Singapore swimmers should expect hostility at KL SEA Games: coach Gary Tan
Singapore swimming head coach Gary Tan can still recall the boos and jeers from spectators that he and his compatriots received back when he was a SEA Games participant.
Although he would like to believe that the home crowd at the upcoming 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur will be more hospitable, Tan has told his team that they should still expect hostility.
“I remember in 1997 that in my first SEA Games (in Indonesia), I had beer bottles thrown in the middle of the stands and that was a real big eye opener for me. So I think these kids can experience that. Hopefully, in modern times, I don’t believe these things will happen but you never know,” he said.
“I think the main approach we’re trying (for) is to stay calm. We know that we’re going to face a lot of hostility,” said Tan on the sidelines of a Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) team bonding event on Saturday (3 June) at the Singapore Sports Hub.
Tan continued, “People would really want us to fail and I think that other countries would want that to happen, but we just want to go in there and race our best and whatever circumstances that come out of it, we will be pleased with it as long as (our swimmers) put in their 110 per cent for the team.”
Singapore is sending a contingent of 73 aquatics athletes to Kuala Lumpur. Of the 30 swimmers , 12 of are making their debut. At the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, the swimmers recorded one of their best SEA Games performances, winning 23 gold medals and breaking 17 Games records.
Swimmer Quah Ting Wen, 25, who will be participating in her sixth SEA Games, believes that the swimming contingent has become a close-knit bunch ever since the national swimmers started training together at the National Training Centre two-and-a-half years ago. She added that the close bond between team members will help them overcome any adversity they face.
“Yes, we will face a lot of competition and it will be very hostile but at the end of the day when you can look back and your team is there, it’s a comforting feeling knowing that no matter what the outcome, these are the people you are going back to,” she explained.
Targets for the team
When asked if he had set medal targets for the team, Tan answered, “I would like to tell you I want to win 23 gold medals but I think the best is, from my perspective, and also being in Malaysia, we’re going to do the best we can and win as many as we can,” said Tan.
Tan added that he expects all the swimmers to at least break their personal best timings in one event.
Similarly, SSA president Lee Kok Choy said that the medal targets should not be measured in terms of numbers.
“We don’t really set specific targets because every swimmer is going for gold, and it’s a matter of how well they do, how well they prepare and how good our opposition is. So it’s individual and not a total numerical number that we have (set), but we’re confident that they will do very well and I’m sure they’re doing their very best,” he said.
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