SEA Games: Joseph Schooling wefie-seeker Nicholas Mahabir ready to make a splash The Straits Times begins the countdown to the 32nd SEA Games, held in Cambodia for the first time from May 5 to 17. Over five days, we profile Singapore athletes looking for their “firsts” in Phnom Penh. We begin with swimmer Nicholas Mahabir, who is making his first Games appearance. SPH Brightcove Video Swimmer and SEA Games debutant Nicholas Mahabir lets us in on five significant moments in his career. David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED MAY 1, 2023, 5:11 PM SGT SINGAPORE – Four years ago, National Training Centre coach Gary Tan had to shoo away a “random kid” seeking a wefie with Joseph Schooling at a training session. Now national swimming head coach, he laughed as he pointed out that this boy – Nicholas Mahabir – is one of their big hopes for medals at the 2023 SEA Games. Tan said: “My first interaction with Nick was when he was a national youth water polo player. We were training side by side at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. He came to ask for a picture with Joseph, and I said don’t disturb us because we were still training. “Never did I expect this random kid to be in the national swim team one day because I’ve only heard of swimmers becoming water polo players, but never the other way around. He could well be the first.” While Nicholas started swimming at three and always had a flair for breaststroke, he got hooked on water polo after being introduced to the sport by a swim buddy when he was eight. The 17-year-old said: “Water polo is a game, while swimming is just so boring and lonely. You just hear the water, your coach is telling you not to breathe, you’re just going as hard as you can the whole time, you don’t get to talk to your friends. But I kept swimming while playing water polo, because it gave us so much more of an advantage.” Nicholas, born in Singapore to an American father – who has Fijian and German heritage – and a Singaporean mother, moved to the United States when he was six. He returned and stayed here from 12 to 14 and was picked for the national youth water polo team. The Covid-19 pandemic turned out to be the Singapore swim team’s gain. Nicholas was in the US but because of social distancing rules, he had to stop playing water polo and focused on swimming and bodyweight training. A turning point came in the spring of 2021. He missed the qualifying period of the TYR 18 & Under Spring Cup in Irvine, California but begged the coordinator to let him into the swim meet. He was eventually allowed to compete and clocked 2min 19.18sec in the 200m breaststroke to drop more than 20 seconds from his personal best and top the prelims. The time placed him second among 15-year-olds in the US that year. National swimmer and breaststroke specialist Nicholas Mahabir, 17, is the new face to watch at the SEA Games. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO AND LIM YAOHUI “I don’t know how it happened, but that was the first big swim that showed me I can be competitive and pretty good at this,” he said ahead of the Cambodia SEA Games, where he will race in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, and medley relay in his Games debut. From a scrawny 1.6m, 50kg frame, he has added 25kg and now stands at 1.83m. His times have also tumbled. Training with his Coronado neighbour – American breaststroke specialist Michael Andrew, who was part of the Olympic-winning and world record-breaking men’s 4x100m medley team – also helped. Nicholas began sending his progress to the Singapore Swimming Association and was invited to join the national team. Tan said: “We took a chance on him because without much competitive swimming background, he brought his times to a relatively good standing. “In terms of age, knowledge and experience, he is definitely young, but his drive and determination are very different from other kids. He has got a bit of that X-factor.” Nicholas Mahabir will race in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, and medley relay in his SEA Games debut. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO AND LIM YAOHUI At the 2022 US Nationals, Nicholas touched the wall in 1:00.37 to win the 100m breaststroke B final, outracing Andrew while setting a Singapore record that also made him the world’s third-fastest 16-year-old in the event. The time is also 0.8 of a second quicker than Pham Thanh Bao’s SEA Games record in 2022, and just outside the Paris Olympics qualifying time of 59.49. Realising his potential and how it would be easier for him to become an Olympian in swimming rather than a team sport, Nicholas stopped water polo entirely and committed himself to swimming full time. This means 13 training sessions a week. A typical day includes two pool sessions and one in the gym from 6am till he goes to bed at 7.30pm. Nicholas, who will enrol in the University of California, Berkeley in 2024, added: “No gaming or Netflix. Occasionally, I may go fishing, but that’s also rare because I’m too tired to do anything else other than rest.” Nicholas Mahabir started swimming at three and always had a flair for breaststroke. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Aside from entertainment, he has “gone more than 200 days without dessert” after he and teammate Teong Tzen Wei made a pact to eat clean. What would taste even sweeter would be a first SEA Games gold, becoming the first Singaporean to go sub-60sec in the 100m breaststroke and even Olympic qualification. He said: “All of that sounds nice. I have pretty high expectations of myself. I worked really hard for this, so I’m going to do the best I can for the people who have supported me.”
Hailey Loh becomes first Singaporean golfer to win NCAA conference championship With a three-day overall score of two-over 218, Loh had finished in a four-way tie for first place amid challenging conditions at the Championship. Ervin Ang The Straits Times Hailey Loh (right) is the first Singaporean golfer to win an individual title at a NCAA conference championship. PHOTO: CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY April 28, 2023 SINGAPORE – Nerves have ruined national golfer Hailey Loh’s chances of success not once but twice during tournament play-offs in 2022. A third attempt, this time at the NCAA Western Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championship, saw her finally emerging victorious as she beat her rivals to top the 60-strong field at the Semiahmoo Country Club in Blaine, Washington, on Tuesday. With her triumph, the 20-year-old also made history by becoming the first Singaporean golfer to win an individual title at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conference championship. Loh, who is a junior at California Baptist University, said: “I was hitting fairways and greens in regulation but, honestly, I did not expect to win and I only knew I had the chance to win on the last hole. The best five schools (in the region) competed in this tournament, so I would say it’s pretty big.” With a three-day overall score of two-over 218, Loh had finished in a four-way tie for first place amid challenging conditions. Holding her nerve, she drained a 20-footer for birdie on the first play-off hole to force another one after watching Jennifer Herbst – who was from team championship winners Sam Houston State University – sink her birdie putt. On the second play-off hole, Herbst found the bunker and could only make bogey while Loh made a comfortable par to seal the win. It was a milestone victory for Loh, who made it third time lucky after losing both of her previous play-offs in 2022. At the May 12-23 Hanoi SEA Games, she lost a bronze-medal decider to the Philippines’ Rianne Mikhaela Malixi Aala in the team event while she was beaten in a play-off for victory at another conference tournament in October. “I just felt very scared and was honestly dreading the play-offs. After losing both of my previous play-offs, I struggled with performance anxiety,” she said. “But I kept my composure and at the first play-off hole, I knew I had to make birdie to stay in it. “It was a 20-footer up the hill and I just gave it all I got… it was the best feeling ever when it went in. “At the second hole, I faced a downhill slider and knew I just had to two-putt for the win. Those clutch putts felt really good.” Hailey Loh playing a bunker shot at the Semiahmoo Country Club in Blaine, United States. PHOTO: WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPORTS With her victory at the championship – which featured 12 Division 1 teams – Loh qualified for the NCAA regional tournament from May 8 to 10, which is a qualifier for the national championships. But she will forgo that opportunity so that she can compete at the May 5-17 SEA Games in Cambodia. In 2022, Loh finished sixth in the individual event in Hanoi and the women’s team narrowly missed out on bronze after losing to the Philippines. She added: “I made a prior commitment to the national team and I have to prioritise the team ahead of my individual interests. I have unfinished business at the SEA Games. “Based on last year’s results, I do think I have a decent chance at medalling in the individual event, hopefully gold.” Loh will first need to beat good friend and 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion Eila Galitsky. The duo met at the Hanoi Games and the 16-year-old Thai has since gone from strength to strength, finishing tied-28th on her Major debut at the recent Chevron Championship, where she was the lowest-scoring amateur at one-over 289. Loh, who is aiming to emulate compatriot Amanda Tan by playing on the Epson Tour after graduating in 2024, is relishing the opportunity to face off with Galitsky in the team event. Loh added: “Bringing this momentum I have, I believe I can give her a run for her money in matchplay if given the chance to, and do Singapore proud at the SEA Games.”
Team Singapore in the hunt for 50 golds at 2023 SEA Games Swimmer Teong Tzen Wei will be one of the gold medal hopefuls at the Cambodia SEA Games from May 5 to 7. PHOTO: SSA David Lee and Deepanraj Ganesan UPDATED MAY 3, 2023, 5:46 PM SGT PHNOM PENH – As Team Singapore readies for battle at the May 5-17 SEA Games, fans across South-east Asia will be eyeing the medal table as the nations renew their tussle for the top spots. For Singapore, a return to the 50-gold zone after four years is a tall order, but The Straits Times believes that the 558-strong contingent can make a solid push across 30 sports to achieve that goal in Cambodia. Once again, swimming is expected to do the heavy lifting for Team Singapore, with table tennis, fencing and pencak silat also expected to help in the hunt for the half-century in Phnom Penh. Before 2017, Singapore had never breached the 43-gold mark at an overseas Games nor gone beyond its best-ever haul of 50 in 24 years, but hosting the 2015 edition gave its athletes the belief to break the glass ceiling. However, in the three editions since amassing a record 84 golds, 73 silvers and 102 bronzes on home soil, there has been a downward trend of gold medals since. In 2017, Singapore’s 569-strong contingent won 57 golds, 58 silvers, 73 bronzes across 35 sports, setting a new best for an away Games. Two years later in the Philippines, its biggest contingent to an away Games – 666 players competed in 48 sports – returned with 53 golds, 46 silvers, 68 bronzes. The haul dipped to 47 golds, 46 silvers, 71 bronzes in 2022 when 424 athletes participated in 33 sports. With the Sept 23-Oct 8 Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics on the horizon, a strong performance will help build momentum for these bigger meets. Singapore’s fortunes at the SEA Games have often been tied to what sports are on offer, with host countries tweaking the programme to include traditional sports that they are strong in, while dropping others that they are weaker at or lack the infrastructure to support. At the 2019 edition, hosts the Philippines topped the standings with 149 golds when it expanded the programme to a whopping 56 sports. That year, Singapore bagged 13 golds from figure skating, floorball, lawn bowls, sailing, sambo, short track speed skating, softball, and underwater hockey, all of which were dropped for the Hanoi Games in 2022. This time, the Republic faces the same issue with archery, bowling, canoeing and shooting – which contributed eight golds in 2022 – out of the programme, although cricket, floorball and sailing are back. Singapore will be counting on its swimmers to make up the bulk of their medal haul in Cambodia. The swim squad will be missing Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, who has withdrawn from the Games after stating that he was not at the level to perform. While national swimming head coach Gary Tan noted that the medal haul “could swing between 12 to 24 golds”, ST believes that with a blend of youth and experience, the athletes should be competitive in all but the men’s distance and women’s backstroke events and claim at least 20 out of the 39 golds on offer. To hit at least 50 golds, the slack could be picked up by athletics (four) – Shanti Pereira is in top form for the women’s 100m and 200m, while Soh Rui Yong attacks the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m double – table tennis (four), fencing (four), pencak silat (three), sailing (two), and wushu (two). Short distance runner Shanti Pereira. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Badminton is an uncertainty as the regional powerhouses may be distracted by the Sudirman Cup – which clashes with the SEA Games – while in cue sports, Peter Gilchrist (English billiards) and Aloysius Yapp (pool) will face other top players. Gold medals are also possible in cycling, floorball and jiu-jitsu, while the men’s waterpolo team are also looking to reclaim gold after losing their crown in 2019. Former national water polo vice-captain Yip Ren Kai said that 50 golds is an achievable target and believes the swimmers, fencers and floorballers will deliver. The multiple SEA Games gold medallist, who is a keen sports observer, said: “Our swimmers (21 golds in 2022) have consistently shown they are kings of the pool at South-east Asian and even Asian level, while fencing (a record six golds in 2022) has shown good results in previous Games, so I’m quite sure they will continue on that path. “Floorball can also contribute because Singapore is hosting the women’s world championship this year and this would be a very good way to show that the team are getting ready for that.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Teong Tzen Wei urges Singapore swimmers to go for the kill at SEA Games, Asian Games Don’t freak out. Soak it in. Have faith. Old hands offer wise words to SEA Games newbies Singapore will not be represented in dancesport, endurance race, jet ski, karate, obstacle race, soft tennis, and weightlifting, and its athletes are not expected to break their gold drought in basketball, football, sepak takraw, tennis, volleyball, wrestling – all these sports have never won gold before – hockey (last gold in 1993), gymnastics (2015), and traditional boat race (1993). However, there is always room for surprises, such as when xiangqi men’s standard singles player Alvin Woo and the men’s epee team delivered historic gold medals in 2022. At the official SEA Games flag ceremony, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said: “At every SEA games, we will have athletes who will surprise us. “We will have debutants who do very well, like at the last SEA Games, and I have no doubt that this year from the contingent, we’ll see many surprises and there’ll be many heartwarming moments from our athletes.” Former national hurdler and multiple SEA Games medallist Dipna Lim-Prasad agreed that the first-timers should not be overlooked, but she stressed that personal breakthroughs are just as, if not more, important than the number of gold medals. The SNOC athletes’ commission vice-chairman said: “The SEA Games is more than just the number (of gold medals). I am excited and looking forward to seeing what our athletes can do... achieving all their own personal targets would be a good Games for me.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Singapore Table Tennis Association sets modest two-gold SEA Games target in Cambodia We’re sending our best athletes, so don’t worry, the medals will come: Singapore SEA Games chef-de-mission
SEA Games 2023: Who to watch in Team Singapore (From left) Teong Tzen Wei, Shanti Pereira, Sheik Farhan. PHOTOS: ST FILE UPDATED MAY 3, 2023, 8:06 PM SGT SINGAPORE – Who will shine on South-east Asia’s biggest stage? With 558 athletes competing in 30 sports, we hone in on three of Singapore’s best prospects at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia from May 5 to 17. In the pool, the Republic will be looking to swimmer Teong Tzen Wei to set pulses racing. The region’s fastest man in the water will be looking to retain his 50metre freestyle title, and the four-gold sprint king has never failed to win a medal at each of the SEA Games he has competed in. On land, Singapore’s sprint queen will be going for golds. The 26-year-old comes into the competition in sizzling form, having smashed three national records in the last month. With two golds in the 200m in 2015 and 2021 editions, Shanti Pereira is aiming for the 100m and 200m double this time to stamp her mark in the regional event. On the mat, expect some hard-hitting action from Sheik Farhan. Having won gold in 2017 and 2022, the three-time world champion will be looking for a three-peat in Cambodia. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Team Singapore in the hunt for 50 golds at 2023 SEA Games We’re sending our best athletes, so don’t worry, the medals will come: Singapore SEA Games chef-de-mission
S'pore breaks SEA Games & national record after bagging gold in men's swimming 4x100m medley relay race S'pore breaks SEA Games & national record after bagging gold in men's swimming 4x100m medley relay race - Mothership.SG - News from Singapore, Asia and around the world Well done. Syahindah Ishak | May 09, 2023, 01:33 PM Singaporean swimmers Quah Zheng Wen, Nicholas Mahabir, Teong Tzen Wei and Jonathan Tan have made history. Breaking records The quartet clinched the gold medal in the men's 4x100m medley relay race at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia on Monday (May 8) night. With a winning time of 3:37.45, the team broke both the SEA Games and national record. Took the lead from the start Quah started off the race strong with the backstroke and gave Singapore an early lead. Mahabir then took over with the breaststroke. He managed to extend Singapore's lead, before handing over the race to Teong. With the butterfly stroke, Teong powered through the pool to hold on to Singapore's lead. Tan subsequently wrapped up the entire race with the freestyle. Here's the full race: Thailand finished the race second, securing their silver medal, while Indonesia bagged the bronze medal. Screenshot via Mediacorp/YouTube. What's next? Quah and Teong will be competing in the men's 100m butterfly finals on Tuesday (May 9) night.
SEA Games 2023: Singapore table tennis women upset by Malaysia, face tougher route to final 1 of 3 The Malaysia team cheers for their teammate while Singapore's Wong Xin Ru looks forlorn in the foreground. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO PHNOM PENH – In a stunning reverse of the 2022 Commonwealth Games final, Singapore’s women’s table tennis team were beaten 3-0 by Causeway rivals Malaysia in their SEA Games Group B round-robin match on Tuesday. At the Morodok Techo National Stadium Table Tennis Hall, Zhou Jingyi, Zeng Jian and Wong Xin Ru were pushed to the brink by rivals Karen Lyne, Alice Chang and Tee Ai Xin, who managed to produce the extra oomph to seal their first Games victory against Singapore this millennium. After Tee claimed the win, the Malaysian tigresses let out a piercing roar, punching the air in delight and celebrating with high-fives. Chang told The Straits Times they were surprised to win and by such a margin, but noted that it was a moment they worked hard for. She said: “We lost to Singapore in the group stage at the last SEA Games in 2022, and then lost to them again in the Commonwealth Games final, which were regrettable. So, since then... building up to these SEA Games, we train every day with a strong desire of wanting to beat Singapore. “We have not made the women’s team final for 30 years and we also want this so badly. To do so, we know we have to beat Singapore or Thailand along the way. “Today, we played like we had nothing to lose against strong opponents, and we stepped up. Now, we most likely have to beat Vietnam to reach the final, we cannot relax.” While Singapore still progressed to the last four with an earlier 3-0 win over Cambodia, they did so as group runners-up, which means a more difficult semi-final on Wednesday against defending champions and Group A winners Thailand. It will be a tougher route to reclaiming the gold they lost in 2021 after nine straight triumphs. In the Causeway derby, Zhou got off to a fine start against Lyne, taking the first game despite her opponent saving eight game points in a row, but she eventually lost 3-2 (16-18, 11-8, 9-11, 15-13, 11-6) and left the arena with ice packs on both knees. Similarly, Zeng was also leading 2-1 before chopper Chang came from behind to deliver a 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-3) upset. Wong tried to stem the tide, but Malaysia’s momentum was too strong as Tee beat her 3-1 (12-10, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9). Singapore’s Wong Xin Ru in action against Malaysia’s Tee Ai Xin during their SEA Games Group B round-robin match on Tuesday. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: Singapore’s table tennis debutants smashing through barriers SEA Games 2023: Multi-talented Sara Merican chooses cricket over first love National women’s team coach Jing Junhong said: “Malaysia have improved and the levels between both teams are similar. The difference today was we were more tense, and they were more aggressive. “We expected this to be a tough match and our players wanted to win so badly, they were not able to play freely. Maybe they put unnecessary pressure on themselves and were hesitant while applying our strategy. “We are definitely underdogs against Thailand. We need to get over our disappointment, try to pose them some problems, learn about our inadequacies and improve.” The men’s team fared better in their Group B matches, as Koen Pang, Clarence Chew and Izaac Quek all won against Laos (3-0) and Malaysia (3-0) on Tuesday. They are expected to beat the Philippines in their final round-robin match on Wednesday to advance as group winners into the semi-finals, where they will meet defending champions Thailand, who are second in Group A after losing to Vietnam. While Pang and Chew had straightforward 3-0 wins over Malaysians Javen Choong (11-5, 11-2, 11-6) and Leong Chee Feng (11-9, 11-8, 11-7) respectively, Quek faced more resistance from southpaw Wong Qi Shen. However, the 17-year-old debutant showed maturity and composure to rebound from 2-1 down to win 3-2 (8-11, 12-10, 4-11, 13-11, 11-4). Men’s national coach Gao Ning said: “We went all out and played our normal levels today. Beating the 2022 silver medallists is good for our confidence, but there is still work to be done.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Fast-rising teqball crashes SEA Games party Singapore Table Tennis Association sets modest two-gold SEA Games target in Cambodia
Swimming: Singapore's Quah Ting Wen wins her fifth straight 100m freestyle SEA Games gold SNOC/Andy Chua Singapore's Quah Ting Wen celebrating her SEA Games gold medal in the 100m freestyle on May 8, 2023. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok, and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates. Published May 9, 2023 Updated May 9, 2023 WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn PHNOM PENH — There were times when getting a good night's rest before races was difficult for swimmer Quah Ting Wen. But not at the 32nd SEA Games. "There'd be nights before my races where I couldn't sleep till 12 or maybe 1, but here, I'm sleeping like a baby even though it's hot and the beds in the village are hard. I'm sleeping well," she told reporters after making it five consecutive golds in the 100m freestyle at the Morodok Techo Aquatic Centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Monday (May 8). "I just feel this sense of calm...peace of mind." Perhaps, this is her experience talking. After all, eighteen years after she made her SEA Games debut in the Philippines, Quah is still going strong. Quah clocked a time of 55.83s to take gold for her 50th Games medal, while Philippines’ Jasmine Alkhaldi clinched silver and Nguyen Thuy Hien of Vietnam finished with bronze. The 30-year-old is also the Games record holder in the event. READ ALSO ‘I was just super pumped’: Singapore's Shanti Pereira blazes to SEA Games gold as records fall Not even the multiple power trips on her floor in the athletes' village fazes Quah now. "Now we're just like: 'It's the SEA Games, you know? This is my ninth one, I've pretty much seen everything," she said. "This girl has brought so much to Singapore, she is so talented in everything she puts her mind to," said national head coach Gary Tan of Quah. "Singapore is really blessed to have somebody like her in our team." CNA Nicholas Mahabir competes in the SEA Games men’s swimming 4x100m medley relay, on May 8, 2023. There was a one-two finish for Singapore in the 400m freestyle as Gan Ching Hwee defended her title and clinched her second gold of the Games with a time of 4:15.17, while teammate Ashley Lim took silver with a new personal best time (4:17.16). The men’s 4x100m medley relay team of Teong Tzen Wei, Jonathan Tan, Nicholas Mahabir and Quah Zheng Wen also set a new Games and national record of 3:37.45. The quartet took gold ahead of Thailand and Indonesia. READ ALSO Swimming: Singapore's Jonathan Tan meets Olympic qualifying mark after new national record in SEA Games heats "It feels really good after last night (finishing second in the 100m breastroke)," said Nicholas. "I'm really glad I managed to do this with the boys, it really means a lot. I really hope I made my family and grandparents proud." Team Singapore’s swim team now have a total of 10 golds after three days of competition. They won 21 golds at the last edition of the Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. In the day’s other events, Ardi Azman set a new personal best in the 400m Individual Medley with a time of 4:30.81. He finished fifth. Faith Khoo took fourth in the 200m backstroke (2:20.88) while Bonnie Yeo came in sixth (2:23.52). There was also a bronze for Glen Lim in the 1500m freestyle. CNA For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.
SEA Games 2023: Quah siblings lift lean day for Team Singapore Quah Ting Wen, Quah Zheng Wen and Quah Jing Wen win three of the four swim golds after several misses earlier in the day Chia Han Keong ·Editor Tue, May 9, 2023 at 9:32 PM GMT+8·3 min read Singapore swimmers (from left) Quah Zheng Wen, Nicholas Mahabir, Quah Jing Wen and Quah Ting Wen celebrate after winning gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: SNOC/Andy Chua) SINGAPORE — For nine SEA Games editions since 2007, Singapore could always rely on a member of the Quah swim family to win gold medals at the regional meet. On Tuesday (9 May), a lean day for golds from the city-state's other athletes in Cambodia, it was perhaps befitting that the Quahs would be the ones to finally give Singapore victories to cheer about in Phnom Penh. Jing Wen, the youngest of the three siblings at 22, edged her eldest sister Ting Wen in the women's 100m butterfly final at the Morodok Techo Aquatic Center to clinch the first gold of the day for Singapore. She clocked 59.02sec to beat her 30-year-old sister (59.51sec) and the Philippines' Jasmine Alkhaldi (1min 0.45sec). Minutes later, Zheng Wen also stormed to gold in the men's 100m fly event in 52.04sec, the 26-year-old pipping second-placed compatriot Teong Tzen Wei (52.60sec) and the Philippines' Jarod Lang Hatch (52.91). The two golds in quick succession seemed to give a boost to the Singapore swimmers, and Letitia Sim soon followed suit with victory in the women's 100m breaststroke, clocking 1:07.94 for her second gold of the Games following her 200m individual medley triumph on Sunday. Malaysia's Phee Jinq En took silver in 1:09.60, while Singapore's Christie May Chue was third in 1:10.94. And the Quah siblings saved the best for last, all three of them taking part in the mixed 4x100m medley with Nicholas Mahabir - and duly winning another gold in a time of 3:51.72. Fittingly, as this was the first time the mixed-gender event was being contest at the Games, it meant that this was the first gold medal shared by the three siblings since Ting Wen started their gold rush in 2007. Singapore billiards player Peter Gilchrist in action in the English billiards men's singles final at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: Sport Singapore/Flona Hakim) Peter Gilchrist fails in quest to regain billiards singles gold The swimming golds lifted the mood of Team Singapore, after several misses earlier in the day. Former billiards world champion Peter Gilchrist failed in his bid to regain the men's English billiards singles gold he had lost in last year's Hanoi Games, after winning the event for six consecutive times. Again he succumbed to Myanmar's Pauk Sa, the same man who ended his streak last year, and this time it was not even close as the 55-year-old was swept 0-3 (12-100, 76-100, 78-100) in the final. "I've got to make 100-point breaks, and I had so many chances," Gilchrist told reporters after his silver-medal showing. "If I can't do that, the I don't deserve to win really." In silat, defending champion Nurul Suhaila was beaten 10-26 by Vietnam's Thi Thu Nghia Quang in the women's tanding Class E (65-70kg) semi-finals, and had to settle for joint-bronze medal. Two-time men's marathon winner Soh Rui Yong, who was a late addition to the Singapore contingent on appeal after settling his differences with the Singapore National Olympic Council, missed out on a medal after coming in fourth in the men's 5,000m race in 14min 48.4sec. He will compete in the men's 10,000m event next, but not the marathon as he did not have enough time to prepare. Follow Yahoo News Singapore's coverage of the SEA Games here! Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
SEA Games 2023: Singapore in table tennis men’s team final, while women win bronze Singapore table tennis player Clarence Chew competes in the men's team semi-finals at the Cambodia SEA Games. PHOTO: SPORT SINGAPORE David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED MAY 11, 2023, 1:27 AM SGT PHNOM PENH – Singapore are one win away from becoming South-east Asia’s table tennis kings again, after they beat defending champions Thailand 3-0 in the men’s team semi-final on Wednesday. They will face Malaysia, who beat 2017 champions Vietnam 3-2, in Thursday’s final for a chance to reclaim the gold they last won on home soil in 2015. At the Morodok Techo National Stadium Table Tennis Hall, Koen Pang, Clarence Chew and Izaac Quek won their matches in contrasting fashion. In a battle of left-handers, Chew had to recover from losing the first game against Padasak Tanviriyavechakul before prevailing 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4). Pang then held his nerve in the close encounters in each game to sweep Sarayut Tancharoen 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-9). Quek was then awarded a walkover, when Phakpoom Sanguansin could not take to the table after succumbing to an allergy. Pang, the men’s singles champion in 2019, said: “It feels amazing to beat Thailand and get into the final because we lost to them in last year’s semi-final. “We have been training very hard for this and our game is at a higher level compared to last year. We are more prepared and today, we played very confidently and aggressively.” National men’s team coach Gao Ning added: “Our players performed well today. We knew it was going to be a tough match between two teams of a similar standard. There were some nerves, but we got the job done. “If we want to get back the gold medal, we need to prepare well tactically and technically, and be ready to make adjustments in tough situations. As long as we show our fighting spirit and play without inhibitions, we will be fine.” While the men’s team have a final to look forward to, there was disappointment for the women after they lost 3-0 to defending champions Thailand in their semi-final to finish joint-third with Vietnam. Their bronze-medal fate was virtually sealed on Tuesday when they lost a group match to Malaysia and had to take on the formidable Thais in the last four. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: Singapore table tennis women upset by Malaysia, face tougher route to final SEA Games 2023: Singapore’s table tennis debutants smashing through barriers In the semi-finals, Zhou Jingyi managed to take a game off 2015 women’s singles champion Suthasini Sawettabut before losing 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4). Zeng Jian then fell 3-1 (11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8) to defending women’s singles champion Orawan Paranang before Jinnipa Sawettabut beat Goi Rui Xuan 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-6), as the Thais set up a final against Malaysia. The national women’s team last finished outside the top two in 1997, after which they went on a nine-gold streak before settling for silver in 2022. National women’s team coach Jing Junhong said: “We saw the disparity between ourselves and Thailand. We can challenge them, but our levels are not up to theirs yet. Besides Thailand, who are clearly the best team in the region now, we are on the same level as Malaysia and Vietnam. And when we drop the ball in any aspect, we may lose the entire match, like what happened against Malaysia. “We fought against Thailand but they are a very strong and balanced squad. Since beating us in the final last year, they have grown in confidence. “Fighting spirit alone can only carry you that far without a solid technical foundation, so there’s a lot of work to be done in that regard. I hope we can reflect on our team event performance, see where we can improve, start from zero and work our way up in the individual events and many other competitions ahead.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Team Singapore in the hunt for 50 golds at 2023 SEA Games Singapore Table Tennis Association sets modest two-gold SEA Games target in Cambodia
Five more SEA Games golds for Singapore’s swimmers, as Mikkel Lee pips Teong Tzen Wei in 50m fly Singapore’s swimmers bagged five gold medals on their penultimate day of competition at the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. Lauren Ong reports. Matthew Mohan @MatthewMohanCNA 10 May 2023 11:01PM(Updated: 10 May 2023 11:09PM) Bookmark WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn PHNOM PENH: After sitting in the stands for the past few days and watching his teammates put in strong performances, Singapore swimmer Mikkel Lee was itching to get into the pool. "Everybody's swimming fast, and sitting in the stands is like ... tougher than swimming!" he told reporters at the Southeast Asian Games. And Lee would put in a sensational performance of his own - a personal best - as he won his first individual Games gold on Wednesday (May 10) at the Morodok Techo Aquatics Centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. "I'm happy to just get the gold for Singapore and add to the medal tally," said Lee. "Anything's possible, as long as you put your mind to it, there is a chance." The 20-year-old clocked a time of 23.45s in the 50m butterfly final to beat defending champion and teammate Teong Tzen Wei (23.67s) to the wall. Teong remains the Games record holder in the event (23.04s). "He's done a great job trying to progressively get better," said national head coach Gary Tan. "Kudos to Mikkel for raising the bar, raising the game, it's always good to give Teong a bit more competition as well." There were four other golds for Team Singapore in the pool on Wednesday, bringing the total from five days of competition to 19. Singapore swimmer Letitia Sim poses for a photo after receiving her 200m breaststroke gold medal at the SEA Games in Cambodia on May 10, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long) In the women’s 200m breaststroke, Letitia Sim set her second meet record at this Games when she clocked 2:28.49 and won gold. The time is also a new national record and personal best. Compatriot Christie Chue finished third (2:32.60). There was another Games record for the night courtesy of Quah Ting Wen in the women’s 50m freestyle. Her time of 25.04s meant that she edged out fellow Singaporean Amanda Lim (25.16s). There were also two relay golds for Singapore as Quah, Gan Ching Hwee, Ashley Lim and Chan Zi Yi took the women's 4x200m freestyle relay title with a time of 8:12.80, while Lee, Quah Zheng Wen, Darren Chua and Jonathan Tan stormed to victory in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay (3:17.35). Singapore's Nicholas Mahabir takes off in the men’s 200m breaststroke final at the 32nd SEA Games on May 10, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long) In the 200m breaststroke, Nicholas Mahabir’s first individual gold of the Games would elude him, as he took silver behind Vietnam’s Pham Thanh Bao. "It's a good night. We did really well with the five gold medals," said Tan. "Everyone had great swims overall and we're really pleased with that." Catch the 32nd SEA Games Cambodia 2023 live with three dedicated channels on mewatch. Sign in now at www.mewatch.sg/seagames to catch all the action for free, or catch highlights on Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube.
SEA Games 2023: Joy for hurdler Ang Chen Xiang as 110m silver dramatically turns to gold He ran a dead tie with Thai rival, as organisers finally gave both the gold medals after photos proved inconclusive Chia Han Keong ·Editor Wed, May 10, 2023 at 9:43 PM GMT+8·2 min read Singapore hurdler Ang Chen Xiang (centre) wins joint-gold with Thailand's Natthaphon Dansungnoen (left) in the men's 110m hurdles at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: SNOC/Lim Weixiang) SINGAPORE — For three hours on Wednesday (10 May), Singapore hurdler Ang Chen Xiang's SEA Games medal colour was uncertain. Was he second in his men's 110m hurdles race following a photo finish, or were the actual photos inconclusive? Finally, the race organisers at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh announced that the 28-year-old had received an upgrade from silver to a joint-gold medal with Thailand's Natthaphon Dansungnoen, after photos proved inconclusive that either had won. Singapore Athletics had protested the original decision to award Ang the silver medal. The protest was rejected, but the case went to a convened jury, which decided to award to the joint-gold. And so Ang - who had won silver in the same event at last year's Hanoi Games - became the first Singaporean to win gold in the men's hurdles since Osman Merican did it way back at the 1967 Bangkok Games. The 28-year-old clocked the same 13.831sec with Natthaphon, and broke his 13.89sec national record set just last month. Filipino John Cabang was also close behind in third (13.855sec). Elation even before gold confirmation But even before his medal colour was confirmed, Ang was already elated with his effort. He told reporters, "I knew it was a fast time, the execution was great. I was already very happy because I knew it would be a national record. "Of course, if I got the gold, it would be the cherry on top of the cake. But have the cake first and we'll talk about cherries later." Turned out, Ang will be getting both after the long deliberation. Meanwhile, the men's 4x100m relay team of Mark Lee, Joshua Chua, Xander Ho and Marc Brian Louis won a bronze medal after finishing joint-third with Malaysia in 39.36sec. Indonesia took gold in 39.11sec, while Thailand were second in 39.13sec. Shanti Pereira, who won the women's 200m race in record-breaking style on Monday, ran the first leg for Singapore's 4x100m relay team that came in fourth (45.16sec), in a race won by Thailand (44.24sec). Follow Yahoo News Singapore's coverage of the SEA Games here!
SEA Games 2023: Singapore clinch first-ever gold in e-sports Singapore clinched a historic e-sports gold medal at the SEA Games after they won the mixed Valorant team event on May 10, 2023. PHOTO: DAWN CHUA/SPORTSG Kimberly Kwek UPDATED MAY 11, 2023, 10:11 PM SGT SINGAPORE – A glittering moment for Singapore’s Valorant team as they clinched a historic e-sports gold medal at the SEA Games on Thursday had its sheen tarnished slightly within hour. Singapore had been awarded the gold after Indonesia forfeited Wednesday night’s grand final of the Mixed Valorant (PC) team event final, sparking a furore among Indonesian fans. The Singapore team, comprising Ayrton “artn” Soh, Yeoh “Divine” Chun Ting, Ingram “FREY” Tan, Marcus “nephh” Tan Rodman “vera” Yap and Tidus “STYRON” Goh, had taken the first game 13-8 in the best-of-three series at Olympia Mall and were leading 10-4 in the second game – only for the grand final to be postponed indefinitely owing to a dispute. Indonesia had filed a complaint alleging that Singapore had used a Cypher bug that allowed them to see their rivals’ positions. According to Singapore Esports Association (SGEA) secretary general Kelvin Tan, the tournament rules did not state that the placement of the character Cypher’s camera was illegal. Deliberations went on for a few hours, with teams staying at the venue past 3am. With still no ruling made, the teams were told to return on Thursday at 8am. When the final resumed, the technical official made the decision to restart the match with the score at 5-5, but the Indonesian team walked off the stage minutes after it started, resulting in Singapore being given the gold medal. But Tan said a mediator told both teams that there was a procedure to follow if the final was to be forfeited. With their flight back to Singapore scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the teams then settled on the gold medal being jointly awarded. Tan said: “The boys have fought hard the past three days and they did their best, they definitely deserved the gold because they put in a lot of hard work and effort to get into the final. “Of course, we would’ve loved it if it were a solo gold. It would’ve been the perfect high point for e-sports in Singapore.” Before the decision was made, Goh revealed that he had received threats on social media. The SGEA Instagram page was also flooded with comments from angry Indonesian fans, with many accusing the Singapore team of cheating. A Singapore National Olympic Council spokesman said: “We are pleased to win Singapore’s first gold medal in e-sports, and would like to commend our Valorant team on a solid performance. “We accept the organiser’s decision on awarding joint gold medals to both Singapore and Indonesia, and offer our congratulations to our friends at Komite Olimpiade Indonesia.” Singapore had emerged as the third seeds after victories over Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia in the group stage. They then booked their spot in the final after a 2-0 triumph over Vietnam – to whom they had lost by two points in the opening match – in the semi-finals earlier on Wednesday. This is Singapore’s first gold in e-sports since it was introduced as a medal event at the biennial Games in 2019. The Republic had come close at the previous two editions of the competition. In 2019, Thomas Kopankiewicz clinched silver in Starcraft II, while the Republic also finished second in the League of Legends: Wild Rift (women’s team) in 2022. Valorant, a first-person tactical-hero shooter game, was introduced to the SEA Games in 2023.
SEA Games 2023: Singapore win men's team table tennis gold, Thailand take women's crown Both teams secure gold after defeating Malaysia 3–0 in their respective finals in Phnom Penh. 2 minBy ZK Goh Updated on 11 May 2023 18:18 GMT+8 Zhe Yu Clarence CHEW Table Te (Picture by 2021 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Singapore have continued their table tennis success at the Southeast Asian Games after winning the men's team event at the 2023 edition in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Thursday (11 May). The Singaporeans beat northern neighbours Malaysia in the final in a straight 3–0 win to regain their men's team crown they last won on home soil in 2015. Led by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Clarence Chew, the Singaporeans fought hard in a tie which they were heavy favourites to win. Chew started slow out of the blocks in his opening game against Leong Chee Feng, but took the next three games to lead off with a 8–11, 11–4, 11–9, 11–6 victory. Koen Pang then won Singapore's second point with a 11–4, 9–11, 11–5, 11–8 win over Wong Qi Shen, before 16-year-old Izaac Quek secured the gold medal in a match that went the distance. Quek took the first game against Choong Javen, but dropped the next two to his Malaysian opponent. However, the teenager dug deep to rattle off the last two games and triumph 11–9, 12–14, 11–13, 11–9, 11–7. It was a tight match with close games, so we are definitely happy with the result," Chew told Olympics.com. "We all stuck to our game plans and did our job. Now we will shift our focus to the individual matches and try to get a few more good results there." However, Chew expressed doubt about whether Pang and Quek would partner him at the Asian Games in September, with Ethan Poh – not selected for the team event at the SEA Games – also waiting in the wings. "We will have a closer look after this because the Asian Games would be a different ball game," he said. Meanwhile Thailand successfully defended their women's team title with a 3–0 win, also over Malaysia. Suthasini Sawettabut, Orawan Paranang, and Jinnipa Sawettabut – all returning gold medallists from the 2021 SEA Games held in 2022, each won their respective matches to take Thailand's second straight gold in that event. The individual events begin on Saturday
SEA Games 2023: S'pore win table tennis team gold with 1st all-local squad since 1973 Swimmers finish up competition with 3 more golds, as wushu athletes and fencers bring in two golds apiece SEA Games 2023: All-local Singapore team win table tennis gold (yahoo.com) Chia Han Keong ·Editor Thu, May 11, 2023 at 9:25 PM GMT+8·5 min read Singapore's all-local-born men's paddlers (left) clinched the SEA Games team gold, with 16-year-old Izaac Quek (right) earning the winning point against Malaysia. (PHOTOS: SportSG/Alfie Lee) SINGAPORE — With the SEA Games swimming competition coming to an end, Singapore athletes from other sports came to the fore to continue the medal hunt on Thursday (11 May). At the Morodok Techo Table Tennis Hall, Singapore's male paddlers regained the team event gold which they last won at the 2015 Games, as they beat Malaysia 3-0 in the final. With the team consisting of Clarence Chew, Koen Pang, Izaac Quek, Beh Kun Ting and Ethan Poh, this is the first time since 1973 that Singapore has won this event with an all-local squad. Singapore had won seven men's team golds between 1999 and 2015 with a mix of China-born and local-born players. In the final, Chew open accounts by coming from a set down to defeat Leong Chee Feng 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6. Pang extended Singapore's lead to 2-0 after beating Javen Choong 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8. That set up a titanic battle for the winning point in the third singles, as Quek - who had shone in the recent WTT Singapore Smash tournament - faced Wong Qi Shen. The 16-year-old, who is already Southeast Asia's highest-ranked player at world No.68, took five sets before finally subduing Wong 11-9, 12-14, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7 to seal the gold medal. In the women's event, Singapore shared the bronze with Vietnam, after losing in the semi-finals to eventual winners Thailand on Wednesday. Singapore's wushu gold medallists Kimberly Ong and Jowen Lim at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTOS: SNOC/Lim Weixiang) Two golds from wushu, two golds from fencing At the Chroy Changvar Convention Center Hall A, Jowen Lim and Kimberly Ong won the first two wushu golds for Singapore in Phnom Penh. Lim, 24, emerged triumphant in the men's daoshu/gunshu competition, winning the gold he last won in 2017 with a score of 19.386 points. Indonesia's Edgar Xavier Marvelo (19.382 points) and Seraf Naro Siregar (19.373 points) claimed the silver and bronze medals respectively. Shortly after, 20-year-old Ong retained the women's daoshu/gunshu gold medal she won in Hanoi last year, scoring 19.206 points to pip compatriot Zoe Tan (19.043 points) over two days of competition. Vietnam's Hoang Thi Phuong Giang (18.933 points) took home the bronze. Later on at Hall B of the same venue, Singapore's fencers also began their competition with two golds, one silver and one bronze. The first final was an all-Singaporean affair, as debutant Juliet Heng defeated Jessica Ong 15-8 in the women's individual sabre to become the first Singaporean to win the event since Lau Ywen in 2017. Then in the men's individual epee final, 19-year-old Si To Jian Tong - who was included in the SEA Games squad only after veteran Samson Lee was dropped for missing three training sessions - clinched gold by defeating the Philippines' Jose Noelito Garcia 15-11. This is Singapore's very first gold in the event, after previous silver-medal efforts by Ronald Tan (1987, 1989), James Wong (1991) and Lim Wei Wen (2007 and 2015). Swimmers add another 3 golds to end with 22 for the Games The Singapore swimmers were not done with winning golds yet, as they earned three more golds in the final evening of competition. Gan Ching Hwee retained her women's 800m freestyle gold, clocking a personal-best 8min 41.05sec to win the long race ahead of compatriot Ashley Lim (8:46.88) and Vietnam's Vo Thi My Tien (8:56.07). This is Gan's fourth gold of the Games. Ong Jung Yi, on the other hand, won his first gold of the Games when he touched the wall first in the men's 200m butterfly final. He clocked 1:59.44 to finish ahead of Thailand's Navaphat Wongcharoen (1:59.64) and Vietnam's Nguyen Duy Khoa Ho (2:00.60). Finally, the women's 4x100m medley team of Faith Khoo, Letitia Sim, Quah Jing Wen and Quah Ting Wen smashed the Games record to win gold in 4:06.97, easily beating the Philippines (4:11.81) and Thailand (4:14.06). In total, the Singapore swimmers have amassed 22 golds, 15 silvers and 10 bronzes in Phnom Penh, by far the top Southeast Asia nation in swimming. Meanwhile, diver Max Lee - who was the youngest Singapore athlete at last year's Hanoi Games - clinched a bronze medal in the men's 10m platform event, scoring 362.80 points. Singapore's Soh Rui Yong celebrates earning a silver medal in the men's 10,000m event. (PHOTO: SNOC/Lim Weixiang) Soh Rui Yong wins men's 10,000m silver in national record At the Morodok Techo National Stadium, two-time men's marathon gold medallist Soh Rui Yong clinched a silver medal in the men's 10,000m, breaking his own national record in clocking 31min 10.70sec. He thus ended Singapore's 40-year wait for a medal in the event, after Jagtar Singh won bronze in 1983. This was the 31-year-old's first SEA Games medal since his second marathon gold in 2017, as he was not chosen for subsequent editions due to disputes with SNOC. There were also bronze medals on the track for Calvin Quek, who clocked a national-record 50.75sec in the men's 400m hurdles, and Goh Chui Ling, who came in third in the women's 800m in 2:09.15 to add to her 1,500m bronze. Follow Yahoo News Singapore's coverage of the SEA Games here! Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Yahoo Singapore Telegram Read more SEA Games 2023: Shanti Pereira is Singapore's Sprint Queen after 100m, 200m double Yahoo News Singapore·3 min read SEA Games 2023: Singapore suffer 0-7 humiliation by arch-rivals Malaysia Yahoo News Singapore·2 min read SEA Games 2023: Joy for hurdler Ang Chen Xiang as 110m silver dramatically turns to gold Yahoo News Singapore·2 min read
JUNG YI ONG TAKES 200 FLY AS SINGAPORE CLOSES OUT 2023 SEA GAMES ON TOP Jung Yi Ong Takes 200 Fly As Singapore Closes Out 2023 SEA Games On Top (swimswam.com) Ong Jung Yi captured gold in the men's 200m butterfly on the final night of action at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. Stock photo via Peter Sukenik/www.petersukenik.com Retta Race BY RETTA RACE 5 May 11th, 2023Asia, International, News, Previews & Recaps, Records 2023 SOUTHEAST ASIAN (SEA) GAMES Saturday, May 6th – Thursday, May 11th Morodok Tecno National Aquatics Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia LCM (50m) The 2023 Southeast (SEA) Games wrapped up tonight from Cambodia but not before the nation of Singapore strung together another series of victories. 21-year-old Ong Jun Yi topped the men’s 200m fly for Singapore, clocking a time of 1:59.44 as one of only two sub-2:00 swimmers in the final. Yi touched in 1:59.44 to hold off Thai athlete Navaphat Wongcharoen who scored silver in a result of 1:59.64. Vietnamese 17-year-old Duy Khoa HO Nguyen rounded out the top 3 in 2:00.60. For Yi, this 2fly represented his only event of the competition with his time tonight coming within a second of his lifetime best of 1:58.70 posted at the 2021 Age Group Championships. Also topping the podium for Singapore to cap off the meet was the foursome of Faith Elizabeth Khoo, Letitia Sim, Quah Jing Wen and Quah Ting Wen. The squad earned gold in the 4x100m medley relay, collectively putting up a time of 4:06.97. That established a new Games Record, also surpassing the Singaporean national record of 4:07.05 logged at the 2019 SEA Games. Both Quah siblings were members of that last relay, racing in the same positions as this 2023 version. Splits for the new 4:06.97 record included a 1:04.23 opener from Khoo then a 1:07.32 breaststroke leg from University of Michigan swimmer Sim. Jing kept the speed at 59.10 on her fly split while Ting raced to the wall with a 56.32 anchor. Additional winners on the night included 27-year-old Thai swimmer Jenjira Srisa-Ard wrangling up her 3rd individual medal here and 2nd gold by taking the women’s 50m fly. Srisa-Ard stopped the clock at 26.65, just .12 off her Thai record of 26.53 registered at the 2022 SEA Games. Ting Wen was behind her in 26.66 while Filipino swimmer Jasmin Alkhaldi bagged bronze in 27.02. Indonesia’s Felix Viktor Iberle was the men’s 50m breast victor this evening, with the 17-year-old earning gold in 27.70. Behind him was another 17-year-old in Singapore’s Nicholas Mahabir, who touched in 2791 to produce a new national record. Vietnam’s national record holder Huy Hoang Nguyen got the job done in the men’s 400m free, posting the only outing of the field under 3:50. Nguyen clocked 3:49.50 to rack up his 3rd individual medal here. He already topped the men’s 1500m free podium and also secured bronze in the 200m free. When all was said and done, Singapore ended the meet with a total of 44 medals, including 21 gold, holding a big advantage over the next-closest team of Vietnam. Vietnam wound up with 16 pieces of hardware, including 7 gold, while Thailand rounded out the top 3 nations with 23 medals and 4 golds. The top 6 nations finished in the same place as last year’s edition of the SEA Games in terms of overall swimming medals, save for Malaysia and the Philippines who switched spots this time around. Indonesia saw the biggest drop in overall medals between 2022 and 2023, with the former year’s total resting at 15 medals while this edition saw the nation capture just 8 in all. Final 2023 SEA Games Swimming Medal Table
SEA Games 2023: Singapore clinch men’s table tennis team gold for the first time since 2015 1 of 2 The Singapore men's table tennis team beat Malaysia 3-0 in Thursday's final to reclaim the gold medal. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED MAY 12, 2023, 7:24 PM SGT PHNOM PENH – After reclaiming the throne as kings of South-east Asian table tennis, the Singaporean quintet of Clarence Chew, Koen Pang, Izaac Quek, Beh Kun Ting and Ethan Poh were egging each other on to dance to the Vietnamese viral song See Tinh at the media mixed zone. While they were too shy to complete the moves in public, they were bold on court in the men’s team final against Malaysia, running out 3-0 winners at the Morodok Techo National Stadium Table Tennis Hall on Thursday. And finally, after eight years, the gold medal was back in Singaporean hands. The 2015 title-winning team comprised Chew, Chen Feng, Li Hu, Yang Zi and current men’s team coach Gao Ning. This is also the first time the Republic has won this event with an all-local squad since Tan Khoon Hong, Tan Kai Kok and Chia Chong Boon did so on home soil in 1973. Singapore had won seven out of eight men’s team gold medals from 1999 to 2015 – the event was excluded in 2011 – with a mix of China-born and local players. On winning a second team title, Chew said: “It feels amazing. I was the youngest player in the team in 2015, and now I’m the oldest at 27 in my sixth SEA Games. “To be able to lead the team to victory here is a very sweet moment for me. “I’m very proud of all the players, we did very well to win this gold medal.” In Cambodia, Singapore had brushed aside Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines in the group stage, and defending champions Thailand in the semi-finals, with 3-0 victories. With Malaysia completing their marathon 3-2 semi-final win over Vietnam close to midnight on Wednesday, Singapore were no doubt fresher for the final. But the result was rarely in doubt, even if their Causeway rivals tried their best to put Singapore under pressure early on. Chew rebounded from one game down to beat Leong Chee Feng 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6), before Pang beat Javen Choong 3-1 (11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8) in front of a vociferous 300-strong crowd. Pang, 21, who won the men’s singles gold in 2019, said: “I didn’t feel as nervous because Clarence had given us the lead, and I just had to carry on the momentum. “It also felt great to have fellow Singaporeans behind us and we are grateful for everyone who came down to support us.” That set the stage for 16-year-old Izaac to beat Wong Qi Shen 3-2 (11-9, 12-14, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7) in a thrilling comeback to seal overall victory. Currently the highest-ranked player in South-east Asia at world No. 68, he looked down for the count with an 8-5 deficit in the fourth game, but rallied superbly with confident serves and returns to mount a stirring fightback. He said: “It was the same scenario in the group stage against the same player. “I didn’t feel the pressure because I knew my teammates had my back regardless of the result. “I told myself I have nothing to lose and focused on the tactics for each point, rather than the result.” Coach Gao looked spent after the match, but still indulged in numerous wefies in which he beamed as brightly as he did when he won 11 SEA Games gold medals for Singapore before he retired in 2018. The 40-year-old said: “I’m more nervous as a coach than as a player – today, it was like I was sitting on a chair of needles. “Players need to focus only on themselves, while coaches have to take care of a team and think of many areas such as line-ups, strategies and making sure everyone is in good condition. “After all the hard work everyone has put in, I’m very heartened to see these local-born players taking over the mantle. “We cannot get ahead of ourselves for the individual events and have to go all out and not hold anything back.” In the women’s team event, Thailand beat Malaysia 3-0 to retain their crown while Singapore and Vietnam shared bronze. The individual events commence on Saturday with the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles quarter-finals. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: Singapore table tennis women upset by Malaysia, face tougher route to final How Singapore won 1,000 SEA Games golds
SEA Games 2023: Shanti Pereira’s parents proud as daughter silences critics Shanti Pereira's dad Clarence and mum Jeet are proud as their daughter wins the 100m gold to go along with her 200m win. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLARENCE PEREIRA Deepanraj Ganesan UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO PHNOM PENH – Clarence and Jeet Pereira have heard unsavoury terms, such as “a has-been” used on Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira in the past years. They never responded. They knew their daughter would let her legs do the talking eventually. On Friday, Shanti’s history-making success was deafening as the 26-year-old claimed gold in the women’s 100m to become the first Singaporean woman to complete the sprint double at the biennial event. On Monday, she had won her third 200m title. At the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Clarence and Jeet – who have been in Cambodia since last Sunday – watched on and could not contain their excitement. How could they, given the journey they have been on with their daughter? Clarence, 66, told The Straits Times that he and his wife have heard, sometimes directly, the criticism levelled at their daughter. Shanti herself has previously highlighted that she struggled with self-doubt while dealing with defeat – she did not retain her 200m title at the 2017 Games. Clarence said: “The past few years, we felt the negativity. I would not like to mention names. It came from the public, the people in the local athletics circle who knew her well. “Even I heard it directly. I just nodded my head and not say anything. Let the legs do the talking.” Jeet added: “The most important thing is that she did not quit. She did not give up. Whatever that was said about her, her style or training methods, she kept going and she said she will persevere and continue. “We were always there to support her no matter where the journey was going to take her. We prayed it will turn around.” Family backing has helped tremendously. Clarence said Shanti’s siblings – older sisters Valerie and Shobi and elder brother Anand – have been her strong pillars of support. The family had to rally around her at various moments. One was when she was omitted from the Sport Excellence (Spex) Scholarship programme. Shanti was a Spex scholar between 2016 and 2018, but was not included in the scheme again till November, after a sensational 200m win at the Hanoi SEA Games. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: Meet the coach who lit the spark in sprint queen Shanti Pereira SEA Games 2023: Shanti Pereira wins first 100m gold; 1st S’porean woman to get sprint double “She lost the scholarship. It was hard. What can we do except to console her? She had fantastic support from her sisters and brother,” said Clarence. Jeet said they knew their daughter was dealing with turmoil when they noticed a change in her mood after a training session in 2022. She said: “You could feel something was bothering her. Usually I don’t question her. “When she is ready to speak , she shares with us. She talked to us eventually about things not going well with her. “This pattern repeated for the longest time.” And then the catalyst arrived in Vietnam. “When she went to Hanoi, I told her to enjoy the race. Leave behind whatever people have said. We have to pick it up and learn, use it the right way and improve ourselves,” added Jeet, who now has the perfect Mother’s Day present in advance. After the race, as Shanti went over to the stands to hug her, Jeet could not control her emotions. The 63-year-old childcare educator said: “I saw her tearing up as she hugged me and I lost it too. We cried together. “I am just very proud that she has achieved what she set out to do. She has really progressed and worked so hard towards this.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: Seven things about sprinter Shanti Pereira SEA Games 2023: Shanti Pereira wins 200m gold in Cambodia for third title While there is jubilation at the end of the day, Jeet said the emotions in the build-up to the races can be nerve-racking and she goes through “a lot of anxiety” throughout the day before Shanti takes to the track. Looking ahead, dad wants Shanti to aim even higher. He believes his daughter can achieve her next targets of qualifying for the Olympics on merit and doing a personal best at the Asian Games. Naysayers who doubt Shanti can achieve those goals can feel free to speak their minds. Her parents have heard it all.
'Everybody stepped up': Singapore's head swim coach Gary Tan praises team's SEA Games showing Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee (right) and Ashley Lim after the medal ceremony at the 2023 SEA Games on May 11, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long) Matthew Mohan @MatthewMohanCNA 12 May 2023 01:49PM(Updated: 12 May 2023 11:00PM) Bookmark WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn PHNOM PENH: At a Southeast Asian (SEA) Games where Singapore's swimmers once again conquered the pool, it was not just the gold medals that pleased national head coach Gary Tan, but the performances of swimmers coming through the ranks. Speaking to reporters on the final day of the competition at the 32nd SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tan pointed out how 13 swimmers who are under 21 years old finished with a medal. "It's a good sign for us, especially going into the next couple of years ... with potentially a couple more retirements as well happening," said Tan. "I think we are preparing for the future and this is something we need to keep working on." Singapore's Letitia Sim in action in the women's 200m breaststroke at the 32nd SEA Games on May 10, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long) Singapore's swimmers ended their campaign with 22 gold medals – one more than they had at the last edition of the Games, and one shy of their best haul of 23 in 2015 and 2019. They also registered 15 silver medals and 10 bronze medals this year. There were also six new meet records, seven national records and 19 personal best results. "Everybody stepped up when they needed to step up," said Tan. "It was never easy from the get-go, conditions were very tough for us. But kudos to the coaches for keeping the team in such (a) positive mindset, and the team fed off that positivity as well." Related: 'I've trained all my life for this moment': Singapore’s swimmers end campaign with 22 SEA Games golds Young swimmers shine as Singapore clinch three more SEA Games golds in Cambodia SLAYING GIANTS Besides the standout performances from Letitia Sim, Jonathan Tan and Quah Ting Wen, there were also first Games golds for Mikkel Lee (50m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle relay), Ashley Lim and Chan Zi Yi (4x200m freestyle relay), Faith Khoo (4x100m medley relay), as well as Ong Jung Yi (200m butterfly). “The way Jung Yi swam brought out a lot of emotions in the team ... We were super pumped," said Tan. "We want our young generation of swimmers to have that kind of fight as well," he added. Singapore's Ong Jung Yi after the medal ceremony at the 2023 SEA Games on May 11, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long) With the Asian Games in Hangzhou coming up later this year, Tan added that the performances from Cambodia will serve as "good motivation". "We still want to make an impact, we know we are up against bigger, faster teams as well," said Tan. "We are a tiny nation, but who cares? We're going to slay the giants." Catch the 32nd SEA Games Cambodia 2023 live with three dedicated channels on mewatch. Sign in now at www.mewatch.sg/seagames to catch all the action for free, or catch highlights on Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube. Source: CNA/mt(mi)
SEA Games 2023: Shanti Pereira is Singapore's Sprint Queen after 100m, 200m double She clocks 11.41sec to clinch her first 100m SEA Games gold, and emulates C. Kunalan's 1969 double-win effort Chia Han Keong ·Editor Fri, May 12, 2023 at 5:57 PM GMT+8·3 min read Singapore's Shanti Pereira celebrates after winning the women's 100m gold at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images) SINGAPORE — Shanti Pereira's ascension to become Singapore's Sprint Queen is complete, after she won the women's 100m SEA Games gold medal at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh on Friday (12 May). The 26-year-old clocked 11.41 seconds to clinch her first 100m gold, edging Thailand's Supanich Poolkerd (11.58sec) and Vietnam's Tran Thi Nhi Yen (11.75sec). Coupled with her record-breaking 200m triumph on Monday, she becomes the first Singaporean female sprinter to do the 100m and 200m golden double at the SEA Games. C. Kunalan was the first male sprinter to do so, at the 1969 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games. Singapore did win the two races in the 1973 Games, but it was by two different sprinters - Eng Chiew Guay in the 100m, and Glory Barnabas in the 200m. Fighting back tears, Pereira told reporters after her win, "I want to hug my coach. We made history today. It's a pretty great moment. "The race execution was not as great as I wanted it to be, I am just glad I didn't panic even though the girls were beside me in the first part of the race. I am stoked." Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira basks in her joy in winning the women's 100m gold at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: SNOC/Lim Weixiang) Bronzes and silvers in previous Games While Pereira did not have the fastest of starts in her race, she accelerated dramatically about 30m into the race and powered smoothly past her rivals for this extraordinary victory. It was the final step she had to take to be recognised as one of the greatest sprinters in Singapore history. She had come in third in the 100m sprint in three previous Games editions - 2015, 2017 and 2019 - before improving to a silver showing at last year's Hanoi Games. In contrast, she had already won the 200m gold thrice, with past wins in 2015 and 2022 to go along with her Monday triumph, Pereira has been in sensational form of late, as she smashed both the 100m and 200m national records in a single weekend in Brisbane. This came after she decided to start training full-time in January, upon joining the Sport Excellence (Spex) Scholarship programme, which provides financial and other support for elite athletes. Singapore sprinter Marc Brian Louis gets silver in the men's 100m at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: SNOC/Lim Weixiang) Marc Brian Louis earns silver in men's 100m In the men's 100m, Marc Brian Louis earned Singapore their first silver medal in 12 years, after Gary Yeo managed the same feat in Palembang, Indonesia, in 2011. It was a tight call between Louis and Thailand's Soraoat Dapbang, but eventually the Thai won out in 10.37sec, while Louis was just 0.02sec behind. Malaysia's Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi and Khairul Hafiz Jantan shared the bronze in 10.45sec. Singapore Athletics officials have lodged a protest due to the close finish. Singapore fencer Maxine Wong clinches gold in the women's individual foil event at the 2023 SEA Games. (PHOTO: Sport Singapore/Bryan Foo) Maxine Wong wins first individual fencing gold Singapore won its third fencing gold on Friday, when Maxine Wong finally won her first women's individual foil gold medal after two previous unsuccessful final appearances in 2019 and 2022. She was scheduled to face the Philippines' Samantha Catantan - the same opponent who defeated her in the final of last year's Hanoi Games. However, Catantan conceded in the final after injuring her left leg after falling awkwardly during her semi-final win against Singapore's Cheung Kemei. Follow Yahoo News Singapore's coverage of the SEA Games here! Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Yahoo Singapore Telegram Read more SEA Games 2023: S'pore win table tennis team gold with 1st all-local squad since 1973 Yahoo News Singapore·5 min read SEA Games 2023: Singapore suffer 0-7 humiliation by arch-rivals Malaysia Yahoo News Singapore·2 min read SEA Games 2023: Joy for hurdler Ang Chen Xiang as 110m silver dramatically turns to gold Yahoo News Singapore·2 min read
Tan’s Olympic A Cut in 50 Free Highlights SEA Games Jonathan Tan Olympic A Cut in 50 Free Highlights SEA Games (swimmingworldmagazine.com) Photo Courtesy: Becca Weyant by MATTHEW DE GEORGE - SENIOR WRITER 12 May 2023, 11:19am Jonathan Tan’s Olympic A Cut in 50 Free Highlights SEA Games Jonathan Tan supplied the highlight of the Southeast Asian Games this week, qualifying for the Paris Olympics in the men’s 50 freestyle. Tan went 21.91 in prelims on May 7, the second day of six at the regional multi-sport competition hosted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. That time was both an SEA Games record and Singaporean record. It also cut under the automatic qualifying time for the Paris Games (21.96). Tan returned to win gold in the event in 21.95. Tan contributed to a stellar showing by Singapore, which won 22 gold medals and 47 total medals at the Morodok Tecno National Aquatics Center. 2023 SEA Games Medal Table (gold-silver-bronze—total) Singapore 22-15-10—47 Vietnam 7-3-7—17 Thailand 4-11-7—22 Indonesia 3-1-3—7 Philippines 2-6-8—16 Malaysia 1-3-4—8 Tan also won the men’s 100 freestyle, in 48.80 seconds. Both of his sprint victories were Singapore 1-2s, with Teong Tzen Wei second in the 50 and Quah Zheng Wen the runner-up in the 100 free, just .19 seconds back. Tan also led off Singapore’s winning 400 free relay and its runner-up 800 free foursome. The medley relay won in 3:37.45, setting a national and SEA Games record. Quah, Nicholas Mahabir, Teong and Tan comprised that relay. Meet Results Teong finished second to countrymen in the 50 butterfly (Mikkel Jun Jie Lee) and 100 fly (Quah). In the latter, Quah’s time of 52.04 seconds fell just .11 shy of the Olympic consideration cut. Qong Jung Yi won the men’s 200 fly in 1:59.44 for a Singapore stroke sweep, seeming not to miss one of its biggest butterfly stars at the meet. Quah won the men’s 100 back in 55.22 seconds and was third in the 50 back. Mahabir took three silvers in breaststroke, adding the national record in the 50 breast (27.91) to the 100 breast mark he set last summer in the United States. Maximillian Ang was third in the 100 and 200 breast. Quah and Mahabir joined Quah Jing Wen and Quah Ting Wen to set a Games and national record of 3:51.72 in the mixed 400 medley relay. Singapore’s dominance on the women’s side was even more pronounced. It won 13 gold medals there, including all three record. The 400 medley of Faith Khoo, Letitia Sim and the Quah sisters set a SEA Games and national record of 4:06.97. Sim had a monster meet. She set the Games record in the 100 breast at 1:07.94, a time that is within a second of the automatic qualification time for Paris. She added national records and gold medals in the 200 breast (2:28.49) and 200 individual medley (2:14.49) to go with silver in the 50 breast. Quah Jing Wen bested her sister head-to-head in the 100 fly, winning in 59.02. She also won the 200 fly and finished third in the 200 IM. Quah Ting Wen is the sprinter of the family, winning the 50 and 100 free – the former was a Games record of 25.04. She added silver in the 50 fly and 100 fly. Quah Ting Wen led off the winning 400 free relay and anchored the winning 800 free. Singapore made a clean sweep of free thanks to Gan Ching Hwee, who won the 200 free, 400 free and 800 free. (Like old Olympic programs, the SEA Games has the 800 free as the longest women’s freestyle race and the 1,500 for men.) Ashley Lim won silver in the two longer races, adding 800 free relay gold. Khoo earned silver in the 100 back. Christie May secured a pair of breaststroke bronzes. All seven of Vietnam’s gold medals were provided by the men’s side of the draw. The highlight was the 800 free relay, won by Tran Hung Nguyen, Nugyen Huu Kim Son, Nguyen Huy Hoang and Hoang Qui Phuoc. Hoang won the 400 free in 3:49.50 and the 1,500 in 15:11.24 to go with bronze in the 200 free. Tran Hung Nguyen swept the IMs, in 2:01.28 and 4:19.12. He also set a Vietnamese record in the 200 back of 2:01.34, good for silver. The most impressive swims, though, might have come from Pham Tranh Bao, who swept the breaststroke events by setting SEA Games and national records in both. He went 1:00.97 in the 100 and 2:11.45 in the 200. Thailand assembled a quietly outstanding meet, with four gold medals and 22 total pieces of hardware. Tonnam Kanteemool re-set national records in both men’s backstroke events; his time in the 200 of 2:01.29 vaulted him from seventh in prelims to gold, .05 up on Trang Hung Nguyen. Dulyawat Kaewsriyong reset national marks in the 100 free, 200 free and 200 IM, gleaning silver medals in the latter events. The same was true of Navaphat Wongcharoen’s record in the 200 fly, his 1:59.4 just two tenths behind Ong Jung Yi. Thailand added silver in the men’s 400 medley relay in a total re-set of the relay records. The Thai women won silver in the 800 free relay and two relay bronze medals to go with mixed medley relay bronze. Jenjira Srissard burnished her sprinting bona fides by setting an SEA Games record in the 50 breast at 31.22 seconds, also a national mark. She added 50 fly gold and 50 free bronze. Kamonchanok Kwanmuang went 4:47.25 to set the national mark in the 400 IM and win gold. She added silver in the 200 IM, silver in the 200 fly (a national record), silver in the 200 free and bronze in the 400 free. took down the national record in the 200 fly Malaysia’s Khiew Hoe Yean broke through the dominance by Singapore and Vientam on the men’s side to win the 200 free in 1:48.91. He added silver in the 400 free, bronze in the 200 back and was part of medal-winning Malaysian records in the 400 free and 800 free relays, good for silver and bronze, respectively. Tan Khai Xin finished third in the men’s 400 IM but set a national record. Indonesia’s three gold medals all came over 50 meters. Masniari Wolf led the way by setting a national and SEA Games record in the women’s 50 back at 28.89. Felix Viktor Iberle won the men’s 50 breast, setting a national mark of 27.5 in prelims, and I Gede Siman Sudartawa claimed the 50 back. The Philippines had plenty of success over the meet, but it took backstroke to seal a gold. Teia Salvino won the women’s 100 back and was third in the 50 back, while Xiandi Chua set a Games record in the 200 back to win in 2:13.20. She added 400 IM bronze and set the Philippine record in the 200 IM finishing fourth. Salvino (in the 50 and 100) and Chua (in the 200) set national marks. Jerard Jacinto likewise rewrote the records in men’s backstroke, for silver in the 50 and bronze in the 100. Jarod Hatch did the same in the 50 and 100 fly, earning two bronze medals. Jasmine Alkhaldi paired women’s 100 free silver with 50 fly and 100 fly bronze. The Philippines won silver in the women’s 400 free, women’s 400 medley and 400 mixed medley relays, plus women’s 800 free bronze.
