Singapore's Paralympians feted with celebratory parade

SINGAPORE — Team Singapore’s Paralympic athletes are being given the rock star treatment on Saturday (Sept 24), as they embark on a One Team Singapore celebratory parade around town in a fleet of supercars.

Led by double Paralympic champion Yip Pin Xiu, the athletes earned the honour after the Republic’s best Paralympic Games showing, with a haul of two golds and a bronze from Rio de Janeiro. 

The parade began at 9am from the Sengkang Sports Centre, and will end at about 2.30pm at the VivoCity mall. The convoy of exotic sports cars — each carrying a Team Singapore para-athlete — will make a pit stop at the National Library at Victoria Street. 

Two weeks ago, after Yip clinched her first gold medal, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu had promised: “When our Paralympians return after the Games, we will have a public celebration to honour their extraordinary achievements.

This year, Singapore was represented by a record contingent of 13 athletes in six sports at the Paralympic Games.

Swimmer Yip made history in Rio by becoming the only Singaporean to win multiple golds at a Games. The 24-year-old clinched gold in the 50m and 100m backstroke S2 events. She also set world and Paralympic records in both distances.

Team-mate Theresa Goh won the bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke SB4, her first medal in her fourth outing at the Paralympic Games.

Last month, swimmer Joseph Schooling became the first Singaporean to win an Olympic gold medal in Rio. The 21-year-old came home to a rapturous welcome and was honoured in Parliament after winning the men’s 100m butterfly with an Olympic record time of 50.39sec.

He was also taken on an open-top bus victory parade around the island.

WATCH OUR COVERAGE HERE: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapores-paralympians-feted-celebratory-parade-0