SINGAPORE - A record $250,000 was handed out to Singapore's medallists at the 3rd Asian Para Games (APG) during the Athletes' Achievement Awards on Wednesday evening (Oct 31).
While the cash rewards were considerable, it also marked the emergence of a bigger and stronger contingent of athletes that will stand the nation in good stead ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
For veteran swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, who won a gold (50m breaststroke S4) and two bronzes (50m freestyle S4 and 50m freestyle S4), the bigger haul of medals is a sign that para sports in Singapore is on the right track.
"This year, more of our athletes are winning and this shows that our team is getting stronger. That's really heartening and it's not just one sport that is delivering medals, we are winning across various sports," said Yip, 26, at the awards ceremony at the Andaz Singapore Hotel.
"Seeing this gives me a lot of hope for the future. There are more youngsters who are up and coming. The support given is good and, if the athletes are committed and work hard, they can possibly get somewhere."
At last month's APG in Jakarta, Singapore's athletes returned with a record haul of 10 medals that included three golds, two silvers and five bronzes as the contingent finished 16th out of 43 countries. The previous best showing was one gold, one silver and four bronzes at the 2014 edition in Incheon, South Korea.
Individual athletes received $35,000 for a gold medal, $25,000 for a silver and $15,000 for a bronze. The boccia team took home $40,000 for winning a silver while the cycling duo of Emily Lee and Sarah Tan got $20,000 for their bronze. Swimmer Toh Wei Soong, who won two golds and a bronze, received the highest amount of $85,000.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said: "You (the athletes) have shown commitment to your sport, your determination to excel, and the pride you feel in representing Singapore. You have inspired all of us to rise to our challenges, and pursue our dreams."
Singapore National Paralympic Council chairman Kevin Wong also praised the athletes' showing and the grit they demonstrate in their daily lives.
He said: "Our Team Singapore athletes demonstrated that they could hold their own against the world's best but, to me, they were already champions before leaving for Indonesia.
"Facing challenges and obstacles every day, they persevere and overcome what is placed in front of them, and continue to move forward to discover their personal abilities and strengths."
Ms Fu added that the Government is committed to allow Singaporeans of all abilities to fully participate in society. Such support includes the establishment of four Centres of Expertise for Disability Sports (Heartbeat @ Bedok, Toa Payoh, Jurong West and Sengkang) and five Inclusive Gyms over the last two years.
She said: "There is still more that we can do to encourage persons with disabilities to participate in sport. In the coming years, we will concentrate on growing participation in our inclusive sports programmes, build up and enhance infrastructure, as well as develop capabilities for the disability sports eco-system."
Yip, who is also a Nominated Member of Parliament, hopes that more Singaporeans will appreciate the effort made to promote sports.
She said: "We need a bigger base of athletes and I hope through all this awareness, more people will start doing sports and engage in an active lifestyle."
