SEA Games 2025: Singapore’s Shanti Pereira chases double-double after 100m win
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Follow topic:
BANGKOK – Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira’s bid for a historic double-double at the SEA Games got off to a speedy start on Dec 11, when the 29-year-old retained her women’s 100m gold in Bangkok.
Competing at the Suphachalasai National Stadium, she clocked 11.36sec to beat home favourite Khanonta Jirapat (11.54) and Ha Thi Thu (11.58) of Vietnam, who finished second and third, respectively.
While Pereira said she did not feel “too good” the day before in practice, her coach Luis Cunha’s advice that “you just need to come in first” worked a treat.
She said: “I didn’t think about the time too much. Of course, I wanted to do a good one, but it was really just about showing up and trying to attain my goal of defending the title no matter the timing.
“I’m happy to go to coach and give him a great hug and get ready for the 200m.”
At the 2023 edition in Cambodia, Pereira made history by becoming the first Singaporean to win the 100m and 200m golds
Now, 15 months after recovering from a fibula injury
She was quick to send a warning to her rivals in the heats, clocking a qualifying time of 11.46sec to top the 12-strong field.
Two hours later, she was back on the starting blocks, as the Singaporean sprinter overcame a slow start to power through the field for a comfortable victory with a season’s best time.
Said Pereira: “No matter where I am in my life, getting to compete here is always a privilege, and it means so much. I was just so excited to be back already and even better now that I got to defend my title.”
Once the site of a royal residence, it is fitting that the Suphachalasai stadium is where sprint queen Pereira is now chasing a historic double double for Singapore.
The venue has been a happy hunting ground for her, as it was also where she won the Asian Athletics Championships double
She will race the 200m on Dec 13, before competing in the women’s 4x100m relay on Dec 15.
While Pereira tries not to focus on the competition venues, she said: “When I saw that it was here, I was pretty happy about it. I love this stadium. Everything about it is great.
“There are good memories here. So it helped me for sure… (it’s a) confidence booster.”
While Pereira celebrated her gold medal, there was no joy for teammate Marc Louis, who finished fourth in the men’s 100m final in 10.32sec.
Thailand’s rising star Puripol Boonson won gold in 10sec
Louis, 23, who won silver in the 2023 edition, said: “Honestly, this year was even tougher than the previous SEA Games.
“I did my best, as good as I can, and I came in fourth. It’s a tough competition and the rest of them did very well, and I’m very happy for them.
“(There are) things to improve, and I’ll go back with coach Benber (Yu) and see what we can do.”
Singapore's Marc Louis en route to clocking 10.38sec in the SEA Games 100m heats on Dec 11.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
In the men’s triple jump final, Gabriel Lee broke Stefan Tseng’s 16-year-old national record of 16.04m, after leaping 16.09m to clinch the bronze. Vietnam’s Ho Trong Manh Hung won gold with a jump of 16.33m, ahead of Malaysia’s Anura Andre (16.29m).
Lee’s bronze is Singapore’s first medal in the event since Leslie Shepherdson’s silver medal (14.49m) at the 1971 edition in Malaysia.
In the men’s triple jump final, Gabriel Lee broke Stefan Tseng’s 16-year-old national record of 16.04m, after leaping 16.09m to clinch the bronze.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Lee, a 22-year-old debutant, said: “I feel very happy with it being my first SEA Games, very happy that I was able to medal.
“I’ve been wanting to break this record for a long time and the best place to do it is at the SEA Games.
“I don’t want to stop here and want to aim for bigger achievements and I hope I’ll be able to qualify for other major Games in future and hopefully medal in them as well.”
The second day of competition at the Thailand SEA Games saw Team Singapore winning four gold, six silver and seven bronze medals in swimming, basketball and canoeing, taking the total haul to 9 gold, 10 silvers and 13 bronze medals.
