Singapore sports: Looking back at past winners of The Straits Times Athlete of the Year award

Swimmer Tao Li was the inaugural winner of the Straits Times Athlete of the Year when the annual award started in 2008. PHOTO: ST FILE

The 10th Straits Times Athlete of the Year will be crowned at lunch time on Tuesday (March 13).

This year's nominees are: bowler Shayna Ng, boxer Muhamad Ridhwan, para-table tennis player Jason Chee, swimmer Joseph Schooling and Winter Olympian Cheyenne Goh.

So will Schooling become the first athlete to win it three times? Or will the award see a first-time winner, as it has in eight editions?

Watch out for the result on ST Sports desk's Twitter account, and catch some of the action at the ceremony live on ST's Facebook page from 1pm before we announce the winner between 2.30 and 2.45pm.

But before that, here's what you need to know about the accolade:

The annual award started in 2008, with swimmer Tao Li the inaugural winner.

Other past winners are swimmer Quah Ting Wen (2009), the national women's table tennis team (2010), badminton player Fu Mingtian (2011), para equestrienne Laurentia Tan (2012), footballer Safuwan Baharudin (2013), swimmer Joseph Schooling (2014, 2016) and para swimmer Yip Pin Xiu (2015).

Here are details of the previous winners:

2008: Tao Li (swimming)

Why she won: First Singaporean to make an Olympic swimming final at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, finished the year as fourth-fastest swimmer in women's 100m butterfly

2009: Quah Ting Wen (swimming)

Why she won: Won five golds at SEA Games, four golds at Asian Youth Games, set 14 national records in 2009

Swimmer Quah Ting Wen was crowned the 2009 Straits Times Athlete of the Year. PHOTO: ST FILE

2010: National women's table tennis team

Why they won: Won the World Team Tennis Championships by stunning China in the final

The national women's table tennis team was crowned the 2010 Straits Times Athlete of the Year. PHOTO: ST FILE

2011: Fu Mingtian (badminton)

Why she won: Clinched Singapore's first-ever women's singles gold in badminton at the SEA Games

Badminton player Fu Mingtian was crowned the 2011 Straits Times Athlete of the Year. PHOTO: ST FILE

2012: Laurentia Tan (equestrian)

Why she won: Bagged one silver and one bronze at the London Paralympic Games

Para-equestrian rider Laurentia Tan was crowned the 2012 Straits Times Athlete of the Year. PHOTO: ST FILE

2013: Safuwan Baharudin (football)

Why he won: Scored the crucial goal to equalise in a 1-1 draw against Johor Darul Takzim, sealing the LionsXII's first Malaysian league title since 1994

Footballer Safuwan Baharudin was crowned the 2013 Straits Times Athlete of the Year. PHOTO: ST FILE

2014: Joseph Schooling (swimming)

Why he won: Won Singapore's first swimming medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching a silver in Glasgow in the 100m butterfly in a national record

Remote video URL

2015: Yip Pin Xiu (swimming)

Why she won: Broke the world record in the S2 50m backstroke en route to gold during the Asean Para Games

SPH Brightcove Video
Yip Pin Xiu is determined and believes in embracing opportunity. The 23-year-old para-swimmer, who suffers from muscular dystrophy was named The Straits Times Athlete Of The Year 2015, edging out other top athletes: Swimmer Joseph Schooling, sprinter Shanti Pereira, bowler Shayna Ng and para-footballer Khairul Anwar. Yip broke the world record in the S2 50m backstroke event to clinch the gold at the Asean Para Games last year.

2016: Joseph Schooling (swimming)

Why he won: Became Singapore's first Olympic champion at the Rio Olympics, defeating swimming great Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly final and winning gold in an Olympic record of 50.39sec

SPH Brightcove Video
Joseph Schooling has been named 2016's The Straits Times Athlete of the Year making him the first athlete to win the award twice. Schooling edged out fellow nominees Peter Gilchrist, New Hui Fen, Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau'ddin and Yip Pin Xiu.

*Catch the 10th ST Athlete of the Year award ceremony on Facebook live

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.