SINGAPORE'S paddlers will likely win the Republic's first gold medal even before the SEA Games cauldron is lit, but it is a sweep of all seven titles on offer that the team are after.

In a media conference held at the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) headquarters on Wednesday, the team expressed confidence but also said they remain wary of threats from Thailand and Vietnam.

Said deputy president Alex Yam, who is also an MP for Choa Chu Kang GRC: "All seven is what we hope to achieve, and we will do our very best to try and deliver as many of these golds as possible.

"We are fielding the best team possible. We welcome the opportunity to play with some of the best in the region and we don't want to be overly confident as well."

The team have invited the Taiwanese national team to be part of their centralised training, focusing more on doubles as well as targeted training against left-handed opponents.

Said Isabelle Li, who won a silver medal in the women's singles at the last Games in 2013: "We have the whole nation's expectations on us, but we also have very strong backing. I think that will give us extra strength."