SEA Games 2017: A- grade for Team Singapore after record away performance of 57 gold, 58 silver and 73 bronze medals

By Jonathan Wong, The Straits Times, 30 Aug 2017

KUALA LUMPUR - Following a record-breaking overseas performance by the country's national athletes at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, Team Singapore were given a grade of A- by chef de mission Milan Kwee and his team of officials.

The Republic won 57 gold, 58 silver and 73 bronze medals in Malaysia, surpassing the previous high-water mark from 10 years ago in Korat, Thailand when national athletes brought home 43 golds, 43 silvers and 41 bronzes.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday (Aug 30) to wrap up Singapore's results at the 29th edition of the biennial Games, Kwee said: "It has been a brilliant display by Team Singapore in Kuala Lumpur with debutants punching above their weight, seasoned athletes delivering as expected and surprises in bowling, golf and cycling which gave everyone something to delight in.

"A best away medal haul and the second-best ever performance by Team Singapore at the SEA Games - this is one performance Singaporeans can be proud of."



Singapore had sent its biggest away contingent of 560 national athletes with 303 in their first Games and 71 winning medals.

Overall, they set 15 Games records, 13 Singapore records and achieved 29 personal bests.

A total of 16 sports won golds, the second highest spread in Singapore's history at the Games. In 2015 on home soil, 18 sports accounted for the record 84 golds.

Singapore Sports Institute chief Toh Boon Yi said: "From a sporting Singapore perspective, this is encouraging. We see more and more people participating, putting time and energy in sporting pursuits. Even winter sports we have people taking it up.

"These are good signs that suggest sport is growing in the lives in Singaporeans."

Marathoner Ashley Liew gets prestigious award for sportsmanship at 2015 SEA Games

Sporting act wins Liew the Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy
Marathoner slowed when in lead during SEA Games to wait for rivals who took wrong turn
By Nicole Chia, The Straits Times, 17 Sep 2016

He slowed down and directed his rivals to the correct race route at last year's SEA Games in Singapore.

For that act of sportsmanship, marathoner Ashley Liew has been awarded the International Fair Play Committee's (CIFP) Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy in the category of "Act of Fair Play".

The 29-year-old is the first Singaporean to be recognised with this international award, which honours acts of fair play by sportsmen or teams.

Several prizes for fair play are awarded by CIFP annually across different categories, and the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy is among the most prestigious.

Past recipients of this trophy include English football icon Stanley Matthews, Swedish tennis great Mats Wilander and Ukraine pole vault legend Sergey Bubka.

At the 2015 SEA Games men's marathon, Liew held a 50m lead after the other 11 runners missed a U-turn and took the wrong route.

Instead of capitalising on his advantage, he slowed down to give his competitors time to catch up. He eventually finished eighth in the 42.195km race, which was won by compatriot Soh Rui Yong.

In a letter signed by CIFP president, Jeno Kamuti, Liew was congratulated for his "remarkable act of fair play".

He will receive his award at the World Fair Play Awards Ceremony in Budapest on Oct 15.

Liew also received a sportsmanship award from the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) at the Singapore Sports Awards in June.

8th ASEAN Para Games 2015 opens with rousing ceremony

By Jonathan Wong, The Straits Times, 4 Dec 2015

A new chapter in Singapore's sporting history was written last night as the country extended a heartfelt welcome to the region's top para athletes at the 8th ASEAN Para Games (APG) opening ceremony.

The 90-minute spectacle featured more than 1,400 performers - able-bodied and people with disabilities - and was divided into five acts. Each celebrated the enduring journey of a disabled athlete.

Declared open by President Tony Tan Keng Yam, the week-long Games will see about 1,200 para athletes compete in more than 300 events. The Republic is hosting the APG for the first time and has offered a record 15 sports.

Among those at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for the sold-out show were Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu.

In her opening address, Ms Fu hailed the athletes. "You have overcome challenges in life and shown us that sport is truly without boundaries. Your fighting spirit will inspire us to live better through sport and spur us to face life's challenges with courage," she said.



The loudest roars from the 6,000 spectators were reserved for Team Singapore's 154 representatives, led by flag bearer and swimmer Yip Pin Xiu. She later joined badminton player Tay Wei Ming and nine-year-old Aloysius Gan, who has cerebral palsy, as the final torchbearers to light the Games' cauldron.

There was more to cheer as Singapore beat Indonesia 1-0 in yesterday's opening match of the cerebral palsy football tournament.

Singapore sets aside S$75 million to host ASEAN Para Games 2015

Govt wants to use event to boost disability sports culture in Singapore
By Adelene Wong, TODAY, 27 Sep 2015

Some S$75 million has been set aside for the hosting of the ASEAN Para Games (APG) in Singapore (Dec 3-9) which the Government hopes will be a catalyst to help transform and strengthen the culture for disability sports here.

This was revealed by Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong today (Sept 27) at an event to promote the biennial multi-sport regional games for disabled athletes.

Speaking at the Unified Football Tournament held at Toa Payoh HDB Hub today, which saw Singapore football legends and school students playing seven-a-side football with Team Singapore cerebral palsy footballers, Wong said that Singapore will be ready to host the APG for the first time come December.

“We have set aside something close to S$75 million for this Para Games. All the detailed plans are in place, so we are just finalising the details, and we will be ready in December,” he told reporters on the sidelines. “Preparations are all in the final stages. Most of the technical details are being taken care of. We have been talking to all the different countries.”

Around 3,000 athletes and officials from 11 countries will be taking part in the APG, which will be the second major regional Games that Singapore is hosting in its Golden Jubilee year.

In June, the Republic hosted the South-east Asian Games for the first time since 1993. The Games, which cost S$324.5 million, featured 4,370 athletes from the region competing in 402 events in 36 sports.

This December’s APG will feature 15 sports. The list includes traditional sports such as swimming and athletics and four new ones — badminton, bowling, sailing and shooting. Singapore will be competing in all 15 sports.

Swimmer Quah Zheng Wen gets to defer NS

Long-term deferment clears the way for Zheng Wen to compete in Olympics next year
By Charles Ong, The Straits Times, 8 Jul 2015

National swimmer Quah Zheng Wen is aiming to make a big splash at the Olympics next year and not just make up the numbers in Rio.

The 18-year-old, who was due to enlist tomorrow, said this after being granted long-term deferment from full-time national service by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) yesterday.

He becomes the second Singapore athlete, after fellow swimmer Joseph Schooling in 2013, to be granted long-term deferment. Both were granted deferment till Aug 31 next year.

This clears the path for Quah to also participate in the World Championships from July 24 to Aug 9. The Rio Games take place from Aug 5 to 21 next year.

"People have always said (to me) to go for the experience at big meets, but I don't want that anymore," said Quah yesterday.

"I've gone to enough big meets and I want to be more than just a participant at the Olympics, like I was in 2012. I've been granted the opportunity and will have a really good chance at that."

SEA Games 2015: Interview with Lawrence Wong

Did Singapore reach the gold medal standard for its organization of the just-ended SEA Games? Mr Lawrence Wong,...
Posted by 938LIVE on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

SNOC keen to help athletes juggle NS and sports

Tan Chuan-Jin urges greater flexibility to help achieve a balance
By May Chen, The Straits Times, 23 Jun 2015

THE Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) is keen to help athletes with the potential to perform on sport's biggest stages juggle their national service (NS) and sporting commitments.

SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin, in a blog posted on the council website yesterday, called for a closer working relationship with the Ministry of Defence to explore if more flexible solutions can be worked out for sportsmen on a case-by-case basis.

He said: "We do not need a blanket agreement. But can we work out local solutions with (army) units? And that might be workable, as they have some flexibility there.

"If the commander feels he can accommodate, he can make the call, why not? So try to explore that and work closely with army units and Home Team and see how to make it more accommodating."

But NS cannot be seen as a "non-factor", warned Mr Tan, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development and held the rank of brigadier-general before joining politics in 2011.

Speaking yesterday on the sidelines of a panel discussion run by sociopolitical website Inconvenient Questions at the National University of Singapore, he added that finding a balance between NS and the pursuit of elite sports is an ongoing issue.

"It's not about wishing it away, but how do we work with the system as it is," said Mr Tan.

To "push the boundaries", he had questioned in the blog post if more athletes can defer NS.

Currently, only Joseph Schooling, who won nine golds at the recent SEA Games and whose gold at the Asiad last year was a first in 32 years in Singapore men's swimming, has successfully earned deferment for a longer period.

The 20-year-old was due for enlistment this year, but was granted deferment until August next year to allow him to focus on training for the 2016 Olympics.

It is understood that plans are also afoot to facilitate fellow swimmer Quah Zheng Wen's application for deferment. Quah was the most bemedalled athlete at the SEA Games with 12 medals.

The stuff champions are made of: 28th SEA Games Singapore 2015

ONCE again, we punched above our weight at the 28th SEA Games with the classy way we delivered a spectacularly successful Games.

Singing the emotive Majulah Singapura a capella when technology failed us was voted the most memorable moment of the Games.



I also cherish the spirit of sportsmanship.

At the finals for the men's marathon, Singapore's Ashley Liew found himself leading the field, only to realise that his competitors had been directed to a wrong turn. It was a perfect opportunity to build on a lead. Instead, he slowed his pace, nearly to a crawl, to ensure that the rest could make up as they got back on track.

Single-minded athletes focus to win. After all, competitive sport is measured by victories. Winners are remembered and celebrated.

Liew finished in 2hr 44min and placed eighth. I don't know if he would have medalled if he hadn't slowed down or pulled his hamstrings. What I do know is that he acted graciously, with consideration and integrity, in a highly competitive situation.

There were no medals for his performance, but for me, his remarkable decision deserves to be commended and remembered.

So, too, the gracious act of the Philippine men's basketball team, playing against basketball newcomers Timor Leste. They could easily have padded their final margin. Instead, the Filipinos restrained themselves by deliberately slowing the game down. They respected the spirit of the Games, their opponents and themselves.

Their coach, Tab Baldwin, told sportswriters after the game: "So you want to go out there and you want to work, but it doesn't mean you try to overwhelm your opponents... We respect that... Timor Leste is here giving their best."

Conceived in 1958, the SEA Games' objectives are to develop closer regional cooperation, better understanding and stronger unity among South-east Asian neighbours through sport.

It is easy to forget, in the heat of competitiveness, that sport isn't only about winning. It's about how the game is played. It's about sportsmanship.

The medals, the glory, even the champions, will eventually be buried in the annals of sport history. But sportsmanship, that gracious human spirit, will be alive to remind us of the higher purpose of the Games.

No medals are needed for sportsmanship. In itself, good sportsmanship is a badge of honour we can all strive to behold together.

William Wan (Dr)
General Secretary
Singapore Kindness Movement
ST Forum, 20 Jun 2015

SEA Games 2015 Closing Ceremony

Friendship the biggest winner at the Games
By Rohit Brijnath And Chua Siang Yee, The Straits Times, 17 Jun 2015

OUT there in Kallang a flame was extinguished last night, but maybe a stronger spirit for sport now flares within this nation. The SEA Games, which closed last night to music and fireworks, was a success because this nation vocally and visibly embraced it.

Even as athletes dazzled us - such as nine-year-old Malaysian Aiden Yoong Hanifah who won a water-ski bronze - it is public enthusiasm which sustained this Games. The National Stadium was almost full for the football final and Singapore was not even playing.



Athletes had to be delighted for performing is even more pleasing when there is a crowd to acknowledge effort and applaud skill. One might say it was a team effort.

In his Facebook post, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Team Singapore athletes for their outstanding performances, but also added: "I saw crowds showing up to cheer on our athletes. I also saw the many officials and volunteers making sure everything ran smoothly.

"Thank you to the organisers, participants, volunteers, and all the fans who have made this such a memorable Games."

Singapore's athletes rode their home advantage to a record 259 medals, 84 of them gold, many won in the Singapore Sports Hub.

This was a Games in Singapore but not only for Singapore. Thailand topped the medal table with 95 golds and fittingly medals were won by every one of the 11 nations. In the arena, athletes wept and an Indonesian footballer bent down to console a defeated Singaporean. In the stands, a group of visiting fans, each carrying one letter, spelt out a sign that simply and profoundly read: FRIEND.

Even as we partitioned ourselves every day into gold, silver, bronze, this Games remains meaningful as a way to harmoniously gather a region.

In the midst of gaiety, we were shaken by the tragedy at Mount Kinabalu. Last night, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin, who is also president of the Singapore National Olympic Council, read out from the last blog post by the pupils and teachers of Tanjong Katong Primary School.

Its title was "It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves" and every athlete would agree: Not every competitor at the Games would win but each one was in search of their best selves.

SEA Games 2015: Singapore ends Games campaign with 84 golds

Thank you #OneTeamSG athletes!
As we get ready for the closing ceremony of SEA GAMES 2015, here's a video tribute to #OneTeamSG athletes and their extraordinary feats over the past 2 weeks of competition. We're so proud of each one of you. Thank you for inspiring us all!
Posted by Lawrence Wong on Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Golden harvest recognised as a haul of fame
Accolades for Team Singapore after only three sports fail to earn medals
By May Chen, The Straits Times, 17 Jun 2015

AFTER far exceeding all targets while shouldering the weight of expectations pinned on Team Singapore, it was no wonder that sports officials showered the team with superlatives as the 28th SEA Games concluded yesterday.

The 749-strong contingent received a glowing report card at a post-Games media briefing, with their performances variously described as "excellent", "fantastic" and "impressive".

By the time the Games' flame was extinguished last night, Singapore had amassed 84 golds, 73 silvers and 102 bronzes, surpassing its previous best haul of 50 golds from the 1993 Games - the last time the event was held on home soil.

It meant that the hosts were ranked second in the overall medal standings behind regional kingpins Thailand, a feat that has not been achieved since the 1975 Bangkok Seap Games.

* SEA Games 2015 Closing Ceremony

Chef de mission Tan Eng Liang, a veteran official who has led national athletes to 12 major Games, revealed that he had set an internal target of 64 golds before the biennial event kicked off officially on June 5. Matching the showing from 1993 was the minimum benchmark expected of the athletes, he said.

"Fifty was a very safe prediction," he explained. "The moment we hit my internal target, we knew that we were on the road to (even more). We are extremely pleased that we were able to achieve that."

Added Nicholas Fang, who was the SEA Games co-chef de mission: "It's not an overstatement. To be able to be among the top three nations speaks a lot about the performance of the athletes and the preparations that have gone in."

The success was attributed to a number of factors, among them the fact that being hosts meant organisers could, to a large extent, design the sports and events contested to maximise Singapore's advantage.

Netball, for instance, returned to the roster after a 14-year absence. Floorball made its SEA Games debut. Events such as the jumbo doubles in squash were also introduced. Singapore won golds in all these events.

Extra funding from SportSingapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council to the tune of more than $4 millionalso played its part in the overall achievement.

Medals were mined from 33 out of the 36 sports - only football, petanque and tennis finished empty-handed.

While he is personally disappointed at the performance of the Young Lions, Tan gave the team credit for trying their best - but also cautioned that sports which have reaped a less-than-ideal harvest must address what went wrong. He said: "I would expect them to do a detailed analysis and come up with some plan to bring them further if they want to improve."

Added Bob Gambardella, chief of the Singapore Sports Institute: "There's no looking back any more. We've had a great performance... and now the expectation throughout is that we're raising the bar. We have to be ready to meet those demands."

He also noted that campaign funding for specific events will be explored in the future to help athletes set their sights on bigger stages.

For now, officials are hopeful that the contingent's success at the SEA Games will serve as inspiration for athletes to strive for loftier goals, while also providing a launch pad for budding future athletes.

Said Tan: "The SEA Games is one step in a series of major events that leads to the Olympics. These successes will hopefully spur us on to do better at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

"These Games have produced numerous heroes and heroines, and they're all inspiring and encouraging role models for younger athletes to follow."

SEA Games 2015: 52 gold medals... and counting

Team Singapore beat 1993 haul of 50 golds; 70-gold mark within reach
By Charmaine Ng And Chua Siang Yee, The Straits Times, 10 Jun 2015

FROM the waters off Marina Bay, where Singapore's canoeists have been harvesting gold, to the Singapore Sports Hub, where netballers and swimmers have thrilled crowds with their golden feats, the nation's finest have had their sights on the larger goal.

And at the halfway mark of the 28th SEA Games, the mission to become the most successful Singapore contingent has been accomplished.

At 7.53pm yesterday, when swimmer Quah Zheng Wen touched the wall at the OCBC Aquatic Centre pool to win the men's 400m individual medley and the host's 51st gold medal, it signalled the writing of a new chapter in Singapore sports history. The medal meant that the feats of the Class of 2015 have surpassed the previous best haul of 50 at the 1993 Games, the last time Singapore played host.

"I'm definitely really proud to have the honour of being part of, and making, Singapore's history," said Quah, 18.

And with seven days left, and more golds expected in shooting, bowling, water polo, sailing and swimming, there is a very real chance Team Singapore could hit 70 golds by the time the Games come to a close next Tuesday. As of last night, the tally stands at 52 golds, thanks to the men's 4x100m swimming team.

The speed with which the golds have come even surprised Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong.

"We were not expecting to get it so early. We thought we might perhaps get it towards the end of the Games," he told reporters on the sidelines of the final day of the canoeing competition yesterday.

He said the athletes have performed "way above expectations" and cited home support as a factor. "The fan support has been tremendous... I think that gives added motivation to our athletes and I hope that will continue through the rest of the Games," he added.

The gold rush began three days before the Games officially opened last Friday, when table tennis players Zhou Yihan and Lin Ye won the women's doubles, the first gold medal of the Games, to lead the medal standings.

The top spot has not been relinquished since, although with Thailand (38 golds) and Vietnam (33 golds) not far behind, the host could be overtaken once the athletics events get into full swing.

With a bumper contingent of 749 athletes, Team Singapore's chef de mission Tan Eng Liang believes the 60-gold mark is very much achievable: "The pressure was that we had our 50th anniversary and the minimum was to hit this target.

"Our ability to go beyond the 50 bodes well for Singapore sport. We hope we can leave a legacy of sports, sports culture and wanting to do your best for Singapore.

"The message was very simple to the whole Singapore team from Day One: Do your level best for yourself, your parents, your club but, most of all, for Singapore. That message should carry on, although we've already achieved this 50-gold medal mark."

SEA Games 2015 Opening Ceremony

Singapore says 'hello' to region's athletes
SEA Games opens with celebration of the past and a nod to future
By May Chen, The Straits Times, 6 Jun 2015

IT WAS a visual spectacle that began with fantasy, was fashioned with fireworks, and finished with the climactic transfer of flame to cauldron.

But as Singapore embraced the SEA Games for the first time in 22 years, the two-hour opening ceremony of the region's premier sporting event was ultimately a celebration of the feats of past heroes and a nod to the future.

At the symbolic moment of 8.15pm - or 20:15 - Singapore, backed by a boisterous crowd of 40,000 at the National Stadium last night, extended a warm "hello, and welcome" to 7,000 athletes and officials from the participating ASEAN nations and Timor Leste.

Declared open by President Tony Tan Keng Yam, and witnessed by dignitaries such as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, as well as other parliamentarians, the ceremony was thick with symbolism.

The venue and view of the city skyline as backdrop was a reminder that Singapore and its sporting landscape are in a markedly different era from each of the three previous times (1973, 1983, 1993) the Republic has hosted the event.

A grey, concrete arena, first erected post-independence to promote healthy citizenry, has given way to a state-of-the-art facility that nurtures world beaters and houses top sporting action.

Led by creative director Beatrice Chia-Richmond, organisers took pains to personify the Games' theme - "Celebrate the Extraordinary".

The five-act production took some 5,000 performers and volunteers to pull off but also used remotely controlled medallions given to each spectator to form a rhythmic LED light backdrop.

The show adopted the theme of DNA to illustrate human individuality and mankind's common ability to aspire and achieve.

And it was precisely people, among them former athletes whose feats have sealed their place among the pantheon of Singapore sporting greats, who helped drive that message home.

Thunderous cheers enveloped Singapore's contingent - its biggest ever at 749 - when the hosts anchored the athletes' parade, led by flag bearer and swimmer Quah Ting Wen.

As if to show today's talents standing on the shoulders of former greats, swimmer Joseph Schooling - revealed as the show's narrator - emerged with the likes of former sprinter C. Kunalan, former national swimmer Joscelin Yeo and retired bowler Grace Young.

The lighting of the cauldron was the night's highlight. Travelling across the Kallang basin, the Games torch was received and carried by 13 torchbearers, including four inter-generational pairs. It passed through the hands of sprinters, hockey players and shuttlers before reaching footballers.

As Fandi Ahmad joined hands with his son Irfan to light the cauldron, the act represented the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

"We will be writing a new chapter of our sporting story - it's a story of Singapore sport, and also South-east Asian sport," Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said.

Thousands of athletes will begin battle today across the island.

Team Singapore are already off to a stellar start with seven golds to sit atop the medal table.

The Straits Times predicts a bumper harvest of 80 golds for the hosts, far surpassing the record haul of 50 in 1993. A feat like that would be a fitting gift for the nation on its 50th anniversary - and truly symbolic of how far Singapore sport has come.

2,500km in 50 days: Relief and joy as duo complete epic run to mark SG50

They overcame injuries and illness, while being lifted by strong support
By Kash Cheong And Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 5 Jun 2015

RELIEF and joy were etched on the faces of ultramarathon runners Yong Yuen Cheng and Lim Nghee Huat as they crossed the finish line on their 50th and final 50km run yesterday.

"Mission completed," declared Mr Lim, a 62-year-old TV editor, after their challenge to mark Singapore's 50th anniversary ended at 10.32am at the Marina Bay Promontory. "It has been tougher than expected but we made it!"

Said Mr Yong, his 43-year-old running buddy: "The first thing that came to my mind was relief. For 50 days, I focused on nothing but the run and how to recover. Now all that mental stress is over. The second thing was really appreciation for those who have supported us in one way or another."

Mr Yong, a physical education teacher, had struggled through the final days of the challenge after gastric flu killed his appetite and left him nauseated.

Earlier, he overcame a strained Achilles tendon. "Sometimes you just have to push through the run with sheer willpower. I believe ordinary people achieve extraordinary things."

The pair displayed grim determination at the start of their final 50km, but were lifted by about 50 runners who ran the home stretch with them to show support.

Among them was Mr Chen Joo Soon, 56, who ran alongside them for the entire final leg, which started from Ion Orchard mall at 2am.

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) lecturer hardly had any sleep the night before, having completed the previous day's 50km leg with the duo at 4pm.

"The runners have been through so much, I wanted to give them the last boost and be there to celebrate their feat with them."

In the run, co-organised by youth charity Heartware Network and ITE, the runners paid tribute to the resilience and fortitude of Singapore's pioneers.

Singapore sports stars of the SEA Games

A tribute to stars past and present
By Marc Lim, Sports Editor, The Sunday Times, 10 May 2015

In life, and perhaps especially so in sport, one cannot truly appreciate the present without acknowledging the deeds of the past.

We now cheer swimmer Joseph Schooling and his gold-medal exploits. But before him, Pat Chan, who would retire with 39 SEA Games titles, was the original golden one.

High jumper Michelle Sng may be aiming for SEA Games gold now but her path to success was aided by the 61 Asean track and field champions before her.

It is why, with the SEA Games returning to our shores for a fourth time next month, we collected SEA Games champions, icons from four different generations, to discuss the journey their sport has taken.

Here was footballer Seak Poh Leong, 62, telling Irfan Fandi, 17, what it was like to play before a packed National Stadium four decades ago, when Singapore had hosted its maiden regional games in 1973.

Here was Joscelin Yeo, 36, winner of 40 SEA Games swimming golds, discussing what it takes to be a champion with Quah Zheng Wen, 18, who is aiming for titles of his own next month.

Here was experience and youth, wisdom and ambition, legends and rising stars all in one place.

In this tracing of sporting journeys, we chose four sports:

Swimming, sailing and athletics because they have been successful, winning 1,020 medals, including 377 golds, between them since 1959.

The fourth sport was football, which has not won a gold, yet remains a sport that is tightly connected to our sporting culture.

And so these athletes, from various generations, met on a track and by the sea, by the pool and on a field.

Youngers ones were teased for "having it good" by the old-timers from the era when running spikes were actually nails hammered into a shoe.

There were fierce debates and laughter. But always, no matter young or old, there was passion and a genuine love for the game.

In a year when Singapore celebrates its Golden Jubilee, there will be many tributes paid to the country's pioneers.

But the best ones will probably be heard in sporting arenas across the island next month, when we roar on the present.

It is the perfect way to honour those who have left their footprints on the Games, ones that have helped the present generation take bigger, bolder strides.

LionsXII clinch 2015 Malaysian FA Cup after 3-1 victory over Kelantan

Double caps amazing run
Sahil not the only hero as long shots stun hostile stadium to bring home FA Cup
By Wang Meng Meng, In Kuala Lumpur, The Sunday Times, 24 May 2015

Call it the exuberance of youth, innocence from footballers still years from their peaks, the LionsXII, Singapore's boys-to-men project in Malaysia basked in glory yesterday evening after an improbable win against near-impossible odds.

Few gave this team, who are struggling in the 12-team Malaysian Super League in eighth place and facing the two-time Malaysian FA Cup winners with four foreign players, any chance.

But for the first time in 26 years, the trophy crossed borders and no less to the home of bitter rivals Singapore. And the 3-1 shock victory over Kelantan was earned with sweat, tears and sacrifice in a show of character from Fandi Ahmad's team.

That they did it fighting in a Bukit Jalil Stadium packed to its gills, to brave a blizzard of hate in front of 85,000 fans, of which only 6,000 supported the team in blue, would have made it a night to remember.

An early seventh-minute strike from winger Faris Ramli, then sustained pressure from a rampant Kelantan side, pegged back by Wan Zack Haikal's brilliant equaliser only for substitute striker Sahil Suhaimi to smash and grab with a late brace in the 81st and final minutes, it was 90 minutes that encapsulated the LionsXII's Cup run.

The final was turned into a matter of national pride, with the Malaysian newspapers tugging at the patriotic heartstrings of its people to show up and inspire the Red Warriors to retain the silver cup on the peninsula.

But throughout Fandi's line-up, stories abound of individuals winning their personal struggles.

As a 20-year-old, goalkeeper and captain for the day Izwan Mahbud silenced Bukit Jalil in one of his first international games for Singapore in a 1-1 World Cup qualifier that the Lions won 6-4 on aggregate in 2011.

Last night, he returned to the same stadium and pulled off a series of quality saves to deny Kelantan and earn the Man of the Match award.

Sports Hall of Fame inducts three new members

Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu, and Yip Pin Xiu inducted into Hall of Fame
By Charmaine Ng, The Straits Times, 13 May 2015

IT WAS a historic win for Singapore and a seven-year-old memory that still gives para-swimmer Yip Pin Xiu goose bumps, even as she was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame yesterday.

In Beijing in 2008, she not only won the country's first Paralympic gold medal, but also set a world record in the 50m backstroke (S3 category). She also won a silver in the 50m freestyle (S3).

For her achievements, she was one of three athletes inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame yesterday, alongside table tennis Olympians Feng Tianwei, 29, and Wang Yuegu, 35.

"Just (thinking back on) that day gave me goose bumps. It was a very emotional day," said Yip, 23, who was born with muscular dystrophy.

"To hear the National Anthem played in the (Beijing National Aquatics Centre), it's a memory I will never forget and it's something I hope to recreate again."

Despite being the first para-athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, she remained humble, saying: "There are a lot more pioneers before me... I don't consider myself the leader (for all para-athletes)."

Feng and Wang were recognised for their achievements, which included clinching the country's first world table tennis championship in 2010, when Singapore beat China 3-1 in the final.

Feng played a vital role, winning both her matches, while Wang scored the second point that put Singapore 2-0 up. Another member of the quintet who featured in the "Miracle of Moscow", Li Jiawei, was among 10 athletes last inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Feng, Wang and Li also took a team silver in Beijing - the Republic's first Olympic medal in 48 years.

Explosions as mock terror attacks rock Sports Hub as part of Exercise Northstar

'Under attack'
Sports Hub rocked by 'explosions', 'gunfire' and 'chemical agent' in Exercise Northstar
By Kok Xing Hui, The Sunday Times, 10 May 2015

The drama began at 1pm yesterday, with two cars exploding outside the Singapore Sports Hub, before a chemical agent was released inside the stadium.

As flames were being put out at the carpark and the sporting event crowd was evacuated from the stadium, a suspicious package was found with a bomb inside.

Those who fled for safety to the nearby Kallang Wave Mall found themselves facing four gunmen disguised as shoppers firing indiscriminately into the crowds.

Complete with flames, smoke, fake blood and even a a remote-operated robot to defuse the bomb, the ninth edition of Exercise Northstar - which involved nearly 2,000 people - was a two-hour spectacle in itself.

A short video on Ex Northstar. - Ng Eng Hen[See earlier post on this multi-agency security exercise - http://mindef.sg/1H9KIAm]Singapore Police ForceSingapore Civil Defence ForceThe Singapore Army
Posted by Ng Eng Hen - Defence Minister on Saturday, May 9, 2015

But it was also one that was necessary to ensure that Singapore remains prepared for any such eventuality, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"I think it has worked well. And I am also very happy to see a lot of volunteers participating. They are a part of the crowd simulation, or pretending to be casualties, but they are learning something as well," Mr Lee said. "I think many of these volunteers actually will be participating in the SEA Games, either as competitors or in the opening ceremony, and I think we're inoculating ourselves just in case anything happens."

He, along with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and other members of the Cabinet, observed how 600 officers from seven key national agencies - including the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Armed Forces - reacted to the mock attacks.

It was also the first time that volunteers had been involved in the exercise, which was introduced in 1997 to test the Government's response to major emergencies.

Dream lives on with daughter's liver donation

By Sanjay Nair, The Sunday Times, 3 May 2015

For more than a decade, Mr Zainol Abidin Omar's life was one of routine, repetition and respect for Singapore football.

As a kit man, or equipment manager, first at the Singapore Sports School, then for the national Under-23 team, he looked after the jerseys, set up the training equipment and offered fatherly advice to the likes of Shahfiq Ghani, Shakir Hamzah and Al-Qaasimy Rahman.

A constant but often unnoticed presence on the touchlines, "Encik Zainol" - as the players called him - watched them grow from wide-eyed kids to full internationals. It was close to a dream job for the 56-year-old former semi-professional player.

Then tragedy struck in February last year. He had frequent spells of vomiting blood and dizziness, but was afraid to tell anyone - even his wife of 32 years, Roswati.

His health worsened and, in June, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. Doctors gave him six months to live.

"My liver was gone but my heart broke as well - I don't drink, I don't smoke, I felt I didn't deserve this," an emotional Mr Zainol, who has five children and three grandchildren, told The Sunday Times.

"The first thing on my mind was 'Who would take care of my family?'. My second thought was 'I'm not going to be able to see the Under-23s play at the SEA Games'."

He lost 10kg as he underwent chemotherapy. Too weak to even walk at times, he was forced to step away from football and his part-time transport business.

To keep his spirits up, he would look through three thick photo albums of past Young Lions matches and overseas trips.

Then he got his life back again. Ms Nurul Jannah, 25, one of his four daughters, was found to be a suitable organ donor and readily agreed to give 70 per cent of her liver to her ailing father.

"It was not a difficult decision. I would do anything to see him happy, just as he has done for us," said the administrative assistant.