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Tag: SEA Games

  • Muhammad Ridhwan Creates History As Singapore’s First WBA Champion

    Muhammad Ridhwan Creates History As Singapore’s First WBA Champion

    Three-time SEA Games bronze medalist Muhammad Ridhwan became Singapore’s first-ever World Boxing Association (WBA) champion when he captured the Asia Super Featherweight title at the Singapore Fighting Championships (SFC) 5: Combat Redefined event at the Singapore Foochow Association on Saturday.

    In the main event of the night, the 29-year-old defeated Indonesia’s top-ranked featherweright Waldo Sabu via a technical knockout (TKO) two and a half minutes into the second round of the 10-round fight. The fight started brightly with both fighters exchanging a flurry of blows but in the end, it was Sabu succumbed to a non-stop barrage of hits from Ridhwan, with the Singaporean’s final punch bringing him to his knees.

    A proud Ridhwan, who is the head coach and co-founder of local boxing gym Legends Fight Sport, said after the fight: “I am honoured by this win and I’m happy I had the opportunity to go up against such an experienced fighter like Waldo.

    “He did not back down during the two rounds, but I did not want to leave the ring without that belt. I will continue to bring pride to my gym and to Singapore.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Young Lions Get Serious For SEA Games

    Young Lions Get Serious For SEA Games

    There is a major effort underway as Singapore targets glory at next year’s South-east Asia (SEA) Games football competition.

    Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, national youth teams head coach Richard Tardy outlined his plans for the Young Lions.

    For starters, the Garena Young Lions, to be coached by former Singapore international V Selvaraj, will kick off the upcoming S.League season with 30 players all born in the year 1995 or later as the SEA Games football competition next August will be an under-22 tournament.

    The team’s senior players like Khairul Amri, Firdaus Kasman, Christopher van Huizen and Fareez Farhan will all be free to sign for other clubs.

    “Last year we took Amri and Firdaus to help add some experience to the team, and we didn’t know at the start of last season whether the SEA Games will be an under-22 or under-23 competition,” said Tardy, who will be in charge of the team at the SEA Games.

    “It would have been difficult to start with an entirely young team. Still, we had a team with an average age of 21.5 years, which is the youngest in the club’s history.

    “It gave the opportunity for under-18 players like Rusyaidi Salime, Joshua Pereira and Hami Syahin to progress.

    “But now that we are so near to the SEA Games, it makes no sense to take overaged players.

    “Honestly, it will be very difficult to compete in the S.League, we know. Those with one-year experience can help us.

    “We must think about the future of Singapore football and the future is coming from the youth.

    “I’m sure that in two or three years, we will find some senior national players from this team.”

    The 66-year-old Frenchman urged support from all stakeholders as he revealed the comprehensive training schedule in store for the Young Lions, who will sit out of local cup competitions.

    He said: “Our season this year ended on Oct 15 but we trained until Nov 30 because I didn’t want them to go a long time without training.

    “They now have a three-week break before they come back in the last week of December to get ready for the new season.

    “Next month, we will have a training camp in Phuket with good facilities and a good field to get back to a good level physically before the season starts.

    “In March, we will play in a Dubai tournament against strong teams from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, China and Thailand.

    “I don’t want easy games even though I know they are good for the spirit.

    “Our best preparation will come in July when we play a minimum of three games in the AFC Under-23 Championship qualifiers against one or two strong teams as we are in the third pot.

    “Only by doing well against strong opponents can we say we have improved.”

    Ever since the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) appointed him in July 2015, Tardy has been candid in his assessment of youth footballers, pointing out their technical and physical weakness.

    In September, he told TNP that if the SEA Games were held then, the Young Lions would not even qualify for the semi-finals.

    However, Tardy has seen progress, even though he admits the boys are still behind the likes of Thailand and Vietnam in terms of technique.

    He said: “The distance between dreams and reality is action. We can dream of doing well but as a coach, I must be a realist and say we have to work very hard to do well at the SEA Games.

    “We drew with Vietnam in the Nations Cup and lost 1-0 to China and Iran. This means we are not far off.

    “Technically, I don’t think our level is enough, and we have problems heading, shooting and crossing, which we will work on specifically for 60 to 80 minutes every week.

    “But the base is physical and we have no big problems there in terms of injuries and cramps like we had before. Tactically, we must improve more such that individuals can adapt to whatever system we have to play during a game.

    “It is not my job to set a medal target but even as we train to develop national players for the future, we will also start to focus more on results next year.

    “I want the players to show me the fight in them, that they feel responsible for the SEA Games when they wear the national team jersey and their will to fight even the idea of losing.”

    Oct 15, 2016 – Last S.League match, a 3-1 defeat by Tampines Rovers

    Nov 30, 2016 – Garena Young Lions continue to train until the end of last month

    December 2016 – Players take a three-week break from football and resume training from last week of the year

    January 2017 – Two-week training camp in Phuket, Thailand. Double sessions in the morning and afternoon and two friendly matches to get into shape before S.League starts

    March 2017 – Friendly tournament in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, against the hosts, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, China and Thailand

    May 2017 – Two friendly matches

    June 2017 – Two friendly matches in Qatar

    July 2017 – AFC Under-23 Championship qualifiers; minimum three games

    August 2017 – SEA Games

     

    Source: The New Paper

  • Sasha To Celebrate Father’s Memory In Annual Charity Run

    Sasha To Celebrate Father’s Memory In Annual Charity Run

    Diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer in late 2014, Vincent Christian was told by doctors that he had only about six months to live.

    So even though his illness caused him immeasurable pain and fatigue, he was determined to make the trip from Australia to Singapore last June just to catch his daughter, national wakeboarder and waterskiier Sasha Christian, in competitive action at the South-east Asian Games for the very last time.

    Unfortunately, while Vincent did manage to make it to Singapore, the pain ultimately proved too much to bear. It forced the 61-year-old to cut short his trip to the Republic and return to Australia, just three days before the start of the SEA Games waterskiing competition.

    As he embraced Sasha, his last words to her before he left Singapore were: “I’m sure we’ll catch up again sometime, darling.”

    But that was the final time Sasha saw her father. Sasha went on to win two SEA Games gold medals in the individual slalom and wakeboard events, and a silver in the mixed wakeboard team event. But two weeks later, Vincent died.

    It is why, despite her success at last year’s Games, Sasha still looks back at that period with regret.

    “We knew it was only a matter of time before he would go, but we didn’t know when exactly, so when it did happen, it still came as a shock,” the 23-year-old told TODAY.

    “In my mind, I thought there was still time. He put on a very brave front and never allowed me to know how much he was suffering.

    “I think that because I didn’t know how severe it was, I was angry with myself and filled with regret when it happened.

    “I felt frustrated that I was kept in the dark and kept thinking about what I could have done differently, such as calling him more often during that time even though I was busy preparing for competition.”

    But a year on from his death, Sasha, who has four brothers, says she has finally made peace with herself after realising that her father played down the severity of his illness in order not to worry her.

    She explained: “I finally understood that he did not want me to be worried about him, and that gave me a lot of comfort. I also constantly remind myself to be grateful for the times we had, and for being so blessed to have him as my dad.”

    Reflecting on the life lessons she learnt from her father, Sasha admits she would not have become so successful in her sport without his input and guidance.

    “He’s very different from my mum, who plays a much more active role in my sport,” said Sasha. “But he gives me a different perspective of it. He shaped my character, and how I carry myself, and that is translated into my sporting career.

    “For example, he always tells me to do what I love and enjoy every moment of it. And that’s the way he lived as well.

    “When he was diagnosed with cancer, his motto wasn’t something to do with getting stronger.

    “Instead, it was all about treating each day as a blessing, and that’s the kind of philosophy that I adopt in my sport, where I seize each moment and make the most of it.”

    Because she lost her father to cancer, Sasha did not hesitate when she was invited to be an ambassador for the 24th edition of Run for Hope, which will be held on Feb 19 next year at the Bayfront Event Space.

    The annual charity run, which will feature a 3.5km route and a 10km category, is expected to attract more than 10,000 runners.

    Aimed at increasing awareness and support for cancer research, the event will raise money for the National Cancer Centre Research Fund, which provides seeding and bridging funds for clinical research projects.

    Sasha, who will run in the 3.5km category, will be joined by several other Team Singapore athletes such as swimmer Danny Yeo and high jumper Michelle Sng — both of whom also lost their fathers to cancer — as well as fellow waterskiier and wakeboarder Mark Leong.

    “I think this race is a great platform for people who, like me, have been affected by cancer, either directly, or indirectly, to come together for a worthy cause,” said Sasha.

    “It’s very reassuring to see such a huge community working towards the same goal. I hope it will encourage cancer patients and their families. They must know they’re not alone, and there is a lot of support out there for them.”

    The wakeboarder says she is looking forward to testing herself on the road.

    “I’ve loved running since I was young, and I usually get a bit competitive once I start a race,” said Sasha, who took part in this year’s Run for Hope as well. “I’m going to have to train for this coming edition though, but I think I’ll be fine.

    “My plan is to try and get all my brothers to run with me, and maybe my mum.

    “My brothers like running, so it shouldn’t be an issue. I think they’ll want to do the 10km run, though, so I’ll just meet them at the finish line!”

     

    Source: TODAY Online

     

  • Man Issued Stern Warning For Flying Unauthorised Drone During SEA Games Closing Ceremony

    Man Issued Stern Warning For Flying Unauthorised Drone During SEA Games Closing Ceremony

    A 55-year-old man has been issued a stern warning by authorities after he flew an unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of the National Stadium, which has been gazetted as a Special Event Area.

    Police said that the incident took place on Jun 16 during the Closing Ceremony of the 28th SEA Games.

    The man had used the drone to take photos of the fireworks display at the ceremony even though he did not have a permit to do so in a Special Event Area. After completing investigations and consulting the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the man was given a stern warning on Jun 18.

    Police added that flying such an aircraft without a permit can threaten public safety and security, especially in areas where large crowds are gathered. Flying one near a fireworks area is also especially dangerous and can cause harm to those watching the display.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • The Stars Of SEA Games 2015

    The Stars Of SEA Games 2015

    The SEA Games 2015 has come to an end, with host nation Singapore achieving an unprecedented 84 gold medals.

    Team Singapore came in second place in the overall medal tally – just behind Thailand. And this is Singapore’s highest ranking since the 1975 Sea Peninsular games in Thailand, where they also came in second place.

    Our gold medal haul also confidently surpassed our previous record where Singapore won 50 gold medals in 1993, which was also hosted in Singapore.

    Singapore total 258-medal haul also trounced our previous record of 164 medals, also during the 1993 games here.

    While every athlete put their best foot forward, there were some that stood out and made outstanding achievements.

    Below is a list of the Top 6 Singaporean athletes

    1. Shanti Pereira

     

    Our national sprint queen raced across the finish lines (and into our hearts) to win the nation’s first sprint gold medal at the SEA Games for 42 years.

    While doing that, she managed to re-write a new national record time of 23.60s for the women’s 200m title.

     

    2. Joseph Schooling

    Schooling currently carries the nation’s hope at our first Olympic medal for swimming – and judging by his performance at the SEA Games, it’s an achievable feat. Schooling won nine golds and broke nine games records while he was at it.

    3. Muhammad Nur Alfian

    It’s a true underdog story that may remind people of The Karate Kid. Alfian was up against defending world Silat champion Tran Dinh Nam from Vietnam. Mid-way through, he suffered a deep cut between his toes.

    And yet, he came out on tops and won the sole gold medal for Silat against all odds.

    In an even more poignant moment, he was in tears throughout the National Anthem during the victory ceremony, proving just how much the gold medal means to him.

    4. Ashley Liew

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    ​The 28-year-old marathon runner suddenly found himself ahead of the other 11 competitors.

    But this was because the rest had mistaken taken a different route while he made the correct turn.

    But instead of taking advantage of his unexpected lead, he slowed down and waited for the rest of the pack to catch up instead.

    And this display of sportsmanship earned him raves online, including from Prime Minsiter Lee Hsien Loong.

    5. Squash pair

    The squash doubles team of Marcus Phua and Vivian Rhamanan ended Singapore’s 20-year wait for a gold medal as they won Singapore’s first SEA Games gold in squash since 1995 when they clinched the men’s doubles jumbo final.

    While the Singaporean athletes clearly shone on home ground, there were foreign athletes too that deserved praise.

    Here is our list below:

    1. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien

    Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Anh Vien could possibly be the only swimmer during the games who could come close to outshining swim star Schooling. The 18-year-old won an impressive eight golds and five games records. Let’s not forget she entered herself in 11 events.

    2. Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah

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    What were you doing at the age of 11? This Malaysian water skiier is already considered a veteran in the sport as she won her first SEA Games gold medal aged 8 in 2011. This year, she managed to get two golds and she said that she is already aiming for three next year.

    3. Phyo Kyaw Zin

    Myanmar goalkeeper Phyo Kyaw Zin played a big role in helping Myanmar in their improbable journey to reach the football final. Despite their 0-3 loss in the final to Thailand, Phyo saved a total of 12 shots in the final. Impressive.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg