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Straits Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Singapore sporting heroes before they were famous
They are now household names, known for their standout moments in stadiums and swimming pools. But once upon a time, these Singapore sporting heroes were chasing a dream. We dig into our archives for the first, or nearly first, time their faces appeared in The Straits Times. (Clockwise from top left) The likes of Fandi Ahmad, Feng Tianwei, Yip Pin Xiu, Loh Kean Yew, Joseph Schooling and Shanti Pereira have achieved great success, not just regionally, but on the biggest sporting stages. Fandi Ahmad on Dec 9, 1977 Fandi Ahmad (taking a shot) was deployed as a midfielder in the Singapore Under-16's 2-1 win over Penang in the inaugural Lion City Cup in 1977. The 15-year-old impressed those who were taking in the action. PHOTO: ST FILE Just 15, the future football star and Lions captain was part of the Singapore Under-16 team that beat their highly fancied Penang counterparts in the opening match of the Lion City Cup, a youth tournament, in front of 10,000 fans at the National Stadium. After retiring in 1999, Fandi turned to coaching and enjoyed success with several clubs, winning the S. League twice with SAFFC (2000 and 2002 ) and the 2015 Malaysia FA Cup with LionsXII. He was interim national coach of the Lions in 2018 and held various positions within the Football Association of Singapore. He returned to his former club, Sri Pahang, and is its current head coach. All four of his sons are professional footballers with the three oldest, Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan, Singapore internationals. Noting that The Straits Times has been like family – 'we had many laughs and good memories, which I really appreciate' – Fandi says: 'I still remember the April Fool's Day prank in 1984 when there was a front-page story about me joining Manchester United. Then, in 1993, Wilfred Yeo (a former Straits Times deputy sports editor) wrote my first autobiography, which helped chronicle the key moments of my life up to that point.' Yip Pin Xiu on May 16, 2006 Yip Pin Xiu, then 14, was lauded as a promising member of the Singapore Disability Sports Council's junior swimming programme. The article accompanying this photo was about how Singapore Press Holdings Foundation had given $28,000 to the council to develop a grassroots programme for young swimmers with disabilities. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE Now 33, Yip is the most decorated Singaporean para-athlete, with seven Paralympic gold medals to her name. All that was still to come in 2006, when the 14-year-old Bendemeer Secondary School student made her debut in a story about a grassroots programme for young swimmers with disabilities. She was described as 'highly rated' in the main photograph, but it was Yip's good friend and fellow para-swimmer, Theresa Goh, who was cited in the article as a contender for a medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The older Goh, now 38 and retired, returned empty-handed – she would clinch a bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro – and it was Yip who rose to the occasion in the Chinese capital, becoming Singapore's first, and still only, Paralympic champion in the 50m backstroke S3 event. She would add further golds at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Paralympics. Yip notes that at the 2008 Paralympics, The Straits Times was the media outlet 'most keen on covering the Games', and its coverage over the years has boosted the profile of para sports in Singapore. Seeing stories move from the charity pages to the mainstream sports and local news pages was a 'game changer', she adds. She also cites the publication's annual Straits Times Athlete of the Year award – which counts para-equestrienne Laurentia Tan and Yip as past winners – as significant for its inclusion of para athletes. 'I and the community are really appreciative of that.' Feng Tianwei on Feb 2, 2008 Feng Tianwei represented Singapore at four Summer Games. Her haul of one silver and two bronze medals makes her the country's most decorated Olympian. PHOTO: ST FILE On Jan 11, 2008, Feng's application for Singapore citizenship was approved, paving the way for the then 21-year-old to represent her adopted country at the Beijing Games in August. A promising youth player, the Harbin-born Feng was recruited by a Singapore Table Tennis Association coach in late 2006 and arrived in March 2007 under the Foreign Sports Talent scheme. She quickly impressed officials before securing her spot on Singapore's Olympic team. There, she played a starring role alongside Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu to clinch a n Olympic silver in the women's team event, the Republic's first medal at the Summer Games since weightlifter Tan Howe Liang's silver in 1960. Then President S R Nathan and Defence Minister and Singapore National Olympic Council president Teo Chee Hean cheered on the players in the exciting best-of-five format semi-final against South Korea at the Peking University Gymnasium. Back home, Singaporeans in their living rooms, in offices and coffee shops were glued to their TV screens during the see-saw contest which eventually ended 3-2 in Singapore's favour. The paper would devote six pages, including the front page, to this historic achievement. Feng was also instrumental in leading Singapore to a shock victory at the 2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships, beating China, who were bidding for a ninth straight title, in the final. She added two more Olympic bronze medals (singles and women's team) at London 2012 and spent the majority of her career ranked among the world's top 10. She retired after winning three golds at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Joseph Schooling on March 22, 2009 In March 2009, Joseph Schooling rewrote Singapore's oldest junior record, the Under-14 200m butterfly, with a time of 2min 10.56sec, almost three seconds faster than Tan V-Meng's previous mark set in 1987. PHOTO: ST FILE The skinny 13-year-old with an awkward smile was some years away from the strapping and confident Olympic champion he would become. Schooling's first appearance in the paper was part of a Sunday Times package about Singapore's up-and-coming swimmers. The teenager was then breaking numerous national age-group records. In 2011, he competed in his first SEA Games at the age of 16, winning two golds. The medals kept coming – at the 2014 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, the World Championships a year later, and finally, in an improbable victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics where he beat American great Michael Phelps and set a new Games record in the 100m butterfly. The paper devoted almost 10 pages to his win the morning after and many more in the days following, splashing his winning smile several times on the front page. A live stream of his victory parade, with thousands lining the roads in Singapore, was also part of the paper's coverage, as were numerous stories on The Straits Times' digital platforms. Looking back on that period, what stands out for Schooling was a video produced by The Straits Times chronicling his rise and an interview with his parents. Schooling, who retired in April 2024, says: 'It was nice to hear them reflect on our journey, and it just hits a special place in my heart, hearing those things my parents are saying about me on camera. It brought back a lot of good memories. I'll always remember that forever.' Shanti Pereira on May 4, 2009 While she was at the Singapore Sports School, Shanti Pereira dominated the sprint events in the C and B Division and rewrote several age-group records. PHOTO: ST FILE As the younger sister of national sprinter Valerie Pereira, much was expected of Shanti from an early age. She was only 12 when The Straits Times highlighted her potential in a 2009 article titled 'Meet the school sports heroes'. She did not disappoint, breaking numerous age-group records before establishing herself as Singapore's fastest woman – at the ripe old age of 16 – when she claimed the national 100m record in 2013. Two years later, she was the darling of Singapore track and field when she won the 200m title at the SEA Games held on home soil, ending a 42-year gold medal drought for the Republic in a sprint event. After that high, however, she struggled with her form, enduring criticism for several years – including comments about her weight – and predictions from various quarters that her best days were over. But she proved her naysayers wrong, bouncing back in spectacular fashion by winning gold in the 100m and 200m sprints at the SEA Games in May 2023. She broke more barriers later that year at the Hangzhou Asian Games, clinching a silver in the 100m before her historic victory in the 200m, Singapore's first track and field gold medal since the 1974 Asiad. Loh Kean Yew on May 18, 2015 Penang-born Loh Kean Yew (back row, second from right) received his Singapore citizenship in February 2015 and would make his international debut for the Republic at that year's SEA Games on home soil. PHOTO: ST FILE If not for his all-bright turquoise outfit, you could be forgiven for overlooking Loh in this group photo of Singapore's badminton squad selected for the 2015 SEA Games. After all, he was only 17 with modest results so far in his career and about to make his international debut for his adopted country – having received his citizenship in February that year – at the upcoming biennial Games. The Penang-born Loh, who enrolled at the Singapore Sports School on a scholarship in 2010, would exceed expectations when he clinched a bronze medal in the men's singles. He served further notice of his talent in 2019. Ranked world No. 125, Loh stunned two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan in the Thailand Masters final before making history two years later by winning the world championships , the first Singaporean to do so. Loh also reached a career-best world No. 3 in late 2022. A full-page comic strip in the paper depicting his 2021 world title stands out for him. 'Be it the ups or downs, the achievements or the struggles, I will look back in the future with appreciation that there was such a documentation of my playing career that I can share with my future generation.'
Straits Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
In a volatile and faddish world, summer offers one familiar promise
Centre Court with its flowers can mean only one thing: Wimbledon is ready for play. PHOTO: AFP A burly Englishman with a love for water is leaning precariously over the starting blocks at the Singapore Sports School. Mick Massey is holding Paralympic champion Yip Pin Xiu's hands as she polishes her backstroke start. Starting blocks are uncomfortable and so Massey has a folded towel beneath him. But it's not any towel, but green, purple and precious, with the year 2014 stencilled on it. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
02-05-2025
- Sport
- AsiaOne
60 times Singapore made the world take notice, Lifestyle News
Every so often, Singapore pops up on the global stage. These moments remind us that our Little Red Dot isn't just a blip on the map, but a force to be reckoned with. Whether it's flying the flag in unexpected arenas, helping other nations in need, or breaking new ground, Singapore continues to punch above its weight. Truth is, we have achieved so much across so many fields that it's impossible to list all our triumphs, but to celebrate Singapore's 60th birthday this year, we've rounded up 60 feats that show just how far Singapore and Singaporeans have come. Sports and athletics 1. Maximilian Maeder won the bronze medal in kitefoiling at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He was only 17 years old, becoming Singapore's youngest Olympic medalist. [embed] 2. Yip Pin Xiu secured double golds in the 50m and 100m backstroke S2 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, achieving this feat at three consecutive Games. [embed] 3. Jeralyn Tan clinched Singapore's first-ever boccia medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics with a silver in the women's individual BC1 event. [embed] 4. Farhanna Farid set her ninth deadlift world record in two years with a 209kg lift at the World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships in Jun 2024. [embed] 5. Darren Ong Wei Siong won the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Viper Championship in Mar 2025, becoming the first Singaporean to win a PBA Tour event. [embed] 6. Veronica Shanti Pereira won gold in the 200m sprint at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou (which was held on Sep 2023), and the 100m and 200m sprint at the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok. She also holds the 200m SEA Games record (22.69s) and the 200m Asian Championships games record (22.70s). [embed][embed] 7. Zeanne Law Zhi Ning was named the 2023 International Wushu Federation Wushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year. This was thanks to her gold medal win in Women's Taijiquan during her debut at the World Wushu Championships 2023 and securing the silver medal in the Women's Duilian event with teammates Kimberly Ong Li Ling and Zoe Tan Zi Yi. [embed] 8. Stephenie Chen qualified for the Paris Olympics in canoe sprint by finishing 3rd in the Women K1 500m event at the ACC Canoe Sprint Asian Championship in Apr 2024, marking Singapore's return to the sport since 2012. [embed] 9. Caroline Chew secured a spot in dressage at the Paris Olympics, continuing her trailblazing journey in equestrian sports after making history as the first Singaporean to compete in dressage at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. [embed] 10. Amita Berthier and Kiria Tikanah qualified for the Paris Olympics in fencing, representing Singapore in foil and epee respectively. [embed] 11. Shannon Tan earned a place in golf at the Paris Olympics, showcasing Singapore's growing presence in the sport. She secured a win on the Ladies European Tour at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in Feb 2024. [embed] 12. Saiyidah Aisyah qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in rowing, continuing her legacy as Singapore's pioneering rower following her debut showing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. 13. Ryan Lo is the reigning sailing champion of the ILCA 7 class at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. He competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics. [embed] 14. Kabir Anurag became the first Singaporean to join Alpine's Formula One academy in Apr 2024 at 17 years old. The teenager currently competes in the Italian Formula 4 championships, the first stage of the pathway towards Formula One. 15. Loh Kean Yew became the 2021 Men's singles badminton champion, the first Singaporean to attain this feat. He recently won the bronze medal at the 2025 Badminton Asian Championships in Ningbo, China. [embed] 16. Soh Rui Yong is a two-time SEA Games gold medalist in 2015 (Singapore) and 2017 (Kuala Lumpur). He set the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon in a full suit, finishing the 2025 London Marathon with a time of 2 hours 39 minutes. 17. Feng Tianwei was conferred the David Dixon Award, becoming the first Singaporean and table tennis player to receive the outstanding athlete award at 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK. [embed] 18. The Singapore national football team reached the semifinals of the 2024 Asean Championship semifinals, losing to eventual winners Vietnam. Singapore last won this major Southeast Asian football tournament in 2012. [embed] 19. Lion City Sailors became the first Singaporean football club to reach the finals of an Asian club football continental tournament. They will play the 2025 ACL Champions League 2 finals against Sharjah FC. [embed] 20. Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Jahari served as a VAR official at the 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup, the only Southeast Asian in the role. [embed] 21. Amanda Lee won the 2022 NPC Worldwide British Bodybuilding Championships, earning an IFBB pro card. In 2025, she finished 4th at the IFBB Pro Taiwan Pro Show and among the top 5 at World of Monsterzym 10 in South Korea. [embed] 22. Alice Shi, Rachael Leong, and Tara Nur Ibrahim represented Singapore in equestrian at the Princess's Cup 2022. Alice finished second in the individual category. [embed] 23. Singapore bowlers Shayna Ng and Cherie Tan won gold and silver respectively at the 2021 IBF World Bowling Championships in Dubai, Saudi Arabia. [embed] 24. The Singapore men's water polo team won gold at the 2023 SEA Games, while the Singapore women's water polo team competed for the first time at the World Aquatics Championships in 2024. [embed] 25. The Singapore women's hockey team won the 2025 Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia. [embed] 26. The Singapore skydiving team picked up four medals (one gold, two silvers and one bronze) at the 2025 World Indoor Skydiving Championships in Charleroi, Belgium. Arts and culture [embed] 27. Singer-songwriter Tanya Chua won Best Original Song at the 2024 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards in Busan, South Korea for Learn To Live Again, the theme for Taiwanese drama Imperfect Us. [embed] 28. Homegrown botanical design studio This Humid House clinched first prize at the 2024 Flora International Flower Festival in Spain with their installation Between Magnolias. [embed] 29. Chai Yee Wei's Wonderland and Kelvin Tong's A Year Of No Significance were named Most Anticipated Chinese-Language Films at the 2024 Golden Rooster Awards. [embed] 30. Brandon Khoo became the first Singaporean and the first Asian nominated for the 2024 Drumeo Awards. He was nominated in the TikTok Drummer of the Year category. [embed] 31. Renee Yadav won first prize at the 2024 Korea International Harp Competition, outperforming 29 competitors from 12 countries in the Young Professional category. [embed] 32. Lakshmi Mohanbabu's sculptures were launched to the International Space Station in Mar 2022, set to be part of the Moon Gallery in 2025. 33. Shabir became the first Singaporean to sign with Sony Music India and had his song "Aayizhai" played across India on World Music Day, 21 Jun 2021. [embed] 34. Singapore Ballet has performed at Le Temps d'Aimer la Danse a Biarritz in France, Mexico's Festival Internacional Cervantino, Chang Mu Arts Festival in Korea, and Philippines Festival of Dance. [embed] 35. In September 2024, Singaporean conductor Wong Kah Chun was appointed the principal conductor and artistic adviser of the Halle, a 165-year-old symphony orchestra based in Manchester, UK. [embed] 36. Singapore showcased its visual arts prowess at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, marking its 11th participation. Tech achievements 37. Ella, a robot barista developed by Singapore start-up Crown Digital, is brewing coffee at Tokyo and Yokohama stations, two of the busiest railway hubs in Japan. Ella's prototype was completed in 2017 and the first version of the robot was unveiled at HOFEX 2019, a food and hospitality tradeshow in Hong Kong. [embed] 38. Singaporean company Trek 2000 International Limited created the ThumbDrive in 1996, a thumb-sized USB data storage device which revolutionised the way digital data was stored and transferred. They now make super secure biometric-encypted thumbdrives. [embed] 39. Singapore firm Creative Technology's Sound Blaster was introduced to the world in 1989. It became the standard for computer audio globally and spawned a range of progressively sophisticated sound cards. Even Michael Jackson was impressed when he saw it at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas, US that year. [embed] 40. Since releasing its flagship "Diamondback" gaming mouse in 2005, Razer - a Singapore-based tech company co-founded by Min-Liang Tan and Robert Krakoff - has become known for its computer hardware products and strong association with gaming and eSports. [embed] 41. Sea, founded in 2009, is a prominent tech company in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Its subsidiaries, Shopee, Garena, and SeaMoney, have made significant contributions to the region's tech landscape. [embed] 42. Carousell, founded in 2012 by a small team of three, is now the leading recommerce platform in Singapore and Southeast Asia. It has a presence in eight markets under different brands. 43. In response to the 2023 SARS outbreak, the Defence Science & Technology Agency teamed up with Singapore Technologies Electronics to conceptualise the world's first Infrared Fever Screening System. It can screen large groups of people for feverish individuals through thermal imaging tech at border checkpoints like airports. 44. Home-grown company XMI revolutionised the portable-audio scene by developing a new type of speaker: the X-Mini, in 2017. It was the first speaker that could fit in your pocket. Humanitarian efforts [embed] 45. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023, Singapore has conveyed seven tranches of humanitarian assistance for Gaza [embed] 46. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has provided aid around the world throughout the years, including the Myanmar earthquake in March 2025 and airlifting Afghanistan evacuees in September 2021. [embed] 47. Following Tropical Cyclone Trami in Oct 2024, the Singapore Red Cross dispatched humanitarian aid to affected communities in the Philippines, aiding in disaster relief operations. 48. Priveen Suraj Santakumar and Charanjit Singh Walia volunteered in Poland to aid Ukrainian refugees, earning a nomination for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2022. Culinary success [embed] 49. Chef Kenneth Foong took the helm as head chef at Denmark's four-time World's Best Restaurant, "Noma", in 2020. Under his leadership, the restaurant earned its third Michelin star and named in the top spot on the World's 50 Best list for the 5th time. In 2025, he became Director of Fermentation at "Noma". [[nid:541777]] 50. Chef Mathew Leong, executive chef of "Re-Naa" in Stavanger, Norway, was the only Singaporean named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe. He also competed in the Bocuse d'Or Final 2025, the most prestigious culinary competition in the world. [embed] 51. "JL Studio" in Taiwan became the first three-Michelin-starred Singaporean restaurant in the world in August 2023. JL stands for Jimmy Lim, a Singaporean chef, who wanted to put Singaporean food on the world's culinary map. [embed] 52. Singapore's hawker culture was added to Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020, acknowledging its significance in the nation's cultural identity. [embed] 53. Chef Julien Royer's "Odette", a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Singapore, has been rated as being one of the top restaurants in Asia, having received numerous awards, including winning first place in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2020. [embed] 54. 11 Singapore restaurants and bars were named in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2024, with two-Michelin-starred "Jaan by Kirk Westaway" at Swissôtel The Stamford even bagging the Global Restaurant of the Year award. More global recognition [embed] 55. Li Ling Yung-Hryniewiecki became the first Singaporean woman to swim across the English Channel in September 2022, completing it in 12 hours 54 minutes. [embed] 56. Daryl Tan holds 11 Guinness World Records for speedcubing, including solving the Rubik's Cube while juggling and underwater. No other person holds that many records in cubing. [embed] 57. Singapore Changi Airport was named the World's Best Airport for the 13th time at the 2025 Skytrax World Airport Awards, also securing awards for Best Airport Dining, Best Airport Washrooms, and Best Airport in Asia. [[nid:696227]] [embed] 58. Scoot was named 2024 Value Airline of the Year at the prestigious Air Transport World Airline Industry Achievement Awards. [embed] 59. Singapore climbed to 2nd place out of 67 countries in the 2024 IMD World Talent Ranking, making it the highest-ranked country in Asia. [embed] 60. In the 2025 World Happiness Report, Singapore ranked 34th globally, and the top spot for happiness in Southeast Asia. This article was first published in Wonderwall,sg .
