Softball brothers Huzaifah and Huzaifie spur each other as S’pore look to retain SEA Games gold

SINGAPORE – A gold medal from the 2019 SEA Games sits proudly on a shelf in national softballer Huzaifah Noorham’s home, accompanied by newspaper clippings and other accolades from his and younger brother Huzaifie’s sporting journeys.

Also framed up is the jersey Huzaifah wore at the same Games, in which

history was made

as Singapore won an unprecedented gold against the odds.

The 24-year-old said: “It’s a reminder of how far we have come and what we did throughout those years to bring us this far.”

As softball returns to the SEA Games programme for the first time since then, the Nanyang Technological University mechanical engineering undergraduate hopes he will have more mementoes to add to the collection as Singapore look to retain their title in Thailand.

Their 2019 triumph made headlines not just because it was the country’s first softball gold at the regional event, but also for the extraordinary circumstances in which they achieved it.

In the lead-up to the Games, they had to train on a bumpy surface scattered with potholes at a temporary facility in Farrer Park following the expiration of the lease at their original Kallang base.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, the team stunned the Philippines, home favourites and regional powerhouses, in the grand final, beating them 6-1 to secure the gold.

They now have a new home in Jurong.

Asked for his target at the upcoming Games, Huzaifah said: “It’ll definitely be to prove to the country that it was not a one-time thing after we did it the last time, to prove that we can actually stand as the defending champions all the way.

“It (2019 SEA Games) was very impactful because we proved to other softballers outside of the national team that we can stand tall in the region itself.”

Huzaifah nearly missed out on the upcoming campaign because of a broken collarbone suffered during Singapore’s

surprise 10-9 win

over two-time world champions Australia at the World Games in Chengdu in August.

Doctors told him it was highly unlikely he would recover in time, but the infielder was able to resume training in mid-October.

It was relief for Huzaifie, who was eagerly anticipating a SEA Games debut alongside his brother.

The 23-year-old infielder and pitcher said: “When I heard he fractured his collarbone, I got a bit sad because it was supposed to be my first chance to play with my brother.

“When he returned, it made me happy because I’d practised really hard and I would have the chance to show it with him on the field.”

They have pushed each other since picking up the sport in primary school.

Their sibling rivalry intensified in secondary school – Huzaifah played for Montfort, while Huzaifie competed for St Gabriel’s – and they occasionally faced each other on the field.

Now teammates in the national squad, the competition continues, but the siblings agree that Huzaifah is the better fielder, while Huzaifie excels as a batter.

A key driving force behind them has been their parents, who have supported them tirelessly since their early days in the sport, making long trips to take them to training and support them at matches.

The brothers hope to give their parents a reason to celebrate by bringing home a gold medal.

Huzaifie said: “It’s to show our parents that we are there to do them proud, to show them, ‘mum and dad, you’ve supported us so much and we’ve brought this back to you’.”

Also aiming for a podium finish are the women’s softball and men’s baseball teams.

Shanice Lim, who will be making her debut in Thailand, said the women’s softball team are hoping to match or better their best result at the SEA Games – a silver in 2007.

In preparation for this, they have gone for several overseas training trips and competitions since the start of the year.

Lim, a dietitian, took no-pay leave from October to December to train for the SEA Games, and applied for the Sport Excellence Grant for Loss of Wages (spexGlow), which offsets any lost wages from missing work either through preparation or competition at the major Games.

The outfielder, 25, said: “We’re definitely vying to beat them (defending champions Philippines) but we’ll still need to go there and put up a hard fight against the other teams – Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, baseball player Oscar Tay, 31, heads into his second SEA Games with fewer nerves and more confidence as the team eye a podium finish after finishing fourth in 2019.

Much of this comes from the addition of Japanese head coach Yuki Kikuna and pitching coach Hironori Tanaka to their set-up in 2024.

The outfielder, a student-teacher at the National Institute of Education, said: “The biggest difference is that there’s a lot more structure in terms of the training plan, as well as different phases in training... and there’s very good player-to-coach communication.”