From The Straits Times    |
proud of teamsingapore

proud of teamsingapore

 

The Asian Games are in their 18th year, and there’s been a flurry of news, from appeals that see names like sailor Amanda Ng and our women’s rugby sevens team heading to the event. But just how much do you know about our #TeamSingapore athletes? Scroll through the gallery to find out more about our Singaporean Squad.

 

Largest contingent of athletes this year

 

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Singapore is coming in full force with the largest contingent of 246 athletes across 22 sports for the Asian Games this year. Previously, our largest Asiad contingent was 240 athletes at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, China.

 

New sports making their debut at the Asian Games

 

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A total of three sports — synchronised swimming, paragliding and ju-jitsu — will be making their debut this year. We’re looking forward to seeing our athletes shine in their respective sports.

 

Our Sailing team has the most Asian Games medals

 

Yep, our Sailing team has won more Asian Games medals than Bowling and Swimming combined. Since the 1994 Asian Games, our competitive sailors have bagged 37 Asian Games medals, almost double that of Bowling with 20 medals and more than thrice that of Swimming with 11 medals. In the previous Asian Games in South Korea, the Sailing team won seven medals out of the 24 that Singapore brought home.

 

Joseph Schooling has his own sports academy

 

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Joseph Schooling’s eyes are set firmly on the Asian Games — along with the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. At Asiad, Schooling is set to compete in a total of 5 events. And did you know that, together with his parents, he’s recently launched a sports academy? The family’s intent is to raise the level of sports in Singapore and nurture a new generation of athletes. Located at Our Tampines Hub, Schooling Sports Academy offers swimming and tennis programmes.

 

We’ve got lots of sports siblings flying our flag

 

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Diving brothers Timothy and Mark Lee are nursing injuries, but have their sights set on the Games nonetheless. “We are doing everything we can to prepare and be at our best when the time comes. Can’t wait to rock it out with my bro,” Timothy wrote in a recent Insta post. Special mention has to be made for the jiu-jitsu brothers, Ivan and Calvin Chua, who are making their debut — along with the sport — in Asiad this year! Family #teamspirit runs high with aquatic siblings Quah Zheng Wen, Quah Ting Wen and Quah Jing Wen as well, and they’re all rostered for events at Asiad. There are plenty of celebrated sisters in #TeamSingapore headed for the games. They include bowling’s Daphne and Cherie Tan; the “silat sisters” Nurul Shafiqah and Nurul Suhaila; fencing girls Amita and Aarya Berthier; and Stephanie and Sarah Chen in canoeing.

 

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Our oldest and youngest Asian Games athletes are 68 years apart in age

 

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The oldest Singaporean representative for the Games is 83-year-old Ng Lai Chun, who’ll represent the country in contract bridge. The youngest athletes are aged 15. We have several 15-year-olds this year, including Zachary Ian Tan, an upcoming swimmer; and Fernel Tan, a young shooter.

 

Bowling team captain Jazreel Tan is the first Singaporean female bowler to win the Singapore Open since 2008

 

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Our national bowlers have been striking up stellar records, but none of our female bowlers made it to the top spot at the Singapore Open in awhile. But Jazreel Tan broke the 10-year dry spell by emerging as champion at the 50th Singapore Open in June 2018. The captain of the National Bowling Team will be competing with her crew last took the gold for the team of 5 event at the Asian Games in 2014, and return to defend their title in Indonesia.

 

Synchronised swimming is gaining steam

 

Our synchronised swimmers have really been making waves, and make their debut at the Asian Games. Their performances at the SEA Games in 2017 saw them bagging three gold, two silver and two bronze medals. They also cracked the top 10 at several events at the Fina Artistic Swimming World Series this year, finishing 5th in the team free event at the Japan Open.

 

Luo Yiwei was the first Singaporean woman to win a track cycling medal at the SEA Games

 

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National triathlete turned cyclist Luo Yiwei achieved a SEA Games milestone last year when she picked up Singapore’s first-ever SEA Games women’s track cycling medal. This is a feat, especially since she only switched to cycling in late 2016. The SEA Games was only her second time racing the omnium. Watch her make her mark in the Asian Games from August 20 to 31.

 

Amita Berthier clinches gold in last year’s SEA Games in memory of her father

proud of teamsingapore

Photo: The Straits Times

Amita Berthier may only be 17, but she’s far from your average teenager. The left-handed foil fencer is a SEA Games gold medallist and also made history by becoming the first Singaporean fencer to win a Junior World Cup title at the Havana leg in Cuba in the eight-leg series last December. She dedicates her victories to the memory of her father, who passed away in 2016.

 

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