Despite there being no official targets set prior to the games in Hanoi, officials have declared that Singaporean athletes have “met expectations” and performed admirably. I would not disagree.
Their contributions helped Singapore mine 21 gold, 11 silvers and 12 bronze medals in swimming as they finished the top nation in their sport, as did fencing and bowling . And what lessons can we take away as we look to the next SEA Games , the Paris Olympics in 2024, and looking to a further horizon, the 2029 SEA Games, which are returning to Singapore shores again?There was often a disparaging view of the SEA Games in sporting circles in the region as being a “kampung” or “village” competition.
For illustration purposes, the S$10,000 paid out for a SEA Games victory is 1 per cent of the amount secured by Schooling for Singapore’s only Olympic gold so far. If we look at some of the athletes’ performances in Hanoi, it’s clear that the level of competition from our regional neighbours is getting higher as well.
These included features on young competitors such as the 14-year-old Elle Koh who snagged gold in the women’s epee fencing individual contest, and Lim Yao Xiang, who flew the flag for all of us ageing athletes by representing the country in fin swimming at the ripe old age of 40. But he chose to raise the issue of public expectations of NS-constrained sportsmen, and how these should be tempered given the overriding need for universal and egalitarian NS as a key component of Singapore’s defence.
Successful? U finish 5th out of 11 in the games with the lowest level globally. And u re happy. Cute.
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