Singapore's top-ranked paddler Feng Tianwei suffered heartbreak yesterday when she lost in the quarter-finals of the women's singles event at the World Table Tennis Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The world No. 4 was defeated 4-0 (11-5, 11-2, 18-16, 11-5) by Japan's 17-year-old Miu Hirano in their last-eight clash.

Earlier, Feng had narrowly edged out world No. 62 Kristin Silbereisen 4-2 (11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 9-11) to progress to the quarter-finals.

The world championships alternate between individual and team events every year.

On four previous occasions (2009 to 2015) Feng has participated in the individual World Table Tennis Championships, she has failed to win a medal in the women's singles event.

Hirano was the youngest-ever winner of the Women's World Cup last year and the Asian Championships last month, defeating China's world No. 1 Ding Ning and No. 2 Zhu Yuling en route to the Asian title.

The Japanese world No. 8 proved too much for 30-year-old Feng to handle, powering to one-sided wins in the first two sets.

The Singaporean paddler raised her game in the third game, but a service error at a crucial point cost her dearly.

Feng will now focus on the women's doubles event, where she and compatriot Yu Mengyu beat the Taiwanese pair of Chen Szu-yu and Cheng I-ching 4-2 (11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8) in the quarter-finals earlier yesterday.

The world No. 14 duo are assured of at least a bronze medal, as losing semi-finalists are awarded a bronze at the tournament.

It will be their third consecutive piece of silverware in the women's doubles in this competition, after placing third and fourth in 2015 and 2013 respectively.

Feng and Yu will play China's Zhu Yuling and Chen Meng in the semi-finals on Monday.

For someone who is close to his family, swimmer Quah Zheng Wen made a hard decision to move to the US in January this year to train and study at the UC Berkeley.

The decision was made even harder as he wasn't even sure of his eligibility to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association meets, which Singapore's Olympic champion Joseph Schooling once described as harder than even the Olympics.

But, Quah, 20, said today (June 3) that he had no regrets in moving to the US.

"Sacrifices come with everything and it just comes down to weighing the pros and cons," said the two-time Olympian at the sidelines of Singapore Swimming Association's (SSA) send-off ceremony for its South-east Asia Games-bound athletes at the Singapore Sports Hub.

"I definitely think that going over to that side was a good move on my part, the right one at that point in time and I am really enjoying my time there."

With barely two months of training with the Cal Bears swim team, Quah won a silver in the men's 200-yard fly.

The competitiveness, even among his teammates in training, made the Singaporean push himself every day in training.

"You just have to imagine three guys same age, all doing the same things, similar goals; when you put three individuals like that together, it gives you an environment that is pretty rare anywhere else.

"You have to get used to stepping up and going hard every day because if you slack off even for a second, you have three other guys stepping on top of you."

TRAIN

Quah said returning home to train, ahead of next month's Fina World Championships in Budapest, hadn't been a "major consideration", until a visit from SSA's technical director Sonya Porter in mid-April.

"The first summer away studying abroad would be the most difficult, just because you're not used to being away from home for so long," he said.

"But it wasn't a major consideration Sonya and I talked about that possibility... but it made me realise that I wanted to just train with these guys (national teammates), and to see my family and friends.

"It might lead to inconsistency leading up to the World Championships, but like the move to go away (to the US) I'd have to weigh the pros and cons... and I am glad I came back."

Quah and his sisters Ting Wen and Jing Wen will be among 73 aquatics athletes in five disciplines - swimming, water polo, diving, synchronised swimming and open-water swimming - heading to the SEA Games in August in Kuala Lumpur.

With the exception of open-water swimming, which was not offered in 2015, Singapore's aquatic athletes won 26 golds, 17 silvers and 11 bronzes at the 2015 Games on home ground.

While swimming's SEA Games head coach Gary Tan warned his swimmers to expect a hostile environment in Kuala Lumpur, senior swimmers Amanda Lim and Ting Wen are confident that their team's unity will mitigate the environment.

Lim, 24, said: "We have tried to incorporate values such as team bonding and unity in our everyday training and I think we have grown and bonded a lot.

Ting Wen, also 24, added: "We have swimmers whose ages range from 14 to 27, but everyone interacts fine; we are close and getting closer, and I think this camaraderie in KL... yes, we will face the competition and it (the environment) would be hostile, but at the end of the day, you know you can look back and know that your team are there.

"It's a comforting thing knowing that no matter the outcome, these people have your back."

Singapore's women's doubles pair of Feng Tianwei and Yu Mengyu lost to China's Chen Meng and Zhu Yuling 4-1 (6-11, 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 7-11) in the semi-finals of the World Table Tennis Championships in Duesseldorf, Germany, yesterday.

The world No. 14 duo will return home with the bronze medal as losing semi-finalists.

This is their third consecutive doubles bronze medal in this competition, which alternates between individual and team events every year.

They also claimed bronzes during the 2013 and 2015 editions.

Yu, 27, said in a phone interview: "What was good was that we didn't give up.

"Though we were lacking in the forehand area (as compared to Chen and Zhu), I think Tianwei and I played relatively well."

After dropping the first two sets, the Singaporean pair found their momentum.

Showing plenty of fighting spirit against the 10th-ranked Chinese pair, they took the third set to get back into the game.

LUCK

They had luck on their side, too, as they won three points from shots that caught the edge of the table, en route to winning 11-6.

Though we were lacking in the forehand area (as compared to Chen and Zhu), I think Tianwei and I played relatively well.Yu Mengyu on her partnership with Feng Tianwei

The Chinese, however, began to assert themselves in the next set, starting strongly to open up a 4-1 lead.

Feng and Yu reduced the gap to 9-8, raising hopes of a comeback.

But, to upset their momentum, China called for a time-out, which turned out to be a shrewd move, as Chen and Zhu sealed the next two points to clinch the set.

The difference in class told in the end, as the Singapore duo lost the fifth set to hand the match to the Chinese.

Yu admitted that the better team won.

She said: "Every point counted, and we really fought hard, even if we weren't technical enough to beat them."

In last night's final, Chen and Zhu met compatriots Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen.

National shooter Jasmine Ser clinched a bronze medal in the women's 10m air rifle event at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Gabala, Azerbaijan, last night.

She tallied 225.7 points to finish third. Chinese shooters Peng Xinyi (248.1) and Shi Mengyao (248.1) were first and second respectively, after a shoot-off.

This is Ser's third World Cup medal and second from this event - she clinched a 10m air rifle bronze in Bangkok last year and a silver in the 50m rifle three-positions event in New Delhi in February.

A spectacular long-range strike from Tom Rogic delivered Australia a crucial 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia yesterday to stay on track for next year's World Cup Finals in Russia.

The stylish midfielder reprised his match-winning exploits for Celtic in last month's Scottish Cup final when he scored the Socceroos' winner in the 64th minute.

The vital win saw Australian join Japan and Saudi Arabia at the top of Asia Group B. All three teams are on 16 points.-AFP

It's no surprise that Singapore's top bowlers have brought their "A" game to the the 49th Singapore International Open.

Besides the honour of being crowned the Republic's top bowlers on offer, the Singapore Open is also used by the national selectors from the Singapore Bowling Federation to pick their teams for the 29th South-east Asia Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.

"The Singapore Open is a selection trial of sorts (for the SEA Games)," senior assistant coach Jason Yeong-Nathan told The New Paper at Temasek Club yesterday.

"After the tournament, the coaches will have a discussion before making a final decision (on the six men and six women who will represent Singapore)."

Two young male bowlers have boosted their chances to make their SEA Games debut in August.

At press time yesterday, national bowlers Marcus Kiew and Timothy Tham were second and third in the local pool of the men's open qualifying rounds.

The bowlers were allowed multiple tries during the qualifying stage to better their scores, but had to bowl in a series of three games during fixed time slots.

The rankings are based on the total number of pinfalls from their best two series.

With 1,511 pinfalls, Kiew was just one pin behind first-placed Shaun Lau. Tham is third with 1,497.
 

(Marcus and Timothy) have shown they have the mental strength to handle the pressure, and they’ve proven that they’re here to fight.Singapore Bowling Federation’s senior assistant coach Jason Yeong-Nathan

"(Marcus and Timothy) have shown they have the mental strength to handle the pressure, and they've proven that they're here to fight," said Yeong-Nathan.

Kiew also won $5,000 from a perfect game during the earlier stages of the tournament.

The 20-year-old, who won a bronze medal in last year's event, hopes to maintain his form till the semi-finals and, hopefully, final tomorrow, but admitted that he needs to up his game to land the prestigious title.

"My performance in the Singapore Open so far is pretty decent, but there's still room for improvement," Kiew told TNP.

"The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

"I've learnt that focusing on the process and picking up my spares are the key to becoming a better bowler."

EXPECTATIONS

Tham, 19, said: "I think I've been exceeding expectations so far (in the Singapore Open).

"But I'm not thinking about the outcome. I'm just trying to focus on the process and let the result come naturally.

"(Looking forward to the SEA Games), we are tactically sound and we already have an idea of what we want to do."

Jaris Goh, who was part of the 2015 SEA Games contingent which won 10 medals, has high hopes for the young duo.

He was ranked 12th in the local pool at press time.

Said the 22-year-old: "Marcus and Timothy are really good bowlers and they show a lot of potential.

"(After every tournament,) they are always eager to learn what went wrong, and then fix the problems."

In the women's open, Joey Yeo (1,506), Cherie Tan (1,443) and Kristin Quah (1,412) were leading the local qualifying table at press time.

Both the men's and women's semi-finals and finals will take place tomorrow.

A record 688 participants from 15 countries, including national bowlers from Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, are taking part in this year's Singapore Open, with prizes worth up to $170,000.

Said Yeong-Nathan: "I'd say this tournament is on a higher level than the SEA Games, perhaps on the Asian Games level.

The 3,000-capacity OCBC Arena was packed to the brim with supporters - mostly Singaporean - as the Republic faced arch-rivals Malaysia in the South-east Asia (SEA) Games netball final.

The two sides were evenly matched, with leads changing hands several times during the game.

The cheers intensified and reverberated in the cavernous arena as the clock wound down, and exploded into unbridled joy at the final whistle. Singapore 46 Malaysia 43. Gold for the home team.

Netball's co-vice-captain Charmaine Soh remembers that match as if it happened yesterday, as she plumped for support from Singaporeans for the upcoming SEA Games and Asean Para Games (APG) in Kuala Lumpur.

The SEA Games will take place from Aug 19-30, while the APG will be held from Sep 17-23.

"It was really very encouraging to see the crowd cheering us, even though we weren't leading at times, especially in the last quarter," said the 27-year-old, at the sidelines of the launch of the #OneTeamSG Ready for KL campaign at the Singapore Sports Institute in Kallang on Saturday (June 10) morning.

"They never gave up on us and cheered even louder, and that's what we hope to see in KL."

At the Team Singapore camp on Saturday, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu launched the nation-wide campaign, which will be fronted by 10 Team Singapore athletes, who were all either champions or medallists at the SEA Games on home ground in 2015.

The 10 athletes are Shanti Pereira (athletics), Muhd Nur Alifian Juma'en (silat), Quah Ting Wen (swimming), Mark Leong (waterski), Chelsea Ann Sim (taekwondo), Clarence Chew (table tennis), Charmaine Soh (netball), Theresa Goh (swimming), Nur Syahidah Alim (archery) and Suhairi Suhani (athletics).

The campaign will take place between Saturday and Sep 30, after the APG.

The public will see the profiles of these 10 athletes on public buses, MRT stations, bus-stop shelters and billboards across the island.

Singaporeans can pledge their support for Games-bound athletes by tagging their well-wishes with the hashtag #OneTeamSG on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, or via the Team Singapore website and roadshows.

Supporters stand to win prizes, including Team Singapore premiums and all-expenses paid trips to support Singapore athletes in KL.

Paddler Chew, 21, said: "Hopefully, there'd be Singaporeans who are able to travel to KL... and I think it'd be good if they can follow the Games and just share their encouragement and support for us even through social media, if they are not able to come down to support us."

Minister Fu also took the chance to address more than 50 able-bodied and para-athletes at the Team Singapore camp on Saturday.

Six half-day sessions, involving about 500 athletes, will be held in all on Jun 4, 10 and 11, and it is the first time both able-bodied athletes and para-athletes are attending the team bonding sessions together.

Minister Fu asked the athletes to also do their part to rally the people to support them at the Games.

She said: "As we go to the Games, it is also important to bring the rest of the country together, this is how sports can really inspire people; it can have that effect on the rest of the country.

"It is important for us to see the effect and influence of sports on the nation. And you can do that, not just in competition, on the field, or on the podium."

Minister Fu also encouraged the athletes to dream big, and work hard towards their goals.

She said: "We need to aim high... and not be afraid to reach high, because that's how champions are made.

"... We want to show the world that even though we are small, we are a little red dot, but the red dot shines brightly, and we can be a big place for sports here in Singapore."

It was a prestigious regatta with a line-up of top sailors and Olympic medallists from sailing powerhouses.

Making their debut, Singapore's women's 49erFX duo Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low held their own at the Sailing World Cup Finals in Santander, Spain when they finished seventh out of 15 boats on Saturday.

They were the best Asian pair in the field with their result.

"Today was rather rough, really patch, really shifty; I think we started off pretty well, but there was a small error we made together and we had to catch up from there," Lim, 20, said after the medal race on Saturday.

"This week was a really good week, and we can see a big jump in our progress, perhaps not so much about the results, but we've worked out our processes well.

"We did a lot better in the way we sail the boat and the course.

"We see improvement in the things we want to work on and that is the most important thing."

Against a strong fleet that included Rio Olympic gold medallists Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (Brazil), and silver medallists Molly Meech and Alex Maloney (New Zealand), the Singaporeans posted five top-five finishes in 12 races, before the medal race.

Grael and Kunze eventually won the event, while Great Britain's Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey finished second, and France's Lili Sebesi and Albane Dubois were third.

Lim and Low, 26, are training and competing full-time towards Tokyo 2020, and also competed in other European regattas earlier this year.

The pair finished third at the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia Trophy in March, and ninth at the Sailing World Cup Series 2 in Hyeres, France last month.

Low said: "This year is all about our processes and getting that right.

"We got a new coach and we're working hard together so everything for the year is about learning."

SingaporeSailing's high-performance manager Chua Tan Ching said: "The girls are very much on track at the moment (for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics).

"Things are going according to plan and the results from this regatta are evidence of that.

"We will track their progress and see how they perform in upcoming regattas."

Lim and Low will stay in Europe for a training camp before their next major regatta, the 49erFX World Championship in Portugal in August.

National runner Dipna Lim-Prasad took a massive stride towards a 43-year-old national record, when she clocked a personal best in the 400m event at the Thailand Open Track and Field Championships yesterday in Bangkok.

The 26-year-old clocked 55.10sec to win the women's 400m final, lopping an incredible 0.35s off her previous best of 55.45s, which was recorded just three months ago in Brisbane, Australia.

Her new personal best is just 0.02s off Chee Swee Lee's national record of 55.08s, which was set at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, Iran.

Lim-Prasad's performance in Bangkok was all the more impressive considering she broke the 56-second barrier only 12 months ago, clocking 55.59s in Lisbon, Portugal.

When asked what the secret behind her marked improvement was, she told The New Paper: "I don't know, you have to ask my coach (Luis Cunha).

"We've been working on a few things - including technique and fitness - but he's the mastermind behind it all.

"I think every athlete knows what their weak points are and you can always be better.

"So, I take that mindset and try to get better."

On whether she could eventually surpass Chee's national record, Lim-Prasad added: "It's definitely something I'm looking towards but I'm trying not to fixate on it.

"I'm focused on the process, the rest will come in its own time."

It's definitely something I'm looking towards but I'm trying not to fixate on it.Dipna Lim-Prasad on whether she could surpass Chee Swee Lee's national record

Even though her time is short of the 2015 SEA Games bronze-medal timing of 54.26s in the 400m race, Lim-Prasad was included in the Singapore National Olympic Council's provisional list of athletes selected for the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August.

She previously won two medals at the SEA Games (bronze in 2013, silver in 2015), both in the 400m hurdles event.

Lim-Prasad pointed to former national sprints coach Cunha - who continues to coach several national athletes - as a big factor in her breakthrough.

She said: "Even though he has a full-time job with ActiveSG that eats into weekends and beyond working hours, he has been training us in his free time and tries his best to be present at training sessions, or check on us when he can't.

"I also have to thank my husband Poh Seng Song and my family - they've been so understanding and supportive with my pursuit of my athletic career."

Among the other Singaporeans in action yesterday, reigning SEA Games 200m champion Veronica Shanti Pereira won the silver medal in the event, in a time of 23.74s.

The 21-year-old finished behind Vietnam's Le Chinh Tu, who clocked a new personal best of 23.52s.

The men's and women's 4x100m relay teams also qualified for their respective finals. The men clocked 40.52s to qualify as the fifth-quickest quartet, with hosts Thailand the favourites after topping qualifying with a time of 39.83s.

The women, meanwhile, clocked 46.06s to qualify as the third-fastest team, with the Thais again leading the way with a 45.17s effort.

Singapore's Under-15 table tennis pair of Pang Yew En Koen and Dominic Koh won the gold medal in the cadet boys' doubles category of the South East Asia Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships at Toa Payoh Sports Hall yesterday.

In the final, Koen and Dominic beat Thailand's Chanpen Chetthanabodi and Sanglertsilpachai Thyme 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-8) in what they said was an unexpected victory.

Said Dominic: "The standard during the match earlier was quite high, especially since it was against the Thais.

"I'm happy my doubles partner and I worked well, even though we were expecting a less drastic win."

The boys' coach, Dong Shifei was also delighted with the surprise win.

THIRD GOLD

He said: "The Thais are good, but we had made an assessed review on them to help the boys prepare better.

"The boys did very well despite the doubles match being a tricky one."

This was the third gold that the Republic's paddlers have won during the tournament.

On Wednesday, the cadet boys' team and junior girls' team had also emerged victorious.

In the cadet girls' doubles yesterday, both Singapore pairs were knocked out in the semi-finals.

Idys Koh Gaoh Cai and Ser Lin Qian lost 3-1 to Malaysia's Kuan E Xian and Dick Karen Lyne, while Tan Jassy Li Lin and Zhou Jing Yi lost 3-2 to Vietnam's Bui Ngoc Lan and Do Nguyen Uyen Nhi.

Singapore's paddlers won five gold medals on the final day of the South-east Asian (SEA) Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships at Toa Payoh Sports Hall yesterday.

Victories in the cadet boys' singles, junior mixed doubles, junior girls' singles and doubles, and junior boys' singles categories took Singapore's gold medal tally to eight after four days of competition.

Singapore won a total of 18 medals, including five silvers and five bronzes.

In the junior girls' singles, Zermaine Lew defeated teammate Eunice Lim 4-3 in a tightly contested final to clinch the gold.

The 17-year-old said: "I feel delighted to have gotten this result.

"I know Eunice's playing style well so it was difficult to play against her.

"I'm glad we both played to challenge for the gold."

Ethan Poh edged out Lucas Tan 4-2 to seal gold in the junior boys' singles.

The 18-year old said: "I'm ecstatic because I've waited so long for this moment.

"I've played against Lucas in many finals and I thank him for this memorable match.

"I didn't expect to win the gold. I just wanted to play without regrets."

The Ngee Ann Polytechnic student hopes to pursue table tennis beyond the junior level.

He said: "It's my final year (as a junior) so I wanted to do my best.

"My ambition is to represent Singapore at the Olympics and get a medal."

Three new faces will be part of the 14-strong national netball squad travelling to Northern Ireland tonight for a week-long training tour, in preparation for August's South-east Asia (SEA) Games.

From the 24-strong training squad announced after the Netball Super League final in April, interim national coach Yeo Mee Hong has selected shooters Jocelyn Ng, Rima Yanti and Toh Kai Wei for the tour, where they will play against Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Barbados in a quadrangular tournament.

Of the trio, only Ng, 24, is capped at the international level. She made her debut against Hong Kong in February.

Yeo said: "Kai Wei played very well in the Netball Super League and impressed the selectors with her movement, consistency and shooting accuracy; Rima has been a training partner with us since last year and is a pretty consistent goal shooter, she works well with Charmaine (Soh) and Jocelyn.

"Jocelyn has impressed us with her speed, runs and combinations with the goal shooters, as well as her work rate."

Ng, an executive at Deloitte Singapore, told The New Paper last week that she will be looking to up her game during the training tour, after which the final 12 players for the SEA Games will be selected.

Ng said: "I don't think that (my performance at the selections in May) was my best. The tour is going to be my only chance for SEA Games selections and I hope to do really well in it and show what I can do."

Co-vice-captain Charmaine Soh said the new players have brought a new burst of energy to the squad.

The 27-year-old said: "The more experienced players (such as Micky Lin, Premila Hirubalan and Chen Huifen) may have left, but this new batch of players are always very energetic, very positive and always running about."

Both Soh and Ng said the team are gelling well and spirits are high.

Ng said: "For two or three weeks already, the shooters have been waking up earlier to train at the OCBC Arena before going to work, but we've also had middies (mid-courters) and defenders coming in to join us so that they can help us.

"They are there for us and I am really happy to see this initiative by my teammates."

The final 12 players, to be selected at the end of the month, will go to New Zealand for a training trip next month, where they will link up with former national coach Ruth Aitken.

The preparation will culminate in August, where the defending champions will seek to retain their gold medal.

But a strong Malaysia side will stand in the way of the Singaporeans; Malaysia lost the gold-medal match 46-43 in 2015, but won the Asian Netball Championship last year. Singapore finished third.

THE SQUAD

Charmaine Soh, Cassandra Soh, Jocelyn Ng, Rima Yanti, Toh Kai Wei, Nurul Baizura, Kimberly Lim, Zhang Ailin, Vanessa Lee, Parveen Nair, Chen Lili, Nur Aqilah Andin, Shina Teo, Melody Teo.

Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira will join the women's 4x100m squad in centralised training next month, after she competes in the Asian Athletics Championships in India.

The 20-year-old and her father met with her personal coach Margaret Oh and Singapore Athletics (SA) technical director Volker Herrmann yesterday to resolve differences that arose from the training camp.

Oh had earlier voiced her concern that the physical demands of travelling to Taiwan and taking part in the centralised training would tire her athlete out, and also that the climate in Taiwan is dissimilar to that of Malaysia, the venue of the South-east Asia (SEA) Games in August.

The Asian Athletics Championships takes place from July 6 to 9, while the two-week training camp begins in about mid-July.

But, Herrmann warned that Pereira would be dropped from the SEA Games relay team if she doesn't join her national teammates in Taiwan.

Both parties reached an agreement after yesterday's meeting.

Pereira said: "My dad met with Volker Hermann and Margaret Oh today and they had a good, positive discussion.

"Running in the relay is equally important to me as the individual events and what I need is 100 per cent support from all parties.

"At the end of the day, we must all be united for that one goal, which is to win and do Singapore proud."

When contacted yesterday, Oh said: "We will just try to work together, for Shanti's sake.

"We want Shanti to defend her title in KL, and also to win another title."

Herrmann was also pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

He said: "Of course (I am happy the situation is resolved), I think it's best for everybody.

"We will be conducting just three relay sessions over the two weeks, and the rest of the sessions are up to the individual coaches.

"Relay training is kind of intensive, and we will also try to slightly increase the intensity and the volume of the intensity during this training camp, so you'd need a certain amount of time to recover from these sessions and from my experience it'd be a bit tough to conduct more sessions.

"But we'd have minor sessions where we work on baton passing and other skills."

The venue for the camp, though, is still in the air, as SA president Ho Mun Cheong has publicly said he is not in favour of Taiwan, due to the climate, among other reasons.

Herrmann said: "My advice as the technical director is to go to Taiwan. We need to increase the intensity of the training and have proper recovery at the same time.

"Singapore might not be the best place to do it because of the distractions, such as school. Ultimately, though, it is up to the SA management committee to decide." - LIM SAY HENG

Singapore Athletics (SA) has earned a sharp rebuke from national sports agency Sport Singapore (SportSG), after recent media reports revealed issues with sprint queen Shanti Pereira's preparations for the South-east Asia (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.

In a media statement released last evening, SportSG chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin said: "The interests of the country and athlete should be placed above all else.

"It is therefore disappointing that continuing distrust and discord in the team leading Singapore Athletics is hurting the sport.

"We urge all parties to come to the table, put aside their personal differences and work professionally towards the common objective of preparing our athletes to be in the best position to perform at the upcoming SEA Games."

Last week, the Today newspaper wrote that Pereira's place in the relay team for August's South-east Asia (SEA) Games was in doubt because she could not confirm her attendance in the training camp which was slated to take place in Taiwan.

Pereira's coach Margaret Oh said that her chief concern was the climate in Taiwan, which is different to Malaysia's, and thus wouldn't be ideal.

She was also worried that her protege, who will be taking part in the Asian Athletics Championships (July 6 to 9) in India, would be tired out from the travelling.

The two-week training camp in Taiwan begins from mid-July.

But, SA technical director Volker Herrmann warned that Pereira's place in the SEA Games relay team will be in jeopardy if she doesn't join her teammates in centralised training.

“I fully agree that we should put our differences aside and work towards the coming SEA Games in Malaysia. We have to be athlete-centric, not putting coaches and athletes into trouble.”Singapore Athletics president Ho Mun Cheong

Pereira, a Singapore Sports School graduate, won the women's 200m gold on home ground two years ago in 23.60sec, and the bronze in the 100m event with a time of 11.88s.

Pole vault coach David Yeo also had a run-in with Herrmann over the participation of Yeo's athlete, Cherlin Sia, in the recent Thailand Open.

It culminated in the leak of a Whatsapp group chat last Sunday, where SA vice-president (training and selection) G Balasekaran said evidence should be gathered against Yeo and Oh, and brought to SA president Ho Mun Cheong for disciplinary action.

Dr Bala claimed Ho was behind the leaks and called him "unfit" to run the association.

Pereira's problem was resolved yesterday after her father, Oh and Herrmann met (see story below).

SA president Ho said: "I fully agree that we should put our differences aside and work towards the coming SEA Games in Malaysia.

"We have to be athlete-centric, not putting coaches and athletes into trouble.

"Better put our energy to ensure that the coaches and athletes get full attention to focus on the SEA Games rather than thinking of how to put the coaches and athletes into trouble.

"This is a selfish attitude and an example of thinking only about one's own interest and not the interest of the coaches and athletes."

Dr Bala said: "I agree with what Teck Yin said, but my team and I have always been working together, and the president has been an obstacle, and he has to change his ways."

He pointed out that Ho initiated the extraordinary general meeting early last month, which was eventually cancelled.

According to Dr Bala, Ho also wanted to sack SA general manager Jaime Cheong, and had initially approved the plan to hold the centralised training in Taiwan, which he now says is a bad idea.

The associate professor and the head of physical education and sports science at the National Institute of Education also claimed that Ho was behind Sunday's leak of the Whatsapp messages.

Said Dr Bala: "We have been so busy with preparations and these distractions from him are not needed, it is energy wasted for me (dealing with these issues).

"So, we will always cooperate and make sure that the athletes are not affected. I can't say the same about him."

The Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) yesterday announced the 10-strong squad heading to the South-east Asia (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.

There were major changes in the pairings for the men's and mixed doubles, owing to the retirements and exits of male paddlers Yang Zi, Chen Feng and Li Hu in recent times. - LIM SAY HENG

MEN'S TEAM: Gao Ning, Clarence Chew, Pang Xuejie, Ethan Poh and Lucas Tan

WOMEN'S TEAM: Feng Tianwei, Yu Mengyu, Zhou Yihan, Lin Ye and Yee Herng Hwee

After yet another episode of internal conflict within Singapore Athletics (SA), the authorities are stepping in to ensure that the athletes’ preparations for the upcoming SEA Games will not be jeopardised.

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) announced on Friday (June 23) that they are jointly setting up a major Games preparation committee to take charge of track and field matters leading up to the Aug 19-30 event in Kuala Lumpur.

The committee has been set up “in order to insulate and safeguard the athletes’ interests from the continuing internal strife in SA”.

It is understood that the pro-tem body will be co-chaired by SNOC secretary-general Chris Chan and Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) chief Toh Boon Yi.

SNOC Athletes’ Commission chairman Yip Ren Kai, a former national water polo player, has been appointed team manager with immediate effect.

He will be assisted by Hoe Aik Teng, senior manager (partnership development) at SportSG and a former national high jumper.

They will report directly to chef de mission Milan Kwee, as well as the major Games preparation committee.

In a statement, SNOC secretary-general Chris Chan said: “We are disappointed to see that despite constantly reminding our National Sports Associations to prioritise the interests of our athletes, disagreements and infighting have not ceased among the management committee members at Singapore Athletics.

“Unfortunately, their disputes are disrupting the athletes and officials preparing for the 2017 SEA Games. With less than two months to go (until) the SEA Games, preparing our athletes must be the foremost priority and any other personal agenda must be put aside and resolved for the sake of the sport and our athletes.”

The move means the committee now assumes the responsibilities concerning the biennial Games, taking over from SA officials, including president Ho Mun Cheong – who has been at loggerheads with several members of the SA management including vice-president (training and selection) Govindasamy Balasekaran – and even high-performance staff like technical director Volker Herrmann.

Leaked WhatsApp conversations in the past week highlighted the animosity between parties, suggesting that Balasekaran had instructed staff to “get evidence” in order to land local coaches Margaret Oh (sprint) and David Yeo (pole vault) into trouble.

The disagreement between SA and Oh, in particular, had concerned star sprinter Shanti Pereira and threatened to disrupt her preparations for the SEA Games, where she is attempting to defend her 200m title.

This is not the first time that the SNOC and SportSG have stepped in after NSAs were either unable or deemed incapable of taking charge of a sport. Gymnastics was found to be in a similar plight in 2001.

After the national governing body, known as the Singapore Amateur Gymnastics Association then, was delisted by the SNOC in 2001, a Major Games Preparation Committee was set up with the then-Singapore Sports Council’s help to organise trials and recommend athletes. Seven gymnasts eventually took part that year.

- THE STRAITS TIMES

The acrid smell of smoke, the aroma of barbecued meat and a gentle salty sea breeze permeated the air.

Just outside the National Sailing Centre (NSC) last Saturday, a group of about 30 merrymakers were enjoying the long weekend with food, drinks and games of football and frisbee.

Just 10 metres away, over a short fence, a small group of windsurfers quietly geared up, picked up their boards and went out to sea for their training session.

Among them is Nicole Lim, who will be making her South-east Asia (SEA) Games debut in Langkawi, Malaysia, in August.

School may be out for the Nanyang Technological University engineering undergraduate, who is having her term break now, but the 20-year-old is certainly not on holiday.

She has 11 training sessions over six days a week now, about double her schedule before term break.

While she has experience competing at the higher level - such as the 2016 Olympic qualifying campaign and the recent RS:One World Championships in Vietnam - Nicole is still stoked about her upcoming SEA Games debut.

"I feel that the major Games, such as the SEA Games and Asian Games, are bigger than regattas like the Worlds because there's a lot more attention (locally)," Nicole told The New Paper.

"I am very excited and honoured to go... but my nerves will be racking up a bit."

Fortunately, she has a few things going for her.

For instance, the light wind conditions in Langkawi - the bulk of the Games will be held in Kuala Lumpur - are similar to those at the NSC, so the windsurfer does not need to base herself elsewhere to prepare for the Games.

Also, Nicole's younger sister Ynez has had major Games experience, having competed at the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar, and the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics.

Said the 18-year-old Ynez, who was among the athletes Nicole beat in the selections earlier this year: "I am really happy for her, I think she has put in a lot more effort than I did.

"It's been something that she has wanted for a long time now and she is finally able to chase her dreams.

"As a sister, I am always there for her and helping her every step of the way."

While the younger sibling has not been training much since starting her architectural course at Nanyang Polytechnic in April, Ynez still pops by the NSC to spar with her sister when she has the time.

Nicole said: "She knows how to pressure me to do better.

"I really have to push myself when she's there."

Nicole finished seventh, in a 15-strong field, at the Worlds in Hoi An two weeks ago, and fourth among the South-east Asians there.

Thailand's 2016 Olympian Siripon Kaewduangngam won the women's title while her compatriot Sarocha Prumprai came in fourth.

Malaysia's Cheow Lin Geh was fifth.

Each country can submit only one entry per class at this SEA Games, giving Nicole a shot at a podium finish in Langkawi.

She said: "I need to minimise those tiny mistakes and work on my cardio so that I can not only keep up with the top guys, but also overtake them at some points.

"I hope to at least stand on the podium."

Singapore will not be represented in volleyball, sepak takraw and weightlifting at August's South-east Asia Games, after the three sports' associations lost their appeals for inclusion yesterday.

A total of 37 athletes across 10 sports were successful in their appeals with the Singapore National Olympic Council.

They include pole vaulter Rachel Isabel Yang, who set a new national record of 3.91m at the Thailand Open Track and Field Championships near Bangkok earlier this month.

The men's and women's 4x100m sprint teams and the women's squash team have also been added to the contingent of 800 athletes who were approved by SNOC in April.

But representatives from sepak takraw, whose men's team bagged a silver and seven bronze medals at the 2015 Games in Singapore, will not be among them.

The Singapore Sepak Takraw Federation's secretary-general Borhan Saini said in a statement: "This news will be devastating for the sepak takraw players who have been training very hard for the Games.

"We are considering sending another appeal to SNOC for them to reconsider their earlier decision."

The women's volleyball team won a bronze on home soil in 2015 - the Republic's first medal in the sport since 1993 when the men's team also won a bronze.

Deputy president of the Volleyball Association of Singapore Vincent Lim said: "This is not good for Singapore volleyball.

"It will be very difficult to get new players in future.

"It is very disappointing, I thought we stood a good chance (after winning the bronze).

"The players have trained very hard and made a lot of sacrifices for the team (in terms of) the resources and effort put in."

Weightlifting, which did not feature in the 2015 Games, was the sport which delivered Singapore its first Olympic medal in 1960.

Said Singapore Weightlifting Federation president Tom Liaw: "We are disappointed that we were not given a chance. But what else is there to be done?"

The Singapore Bowling Federation yesterday announced the six men and six women heading to the South-east Asia (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.

The women's team is unchanged from the previous edition of the biennial Games, while the men's team will see four new faces making their debut.

Only Muhammad Jaris Goh and Keith Saw remain from the 2015 team.

MEN'S TEAM: Timothy Tham, Cheah Ray Han, Keith Saw, Basil Ng, Darren Ong and Muhammad Jaris Goh

WOMEN'S TEAM: Cherie Tan, Shayna Ng, Daphne Tan, New Hui Fen, Jazreel Tan and Bernice Lim

Playing in the South-east Asia (SEA) Games wasn't even on netballer Toh Kai Wei's mind at the start of the year.

"I was just aiming to make the teams for the Asian Youth Netball Championships (in May) and the World Youth Cup (this month)," the 20-year-old told The New Paper yesterday.

But the SRC Barracudas shooter impressed interim national coach Yeo Mee Hong during the local Netball Super League competition, and was named in the provisional 24-strong squad at the end of the season.

Toh, an associate at a microbiology lab, made the cut for the 14-player team which travelled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, late last month for the Quad Series, and was yesterday named in the 12-strong squad for next month's SEA Games.

"Mee Hong sent me a text message past midnight on Thursday and I was already asleep by then," said Toh, who earned her first two international caps from the Belfast trip.

"I found out when I woke up the next morning. I am very excited and nervous at the same time, it's going to be my first major competition with the senior team."

Another fresh face in the squad is Jocelyn Ng, who plays as a wing attack or goal assist.

• THE TEAM

  Vanessa Lee, Nurul Baizura, Charmaine Soh, Chen Lili, Jocelyn Ng, Kimberly Lim, Melody Teo, Nur Aqilah Andin, Parveen Nair, Shina Teo, Toh Kai Wei, Zhang Ailin

"I feel very proud and very excited... it's been my goal (to make the team) since last December and we have been nervous (about selections) but taking it one step at a time," said the 25-year-old executive at Deloitte Singapore.

"My family, along with my cousins, are going up to support the team in Kuala Lumpur, so I won't just be doing my best for the country, I would be playing for them too."

Vanessa Lee, 33, will skipper the team. She is assisted by co-vice captains Nurul Baizura and Charmaine Soh, both 27.

On the selections, Yeo said: "All of us, including the new members, have been stepping up and I believe that the team have the right mindset for the upcoming SEA Games."

The team will bring in former New Zealand Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering early this month to work on their defence.

Lee and Co. will also travel to New Zealand from July 21-29 to link up with former national coach Ruth Aitken. - LIM SAY HENG