SUGGEST to any senior sports official here a fortnight ago that the hosts would win 30 of the 272 Asian Youth Games (AYG) medals on offer, and you would have elicited raised eyebrows at the very least.

Indeed, the hosts' nine golds, six silvers and 15 bronzes - third in terms of total medals behind only South Korea and China - after seven days of intense sporting contests have exceeded all expectations.

The medal charge was led by the swimmers, who collected five golds, two silvers and five bronzes.

Quah Ting Wen's four golds earned her the mantle of the Games' most successful athlete along with South Korean swimmer Chang Gyu Cheol, and the Most Valuable Female Player trophy at yesterday's closing ceremony.

'The nine golds are really a surprise,' said chef de mission and national shooter Lee Wung Yew.

'The young athletes handled the pressure very well, and I'm awed by the way they conducted themselves inside and outside the arena.'

Also deserving praise are the bowlers, particularly girls' singles and doubles winner New Hui Fen and boys' Masters champion Basil Low.

Sailor Darren Choy's dominance in the Byte CII event - the gold medallist won nine of the 11 races - also makes him one of Singapore's best bets for a medal at next year's Youth Olympic Games.

The track and field team may not have contributed to the gold-medal tally, but their four-bronze haul was praised by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck.

Mr Teo, who had set Team Singapore a target of five medals, including one gold, before the AYG, said: 'What surprised me was that athletics won more than one medal.

'I think the sports school has done a fantastic job.'

Out of the 30 medals, athletes from the Singapore Sports School contributed 17.

Still, Lee, a 16-time South-east Asia Games gold medallist, pointed out that the triumphs had to be viewed in context.

He said: 'Some of the top athletes were not here, like the Malaysian bowlers and the Japanese swimmers. This has given us ample opportunities to do very well in some of the sports.'

But he also had praise for the maturity which Singapore's 90 teenage athletes displayed.

'Sometimes, I think people forget that they are 14 to 17 years old.

'They displayed maturity and professionalism, and I'd say some of the veteran sportsmen should learn from them.'

Referring to paddler Isabelle Li's brave performance in Sunday's seven-game thriller in the girls' singles quarter-finals - she lost to North Korea's Kim Song I - he said: 'She fought hard, and did not let up until it was over.

'That's something amazing.'

limze@sph.com.sg