Yip Pin Xiu, Toh Wei Soong among those feted at Singapore Disability Sports Awards
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Paralympic swimmers Toh Wei Soong (left) and Yip Pin Xiu won the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively at the Singapore Disability Sports Awards 2024 on Nov 20.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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SINGAPORE – Swimmers Yip Pin Xiu and Toh Wei Soong retained their individual gongs and extended their records at the Singapore Disability Sports Awards 2024 at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on Nov 20.
Yip won her fourth straight Sportswoman of the Year award – and fifth overall – after she retained her women’s 50m and 100m backstroke S2 golds at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships.
The 32-year-old, who emerged from a field of nine nominees to win the accolade, also successfully defended her Paralympic titles
The other nominees were Claire Toh (table tennis), Syahidah Alim (archery), Danielle Moi, Sophie Soon (both swimming), Toh Sze Ning, Jeralyn Tan (both boccia), Aini Yasli (powerlifting) and Faridah Salleh (lawn bowls).
The seven-gold Paralympic champion said: “In the year that was considered for this award, we had the World Series in Singapore and I broke the 200m freestyle world record for the first time on home ground, so that was a really special year. To be able to commemorate this with everybody here means a lot to me.”
Toh, who won three golds at the Asian Para Games in 2023, was named Sportsman of the Year for the third straight time after fending off 11 other nominees.
They are Daniel Chan (shooting), Gareth Ho (boccia), Diroy Noordin (athletics), Rodrick Li (table tennis), Khirmern Mohamad (lawn bowls), Tay Wei Ming (badminton), Kalai Vanen (powerlifting), Thomas Chan, Ismail Hussain, Wilson Chua and Low Chang Hong (all bowling).
Toh, 26, said: “I’m very grateful every time I receive an award like this. I really want to dedicate this award to my family, my parents, coaches, sports science team, trainers, physiotherapists, psychologists and everyone who supports me through the tough times in my life.”
It was a record-breaking night as there were 88 nominees across the community, and pathway and performance categories, with 17 individuals, groups and organisations picking up awards for their exceptional contributions to disability sports in the consideration period, a fruitful one in which Singapore won 44 medals at the Asean Para Games and eight at the Asian Para Games.
The Coach of the Year (High Performance) award had 15 nominees, with the accolade ultimately going to Mick Massey, who helped Yip break the women’s 200m freestyle S2 world record in May 2023 and retain her two titles at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships.
The Briton, 65, said he is pleased to receive the award, adding: “I’m working with one of Singapore’s most famous athletes of all time. It is a daily challenge to keep her motivated, lead her and do all the things that I have to do as my part of our coach-athlete partnership going forward.
“It’s really exciting and we are very fortunate to be supported in such a great way by SDSC (Singapore Disability Sports Council) and by everybody else.”
Former national sprinter Hosni Muhamad was honoured as Coach of the Year (Developmental) for guiding Muhammad Ariq to a 400m T20 national record and helping James Ang claim silvers in the 100m and 400m T13 events at the 2023 Asean Para Games respectively.
Meanwhile, Aloysius Gan, the world boccia youth champion in 2023, reclaimed the Sportsboy of the Year which the 18-year-old last won in 2021, and 17-year-old swimmer Janelle Tong was named Sportsgirl of the Year after winning four medals at the 2023 Asean Para Games and setting three national records in the S10 category.
Para lawn bowlers Khirmern Mohamad and Mawjit Singh were named the Team of the Year for their historic 2023 World Bowls Championships para men pairs bronze.
SDSC executive director Kelly Fan said: “Together with the announcement of the refreshed Disability Sports Master Plan, we hope that the awards and the stories of these exceptional individuals and groups can encourage everyone – whether as athletes, volunteers, sponsors, or advocates – to come together and build an even more inclusive and empowering sports environment for all.”
Singapore Disability Sports Awards Honour Roll
Sportsman of the Year: Toh Wei Soong (swimming)
Sportswoman of the Year: Yip Pin Xiu (swimming)
Coach (High Performance) of the Year: Mick Massey (swimming)
Coach (Developmental) of the Year: Hosni Muhamad (athletics)
Team of the Year: Khirmern Mohamad and Mawjit Singh (lawn bowls)
Sportsboy of the Year: Aloysius Gan (boccia)
Sportsgirl of the Year: Janelle Tong (swimming)
Event of the Year: Our Tampines Hub’s Inclusive Sports Festival 2023
Community Changemaker of the Year: Rainbow Centre’s Young Adult Activities!
Spirit of Sport (Male): Jason Leong
Spirit of Sport (Female): Joan Hung
Spirit of Sport (Team): Wheelchair Rugby Singapore
Coach of the Year (Community): Nor Rahman Jaafar
Volunteer of the Year (Individual): Soo Kam Tatt
Volunteer of the Year (Organisation): Apple South Asia and Nanyang Technological University Welfare Services Club
