Athletes eager to compete as 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games kick off
Nuraqilah Fatin Swat, a participant in bocce, pictured with a sign her friends made her after the 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games during the opening ceremony held at Bishan Stadium on May 30, 2025. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
SINGAPORE – Through her schooling years, Nuraqilah Fatin Swat dabbled in different sports like football and floorball, but felt that none really suited her.
With knee injuries also making it hard for her to pursue these sports, she began to search for other hobbies she could do outside of her job as a barista.
Four months ago, while scrolling through Instagram, she came across a post on bocce, a bowling game of Italian origin played on a long narrow court, and decided to give it a try.
The 30-year-old quickly took a liking to the sport and will be participating in her first bocce competition – the Special Olympics Singapore National Games, which will be held from May 30 to June 2.
Although she picked up bocce only recently, Fatin is aiming for gold at the event as she eyes a spot at the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile.
She said: 'During my school days, I always saw my classmates going for Special Olympics competitions, they always got the chance to go overseas to compete.
'I already had interest in sports for a long time but I just didn't get the chance to join (these overseas competitions), but after I work, I just thought maybe I want to join the Special Olympics with a sport that suits me.'
Fatin was speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games, which took place at Bishan Stadium on May 30.
The ceremony was graced by guest-of-honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who declared the Games open.
The quadrennial, multi-sport competition will be held at the National University of Singapore, and will involve 543 athletes with intellectual disabilities, 140 coaches and over 1,000 volunteers from 27 schools and centres.
It will feature seven sports competitions: athletics, badminton, bocce, bowling, dance sport, football and swimming.
Also eager to make his debut at the Special Olympics Singapore National Games is footballer Shane Yan, who was inspired to take the sport more seriously after watching his favourite club Real Madrid clinch a third consecutive Champions League title in 2018.
That led to him joining the Special Olympics football outreach programme the same year, with him training every Saturday morning at Bendemeer Secondary School in addition to weekly futsal sessions.
The forward, 21, said: 'I really love football, it gives me the exhiliration when I run... I've never regretted my decision and look where I am now – I'm more physically active than before.'
Shane Yan, a footballer, carries a torch with the Special Olympics flame during one leg of the relay during the opening ceremony held at Bishan Stadium on May 30, 2025.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Sport has given him the opportunity to mix with different people who share the same passion as him and has also emphasised to him the value of inclusion and social cohesion.
'For me, inclusivity and embracing diversity is very important to me because everybody has different capabilities in whatever they do,' said Yan, a third-year student in Republic Polytechnic, where he is pursuing a diploma in sports and exercise science.
In her speech at the opening ceremony, Special Olympics Singapore president Teo-Koh Sock Miang sent a similiar message.
Urging the crowd of about 2,500 people at Bishan Stadium to show their support for the athletes, she said: 'Tonight, I call on everyone to help us celebrate abilities and inspire possibilities.
'That's the theme of these Games – let's inspire each other, let's make sure that opportunities will always be there for our special athletes, so let's help to celebrate every single athlete at the Games.'
Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.
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