Taking part in competitive sports as an athlete representing one of South East Asia’s smaller countries is a whole different ball game from taking part as an individual.
Top of the to-do list will be surpassing expectations and carrying the sporting dreams of an entire nation upon one’s shoulders, which was a view held unanimously among supporters and family members who gathered at the Arrival Hall in Changi Airport for the home-coming of Team Singapore Athletes from the 25th SEA Games in Laos.
“Team Singapore fared very well; I’d give it a 9 over ten,” said Mr Low Teo Ping, President of the Singapore Sailing Federation and council member of the Singapore Sports Council (SSC).
Fadilah, a Young Team Singapore Ambassador (YTSA) echoed Mr Low’s view, commenting, “I think they did their best and they had very tough challengers. If they had lost, it was because they lost to a better challenger.”
The old adage about success, that there’s no shortcut to it apart from hard work, was also shared by many athletes and well-wishers. Syarif Hidayatullah, an athlete with the Singapore Silat Federation, said: “The toughest part about the road to success is training, but as the game progresses, everything in training will be put to great use. So while training may be the toughest part but is also the most important.”
Perhaps that was the secret behind the silat team’s success, with their medal haul of one gold, two silver and five bronze medals in the various categories.
Success though, shouldn’t mean stagnation as Mr Low pointed out in his address to the athletes. “Use the SEA games as part of your pathway towards improving yourself, in gaining that experience and then to go on to the next level”, he advised.
BY: Lee Yang Yi, Republic Polytechnic