Schooling heads nominations for Sportsman of the Year title

SINGAPORE — National swimmer Joseph Schooling has been nominated for the Sportsman of the Year Award at the upcoming Singapore Sports Awards.

But the 20-year-old, who won the men’s 100m butterfly at last year’s Asian Games in Incheon, will have to see off the competition from fellow nominees in paddler Zhan Jian and shuttler Derek Wong if he is to win the award for the second time since 2012.

In the Sportswoman of the Year category, it will be a four-way contest between swimmer Tao Li, shooter Jasmine Ser, paddler Feng Tian Wei and kegler Jazreel Tan.

TODAY sports correspondent Low Lin Fhoong’s story entitled “Aishah’s got the Asian Para Games in her sights” has also been nominated for the “Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year”.

The story 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 this December’s ASEAN Para Games in Singapore.

A total of 11 categories will be at stake at the Singapore Sports Awards, which will be held on Aug 5 at the Marina Mandarin Hotel.

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

“The year 2014 was a particularly memorable one for our athletes and teams where they punched above their weight and proved their mettle at three major Games — Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympic Games and the Asian Games.” said Annabel Pennefather, chairperson of Singapore Sports Awards 2015 organising committee.

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)

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)