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SEA Games: Surprise wins add to S’pore’s golden haul

SINGAPORE — Just a day after Singapore won its 52nd gold medal to break their previous SEA Games record haul of 50 set in 1993, the gold medals continued to pour in yesterday from the favourites as well as the surprise winners from athletics, bowling and swimming.

SINGAPORE — Just a day after Singapore won its 52nd gold medal to break their previous SEA Games record haul of 50 set in 1993, the gold medals continued to pour in yesterday from the favourites as well as the surprise winners from athletics, bowling and swimming.

The performance of the day was delivered by sprinter Shanti Pereira, who won the women’s 200m final in a national record of 23.60sec. It was Singapore’s first gold in the event since Glory Barnabas won in the 1973 Games in Singapore. It was also the first Games gold in a women’s track event since Chee Swee Lee won the 400m and 800m at the 1975 Games in Bangkok.

Pereira’s win came after veteran thrower Zhang Guirong secured Singapore’s second gold in athletics at this SEA Games, when she won the shot put with a heave of 14.60m, ahead of Thailand’s Sawitri Thongchao (13.62m) and Areerat Intadis (13.31m).

At the OCBC Aquatic Centre, swimming sensation Joseph Schooling won his seventh and eighth gold medals last night, both in Games record times.

And at the Orchid Country Club, brothers Howard and Keith Saw clinched the men’s doubles to end an eight-year drought at the SEA Games for the Republic’s men’s bowling team.

Windsurfer Audrey Yong also secured Singapore’s first Games gold in the women’s RS:X class.

But arguably the performance of the day came from Pereira, whose lung-bursting run in front of 11,257 fans at the National Stadium in the last 60m saw her powering past favourite Kayla Anise Richardson of the Philippines (23.71) and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Oanh (23.92), the silver and bronze medallists, respectively.

“It feels amazing,” said Pereira, 18, who was greeted with a teary hug by coach Margaret Oh right after her victory. “I’m so happy I didn’t even know I was going to win. I definitely did not expect a gold medal. My goal was to catch whoever was in front of me ... I can’t describe the feeling, it’s amazing especially with everyone in the stadium. I can’t stop smiling, and this is going to be plastered on my face forever.”

Barnabas is confident Pereira can leave her mark on an even bigger stage in the future. Said the 72-year-old: “The gold itself speaks volumes; this is surely the way to raise the standards of our athletes, and we can’t remain stagnant (in the region).”

Asked if she thought Pereira would be able to emulate Chee’s success at the 1974 Asian Games, when she won the 400m, Barnabas added: “Yes, why not? She is also a good candidate for the 400m. She’s good, and she can continue running into her late 20s and 30s.”

But gold was not the only colour that shone brightest yesterday, as others dug deep, including boxers Mohamed Hanurdeen Hamid and Tay Jia Wei, whose two silvers were Singapore’s first in the sport since Sevakumaran Pakakrishna’s silver (men’s 45kg category) in 1993. Dipna Lim-Prasad also won the silver medal in the women’s 400m hurdles in 59.24secs, behind winner Nguyen Thi Huyen (56.15) of Vietnam, and ahead of bronze medallist Wassana Winatho (1min 01.69secs) of Thailand.

At press time last night, hosts Singapore continued to lead the 11-nation medal standings with 60 gold, 51 silver and 64 bronze. Vietnam was second (48-23-44), and Thailand third (46-54-41). The Games ends on June 16, and on how many more medals Singapore can win, national badminton player Derek Wong said: “It depends on how much each athlete wants it and for them to give their all to vindicate the sweat and tears they’ve put in.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NOAH TAN

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