schooling’s landmark gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in 2016, which inspired many athletes to dream big and aim higher than they might have in the past. While difficult to quantify, I believe that these different factors have led to increased support for sports and sportspeople from a range of stakeholders, ranging from the Ministry of Defence, to corporates, and even friends and families of athletes. This in turn provides important encouragement to athletes themselves to pursue their sporting goals with greater confidence and purpose. For example, national kayakers Soh Sze Ying and Brandon Ooi last year relocated to Budapest in Hungary to be closer to world-class training partners and competitions, while also pursuing secondary academic degrees. They are aiming to do well in the Asian Games this year, and to improve their world rankings. WHERE TO FROM HERE? All things considered, things are looking up for Singapore sports, and 2022 is set to be another big year, with the Southeast Asian, Asian and Commonwealth Games taking place. There are three areas we can consider if we want to continue the momentum that has been gradually building up in our journey towards becoming a true sporting nation. First, stakeholders in our sporting ecosystem, including the Government, media and private sector, should continue to build on the positive sentiments and growing appreciation for sports by the Singaporean public by celebrating the triumphs of our athletes such as the Lions and Loh Kean Yew, and profiling them more broadly so they can continue to inspire, entertain and unite the country. At the same time, I hope that the general public and sports fans alike can continue to develop a deeper appreciation of sports and athletes, so that we don’t just celebrate triumphs but also follow individual sporting journeys including the ups, downs, bumps and bruises. This can be done by consuming sports content more widely and also delving deeper into different aspects to better understand what goes into sporting success. We will then be able to fully appreciate and subsequently enjoy following the trials, tribulations and triumphs of our athletes and teams. Lastly, we need to see a multi-stakeholder approach to developing sports. Currently, the focus on sports is limited mainly to governmental support, and there is a need to harness support and resources from both the public and private sector in a more significant way, while also building sustained support from citizens as a whole. Driven by the Government and sporting authorities, such an approach should take into consideration various public sector organs and agencies, private sector operators, infrastructure providers such as the Singapore Sports Hub, and the people sector which comprises fans and spectators, and of course the athletes themselves. By uniting these various entities behind a common goal — to deliver broad-based success across the sporting landscape — we may be able to overcome the shortcomings and challenges facing a small country with a limited population that lacks a deep and mature sports culture. In 2021, we got a taste of what a great sporting year can look like for Singapore. Here’s hoping we see more of the same in 2022, and many years to come. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nicholas Fang, a former national athlete and sports administrator, was a Nominated Member of Parliament and Team Singapore’s chef-de-mission at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. He co-founded sports consultancy Novastella and is a non-executive independent director of the Singapore Sports Hub.
Table tennis: Four young players promoted to Singapore national team (From left) Izaac Quek and Lucas Tan will join the men's team while Zhou Jingyi and Ser Lin Qian have been recruited for the women. PHOTOS: STTA Deepanraj Ganesan PUBLISHED JAN 13, 2022, 7:35 PM SGT SINGAPORE - As part of its renewal process and commitment to nurture a new generation of paddlers, the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) on Thursday (Jan 13) announced the promotion of four players from its intermediate squad to the national team. Izaac Quek, 15, and 22-year-old Lucas Tan will join the men's team while Zhou Jingyi, 16, and Ser Lin Qian, 15, have been recruited for the women. STTA president Ellen Lee said: "Today, we have introduced a fresh generation of young players into our national team and STTA will continue to give the best support to our young talents, as we build the next generation of Team Singapore. "We seek the continuous support from our various stakeholders, sponsors, parents, fans and volunteers. Let us all do our part to support the athletes. Together, we can make a greater impact that will eventually see more Singaporeans on the world stage." Quek's inclusion in the senior side has been widely expected ever since the Singapore Sports School student-athlete in April last year became the first local to top the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Under-15 boys' world ranking. The teenager's foundation was built at the STTA's Bishan Zone Training Centre, which he joined when he was seven. He subsequently moved up the association's junior development squad and youth training squad ranks, before he was promoted to the intermediate squad in 2020. Quek said: "It is my dream to be a member of the national team since young. I am honoured to serve Singapore in this new capacity. STTA's confidence in my abilities means a great deal to me." He has set a New Year's resolution of qualifying for the May 12-23 SEA Games, July 28-Aug 8 Commonwealth Games or the Sept 10-25 Asian Games. "I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities and I promise to work hard to bring more sporting glory for Singapore," he added. Newly inducted women's team members Jingyi and Lin Qian will provide a timely boost to the squad as the STTA prepares for life after the eventual retirements of world No. 9 Feng Tianwei and 34th-ranked Yu Mengyu - both of whom are in their 30s . Feng, who is Singapore's most bemedalled Olympian with a silver and two bronze medals, and Yu - who finished a career-high fourth at the Tokyo Games - had previously said that the 2020 Olympics would be their last. However, the pair could still feature in the SEA, Asian and Commonwealth Games this year. Table tennis's new blood Jingyi and Lin Qian will be hoping to fill the void when the veterans step down eventually. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Table tennis: S’pore’s Izaac Quek, Ser Lin Qian win 3 bronzes at world youth c’ships In Pictures: China paddlers win inaugural World Table Tennis Cup Finals in Singapore Both paddlers have had recent successes at junior tournaments. Last October, Lin Qian won the Under-15 girls' singles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender Lignano in Italy. A month later, Jingyi won the Under-17 girls' singles at the WTT Youth Contender Szombathely, while Lin Qian finished third. Lin Qian is the only South-east Asian recipient of the 2021 With The Future In Mind (WFIM) scholarship, a joint programme by the Olympic Solidarity and International Table Tennis Federation which seeks to support 30 promising youth players around the world. She said: "I am very thankful that I am being promoted into the national team. I would like to thank STTA for recognising my hard work and believing that I am ready to take on more challenges. I appreciate the opportunity and I look forward to contributing to the women's team.'' MORE ON THIS TOPIC Table tennis: The long road to showcasing local-born talents on the world stage News analysis: STTA has to bite the bullet and recruit foreign talent for Olympic success
5 things to know about S'pore pool's 'Golden Boy' Aloysius Yapp Aloysius Yapp's third-place finish is the best performance by any Singaporean at a world meet of either the 9- or 10-ball iteration of pool. PHOTO: ALOYSIUS YAPP Sazali Abdul Aziz Correspondent PUBLISHED SEP 11, 2021, 6:22 PM SGT SINGAPORE - Aloysius Yapp's run at the Predator World 10-Ball Championships ended after he was beaten 10-8 by Albania's Eklent Kaci in the semi-finals last Friday (Sept 10) in Las Vegas, but he has bounced back in magnificent fashion. The 25-year-old had already beaten world No.3 Jayson Shaw en route to his third-place finish - the best performance by any Singaporean at a world meet in any iteration of pool. He was also the previous best performer when he finished in the top eight of the World 9-Ball Championship in Dubai in 2015. At the US Open 9-Ball Championship in Atlantic City this week, Yapp has toppled even more stars, first beating Germany's world No.2 Joshua Filler in the competition's third round on Wednesday, before upsetting home favourite and the world's top-ranked player Shane van Boening on Friday (Sept 17), who had been eyeing to add to his record five titles. As Yapp now prepares to play in the semi-final on Saturday night (Singapore time), here are some things to know about him. 1. He is already a world champion Yapp first grabbed headlines when he won the World Junior (Under-19) 9-Ball Championships in Shanghai, China in November 2014. The victory came three months after he had also claimed the Asian Junior title, but was not without drama. In the Race to 11 format, he went 0-4 down against Chinese Taipei's Hsu Jui-an. He called for a timeout, refocused during a toilet break, and improved upon his return to the table, although he still found himself on the brink and trailed Hsu 10-9. He still managed to remain calm, though, and eventually won 11-10. 2. He quit school to pursue pool Yapp was so driven by his dream of becoming a professional pool player that in 2011, as a Secondary 2 student at St Patrick's School, he told his mother he wanted to drop out of school to train full-time. His mother, Angie Tay, said it was a "tough decision" but acceded, citing her son's determination and talent. Yapp eventually completed his O levels with private institution Coleman College. 3. He is Singapore's first professional pool player His bold decision to train full-time also made him Singapore's first professional pool player. He earns money through tournament winnings - like the US$12,000 (S$16,100) he won in Vegas - and sponsorships with private companies. He also receives funding through the Sports Excellence Scholarship (Spex Scholarship) programme, which provides an enhanced level of support, including financial support, for selected athletes on the Sport Singapore high performance sports pathway. 4. He started playing at a tender age Yapp first wielded a cue at just eight years old, soon after he saw pool on the television and asked his grandmother about the sport. His passion was so great that his parents even bought him a miniature pool table for his 10th birthday. It was seven feet long - compared to the nine-foot ones he now competes on - and allowed him to play without having to tiptoe awkwardly around the rails. It also meant he could practise at home, with opportunities to train at pool parlours limited owing to his young age. Aloysius Yapp with his bronze medal from the Predator World 10-Ball Championships. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALOYSIUS YAPP 5. He has an impressive cue collection He can use only one at a time but Yapp owns "about 15 to 20" cues. But he doesn't collect them for fun. "I look for technical elements," he explained. "I look for a certain hit and feedback that I like, and the balance of the cue must be a bit forward-weighted." When he goes for competition, he will bring five - two playing cues, two break cues and one jump cue - along with him.
Paddlers Izaac, Jingyi win top honours at S'pore Sports School Awards Night Izaac Quek (left) and Zhou Jingyi were awarded the Moo Soon Chong Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year (Secondary). ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR Laura Chia PUBLISHED JAN 26, 2022, 9:42 PM SGT SINGAPORE - After a stellar 2021 season that saw them winning a clutch of medals, youth paddlers Izaac Quek and Zhou Jingyi were rewarded with promotion to the national team earlier this month. And the new year promises to be even better after they were on Wednesday (Jan 26) awarded the Moo Soon Chong Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year (Secondary) at the Singapore Sports School Awards Night. National teammates Clarence Chew and Wong Xin Ru took home the same prize for post-secondary athletes as the paddlers swept the top honours at the annual awards. Izaac, 15, was delighted to bag his second consecutive award after becoming the first Singaporean to top the Under-15 world rankings last April. He also won five medals across four World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender events in Europe. "These really motivated me because I didn't have much success (previously), except being the world No. 1 so they meant that I was heading in the right direction, said the Secondary 4 student, who is aiming to qualify for the Commonwealth and Asian Games and World Table Tennis Team Championships this year. Teammate Jingyi also has a busy year ahead after making the step up to the national team. The 16-year-old, who was the youngest member of the team that retained Singapore's bronze medal at last year's Asian Table Tennis Championships, admitted that the transition has not been easy as she had to change her playing style, which resulted in her not being able to sustain rallies for as long as before. Zhou, who is now a full-time player, said: "I told myself that it's a normal process... Things will pick up slowly again and it is getting better now, so it's a good change." She will compete in three WTT Youth Contender events in Europe next month, where she hopes to win a medal or reach the finals, before she turns her attention to her medal target at the SEA Games. She added: "More importantly, I hope to be able to get more exposure and see how adults and people better than me play so that I can learn from them and become a better player myself." Wednesday's awards ceremony at the SSP's Woodlands campus also saw badminton player Jaslyn Hooi picking up the Annabel Pennefather Excellence accolade alongside fencer Cheung Kemei. Hooi, 21, clinched the biggest title of her career last September, winning the women's singles at the Polish International. She said: "Winning (the title) felt really good but thinking back, I'm also really happy about the progress that I've made because we're always focusing on something to improve on and when I won, I felt like what I've been doing is right and it motivates me to be better." World No. 100 Hooi is aiming for an individual medal at the Hanoi SEA Games in May and hopes to break into the top 50 this year after seeing the success of teammates Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min. She said: "We do the same training so when they succeed, I look back at what they've done differently so that I can learn from them. What inspires me is their commitment, dedication and effort put into training. "That makes me believe that Singapore badminton can make it to the world stage generation after generation and I hope more players can be like them."
What in the world is paddle tennis and pickleball? What in the world is paddle tennis and pickleball?, Lifestyle News - AsiaOne JANUARY 28, 2022PUBLISHED AT 3:50 PMByJUSTIN HARPERTHE PEAK Darryl Kwok, a data scientist with Seagate Singapore, picked up Pickleball from his mum, and is a fan of world number one pickleball player Ben Johns. He sports his new Ben Johns paddle at the ActiveSG Year End Smash 2021. Singapore Pickle-Ball Association If you find the game of tennis a little too intense — and we don’t just mean the Australian Open Novak Djokovic saga or Rafael Nadal’s heavy topspin — well, you are in luck. The world of racket sports is bigger than most people think, and unusual bat-based games are growing in popularity all over the world. There are countless variations of the much-loved sport to cater to all ages and abilities. That is, once you have worked out your pickleball from your paddle tennis, and your platform tennis from your pop. Pickleball, which sadly doesn’t involve the vinegary food, is actually a combination of badminton, table tennis and tennis all rolled into one fun sport. The reason why it’s called pickleball is contested but the sport dates to the mid-1960s as a playground game in the US. It can be played by two or four players using solid paddles and a wiffleball (a small plastic ball with holes in it). Pickleball is played on a court the same size as a badminton court but there are slightly different areas. For example, either side of the net is a non-volley zone, nicknamed “the kitchen”. Again, there’s no food in there either. Although it’s played with paddles, pickleball is not paddle tennis. That’s a whole other sport. Paddle tennis was invented in the 1920s in the US, and involves a spongey ball and small paddles. But to complicate things, there’s another sport called padel tennis that is quite similar and not just a spelling mistake. Paddle and padel tennis understandably gets confused with one another, as both have similar names, rules and are predominantly played as doubles. But a few years ago paddle tennis rebranded itself as pop tennis to avoid further confusion. Singapore-based expat Alexandre Bonnefoy participates in the Pesta Sukan 2021. PHOTO: Singapore Pickle-Ball Association A quick Google search showed there is a pop tennis coaching school and a padel tennis club in Singapore. If that’s not your thing, there’s another variant called platform tennis, which its players often call paddle tennis, even though it’s technically not. Of all these tennis offshoots, pickleball is probably the most popular in Singapore and has seen rising participation in recent years. According to the Singapore Pickle-Ball Association (who favour the hyphen), there are about 1,000 players now. “With Covid and the closure of indoor facilities, players had no choice but to play at the outdoor free courts. This added so much visibility and awareness to our sport that we are really growing in the pandemic times” says Lim Ee Kiong, Honorary Treasurer of the Singapore Pickle-Ball Association. Pini Lee flew to Fountain Valley, US to play in the West Regional Championship 2021 and won the 50+ Women’s Doubles Gold. PHOTO: Singapore Pickle-Ball Association He says the appeal of the sport is that it’s very easy to pick up. Anyone who has played some racket sports would find their skills still very relevant and useful in pickleball. “It doesn’t require jump smashes like badminton and is a slower pace than table tennis, while the court is smaller than a tennis court,” Lim adds. “Players can get good pretty fast to play a fun and meaningful game. Many athletic ones even play for six months and start winning national tournaments.” At 72, John Ng remains an active competitor and certified pickleball referee. He’s pictured mid-game at the Tampines North Pickleball Team Challenge 2021. PHOTO: Singapore Pickle-Ball Association Platform tennis is different from its paddling rivals, and you can play the ball off the side fencing. The “platform” refers to the court which is typically raised off the ground. However, it is a very niche racket sport and there currently aren’t any playing facilities in Asia, according to Ann W Sheedy, Executive Director of the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA). As a country that is batty about being first, maybe this is a golden opportunity for Singapore to put itself on the map.
Singapore to send 330 athletes to SEA Games in Hanoi Team Singapore parade at the SEA Games 2019 closing ceremony. (Photo: SportSG) 17 Feb 2022 08:30AM(Updated: 17 Feb 2022 08:30AM) SINGAPORE: Singapore is expected to send 330 athletes to the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam this year, with former taekwondo athlete S Sinnathurai serving as chief de mission. The 31st SEA Games will take place in Hanoi from May 12 to 23, with 526 events contested across 40 sports. It was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) selection committee met on Wednesday (Feb 16) to consider the nominations put forward by the national sports associations, it said in a news release. “At a meeting chaired by the SNOC President, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, the committee decided on the athletes who will represent Singapore at the Games,” it said. “Athletes who have yet to meet the qualifying criteria have until early March to meet the selection criteria for the appeals committee to consider.” Related: Team Singapore athletes prepare for packed sporting calendar in 2022 | Video Team Singapore’s chef de mission Mr S Sinnathurai (centre) and the assistant chefs de mission Ms Asmah Hamin (left) and Mr Damien Ler (right) for the 31st SEA Games. (Photo: Andy Chua/SNOC) Former taekwondo athlete and SEA Games champion S Sinnathurai, 50, will lead the team as chef de mission, assisted by former national sprinter Asmah Hanim, 37, and former national shooter Damien Ler, 42. “Both Asmah and Damien have served as team managers at major Games and worked in high performance sport administration roles at national sports associations,” SNOC said, adding that this is the first time all three are serving in a chef de mission role. Mr Sinnathurai said: “I hope the SEA Games-bound athletes will enjoy a fruitful and meaningful experience in Hanoi and take this opportunity to put their best forward as commendable ambassadors for the nation." Ms Asmah, who served as the athletics team manager at the 2014 Asian Games and Youth Olympics, said she hopes her experience as a coach, athlete and educator can “help to bring value to the team and contribute to a positive SEA Games campaign in Hanoi”. Singapore’s largest away contingent competed at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, consisting of 659 athletes across 48 sports. Its best medal haul came in 2015, when it hosted the SEA Games; the team bagged 84 gold, 73 silver and 102 bronze medals. Its best away SEA Games haul was at the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur, where the team won 58 gold, 59 silver and 71 bronze medals. Source: CNA/ga(rw)
SEA Games: Marathoner Soh Rui Yong excluded from S'pore contingent to Hanoi The current situation mirrors the one Soh Rui Yong was in before the 2019 SEA Games. PHOTO: ST FILE Sazali Abdul Aziz Correspondent PUBLISHED FEB 16, 2022, 9:10 PM SGT SINGAPORE - Top national marathoner Soh Rui Yong has once again been omitted from the list of athletes selected for the SEA Games, despite meeting the qualification mark for two events for the regional meet that will take place in Hanoi in May. His name was not among the 330 athletes across 29 sports who were given the green light to compete at the biennial competition, which was sent out by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) in a media statement on Wednesday (Feb 16). The current situation mirrors the one he was in before the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, where he was not selected despite comfortably meeting the qualification mark in place. The 12-strong selection committee for the Hanoi Games was chaired by SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin and includes vice-presidents Juliana Seow and Ben Tan; honorary treasurer Lee Wung Yew; Singapore Cycling Federation president Hing Siong Chen; Basketball Association of Singapore president Koh Koon Teck; Singapore Gymnastics president Patrick Liew; SNOC athletes' commission chairman Mark Chay; Sport Singapore chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin; Tan Chen Kee from the Ministry of Education; lawyer Lau Kok Keng, and billionaire chairman of professional football club Lion City Sailors Forrest Li. The latter five are co-opted members. In response to ST queries, an SNOC spokesman stressed that its selection criteria "has been well-publicised and communicated" to all national sports associations, including Singapore Athletics, since 2020. "Such criteria include meeting objective qualifying standards, as well as non-performance related standards and qualities such as attitude and behaviour towards coaches, fellow athletes and officials (whether in relation to sporting matters or otherwise), conduct and character which may affect the reputation, image, values or best interests of the athlete or the sport, and the ability to demonstrate team spirit and work well with teammates and officials," the spokesman noted. The SNOC, added the spokesman, rejected SA's nomination for Soh's participation because his conduct "fell short of the standards of attitude and behaviour the SNOC expects of and holds its athletes to", which it had also stated in 2019. The spokesman added: "Since then, Soh's conduct and behaviour has continued to fall short of those standards. "There has been no attempt by him to make amends, correct or apologise for his conduct and behaviour. Instead, there have been continued and persistent actions by Soh to challenge, mock, threaten and/or disrespect organisations and individuals including the SNOC. "The SNOC views such conduct and behaviour as unbecoming of an athlete that wishes to be selected to represent his country at major Games, and as contrary to the aforesaid requirement of the Olympic Charter." Soh, who is in London where he is pursuing a law degree, reacted to the announcement by saying his "objective track record speaks for itself". He also disagreed with SNOC's statement that he made no effort to make amends with them, saying he had in January met with Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who offered to "help mediate (the) situation". "I will make it clear here, for SNOC and for everyone else," Soh added. "As far as I’m concerned, any disputes in the past is long water under the bridge for me. I’m happy to make amends and resolve matters, but it takes two hands to clap. "On my part, apologies for any inconveniences that have arisen from my past actions and apologies that Singapore will once again miss out on a marathon gold medal as things stand. Good luck to the rest of the team competing in Vietnam." Soh, who won back-to-back marathon gold medals at the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games, had met qualification marks for the 1,500m and marathon events in Hanoi with times - 4min 05.19sec and 2hr 22min 59sec - that bettered the gold medal-winning efforts at the 2019 SEA Games. He later dropped out of the 1,500m so his place could go to 21-year-old Ethan Yan. Yan was the third-quickest Singaporean to qualify for the event, behind Soh and Jeevaneesh Soundararajah, and each nation is allowed only two representatives in each athletics event at the SEA Games. But, pending an appeal - which Soh said he would consult Singapore Athletics (SA) president Lien Choong Luen before deciding on - the 30-year-old will now not be headed to Hanoi at all. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games: Ex-taekwondo champion Sinnathurai to lead S'pore contingent in Hanoi Soh Rui Yong and Singapore Athletics mend fences over SEA Games non-selection saga In 2019, the SNOC rejected his nomination from the SA, saying there had been "numerous instances" where Soh's conduct fell short of its expectations. While they did not cite specific instances, the SNOC and Soh have clashed on a number of occasions over issues such as the athlete's breach of regulations regarding the promotion of personal sponsors at the 2017 SEA Games and later, his initial objection to its mandatory requirement to donate 20 per cent of his $10,000 cash payout as reward for his win back to SA for training and development. The non-selection led to an ugly public spat and even the threat of legal action by both parties, which did not go further. The Hanoi SEA Games will feature 526 events contested across 40 sports. Among the noteworthy inclusions for Team Singapore are the national women's football team, which will make a first appearance at the SEA Games since 2003. The men's team, which are seeking a first gold medal at the biennial Games, also earned the nod. At the last edition in the Philippines in 2019, Singapore's largest away contingent of 659 athletes competing across 48 sports returned with a haul of 53 gold, 46 silver and 68 bronze medals. The 2015 Games on home soil remains Team Singapore’s best performance (84-73-102) while the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur (58-59-71) is its best away Games. Timeline of Soh's non-selection saga August 2017: Soh Rui Yong receives formal warning from the SNOC, following an infringement of regulations regarding the promotion of personal sponsors during a blackout period ahead of the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. He goes on to retain the marathon gold medal. September 2017: Soh protests having to donate 20 per cent of his $10,000 cash payout from SNOC as reward for his win back to SA for training and development. He feels the association is undeserving of the gesture, after the disputes and controversies that have plagued SA over the previous 12 months. Soh eventually relents. October 2018: Reacting to a social media post of fellow marathoner Ashley Liew's act of sportsmanship at the 2015 SEA Games that garnered an international accolade, special recognition from SNOC, and even praise from the Prime Minister, Soh says Liew's version of events is "simply not true". This sets off a long and public dispute between the two runners - with SNOC backing Liew - and even legal action, with a court eventually finding Soh guilty of defamation against Liew last September. Soh was ordered to pay $180,000. The case is under appeal. August 2019: Soh is omitted from SNOC's list of athletes for the Manila SEA Games. The SNOC says he fell short of "standards of attitude and behaviour" it expects of national athletes. The fallout from this leads him to file defamation proceedings against SA and a former official. He dropped the former in October 2020, but the latter case is still before the courts. December 2021: Soh meets the Hanoi Games marathon qualifying mark with a national record. February 2022: Soh's nomination for the SEA Games is rejected. MORE ON THIS TOPIC 4 things to know about marathoner Soh Rui Yong, a colourful, controversial champion Athletics: Soh Rui Yong looking forward to UK stint as he eyes 10,000m national record at Asiad
SEA Games: Ex-taekwondo champion Sinnathurai to lead S'pore contingent in Hanoi S.Sinnathurai (centre) will lead the Republic's contingent at the SEA Games in Hanoi. He will be assisted by fellow former national athletes Asmah Hanim and Damien Ler. PHOTO: SNOC Sazali Abdul Aziz Correspondent PUBLISHED FEB 16, 2022, 9:25 PM SGT SINGAPORE - Three new faces will lead the Republic's contingent at the May 12-23 SEA Games in Hanoi, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) announced on Wednesday (Feb 16). Former national taekwondo athlete and SEA Games champion S. Sinnathurai, 50, will serve as chef de mission. He will be assisted by former national sprinter Asmah Hanim, 37, and former national shooter Damien Ler, 42. This will be the first time for each of the trio in their respective roles. Sinnathurai, a regional director for a firm in the manufacturing industry, said: "I hope the SEA Games-bound athletes will enjoy a fruitful and meaningful experience in Hanoi, and take this opportunity to put their best forward as commendable ambassadors for the nation. "I'm thankful for the appointment and am looking forward to working with Asmah and Damien, both with impressive capabilities and enthusiasm, to a successful Team Singapore outing in Hanoi." Both Asmah and Damien have served as team managers at major Games and worked in high performance sport administration roles at national sports associations. Asmah, a teacher who served as athletics team manager at the Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games that both took place in 2014, said: "I hope my experience as an athlete, coach and educator can help to bring value to the team and contribute to a positive SEA Games campaign in Hanoi." Ler, a director at sports consultancy Springboard Sports, had served in the Singapore Swimming Association as senior sports manager from 2008 to 2019. He said he was "humbled" by the privilege and responsibility of his role in Hanoi, and added: "Even though I have been involved at the SEA Games in other capacities, this is a new challenge and I hope to contribute to the best of my abilities." SNOC secretary-general Chris Chan said: "Sinnathurai, Asmah and Damien's extensive experience and involvement with Singapore sports and athletes will bring tremendous support to Team Singapore as they embark on their SEA Games journey. "We are confident that they have what it takes to lead Team Singapore at the SEA Games. We wish all athletes and their respective National Sports Associations the best in preparing for the Games." The SNOC's appointment of the three new faces comes on the back of its announcement last month that former gymnast Lim Heem Wei, 32, would lead the Singapore contingent at the July 23-Aug 8 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. She will be assisted by former national sprinter Amirudin Jamal, 34. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games: Marathoner Soh Rui Yong excluded from S'pore contingent to Hanoi Athletics: Teen sprinter Louis granted NS deferment as he chases national mark, SEA Games success in 2022
Athletics: Calvin Quek breaks men's 400m hurdles national record 25-year-old NTU student credits coach Luis Cunha for his 51.73sec timing Calvin Quek clocked 51.73 seconds at the Singapore Athletics SEA Games Trial 2022 at the Home of Athletics on Feb 23, 2022. PHOTO: SAA Kimberly Kwek PUBLISHED FEB 23, 2022, 8:57 PM SGT SINGAPORE - A change of coach and training environment worked wonders for Calvin Quek, as the 25-year-old finally broke the national men's 400m hurdles record on Wednesday (Feb 23) after chasing it for four years. Quek clocked 51.73 seconds at the Singapore Athletics SEA Games Trial 2022 at the Home of Athletics to eclipse the previous mark of 52.44sec set by Ow Yeong Wei Bin in 2019. He credited his performance to his coach Luis Cunha, whom he has been training with since August last year. "My coach and I were expecting it, like there was a chance. But to be able to do it while running alone was honestly quite unbelievable," said the 25-year-old, whose previous personal best was 53.08sec. The Nanyang Technological University student previously worked with a different coach at Nanyang Polytechnic, but that changed when the pandemic struck as he was no longer able to attend training sessions in the school. Instead, Quek trained alone at the Home of Athletics in Kallang, following the workout sets from his coach, who was working pro bono. But he felt the arrangement was not ideal and sought out Cunha. He said: "When I approached him (Cunha), I told him that one of my goals was to break the national record so we've been working towards it. After much consideration, I thought he was the best coach to go to." He now trains alongside Singapore's top sprinters such as SEA Games gold medallist Shanti Pereira, which is a welcome change from his previous arrangement. Quek is now hoping to get his debut at the Hanoi SEA Games team as his time is just 0.13sec off the qualifying mark of 51.60sec. He said: "Ever since I've been running track, one of the goals for many of us has been to go to the SEA Games. I'm going to pray very hard that my nomination goes through and if it does, hopefully I can try to fight for the medal." The SEA Games trial on Wednesday also saw the women's 4x100m relay team attempting to meet the Games' qualifying time of 45.17sec. But the quartet of Pereira, Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Kugapriya Chandran and Bernice Liew clocked 46.95sec and 46.86sec in two trial events and will be looking to appeal to the Singapore National Olympic Council for inclusion in the Games.
Swimming: ACS(I)'s perfect IB scorer Gan heads to US in bid to ace 2024 Olympics test National 1,500m freestyle swimming record holder Gan Ching Hwee at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Centre at Indiana University. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GAN CHING HWEE Sazali Abdul Aziz Correspondent PUBLISHED JAN 4, 2022, 9:02 PM SGT SINGAPORE - Gan Ching Hwee's Monday (Jan 3) could not have ended more perfectly. The 18-year-old, halfway around the world in Indiana in the United States, had stayed up past midnight to receive her International Baccalaureate results. It was worth the wait. The former Anglo Chinese School (Independent) student shed tears of joy after she learned she had scored 45 points to become one of the 133 perfect scorers from Singapore this year - and just 238 out over 16,800 who sat the exams worldwide. "I almost could not believe my eyes," Gan told The Straits Times. "Given my swimming commitments, I told myself that anything above 42 would have exceeded my expectations." She thanked her teachers in ACS(I) and Methodist Girls' School, as well as her classmates, friends and family who supported her as she juggled books and sport. Now, she is about to embark on another big step. Gan will pursue a degree in nutrition at Indiana University (IU) on a four-year programme while aiming for the Paris Olympics in 2024. She had been offered a partial scholarship by IU and accepted it after months of conversations with the school's coaches and virtual tours of its facilities. "I felt IU was able to provide me more opportunities in swimming, and also its amazing facilities," she explained. Aside from an Olympic-sized pool, IU's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Centre includes an underwater video system and one-of-a-kind weights-and-pulleys system which creates resistance for swimmers to hone in on their technique. The Hoosiers also have a good swimming history - its most famous alumnus is American great Mark Spitz - and have won nine Big Ten Conference championships since 2002. Its women's head coach Ray Looze, 54, was assistant coach for the US swim team at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. Gan, who is the women's 1,500m freestyle national record holder, has been in the US since Dec 14 with her father, civil servant Gan Chong Yee, to adjust to life there. Her mother Lee Chui Leng, who works in a multinational corporation, joined them soon after. The sub-zero weather in Indiana and short-course pools, which are the norm in US, are among things Gan has had to get used to, but she said with a broad smile that there have only been "positive vibes" since she arrived. She is looking forward to fine-tuning her training with Looze as she prepares to race in the Big Ten Conference Championships in Wisconsin from Feb 16-19. She is also aiming to make the cut to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associations (NCAA) Division I Swimming and Diving Championships in March. Even with just a handful of interactions with her new teammates, Gan said she already feels a part of the Hoosiers family. "The first time I (trained) I did a huge distance set of 8,000 yards (which) is part of the distance group training, and everyone was so encouraging," she said. "Halfway through the set, we'd be fist-bumping, they'll be like 'we can do this!'. This (team spirit) is really ingrained into their culture and it's something I'm really grateful for, because during the harder sets you need that encouragement to get you through." National swimmer Gan Ching Hwee in the pool in October 2021. PHOTO: CHONG YEW This spirit of togetherness, said Lee, was also evident when the IU staff kept in constant contact with Gan to keep her spirits up after she missed out on a chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics last August following a selection dispute. In July last year, Gan received a 'B' cut invite from world aquatics governing body Fina, two days after the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) announced that Quah Ting Wen would compete in Tokyo on a universality place. An SSA selection committee then picked Gan for the Games, only for an appeals committee to later revert the choice to Quah. Lee said then that her daughter was "devastated" by the decision. Said Gan: "I was really disappointed with the entire process and the outcome of it for sure… Speaking to my coaches to process what happened really helped a lot. My parents gave me a lot of support as well, and my friends also encouraged me. "Although it was a really difficult time, I really just wanted to move forward and look ahead to the next Olympics and strive for an 'A' cut." MORE ON THIS TOPIC S'pore students excel in IB exams, with 133 out of 238 perfect scorers globally School sports: ACS(I) golfer Sean Lee excels in IB exams despite two-month stint in US She took the advice of her coach, Eugene Chia, to take a day off training but insisted she never lost sight of her goals. "I came back feeling a lot more refreshed and more sure of my goals going forward," she said. Gan, who was also part of the 2019 SEA Games 4x200m free relay team who hold the national record, believes her stint in the US will be crucial to achieving her 2024 goal. IU's recruitment of other distance swimmers such as 2019 Pan American Games silver medallist Mariah Denigan will help create a competitive environment for Gan to "stretch myself and push me to the limit", as she often trained on her own for distance events here. The Paris Games are over 30 months away but with such clarity and hunger, it would take a brave soul to bet against Gan acing this next test too. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Madrasah student achieves perfect IB score of 45 - a first for her school Why do S'pore students ace IB exams all the time?
Silat: Singapore's exponents win 2 golds, 1 silver at SEA C'ships; relish opportunity to compete Singapore's senior artistic female team of (from left) Iffah Batrisyia Noh, Nur Ashikin Zulkifli, and Amirah Sahrin performing their gold-winning routine. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN Jeremiah Ong PUBLISHED FEB 26, 2022, 6:13 PM SGT Singapore's silat exponents won two gold medals and a silver in the artistic category on day two of the 8th South-east Asia (SEA) Pencak Silat Championships on Saturday (Feb 26), but they were also appreciative to be back competing in the arena following a long hiatus due to the pandemic. Singapore Silat Federation chief executive Sheik Alau'ddin said earlier in the week that they are hoping that their exponents' performances at the three-day competition will help them earn the nod to go to May's Hanoi SEA Games. The chance to take part in the biennial event was lodged firmly in the exponents' minds as they went about their routines at the OCBC Arena Hall One. Singapore's Siti Nazurah Mohd Yusoff, 21, who won silver in the senior artistic female category after losing narrowly to Malaysia's Nur Syafiqah Hamzah by a score of 9.895 to 9.930, said that while SEA Games selection is up to the authorities, what she can focus on is her own improvements. The former regu (team) exponent, who was making her debut in the tunggal (single) category, said: "It's my first time in this category so I think I've done well. I'm proud of it, I'm not sad but I will definitely continue to work harder. "If I continue to work hard, I think I will have a chance at the SEA Games but I don't have a say in that as I have to go through selection so I will just focus on myself. Based on my performance earlier, I can improve on my stamina, the sharpness and the explosiveness of my movements." Singapore's senior artistic female team were dominant in their display en route to gold, beating Malaysia with a score of 9.945 to 9.895. The trio of Amirah Sahrin, Iffah Batrisyia Noh and Nur Ashikin Zulkifli were proud of their performance and saw the value in having competition exposure. Iffah, 19, said: "It was one of our better performances but definitely not the best that we can achieve so we will take this as a learning point and do better for future competitions." "Today's win means a lot to us as it is our first international competition together." Amirah, also 19, added: "As compared to the virtual competitions that we have gone through, this is definitely an eye-opening experience as it is something we have never experienced before, including the atmosphere and supporters." While the event was not open to the public, the cheering from the various teams' officials, exponents and invited guests made it a tense atmosphere. Besides the 30 exponents from Singapore, there were also 61 of their counterparts from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. When asked about their chances of qualifying for the SEA Games, Amirah was confident in their team's ability but acknowledged that they had room for improvement. "Our synchronisation is still not there compared to other powerhouses like Indonesia and Vietnam." (From left) Competitors Iffah Batrisyia Noh, Nur Ashikin Zulkifli, and Amirah Sahrin on day 2 of SEA Silat Championship, on Feb 26, 2022. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN Although they were uncontested in the final, the senior artistic male team consisting of Iqbal Abdul Rahman, Mustafar Mohd Isa and Nazrul Mohd Kamal registered a high score of 9.940 after their three-minute routine. But the trio were just grateful to compete in an international competition for the first time together. Iqbal, the 2018 men's artistic singles world champion, said: "This is the first time the three of us were put into the same team and competing at quite a high level. "With only a short period of training together, around less than a month, I think we exceeded expectations. We didn't come into this competition with high hopes, we just wanted to outperform ourselves and give our 100 per cent." Despite being a newly formed team, they were far from inexperienced with both Iqbal, 28, and Nazrul, 22, winning a silver and gold respectively at the previous SEA Games. Ahead of the upcoming Hanoi edition, Mustafar, 26, was eager to make an impact and not just make up the numbers. (From left) Competitors Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Rahman, Muhammadinil Mustafar Mohd Isa and Muhammad Nazrul Mohd Kamal at day 2 of the SEA Silat Championship. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN He said: "I am the newest in the team and I am standing beside a SEA Games champion and a world champion so I would have to work extra hard to be on the same level as them. But considering our team dynamics, I hope we can get at least top three so we don't come home empty-handed." The team added that the competition experience was invaluable in allowing them to gauge their abilities and identify their weaknesses. "The three of us are still new so one area we have to work on is our chemistry." Iqbal said. Looking ahead to the twice-postponed Pencak Silat World Championships, which is set to take place in Kuala Lumpur in July, the team said: "Our expectations would be to see where we stand in the world right now." The three-day competition ends on Sunday (Feb 27) with several Singaporeans in action, including Sheik Farhan’s Class J (90-95kg) final in the senior match men’s singles against Vietnam’s Nguyen Van Tri. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Silat: Three-time world champion Sheik Farhan named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list Swimming: ACS(I)'s perfect IB scorer Gan heads to US in bid to ace 2024 Olympics test
Shooting: Singapore women's air rifle team win bronze at World Cup in Egypt Laura Chia PUBLISHED MAR 3, 2022, 5:26 PM SGT SINGAPORE - Shooting together as a trio for the first time, the combination of Ho Xiu Yi, Adele Tan and Fernel Tan worked a treat as the women's air rifle team won Singapore's first medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Egypt on Wednesday (March 2). They beat Poland 16-8 in the third-place play-off to win the bronze, while Hungary won the gold after outscoring Norway 17-13. For Ho, the result was special as it was their first triumph at the world cup. She said: "(Finishing in the top four) was unexpected. I think we shocked a lot of people, even ourselves. However, when we were in the bronze-medal match, winning it was the goal for all three of us and we were very focused on making it happen. "So for me, I think it was expected of us to win bronze because that's how much we trusted and acknowledged each other's abilities. "Whatever that's beyond our own shooting is not within our control. What we had to overcome was really forgetting about the bad or good shots we made and keep focusing on moving forward." Fernel, 20, said the result showed her good progress as she prepares for her major Games debut at the Hanoi SEA Games in May. She added: "The process of qualification and making it to the bronze-medal match was nerve-racking and I'm glad I was still able to execute my routine well during such situations. The team fought really hard and we took every shot very seriously. All of us are glad our hard work has paid off. "It also further proved what Singapore Shooting team has done so far is on the right track. However, the SEA Games are still two months away and we have to continue to train hard. There's more work to be done to sharpen our skills, so we can manage better at the SEA Games." Ho and Fernel are also aiming to qualify for the Asian Games in September and the ISSF World Shooting Championships in October, and they are aiming to improve their mental strength and endurance. Teammates Teo Shun Xie, Teh Xiu Hong and Amanda Mak - who won gold in the air pistol team at the ISSF Grand Prix in Jakarta last month - missed out on the bronze on Wednesday, losing 16-8 to Chinese Taipei in the third-place play-off. The competition continues till March 8 with Olympian Adele Tan, Teo, Teh, Martina Veloso, Nigel Lim and Gai Tianrui among the Singaporeans in action at the Egypt International Olympic City in Cairo. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Shooting: S'pore win women's 25m pistol team for sixth gold at ISSF Grand Prix in Jakarta Shooting: Martina Veloso adds fifth gold for Singapore at ISSF Grand Prix in Jakarta
