WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Sports happenings in Singapore (3-9 Apr)

SINGAPORE — Here is a round-up of sports events and developments in Singapore in the past week (3 to 9 April):

Kitefoiler Max Maeder wins in his 1st competition of the year

Singapore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder was triumphant in his first competition of this year, claiming a gold medal in the Formula One Kite event at the annual Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta, held in Palma, Spain from Monday to Sunday (3 to 9 April).

The 16-year-old world No.7 was dominant in the competition, finishing with 19 nett points, 14 clear of runner-up Connor Bainbridge from Britain. France’s Axel Mazella was third.

Maeder was the top qualifier for the four-man final of the medal series, and clinched the gold by winning the first race in 7min 12sec.

He has set his sights on the 2023 Sailing World Championships in August and hopes to qualify for the kiteboarding event in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At the Trofeo Princesa Sofia, other Singaporean sailors Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low were placed 28th in the 49er FX event, Justin Liu and Denise Lim were placed 32nd in the Nacra 17 event and Ryan Lo finished 34th in the ILCA 7 event.

Tough group draw for Young Lions at SEA Games

Singapore's Under-22 men's football team have been drawn into a tough group for the upcoming SEA Games competition, with the Young Lions in Group B with Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Group A will feature host Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Timor Leste.

They will be playing their matches at Phnom Penh's Prince Stadium, and will begin their campaign against Thailand on 30 April. This will be followed by matches against Vietnam (3 May), Laos (6 May) and Malaysia (11 May).

Singapore last earned a SEA Games medal when they took bronze in Myanmar in 2013. At the recent Merlion Cup tournament - a warm-up to the SEA Games - the Young Lions finished last among four teams after losing to Hong Kong and Cambodia.

In the women's competition, Singapore have been drawn into Group B in the opening stage, where they will face Thailand (3 May), Cambodia (6 May) and Laos (9 May). The matches will be played at Phnom Penh's Smart RSN Stadium.

1 draw, 1 loss for women's football team at Olympic qualifiers

The Singapore national women's football team completed their 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying campaign with a 2-2 draw against Mongolia in Chonburi, Thailand, on Tuesday (4 April).

London Bees forward Danielle Tan (42nd minute) and Izzati Rosni (79th) had put the Lionesses 2-1 ahead, but they were denied a win when Mongolia equalised in stoppage time.

The result, coupled with Singapore's earlier 0-6 defeat by host Thailand on 1 April, meant that they were unable to progress to the second stage of the qualifying round.

Coach Karim Bencherifa was taking charge of his first tournament since signing on in February, said of Singapore's performances, "There’s still more for us to learn and improve on nonetheless, and I look forward to working closer with the Lionesses to see how we can better ourselves in future competitions."

Cherie Tan named Bowler of the Year

Reigning SEA Games women's singles gold medallist Cherie Tan was named Bowler of the Year (2021/22) at the Singapore Bowling Federation's awards night at Seletar Country Club on Monday (3 April).

Besides winning the SEA Games gold in Hanoi, the 34-year-old also won the Singapore International Open and the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Bowl TV Classic last year. She also helped the national women's team bag four golds in January's Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Colleen Pee was named the Youth Bowler of the Year, after winning four gold medals at IBF Under-21 World Championships in 2022. National head coach Jason Yeong-Nathan was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to the Sport of Tenpin Bowling honours, while William Chua earned the President's Award (Team First) for his contributions to the senior bowlers community.

26 para-athletes chosen for ASEAN Para Games

The Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) has selected 26 para-athletes to represent Singapore at the upcoming 12th ASEAN Para Games (APG) from 3 to 9 June in Phnom Penh.

The Games will feature 13 sports, with e-sports as a demonstration sport. Team Singapore will take part in six sports: athletics, badminton, boccia, powerlifting, swimming and table tennis.

The contingent will be led by chef de mission Erynne Lim, who is an SNPC board member. Boccia player Toh Sze Ning who won a gold and a silver at the previous APG, has been appointed as the flag-bearer.

APG athletes list - Athletics: James Ethan Ang, Lionel Toh, Maisarah Mohd Hassan, Muhammad Diroy Noordin, Suhairi Suhani. Badminton: Ang Chee Hiong, Tay Wei Ming, Xavier Lim (debutant). Boccia: Aloysius Gan, Gareth Ho, Jeralyn Tan, Toh Sze Ning. Powerlifting: Lin Shuangchun, Nur'Aini Mohamad Yasli. Swimming: Colin Soon, Darren Chan, Janelle Tong, Jareth Wong (debutant), Han Liang Chou, Danielle Moi, Sophie Soon, Toh Wei Soong, Wong Zhi Wei. Table tennis: Claire Toh, Muhammad Dinie Asyraf Huzaini, Rodrick Li.

Singapore drawn in Group C of Women's WFC

Singapore was drawn with France, Australia and Germany in Group C of the opening stage at the Women’s World Floorball Championships (WFC), which will be held at the Singapore Sports Hub from 2 to 10 December.

The four groups were drawn in a ballot ceremony at Park Royal Beach Road on Tuesday (4 April), with defending champions Sweden in Group B with Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Group A consists of Latvia, Finland, Norway and Switzerland, while Group D will have Estonia, the United States, Japan and Denmark.

The top two teams each from Group A and B qualify directly for the quarter-finals. The remaining teams from Group A and B, as well as the top two teams each from Group C and D, will compete in the first play-off round for a place in the last eight.

Singapore last hosted the Championships in 2005, and the 2023 edition will be just the second time that an International Floorball Federation WFC event is played outside of Europe.

Neo Garden in $100,000 sponsorship for STTA

Singapore catering brand Neo Garden has announced a $100,000 sponsorship and donation package in support of the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) on Wednesday (5 April).

The funds will go towards the STTA's pathway development and high-performance sports system for Team Singapore paddlers to have sustained podium success.

The partnership will also see Neo Garden branding placed on the front of the national-team jersey.

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