Shanti Pereira makes history with 'groundbreaking' feats at Asian meet
Despite failing to retain both her 100m and 200m titles, coach Luis Cunha hailed Pereira's "groundbreaking achievements" after she became the first sprinter to win two medals in back-to-back editions of the meet.
Cunha said: "Her feat of earning two individual medals (sprint) in the Asian championships was unprecedented for Singapore. This is a truly remarkable milestone for Singaporean sports and athletics in Asia."
At the Gumi Civic Stadium in South Korea, the 28-year-old clocked a season-best time of 22.98sec, just 0.01sec behind gold medallist Chen Yujie (22.97) and ahead of Li Yuting (23.23), both of China.
Defending champion Pereira had qualified second-quickest in the field of 20 after clocking 23.59sec. Japan's Remi Tsuruta topped the heats with 23.37, while Chen (23.60) was third.
Pereira, who won a 100m and 200m double in the 2023 edition in Thailand, had also settled for silver in the 100m final on May 28 after clocking 11.41sec, losing out to China's Liang Xiaojing by just 0.04sec.
While Pereira did not respond to a request for comment by press time, Cunha preferred to look on the bright side, despite his charge missing out on a gold medal this time.
He said: "Life's all about perspective. A glass of water can be half-full, half-empty, or even full but too cold or not tasty. Unfortunately, we're often surrounded by people with the latter perspective."
Singapore Athletics (SA) president Lien Choong Luen too was upbeat about Pereira's performances. He said: "Shanti's back-to-back silver medals over 100m and 200m in Korea is an incredible feat in field packed with lots of talent.
"While her performance at the 2023 edition saw different medal colours, the ability to stay consistent over multiple years is a testament to her determination and that of coach Luis and her team. Her longevity and performance is an inspiration for our young athletes."
Besides the two silver medals, Pereira ended her campaign in Gumi with a national record, after teaming up with Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Shannon Tan and Laavinia Jaiganth to set a new mark of 44.66sec in the women's 4x100m relay while finishing fifth of seven teams.
The previous mark of 44.96sec was set in 2017 by Pereira, Wendy Enn, Dipna Lim-Prasad and Nur Izlyn Zaini. The mark was equalled in April by Pereira, Jaiganth, Elizabeth-Ann Tan and Kerstin Ong.
In Gumi, China won the race in 43.28, ahead of India (43.86) and Thailand (44.26).
Said Elizabeth-Ann Tan: "Coming into this meet, the national record was our aim, and we have been practising really hard together.
"We are very happy that our hard work paid off, and that we managed to beat the record and not just equal it this time, but really break it by a whole 0.3 seconds."
(From left) Laavinia Jaiganth, Shannon Tan, Elizabeth-Ann Tan and Shanti Pereira set a new mark of 44.66sec in the women's 4x100m relay. PHOTO: SINGAPORE ATHLETICS
Teammate Jaiganth believes that the result is a good indication ahead of December's SEA Games.
She said: "I think it was a very good experience, especially in such a big competition like the Asian championships. We were obviously all very nervous, but we managed to actually lock in and run to the best of our abilities. There's room for improvement, and we're ready to work on that.
"It's a very motivating result, because out of all the SEA Games countries, we were ranked second. It's a very happy outcome and very encouraging."
SA coach Khairyll Amri added: "In the last edition, the bronze medal time was 44.5sec, this time around it was around 44.2 by Thailand, which was something we didn't expect, because during the Singapore Open, the gap between Thailand and Singapore wasn't that big.
"So we were actually very hopeful of at least trying to close in on Thailand, but when everybody starts rising to the occasion, these things happen. So maybe on another day it might have been better."
In other results, Singapore's 400m hurdler Calvin Quek clocked 50.94sec to finish last in the field of seven runners. The event was won by Qatar's Abderrahman Samba (48.00), with compatriot Bassem Hemeida second (49.44) and Chinese Taipei's Lin Chung-wei (49.73) third.
Meanwhile, the Singapore men's 4x100m relay team of Daryl Tan, Teo Yan, Xander Ho and Marc Louis were disqualified for an errant baton exchange after finishing last in a time of 40.96sec.
Hosts South Korea claimed the gold with a meet record of 38.49sec, ahead of Thailand (38.78) and Hong Kong (39.10) after China, who finished third, were also disqualified for the same reason.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce namedrops ‘scorching hot' Singapore in new GQ interview
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Football star Travis Kelce says he and pop superstar Taylor Swift are "just two people who are in love". It has been over a year since American football star Travis Kelce was in town to attend his girlfriend Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts at the National Stadium in March 2024, but Singapore's heat and humidity is still on his mind. In a cover story interview with GQ for the US magazine's September issue, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end praised the American pop superstar for having the endurance and stamina of an athlete. 'She may not think of herself as an athlete, but I've seen what she goes through. I've seen the amount of work that she puts on her body, and it's mind-blowing,' he said. He shared about the tough conditions Swift, 35, had to endure during her global The Eras Tour, comprising 149 sell-out concerts that ran from March 17, 2023, to Dec 8, 2024. Kelce, 35, zeroed in on her six shows in Singapore. Not only did she brave the heat generated by electronic equipment beneath the massive stage floor, she also had to put up with the country's punishing weather. 'The (Eras Tour) floor is literally a football field-sized computer. You take that into Singapore, where it is scorching hot, and all of a sudden you're feeling the fumes from the computer, and you're feeling the fumes from the sun, and you're doing a show for three hours with a lot of energy, bringing it every single song,' he said. 'That is arguably more exhausting than how much I put in on a Sunday, and she's doing it three, four, five days in a row.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Singapore banks face headwinds in rest of 2025, but DBS is pulling ahead: Analysts Singapore Allianz insures Singapore's first fully driverless bus amid challenges posed by autonomous vehicles Asia Mixed reactions among Malaysia drivers on S'pore move to clamp down on illegal ride-hailing services Business Singtel Q1 profit soars 317.4% to $2.9 billion on exceptional gains of $2.2 billion Asia Diamonds, watches and shoes: Luxury items at heart of probe into South Korea's former first lady Singapore Yishun man admits to making etomidate-laced pods for vaporisers; first Kpod case conviction Sport New Hui Fen becomes first Singaporean bowler to win PWBA Tour Player of the Year Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story This is not the first time Kelce has commented on Singapore's heat. In the March 13, 2024 episode of Kelce and his brother Jason's New Heights podcast, Kelce gave a glowing review of his visit between March 7 and 9, calling the city state 'high-tech' and 'futuristic', exceedingly 'well planned out' and 'more interesting' to him than Sydney, Australia, where he also travelled to for The Eras Tour. He also made nods to the diverse cuisine and the '100 deg F' (38 deg C) temperatures. In the same interview, Kelce gushed about the couple's relationship and how he is the 'happiest guy in the world' since they started dating in 2023. He said they could relate to each other, revealing how they have a lot in common, such as entertaining sold-out stadiums. 'I hadn't experienced somebody in the same shoes as me, having a partner who understands the scrutiny, understands the ups and downs of being in front of millions. That was very relatable, seeing how exhausted she would get after shows.' He also stressed that their romance is not a publicity stunt. 'Whenever I'm with her, it feels like we're just regular people... we're just two people who are in love,' Kelce said, adding that their relationship happened 'very organically'. Meanwhile, the celebrity lovebirds look set to break records together in the days to come. A teaser clip from Swift's upcoming highly anticipated guest starring episode of New Heights, featuring the Grammy-winning singer's surprise reveal of her new 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl, was posted on Aug 12. It officially became her most viewed Instagram reel ever, garnering over 130 million views in less than 24 hours. It has since received over 168 million views and 5.1 million likes. The full podcast episode will be released on Aug 13, marking Swift's debut podcast interview and their inaugural joint interview appearance.
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
New Hui Fen becomes first Singaporean bowler to win PWBA Tour Player of the Year
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox New Hui Fen is the first Singaporean to win the PWBA Tour Player of the Year. She was presented with the trophy at the 2025 PWBA Tour Championship on Aug 13. SINGAPORE – New Hui Fen created history for Singapore bowling on Aug 13, when she was crowned the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour Player of the Year. New is the first Singaporean and just the second Asian to win the coveted title, joining an elite group that includes American legends Liz Johnson, Lisa Wagner and Wendy Macpherson. Malaysia's Sin Li Jane won the award in 2024. New, 33, called it a 'dream come true' to have clinched the annual honour. 'Ever since competing on the PWBA tour, I've always wanted to win the Player of the Year title because it is a true testament of my consistency and skills,' she said. 'I feel very honoured to be representing Singapore and winning this award. Watching past winners like Liz Johnson and Shannon O'Keefe winning player of the year back to back was truly inspiring for me.' Ahead of the Aug 10-12 season-ending PWBA Tour Championship at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York, New was leading the race to capture the PWBA Tour Player of the Year. The accolade is determined annually by competition points racked up at 12 events throughout the year. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore banks face headwinds in rest of 2025, but DBS is pulling ahead, say analysts Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line back to full service: SBS Transit World AI eroded doctors' ability to spot cancer within months in study Asia From Van Cleef to Vacheron, luxury gifts at centre of probe into South Korea's former first lady Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city Asia Malaysian flag hoisted upside down heats up debate ahead of national day celebrations Multimedia World Photography Day: Celebrating the art of image-making Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story But after finishing ninth to miss out on the stepladder finals with her 94,550-point total, it seemed like her closest competitor Jordan Snodgrass had seized the initiative. With the American the only one who could overtake New, the former – who had 93,125 points going into the Aug 12 finals – needed just a win in the first match to take her to 94,625, 125 points over New. But Snodgrass lost the opening match 185-150 against No.5 seed Stephanie Zavala, handing New the prestigious title. 'I was very nervous watching the match, I'd much rather be the person bowling. (When I did not make the finals), I did feel like I had lost the title as I didn't do as well as I wanted to for the Tour Championship,' said New. New credited the Singapore Bowling Federation, High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI), and the 'love and support from my family and friends'. She added: 'Singapore Bowling always provide us with the best guidance possible, the last few years we are fortunate to be able to work with Shawn Ryan (SBF technical consultant and coach). He is the best and I'm constantly learning from him.' She also acknowledged the work of HPSI strength and conditioning coach Joshua Lim, whom she said 'is the reason I am physically stronger and free from injuries'. The PWBA 2016 Rookie of the Year, has had a stellar 2025 which has seen her add more PWBA titles in a decorated career that also includes medals on the world stage. On May 31, she won the BowlTV Open before capturing her second title on the PWBA Tour on June 2 at the Rock 'n' Roll Open – it was her second victory in three days at the same venue. On June 18, she won four straight stepladder matches to win the 2025 US Women's Open, where she clinched the victory 290-188 in the title match against Snodgrass. Her triumph also placed her as the front-runner for the PWBA's annual accolade. New's fifth title and second Major triumph, after the 2016 PWBA Tour Championship, also meant she met the minimum criteria to be inducted into the PWBA Hall of Fame once she turns 50. This would make her the first Singaporean to achieve that feat. Reflecting on her recent victories, New said that winning the Rock 'n' Roll Open was the pivotal moment for her 'winning that title was something I manifested since April'. She added: 'Winning that added on to my belief that I can achieve anything as long as I set my mind to it. Winning the US Open was a follow through moment from the Rock 'n' Roll Open.' Although New has yet to decide how she will celebrate her historic achievement, she hopes her Player of the Year win will inspire a new generation of bowlers. Her advice to them is to embrace the lessons that come from setbacks. It is a mantra that has served her well. New said: 'Be patient, know all your strengths and weaknesses. Constantly ask for feedback on how you can improve, keep failing and keep learning. Through failing many times, I got many opportunities to learn and improve from my mistakes. Self reflections and learning how to receive feedback from coaches also helped me see things I couldn't see on my own.'
New Paper
21 hours ago
- New Paper
Heritage Sixty-One can get off the mark in Malaysia
The name "Abdullah Aboo Bakker" is not one that racegoers drop into their conversations when "talking horse" over their morning coffee. He is what one would call a "battling trainer". The Singaporean handler has saddled just four winners for the season. But, with four more months to go in the 2025 season, he could probably surpass his tally of four wins in 2024, albeit it could be a tougher ask to outdo his record of 30 winners in 2023. On Aug 9, we saw him pull one out of the hat when Show All Sixty-One beat a Class 4A field over the 1,200m course at Sungai Besi. That was after his stablemate Buuraq Sixty-One finished second to the talented Bold Runner in an earlier race. Abdullah has entered a team of five, including emergency acceptor King Of Sixty-One, for the Aug 17 meeting. Among them, Heritage Sixty-One is ready to open his account. The three-year-old colt, who races in the colours of the AJ'S Stable, tossed in a smart gallop on the morning of Aug 12 when running the 600m in 39.2sec. An English-bred by Ardad, Heritage Sixty-One has had two runs for Abdullah, and he would have been pleased with that last-start effort on July 13. That day, when ridden by Wong Kam Chong and asked to tackle the Restricted Maiden event over 1,100m at Ipoh, Heritage Sixty-One ran a terrific race. He attempted to make every post a winning one, but in what was a rough run which saw him bumped by another runner, Heritage Sixty-One had to settle for the runner-up spot - just a length behind Speedy Samurai, who had the services of leading jockey Andre da Silva. That is now water under the bridge. Heritage Sixty-One would have rested well and his work on the training track does suggest that he could be ready to break his maiden status in the Restricted Maiden race (1,200m) on Aug 17, which will bring on the cheers in Abdullah's yard. In that same Restricted Maiden contest, Northam Beach also tossed in a good workout when running the 600m in 37.8sec. Trained by Frank Maynard for the Virgo Bay Racing Stable, the Darci Brahma three-year-old colt has yet to face the starter, but he will kick off his career on the back of two decent trials. He was third in his last trial on Aug 5. It was a tight finish, and the winner was his stablemate Mega Skye, who has put together two wins in three trials. Do not dismiss Northam Beach. He could fill in the blanks when you are working out the route for those tierce and quartet bets. Another one worth some attention is Richard Mule. Contrary to what the "mule" in his name seems to suggest, this eight-year-old veteran is still capable of raising a good gallop. The son of Iffraaj did it in his morning workout when running the 600m in a flashy 37sec. A winner of three races from 24 starts, Richard Mule last made the board when he took third spot in a Class 4A contest over 1,300m at Ipoh on May 11. Trainer Winson Cheng has found a pretty neat race for the New Zealand-bred. It is a Class 4B sprint over the 1,150m, and it should suit Richard Mule's preferred style of racing - which is to lead. Come Aug 17, Cheng can also produce another good one in Northern Star. The seven-year-old grey gelding will be lining up in another Class 4B race (1,150m), and he is not without a chance. Northern Star was out on the training track where he tossed in a 600m workout in 39sec. While his last few runs seem to suggest that he is a runner who prefers to come from behind, the 1,150m he has to cover on Aug 17 is not out of his depth. Though the son of Written Tycoon did not succeed at Kranji when he was trained by Jason Ong, Northern Star has gone on to win five races in Malaysia, and across all three tracks at Selangor Turf Club, Perak Turf Club and the now-defunct Penang Turf Club. Rolling back to his last win on May 3 when he had da Silva in the saddle, Northern Star came from a spot in midfield at the turn to beat the Ong-trained Outfit by a neck. That was in a Class 4B event over the sharp 1,020m. If anything, he will relish the upcoming 1,150m race. brian@
