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SEA Games: Women's epee fencers earn 1st gold, bowler Cherie Tan reclaims singles title

Chia Han Keong
·Editor
·2-min read
Singapore's women's epee team fencers celebrate winning gold at the Hanoi SEA Games. (PHOTO: SNOC/ Kelly Wong)
Singapore's women's epee team fencers celebrate winning gold at the Hanoi SEA Games. (PHOTO: SNOC/ Kelly Wong)

SINGAPORE — Singapore earned another fencing SEA Games gold at the My Dinh Indoor Games Gymnasium on Monday (16 May), when the women's epee team swept to their first-ever triumph in the event.

The quartet of Elle Koh, Kiriah Tikanah Abdul Rahman, Rebecca Ong and Victoria Lim defeated Thailand 45-36 in the final for their best-ever performance in the event.

Singapore had previously earned two silvers in the women's epee team competition: once in 1989, and the second time at the previous Games edition in 2019.

With 14-year-old Elle winning the individual event and Kiriah the runner-up, Singapore were fancied to at least make the final, and they did it in style as they defeated defending champions Philippines 45-32 in the semi-finals.

In the men's sabre team event, Singapore's Chan Phu Xien, Choy Yu Yong, Dan Wei Zuo and Jorelle See earned a joint-bronze medal after losing 35-45 to defending champions Vietnam in the semi-finals.

Singapore bowler Cherie Tan in action during the women's singles competition at the Hanoi SEA Games. (PHOTO: Sport Singapore/ Alfie Lee)
Singapore bowler Cherie Tan in action during the women's singles competition at the Hanoi SEA Games. (PHOTO: Sport Singapore/ Alfie Lee)

Cherie Tan reclaims gold medal she last won in 2017

At Vincom Megamall Royal City's Heroworld Bowling Center, veteran Singapore bowler Cherie Tan reclaimed her SEA Games women's singles crown after scoring 1,442 pinfalls to top the 12-woman field.

The 2017 champion trumped the Philippines' Marie Alexis (1,320 pinfalls) as well as compatriot and defending champion New Hui Fen, who had to settle for bronze with 1,319 pinfalls.

New had been leading midway through the six-game finals, but 33-year-old Tan pulled ahead with a brilliant 278-pinfall fourth game, and extended her lead with another superb 275-pinfall fifth game to be on the road to victory.

In the men's singles event, 2019 joint-bronze medallists Cheah Ray Han and Jaris Goh finished sixth (1,203 pinfalls) and 10th (1,166 pinfalls) respectively.

The Philippines' Merwin Matheiu Tan won the gold with 1,292 pinfalls, ahead of Thailand's Yannaphon Larpapharat (1,286) and Indonesia's Ryan Leonard Lalisang (1,221).

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