Despite challenges, Singapore’s athletes push through to compete at Asian Winter Games

SINGAPORE – Like many other winter sports athletes in Singapore, national short track speed skater Alyssa Pok faced a challenge when the Republic’s only Olympic-size ice rink at Jurong East mall JCube shuttered in August 2023.

Determined not to let that get in the way of her sporting ambitions, the Singapore Management University undergraduate chose to take a one-semester leave of absence from her studies in a bid to qualify for the 2025 Asian Winter Games and gain race experience.

During that period, she also participated in various competitions in the Philippines, Hungary, Italy, Canada and South Korea.

On taking time off school to focus on her sporting pursuits, Pok said: “The biggest challenge was definitely one of the mind, as I wondered if I would be able to achieve goals I wanted and if the time and money spent training overseas would be worth it.”

Her decision ultimately paid off, as the 20-year-old made her Asian Winter Games bow in China last week.

At the HIC Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, Pok, her brother Brandon, Amelia Chua and Ryo Ong, set a national record of 2min 55.981sec in the mixed 2,000m relay semi-finals, eclipsing the previous mark of 3:08.643 and booking their spot in the Final B.

They finished sixth out of nine overall.

Pok also recorded a personal best of 1:34.335 en route to making the Final B of the women’s 1,000m event, in which she finished ninth out of 24, while Brandon qualified for the Final B of the men’s 1,500m and finished 11th out of 35.

The four short track speed skaters were part of Singapore’s 23-strong contingent at the Feb 7-14 Games, the largest since the Republic made its debut at the competition in 2011.

For the first time, Singapore were represented in alpine skiing at the continental event, with Faiz Basha, 22, finishing 12th out of 58 athletes in the men’s slalom event on Feb 9.

The men’s ice hockey team also made their second appearance at the Games, ranking 11th out of 14 teams after beating India 13-2 on Feb 10 in a placement match, which wrapped up Singapore’s campaign.

In the group stage, they had finished third in Group B, after defeating Bahrain 20-1 and losing 10-3 and 11-2 to Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan respectively.

Singapore team manager Joewe Lam felt that while the team performed adequately, they could have defended better against stronger teams to keep the scoreline closer.

He said: “The team was for sure affected by not being able to train in a full Olympic size ice rink and stronger players not being able to make it due to financial and work or school commitments.

“But we want to continue to do Singapore proud. Other countries who know about our situation are surprised by how we can still be competitive and are proud of us, but the team is not content with the placing results, they want to do better next time.”

With the only other rink in the country at Leisure Park Kallang smaller than that used for international competitions, the ice hockey team travelled to Johor Bahru for weekly training sessions.

But there may be good news to look forward to, with The Straits Times reporting in early February that talks are under way for a new Olympic-size ice rink in Pandan Gardens.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in March and be completed by the end of 2026.

While Pok was pleased with her performance, competing against Asia’s best has only served as motivation as she eyes competitions such as December’s SEA Games in Thailand, where she hopes to win a medal.

She said: “Racing with the top skaters in Asia has definitely made me realise how much more I have to work to be able to compete at their level.

“Their ability to consistently perform well at every race and fight back against unthinkable odds is really admirable and it inspires me to become even better.”

Apart from the competition, Pok was also grateful to have made new friends. She was also one of Singapore’s two flag bearers at the opening ceremony, alongside Daniel Chew, the ice hockey team captain.

Another highlight was competing alongside her brother, with the pair supporting each other through good and tough times.

It was also an unforgettable experience for Brandon, 18, who was satisfied with how he raced.

“The wide variety of food, the friendly staff and the overwhelming support from members of the Singapore contingent helped me to gear up well for the races,” said Brandon.

“l also had a fun time exchanging pins and interacting with athletes from other countries. To be able to wind up behind the powerhouses of this sport, I am very proud of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made to achieve this.”

Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we said that Faiz Basha was 12th out of 39 athletes instead of 58 athletes. This has been corrected.