Netballers shortlisted for S’pore’s Team of the Year

SINGAPORE — It has been barely a month since the Republic’s national netballers won Singapore’s first gold medal in netball at last month’s SEA Games, but they don’t have to wait until next year’s Singapore Sports Awards to be recognised for that.

Yesterday, they made the Singapore National Olympic Council’s (SNOC) shortlist of nominees for the “Team of the Year” title for the upcoming Singapore Sports Awards for 2014. The netballers were nominated mainly on the strength of their runner-up finish at last year’s Nations Cup against higher-ranked sides.

Vying with them for the accolade at this year’s awards at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Aug 5 is the national men’s water polo team.

“It’s fantastic that we were nominated,” said veteran national netballer Premila Hirubalan, who played a central role in Singapore’s gold medal performance at the SEA Games.

“We were hopeful that we would be. I don’t think there’s a more team sport than netball. The men’s water polo team are very strong competitors for the award, but I’m happy to have been nominated regardless of whether we get the award or not.”

In the individual categories, national swimming star and Asian Games champion Joseph Schooling is the favourite to for the Sportsman of the Year gong. But the 20-year-old will have to fend off fellow nominees in paddler Zhan Jian and shuttler Derek Wong if he is to add to his previous win in 2012.

“Athletes work hard all their lives to win accolades, and I’m glad my hard work has paid off,” said Schooling.

The Sportswoman of the Year category will be a four-way contest among swimmer Tao Li, shooter Jasmine Ser, paddler Feng Tian Wei and bowler Jazreel Tan.

TODAY sports correspondent Low Lin Fhoong’s story, “Aishah’s got the Asian Para Games in her sights”, has also been nominated for the “Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year”. The article is about how former national shooter Aishah Samad lost her limbs following a bacterial infection but managed to bounce back, and is set to compete at December’s ASEAN Para Games in Singapore.

The nominations for the 11 categories were decided by the SNOC’s Awards Selection committee, chaired by SNOC president and Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin.

SINGAPORE SPORTS AWARDS NOMINATIONS (SELECTED):

Sportsman of the year: Joseph Schooling (Swimming), Derek Wong (Badminton), Zhan Jian (Table Tennis)

Sportswoman of the year: Jasmine Ser (Shooting), Feng Tianwei (Table Tennis), Tao Li (Swimming), Jazreel Tan (Bowling)

Sportsboy of the year: Aloysius Yapp (Cuesports), Bernie Chin (Sailing), Adalia Jesse Colin (Wushu)

Sportsgirl of the year: Samantha Yom (Sailing), Martina Veloso (Shooting), Lin Ye (Table Tennis)

Coach of the year: Sergio Lopez (Swimming), Remy Ong (Bowling), Jing Junhong (Table Tennis), Fernando Alegre (Sailing)

Team of the year: Team Sport: Netball, Waterpolo Men’s Team

Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year: “Sport and the Disabled” – Leong Wai Kit, Channel News Asia (14 September 2014), “Dropout is a Class Act in Pool” – Jonathan Wong, The Straits Times (29 November 2014),”He lost his legs but will play for S’pore” – Lim Yi Han, My Paper (8 January 2014),”Singapore netball veteran Premila simply cannot stand being away from the sport” – Teo Teng Kiat – Yahoo Singapore (8 December 2014), “Aishah’s got the Asian Para Games in her sights” – Low Lin Fhoong, TODAY (1 September 2014)