SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu took to Facebook to congratulate Team Singapore's 2018 Commonwealth Games contingent in separate posts on Tuesday (April 17).
The 59-strong contingent finished with five golds, two silvers and two bronzes on the Gold Coast in Australia after twelve days of competition from April 4-April 15.
Wrote PM Lee in his post: "Welcome home Team Singapore and well done for flying the flag high at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games! Our athletes brought home 9 medals - 5 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze in shooting, table tennis and swimming. Congratulations everyone! Continue to train hard, stay focused on your goals and do your best!"
He added that he would soon be at a Commonwealth event himself - the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London which begins on Thursday - and promised more updates on his Facebook page.
PM Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, as well as senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ms Fu wrote that she "witnessed some unforgettable performances" on the Gold Coast, where more than two-thirds of the contingent were making their Games debut.
She pointed out shooter Martina Veloso, who clinched two gold medals in the 10m air rifle and 50m rifle prone events, and para-athletes Toh Wei Soong (swimming) and Kalai Vanen (powerlifting) as examples.
"We have seen how many nations are improving fast, especially in sports that we have done well before. It is a timely reminder that our athletes need to continually raise their game and work harder," Ms Fu wrote.
"Our athletes will need to build up their resilience, remain confident, and maintain a strong fighting spirit for future Games. Now that the Games is over, I'm sure that our athletes, especially the younger ones, will benefit from the valuable experience and emerge stronger. Go TeamSG!"
