My favourite moments from the SEA Games.

[Very delayed post. Somehow forgot to publish]. Being an avid fan of sports, I've been looking forward to the 28th SEA Games hosted in Singapore for the longest time. As it turned out, I would indeed be involved in it, however, in a different capacity. I was called up for reservist, to support the SEA Games throughout the entire duration of the competition. So near, yet so far. 

Still, this did not stop me from catching at least some of the action. I did manage to attend a few events, such as the Singapore vs Philippines football match, some athletics, some softball, and I also managed to soak in a little bit of the atmosphere at the Sports Hub during the games. Most of the time though, I was limited to watching highlights, recaps, and live screenings/streaming, which would explain why I exceeded my mobile data cap by nearly 2GB. FYI, I have 12GB worth of data usage a month. 

This month's bill may not be a pretty sight, but for what it's worth, I managed to catch some great moments in Singapore sporting history. Here's a few of my favourites. 

1. Fandi Ahmad & Irfan Fandi light up the torch. 

I may be biased here, and I'm not going to hide it. I have stickers of this fella still pasted in my room. I think it's fair to say that Fandi is the one true crossover star out of local sports. You may not play football, you may not even follow sports, but you would still know or have heard of his name. The 53 year old is now head coach for the LionsXII team, and here he is joined by his eldest son, Irfan Fandi, whom local football fans have very high hopes on. Though the results did not go our way for football, we all hope that Irfan and the rest of the Young Lions will grow from this experience. 

Fandi shares the view with his son, Irfan.

"You look beautiful tonight, Singapore."

2. Lee Tze Yuan's (Gold, Wushu) medal ceremony.

I always make it a point to watch the victory ceremonies of sports competitions. Most of the time we only get to see focused and serious side of athletes during their events. A medal ceremony offers an opportunity to catch their more candid and human side; the smiles, when they strike gold, or the look of disappointment when they don't. And sometimes, the emotions get the better of them, and this happens. 

As Majulah Singapura played, Lee Tze Yuan who had just won Gold for Men's Taijiquan in Wushu, could not hold back his tears. It goes on to show how much hard work these athletes put into their craft, and what it means to them, to finally be rewarded for it. And while you're at it, why not do your country proud too? 

I've actually been looking at this lad's face for the past few weeks, as he appears on one of those large SEA Games display boards that showcase Team Singapore athletes who come from your hometown. In this case, Lee hails from the Radin Mas/Telok Blangah area. I'll make sure I say hi if I spot you, Tze Yuan!

3. Nur Alfian Juma’en's (Gold, Silat) victory ceremony.

For similar reasons as the former, this is another memorable moment, and arguably for more romantic reasons. 

Nur Alfian's opponent was a world champion, plus halfway through the fight, his foot was badly cut, leaving a trail of blood across the mat. Still, against the odds, Alfian defeats his opponent and could not hide any of his emotions during the national anthem. 

His gold medal would also turn out to be the 80th one by Team Singapore, effectively meeting an "ambitious" 80 gold medal tally target set up by The Straits Times.

4. Shanti Pereira's Gold medal for Women's 200m.

The day this happened, I had a rare off-day so I decided to make the best of it by going to the National Stadium to check out a little bit of Athletics. I knew the Women's 200m was scheduled that evening, but I did not expect much as I've also heard the Philippines sprinter Kayla Anise Richardson was the hot favourite for the event.

But when it was our very own Shanti Pereira who crossed the finish line first, the stadium was ecstatic! Shanti had broken the national record to win the country's first gold medal in the event since 1973. A historic moment indeed! 

5. Women's Netball Team's Gold medal.

sg.sports.yahoo.com

The ladies in the Netball team deserve a lot more credit than they get. Ranked 17th in the world (highest in Asia), the team went into this competition with eyes set on the Gold medal that they missed out to rivals Malaysia back in 2001. Since then, Netball, has not been included in the games. 

It was a revenge mission against Malaysia in the finals, and they emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter that ended 56-53. I felt really happy watching the game as I felt that this is a team that has remained consistent in recent years, and continue to perform despite limited resources and the relative low profile of the sport.

6. Women's floorball.

Floorball was confidently billed as two definite Gold medals for Singapore. But while the Men's team steamrolled their opponents in the finals, the Women's final had a more exciting narrative. After a ping-pong scoreline of 3-3, and even sudden death failing to separate the two finalists, it was down to penalty shootout. 

You could see what it meant to them as this is the first time the sport is featured in the Games, presenting them with their first ever chance to win a Gold. In subsequent interviews, the players and coaches also revealed their hopes on raising the profile of the sport in Singapore. A meaningful Gold indeed.

7. Men's Hockey finals.

Now this is one event on this list that Team SG does not win Gold in. This being a list from my own experience, I include it because I managed to catch this game live on the telly during a break from a long day of duty.

The opponents were all too familiar: Malaysia. Meeting them in a final is such a cliche. Being 2 points down at Half-Time against a hockey powerhouse in Asia, I didn't think our boys had much of a chance, I'll admit. But in these cases, I love to be proven wrong, and Team SG managed to tie the score at 2-2 with just 1:30 mins to go. Not every story has a fairy tale ending though, as they would eventually succumb to the favourites through a penalty shootout. 

8. A swimming pool of Gold.

http://mothership.sg/

It isn't always about winning. The Games also have an emphasis on sportsmanship and determination, among other qualities. But let's be honest, winning is good, and in the pool, we always win. 

23 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze medals, and a total of 25 Games records broken, Team SG made sure they they continue to rule supreme. 

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Joseph Schooling. 'Nuff said...



So that's just a few things that left an impression for me during the 28th SEA Games. There were many more of course, coming from different sports and different countries too. I hope the region can continue to advance and challenge itself to greater heights!

I think there's no better way to end here than with this brilliantly done montage. I shed a tear...