
Singaporean athletes at World Masters Games prove age is no barrier to fitness
For Cassandra Chew, sport has always been about more than just fitness and medals.
As a child who frequently fell ill with high fever, she found a surprising remedy in running, which sparked a lifelong connection with sports.
Though she gave it up after completing her O levels, Chew returned to competitive sport in 2017. She took on her first Spartan race with her cousins, marking the beginning of a new chapter that saw her competing locally and overseas.
More recently, she has rediscovered her first love.
Running has not only connected her with a community of like-minded individuals, but also helped her face life's challenges.
At the World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei last week, the 49-year-old won gold in the 100m and 200m in the 45+ age group.
She said: "I draw a lot of positivity from sports. When you work out, you feel happy and, when you feel happy, you feel happy to get back to work and all that.
"I try to spread positivity through my sports. It's a much bigger picture and motivating others is very important and it helps connect with a lot of like-minded people."
At Banqiao Stadium in New Taipei, Chew clocked a masters women's 45+ national record of 13.90 seconds in the 100m, ahead of Hong Kong's Yuen Ting Cheng (16.09) and Chinese Taipei's Yu Chen-yu (16.19).
In the 200m, she claimed gold in 30.02sec, with Hong Kong's Joyce Wong (33.67) and Yuen (43.26) rounding out the podium.
The television producer, who was also part of the team who clinched silver in the 4x100m relay, contributed two of Singapore's tally of seven golds, three silvers, and nine bronzes in athletics at the May 17-30 quadrennial, multi-sport event, which featured over 30,000 athletes.
Other sports that Singaporeans participated in included badminton, archery, fencing and shooting.
Chew credits her success to a more structured training regime under the guidance of her new coach, Fabian Williams, whom she began working with six months ago.
She also finds inspiration in her competitors, adding: "I look up to them - if they can do it, with training, I'll also be able to do it. I feel that, with the correct mindset, anyone at any age can still achieve what they want to."
The motivation is similar for Toh WeiDe, who clinched the discus and shot put 35+ titles.
In the discus, he threw 36.87 metres to beat Chinese Taipei's Chuahg Chin-feng (30.36m) and Huang Jhong-yan (30.15m). In the shot put, his 10.55m was ahead of South Africa's Johannes Hendrik Blignaut (10.09m) and Japan's Shintaro Hoshi (9.46m).
Throwing has been his passion since he was 13 and, while competition took a back seat after university, he continued to stay fit and competed sporadically.
Now an engineer, Toh is also a throws coach. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to train - squeezing in sessions at 7am before work and arriving at the track an hour before he coaches.
Toh WeiDe (second from left) claimed the discus and shot put 35+ titles at the World Masters Games. PHOTO: COURTESY OF JASON WONG
This was his first World Masters Games, though he previously competed at the 2022 World Masters Athletics Championships.
Toh said: "It is a way for me to fuel my passion, to keep a healthy active lifestyle as well as lead by example to my students and fellow Masters throwers.
"My long-term goal is to be able to travel around the world and participate in as many World Masters Games as possible throughout my life, make more friends and meet athletes along the way, and put up a good fight - as long as my health, my work, and my family allow it."
Singapore's Victor Sim (right) and his badminton men's doubles 70+ partner Yang Zhen Xing on the podium after clinching gold. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTOR SIM
Badminton player Victor Sim, who picked up four golds in Taiwan, was happy to see more Singaporean players competing.
At his first World Masters Games in Melbourne in 2002, there were only four participants from Singapore. This time, there were over 40, with the badminton players bringing home five golds, six silvers and eight bronze medals.
Having already won the men's team, mixed doubles, and men's doubles 70+ titles, Sim ended his the trip with a men's singles title after beating Chinese Taipei's Kung Chen-long 21-17, 21-13 in the final.
While happy with the medals, the World Senior Championships gold medallist hopes the achievement sends a bigger message.
The retiree, 70, said: "This has something to do with active ageing, keeping fit, that we can compete at any age with all these Masters events. I actually wanted to encourage more Singaporean Masters athletes to believe in themselves, to compete and test themselves and be active, living a healthy lifestyle.
"It's not so much about winning, but taking a step to compete and stay healthy."
For Singapore's other badminton gold medallist, Susanto Halim, who turns 80 in July, the event was a chance to test himself.
Although he earned his men's singles 80+ title after his opponent Robert Cook returned to the United States before the final, it was still a memorable trip as he reconnected with friends he had made while studying in Taiwan.
Susanto Halim (second from right), 80, won a badminton gold and bronze and says the event was a chance to test himself. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SUSANTO HALIM
"I've been looking forward to attending this competition for a long time. I tried to prove to myself that after the age of 80, I'm still able to stand on the court and do this with players from around the world," said the retiree, who also bagged bronze in the men's doubles.
"But at least I proved to myself that I was able to stand on the court after 80 years old. It was a good opportunity to meet friends I haven't met in the last 50 years."

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New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Singaporean athletes at World Masters Games prove age is no barrier to fitness
For Cassandra Chew, sport has always been about more than just fitness and medals. As a child who frequently fell ill with high fever, she found a surprising remedy in running, which sparked a lifelong connection with sports. Though she gave it up after completing her O levels, Chew returned to competitive sport in 2017. She took on her first Spartan race with her cousins, marking the beginning of a new chapter that saw her competing locally and overseas. More recently, she has rediscovered her first love. Running has not only connected her with a community of like-minded individuals, but also helped her face life's challenges. At the World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei last week, the 49-year-old won gold in the 100m and 200m in the 45+ age group. She said: "I draw a lot of positivity from sports. When you work out, you feel happy and, when you feel happy, you feel happy to get back to work and all that. "I try to spread positivity through my sports. It's a much bigger picture and motivating others is very important and it helps connect with a lot of like-minded people." At Banqiao Stadium in New Taipei, Chew clocked a masters women's 45+ national record of 13.90 seconds in the 100m, ahead of Hong Kong's Yuen Ting Cheng (16.09) and Chinese Taipei's Yu Chen-yu (16.19). In the 200m, she claimed gold in 30.02sec, with Hong Kong's Joyce Wong (33.67) and Yuen (43.26) rounding out the podium. The television producer, who was also part of the team who clinched silver in the 4x100m relay, contributed two of Singapore's tally of seven golds, three silvers, and nine bronzes in athletics at the May 17-30 quadrennial, multi-sport event, which featured over 30,000 athletes. Other sports that Singaporeans participated in included badminton, archery, fencing and shooting. Chew credits her success to a more structured training regime under the guidance of her new coach, Fabian Williams, whom she began working with six months ago. She also finds inspiration in her competitors, adding: "I look up to them - if they can do it, with training, I'll also be able to do it. I feel that, with the correct mindset, anyone at any age can still achieve what they want to." The motivation is similar for Toh WeiDe, who clinched the discus and shot put 35+ titles. In the discus, he threw 36.87 metres to beat Chinese Taipei's Chuahg Chin-feng (30.36m) and Huang Jhong-yan (30.15m). In the shot put, his 10.55m was ahead of South Africa's Johannes Hendrik Blignaut (10.09m) and Japan's Shintaro Hoshi (9.46m). Throwing has been his passion since he was 13 and, while competition took a back seat after university, he continued to stay fit and competed sporadically. Now an engineer, Toh is also a throws coach. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to train - squeezing in sessions at 7am before work and arriving at the track an hour before he coaches. Toh WeiDe (second from left) claimed the discus and shot put 35+ titles at the World Masters Games. PHOTO: COURTESY OF JASON WONG This was his first World Masters Games, though he previously competed at the 2022 World Masters Athletics Championships. Toh said: "It is a way for me to fuel my passion, to keep a healthy active lifestyle as well as lead by example to my students and fellow Masters throwers. "My long-term goal is to be able to travel around the world and participate in as many World Masters Games as possible throughout my life, make more friends and meet athletes along the way, and put up a good fight - as long as my health, my work, and my family allow it." Singapore's Victor Sim (right) and his badminton men's doubles 70+ partner Yang Zhen Xing on the podium after clinching gold. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTOR SIM Badminton player Victor Sim, who picked up four golds in Taiwan, was happy to see more Singaporean players competing. At his first World Masters Games in Melbourne in 2002, there were only four participants from Singapore. This time, there were over 40, with the badminton players bringing home five golds, six silvers and eight bronze medals. Having already won the men's team, mixed doubles, and men's doubles 70+ titles, Sim ended his the trip with a men's singles title after beating Chinese Taipei's Kung Chen-long 21-17, 21-13 in the final. While happy with the medals, the World Senior Championships gold medallist hopes the achievement sends a bigger message. The retiree, 70, said: "This has something to do with active ageing, keeping fit, that we can compete at any age with all these Masters events. I actually wanted to encourage more Singaporean Masters athletes to believe in themselves, to compete and test themselves and be active, living a healthy lifestyle. "It's not so much about winning, but taking a step to compete and stay healthy." For Singapore's other badminton gold medallist, Susanto Halim, who turns 80 in July, the event was a chance to test himself. Although he earned his men's singles 80+ title after his opponent Robert Cook returned to the United States before the final, it was still a memorable trip as he reconnected with friends he had made while studying in Taiwan. Susanto Halim (second from right), 80, won a badminton gold and bronze and says the event was a chance to test himself. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SUSANTO HALIM "I've been looking forward to attending this competition for a long time. I tried to prove to myself that after the age of 80, I'm still able to stand on the court and do this with players from around the world," said the retiree, who also bagged bronze in the men's doubles. "But at least I proved to myself that I was able to stand on the court after 80 years old. It was a good opportunity to meet friends I haven't met in the last 50 years."

Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Singaporean athletes at World Masters Games prove age is no barrier to fitness
SINGAPORE – For Cassandra Chew, sport has always been about more than just fitness and medals. As a child who frequently fell ill with high fever, she found a surprising remedy in running, which sparked a lifelong connection with sports. Though she gave it up after completing her O levels, Chew returned to competitive sport in 2017. She took on her first Spartan race with her cousins, marking the beginning of a new chapter that saw her competing locally and overseas. More recently, she has rediscovered her first love. Reconnecting with running has not only connected her with a community of like-minded individuals, but also helped her face life's challenges. At the World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei last week, the 49-year-old won gold in the 100m and 200m in the 45+ age group. She said: 'I draw a lot of positivity from sports. When you work out, you feel happy and when you feel happy, you feel happy to get back to work and all that. 'I try to spread positivity through my sports. It's a much bigger picture and motivating others is very important and it helps connect with a lot of like-minded people.' At Banqiao Stadium in New Taipei, Chew clocked a personal best of 13.09 seconds in the 100m, ahead of Hong Kong's Yuen Ting Cheng (16.09) and Taiwan's Yu Chen-yu (16.19). In the 200m, she claimed gold in 30.02 seconds, with Hong Kong's Joyce Wong (33.67) and Yuen (43.26) rounding out the podium. The television producer, who was also part of the team who clinched silver in the 4x100m relay, contributed two of Singapore's tally of seven golds, three silvers, and nine bronzes in athletics at the May 17-30 quadrennial, multi-sport event, which featured over 30,000 athletes. Chew credits her success to a more structured training regime under the guidance of her new coach, Fabian Williams, whom she began working with 10 months ago. She also finds inspiration in her competitors, adding 'I look up to them – if they can do it, with training, I'll also be able to do it. I feel that with the correct mindset, anyone at any age can still achieve what they want to.' The motivation is similar for Toh WeiDe, who clinched the discus and shot put 35+ titles. In the discus, he threw 36.87 metres to beat Chinese Taipei's Chuahg Chinfeng (30.36m) and Huang Jhong-yan (30.15m), while in the shot put, his throw of 10.55m placed him ahead of South Africa's Johannes Hendrik Blignaut (10.09m) and Japan's Shintaro Hoshi (9.46m). Throwing has been his passion since he was 13 and while competition took a backseat after university, he continued to stay fit and competed sporadically. Now an engineer, Toh is also a throws coach. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to train – squeezing in sessions at 7am before work and arriving at the track an hour before he coaches. Toh WeiDe (second from left) claimed the discus and shot put 35+ titles at the World Masters Games. PHOTO: COURTESY OF JASON WONG This was his first World Masters Games, though he previously competed at the 2022 World Masters Athletics Championships. Toh, who was a throws coach at the 2019 SEA Games, said: 'It is a way for me to fuel my passion, to keep a healthy active lifestyle as well as lead by example to my students and fellow Masters throwers. 'My long-term goal is to be able to travel around the world and participate in as many World Masters Games as possible throughout my life, make more friends and meet athletes along the way, and put up a good fight – as long as my health, my work, and my family allow it.' Singapore's Victor Sim and his men's doubles partner Yang Zhen Xing posing on the podium after clinching gold. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTOR SIM Badminton player Victor Sim, who picked up four golds in Taiwan, was happy to see more Singaporean players competing. At his first World Masters Games in Melbourne in 2002, there were only four participants from Singapore – this time there were over 40, with the Republic's badminton players bringing home five golds, six silvers and eight bronze medals. Having already won the men's team, mixed doubles, and men's doubles 70+ titles, Sim ended his the trip with a men's singles title after beating Chinese Taipei's Kung Chen-Long 21-17, 21-13 in the final. While happy with the medals, the World Senior Championships gold medallist hopes the achievement sends a bigger message. The 70-year-old retiree said: 'This has something to do with active ageing, keeping fit, that we can compete at any age with all these Masters events. 'I actually wanted to encourage more Singaporean Masters athletes to believe in themselves, to compete and test themselves and be active, living a healthy lifestyle. 'It's not so much about winning, but taking a step to compete and stay healthy.' For Singapore's other badminton gold medallist, Susanto Halim, who turns 80 in July, the event was a chance to test himself. Although he earned his men's singles 80+ title after his opponent Robert Cook returned to the United States before the final, it was still a memorable trip as he reconnected with friends he had made while studying in Taiwan. Susanto Halim (second from right) won a gold and bronze at the World Masters Games. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SUSANTO HALIM 'I've been looking forward to attending this competition for a long time. I tried to prove to myself that after the age of 80, I'm still able to stand on the court and do this with players from around the world,' said the retiree, who also bagged bronze in the men's doubles. 'But at least I proved to myself that I was able to stand on the court after 80 years old, and it was good to meet other friends from around the world – it was a good opportunity to meet friends I haven't met in the last 50 years.' 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. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.


New Paper
01-06-2025
- New Paper
Instead of Sunday brunch, some Singaporeans now opt for a game of pickleball
Once a week, video game producer Janine Campbell picks up a paddle, grabs her visor and wristband and heads for a pickleball lesson after work. After her husband introduced her to the sport, she enrolled herself in group lessons at Performance Pickleball, an indoor facility in Punggol, in January. "It's fun and I really like the sport," said Campbell, 45. "I'm at my desk constantly and pickleball lets me get some fresh air, laughter and exercise in a really fun way." She is among many Singaporeans who are picking up this racket sport. The sport - a cross between tennis and table tennis, played on a badminton-sized court - was invented in the United States in the 1960s, and is known to be popular among seniors, due to its low-impact nature. Now, pickleball courts are frequented by the young and old for corporate bonding sessions and as a Sunday family activity. Professionals, hobbyists and businesses have observed an uptake in interest and participation in recent years. "In the past, youth described pickleball as a sport for seniors, but it is now described as the 'in' sport," said president of Singapore Pickleball Association Lim Ee Kiong, adding that this can be attributed to the sport's social nature. Pickleball is also easier to pick up than other racket sports, said founders of Performance Pickleball and former national tennis players Jeremy Soh and Jeovanne Poernomo. Performance Pickleball founders Jeremy Soh and Jeovanne Poernomo have grown the community to one that has more than 5,000 members. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO "The court is smaller, the ball is slower, and the paddle is lighter - it's a lot easier because you don't have to wield a long racket," said Soh. "Compared to padel and tennis, the risk of injury is a lot lower, the explosiveness required and the strain on your joints is a lot less." Soh and Poernomo opened the sports club and facility in July 2024, and it now has over 5,000 members. New joiners can opt for a one-day course - which is possible since the sport is easy to pick up - said Poernomo, and the club also offers group and private lessons as well as court bookings. "There's a real community spirit and vibe. Through classes and games, finding people to play a game with is much easier, especially since the sport is quite popular now," said Campbell. Its popularity has spread islandwide - there are currently over 5,000 active players, and more than a fifth of them compete in tournaments. Bookings at the 30 public pickleball courts have more than tripled since 2023, said a spokesperson for national sports agency Sport Singapore. ActiveSG interest groups who play at sport halls in neighbourhoods such as Jurong West, Clementi and Bedok have more than 2,000 members, added the spokesperson. One of these members is Chua Cheng Yao, 25, who joins a group in north-eastern Singapore for weekly sessions at community centres or outdoor courts. She also plays with a regular group of friends about thrice a week, usually at the tennis court of a condominium. She picked up pickleball, which she said seemed "less intimidating" and social, in 2024 as she wanted to continue playing sport after graduating from university. "Pickleball is easy to start but hard to master, and that's what makes it so fun and addictive," she said. Businesses ride the trend Tennis players have been flocking to courts on the rooftop of Suntec City since sports club MBP Sports opened a facility there in 2005. In 2022, paddles joined tennis rackets as the club started offering pickleball memberships after noticing interest from both locals and expatriates. "It's going crazy, especially with the corporates, and families are picking it up too," said founder Chris Mullins. Pickleball court bookings are almost full during after-work hours on weekdays and throughout the day on weekends, and MBP hosts about two corporate sessions a week, he added. Businesses are capitalising on the boom: Retailers are stocking their shelves with equipment and coaches are offering more lessons. At sports retailer Sportsshop SG, shelves were reorganised to make room for pickleball equipment in 2023, following requests from customers. The retailer, which has two stores in Singapore, has since more than tripled its product offerings for the sport. Sportsshop SG has more than tripled its product offerings for pickleball since 2023. PHOTO: SPORTSSHOP SG It decided to bring in products catering to all levels, from beginners to competitive players, after they noticed that Singaporeans were looking for variety and quality, said a spokesman. Even eateries want a piece of the pie: Bubble tea chain Playmade expanded their brand offerings beyond drinks, and started selling pickleball equipment online in 2024. Playmade's team designed and produced three types of paddles meant for different skill levels, and even submitted the model for professionals to USA Pickleball for certification. The chain has also organised pickleball tournaments and open play sessions, handing out drinks or drink vouchers to participants. The bubble tea chain PlayMade has organised coaching clinics, leagues and open play sessions since it piloted its pickleball project in early 2024. PHOTO: PLAYMADE SINGAPORE Growing the sport here Soh is convinced that pickleball's loyal following is here to stay, but acknowledges that support is needed to grow the sport through programmes, facilities and tournaments. He said: "A lot of what we do, we don't do it for profit and we're really trying to create a better community. It's about the laughter and fun, it's about having to chill, hang out and de-stress after work." The Singapore Pickleball Association organises and funds multiple tournaments, such as the Pesta Sukan and Singapore Pickleball Open, despite having to fork out money as it is "impossible to break even", said its president Lim. He added: "As the national sports association, we recognise that tournaments are instrumental... We hope more sponsors would be able to support the sport financially. Our current objective is to establish a lively culture based on sporting values." The association has been working with schools to incorporate the sport in the physical education curriculum, and it has organised competitions such as the inter-school pickleball tournament on May 10, which featured 13 teams from nine schools. Students from River Valley High School look on as their schoolmate plays in a match at the Inter-School Pickleball Tournament on May 10. PHOTO: SINGAPORE PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION/FACEBOOK But the sport has yet to be recognised as a co-curricular activity and make its appearance at the National School Games, which is what the association hopes to push for, said Lim. He hopes it will also eventually be among the sports included in the Direct School Admission programme. For pickleball athletes such as Soh, having the sport featured on a bigger stage would be a sure-fire way to make its mark. "I hope to see the sport in the SEA Games soon," said Soh, who has competed in pickleball tournaments abroad. "Asians are generally pretty good at sports played in smaller spaces. "I think Asian pickleball will eventually match up to that of the United States and Europe, and even surpass them."