Yeo’s boost for Yip Pin Xiu and teammates for World Para Swimming Championships

SINGAPORE – In over four weeks’ time, the world’s top athletes will be in town for the World Para Swimming Championships, with the Sept 21-29 event also serving as a platform for Singapore’s para-swimmers to shine.

With the local heroes in the spotlight, the hope is that the increased exposure will translate into more support and sponsorships for para sport.

Local food and beverage company Yeo’s is one supporter who got the ball rolling on Aug 20. It announced a one-year partnership with the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) to support local para-swimmers Yip Pin Xiu, Wong Zhi Wei and Danielle Moi, with the trio appointed as ambassadors.

Seven-time Paralympic champion Yip said: “I’m so proud to be a Singaporean, and Yeo’s is also a Singaporean brand, homegrown, we grew up drinking it.

“So to have this kind of partnership, the support, where you see the Singaporean community giving to our local athletes, I feel very appreciative of it, that there is this connection.

“In Singapore, our sporting culture is always improving. So to see companies also come on board to support athletes, really shows that they are also starting to value athletes a bit more, because really (previously), we only endorsed celebrities, but now it’s also a bit more towards the athletes.”

Wong, who has three golds from the Asean Para Games, added: “It’s my first partnership with any brand, so I guess it’s an exciting but also somewhat uncertain time, because I’ve never done anything like this, but I am grateful for the opportunity to become an ambassador for them.

“We are part of a movement that hopes to push the envelope on what sport is. You’ve heard from (Yeo’s chief executive) Mr Ong previously, on wanting to redefine sport, whether it is making it more inclusive or including e-sports in it, and so this is part of the movement that we are in.”

While the company did not disclose the amount of the partnership, Yeo’s chief executive Ong Yuh Hwang said at the partnership announcement at the Delta Sports Complex on Aug 20: “We’re always looking for opportunities where we can make a positive social impact to the community.

“(We want to) enable the para-athletes to be able to compete on an international stage, to support them financially, on their training, nutrition, equipment and transportation.

“We’re fully aligned with what SDSC is doing to promote inclusivity and accessibility in sports… And with that, we hope to inspire all Singaporeans to reach out for their dreams.”

Yeo’s have also

supported Olympic bronze medallist and kitefoiler Max Maeder

and the Singapore Sailing Federation. They previously sponsored the Singapore Premier League and e-sports’ Mobile Legends Bang Bang: MPL SG2021 professional league.

Ong said that the company wanted to give the athletes “maximum impact” by narrowing their partnership to Yip, Moi and Wong.

“We found that these three athletes meet the criteria that we set. Their track record, results that they have delivered and our plans. So going forward we will assess on how we can further expand the scope,” he added.

“Hopefully our action will be able to serve as a small catalyst to inspire the rest of the corporations and the public to be able to take part in this activity as well… To help SDSC to help even more young athletes to live to their fullest potential.”

While Singapore’s team list for the World Para Swimming Championships has not been finalised, Moi is looking forward to a possible debut in front of a home crowd.

She said: “The short-term goal is to go one competition at a time (starting with the world championships) and hopefully I qualify. I want to try giving all my best out there.”