Para Games close on a high note for Singapore

SINGAPORE — Her hair slicked back, swimmer Theresa Goh smiled and waved happily as she led Team Singapore’s contingent through the Marina Bay Sands Ballroom, the stage for the final farewell for the 8th ASEAN Para Games (APG) as the curtains came down on the sports gathering tonight.

After seven days of toil, sweat and tears, Singapore’s para athletes had every reason to party, after closing out the eighth edition of the Games with a record haul of 24 gold, 17 silver and 22 bronze medals, surpassing their previous best of 16-10-11 at the 2001 Games in Kuala Lumpur.

This best-ever performance also placed Singapore in fifth spot among the 10 countries, with Thailand (95-76-79), Indonesia (81-74-63) and Malaysia (52-58-37) claiming the top three spots.

An inspired Team Singapore contingent — which included 92 debutants — produced a number of firsts at the Games: A men’s team gold in table tennis, a first-ever medal in powerlifting courtesy of Kalai Vanen, and a historic high for the swimming team, who won a total of 16 gold medals to finish third in the competition’s medal standings.

But the challenge, say athletes and officials, will be to keep the momentum going after the APG flame is doused.

“It’s great that we achieved this number of medals with so many debutants,” said Singapore chef-de-mission Raja Singh. “The next level is how to raise standards to the next level, to participate at the Asian Para Games and Paralympic Games.

“We cannot be happy with what we have achieved — raising standards is the next part of our mission.”

Swimmer Goh, Singapore’s most bemedalled athlete at these Games with five gold and a bronze, echoed the sentiment.

“This result means that we have been supporting the athletes well, and speaks of our potential especially with a couple of debutants among them,” said the 28-year-old, who will compete at next year’s Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“(Aside from funding) the sports science support has been phenomenal, it all adds up and the athletes felt well supported.”

Added 2008 Paralympics gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu, who set a new world record time in the women’s 50m backstroke yesterday: “Going into Rio, I definitely hope I can maintain this form. I’m also hoping that more athletes will be joining us at the Paralympics, I hope they will stay on and continue to train hard.”

The APG also marked a number of milestones for disability sports.

On the funding front, approximately S$1 million was handed out to athletes via the Final Push Programme, while recruitment of athletes across the 15 sports saw Singapore’s contingent peaking at a high of 154.

And thanks to a concerted national effort to raise public awareness for disability sports, the APG also saw Singaporeans turning out in force to cheer on the athletes competing on home soil.

And many supporters left impressed and inspired by the spirit and resilience they witnessed from from the 1,000 athletes from Singapore and nine other countries. Among them was Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, who was at today’s closing ceremony alongside Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was the guest of honour.

Toda’s event, which was attended by over 3,000 athletes, officials and guests, saw Ms Fu handing over the APG flag to ASEAN Para Sports Federation president Zainal Zarin, who in turn handed it to Mr M Saravanan, Malaysia’s Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, whose country will be hosting the next edition of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

In her speech, Ms Fu paid tribute to all participating athletes. “You have shown us that the APG is not only about winning and sporting excellence. It is about resilience and the indomitable human spirit,” she said.

“Malaysian swimmer Yeo Yi Lin collapsed moments before her 400m Freestyle race, but nevertheless carried on and finished the race. Jason Chee rose to the occasion and won one gold and one silver for Singapore barely three years after his tragic accident. Their fighting spirit epitomise the values of the APG.”

“To our Singapore fans, thank you for standing together as One Team Singapore. Your strong support has helped make this our strongest showing in the APG so far.”

The rousing support from the public - Singapore’s 12th man - throughout the Games is something that Team Singapore’s flagbearer Yip will never forget.

“At first, I was afraid that Singaporeans would not be very receptive (of the APG),” she said. “At the SEA Games, Theresa and I saw the support and thought nobody would be going for the APG.

“Seeing so many Singaporeans cheering for us … happy is an understatement. I also learnt that my friends are really loud!

“I wouldn’t call myself a role model, even though I strive to be. But it’s really nice that we are able to influence the younger generation to make them want to do sports, and also be a more inclusive society.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report quoted Minister Grace Fu as saying that “Malaysian swimmer Yeo Yi Lin collapsed moments before her 50m Freestyle race, but nevertheless carried on and finished the race.” The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has clarified that the speech should have said that Yeo collapsed moments before her 400m Freestyle race.