Hangzhou 2022
The 4th Asian Para Games (APG) in Hangzhou, China, concluded on 28 October 2023 with Team Singapore’s para athletes bringing home eight (8) medals – three (3) gold, three (3) silver, two (2) bronze.
This is comparably Singapore’s best performance at the Asian Para Games yet. In the 3rd Asian Para Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018, Singapore brought home ten (10) medals – three (3) gold, two (2) silver, five (5) bronze.
On the team’s performance, Chef de Mission and Vice President of the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC), Ms Monique Heah said, “Medals are something that everyone looks forward to but we would also like to commend all our para athletes for overcoming the odds and coming this far. Their performance at this Asian Para Games is certainly not to be overlooked. We hope that more people will acknowledge the hard work that they and the team have put in and show interest in para sports. Only then, can we work towards a vibrant sporting community and more inclusive society.”
The Games were officially closed and handed over to Japan, who will be hosting the 5th APG from 18-24 October 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
GAMES REVIEW
31 Team Singapore para athletes competed in nine (9) sports at the 4th APG, breaking a total of 2 Games Records and 9 National Records, and achieving 12 Personal Bests.
Para Archery
Nur Syahidah Bte Alim, the sole representative in para archery at the Games, took home the silver medal after a very close fight with India’s Devi Sheetal, with a score of 142-144. This was Singapore’s first Asian Para Games medal in para archery.
Para Athletics
The para athletics team came very close to podium finish in a couple of occasions. Muhammad Diroy Bin Noordin and James Ethan Ang Kai Meng both finished 4th in their respective events, the Men F40 Shot Put and Men 400m T13 Final.
Muhammad Nur Ariq broke the National Record and achieved his Personal Best timing of 52.98s in the Men 400m T20 Heats. His teammates, Maveric Lee Dong En and Shaman Pandian s/o Jeyabalan also achieved their Personal Bests in the same event.
Para Badminton
The para badminton duo, Tay Wei Ming and Ang Chee Hiong, saw early defeats in both their singles and doubles categories, after facing a very tough draw in the group round.
Boccia
Youngest member of the contingent, Aloysius Gan Kai Hong, finished fourth overall in the Individual Male BC3 category, after losing 3-1 to Japan’s Masayuki Arita in the Bronze Medal Match. He and partner, Toh Sze Ning, did not advance to the Semi Finals after finishing 3rd in the group stage, in the Mixed Pairs BC3 category.
Teammates, Jeralyn Tan Yee Ting and Nurulasyiqah Bte Mohd Taha, similarly missed advancing to the Semi Finals in the Individual BC1 Female and Individual BC3 Female categories.
Para Lawn Bowls
Faridah Bte Salleh made history by bringing home Singapore’s first para lawn bowls medal, a silver, in the Women Singles B6 category. This comes after near misses in her previous APG appearances.
Debutant Khirmern Bin Mohamad achieved the bronze medal in the Men Singles B7 category. This is a notable achievement as he was only introduced to the sport three years ago.
Para Powerlifting
Nur ‘Aini Bte Mohamad Yasli scored her best lift at 80kg, finishing 5th out of 8 in the Women Up to 50kg weight class.
Shooting Para Sport
Debutant Chan Han Siong became the first para shooter to earn Singapore a qualification slot at the Paralympic Games. He finished 5th overall in the Men P1 10m Air Pistol SH1 category.
Para Swimming
Toh Wei Soong made waves in the pool, by bringing home Singapore’s first medal at the Games, a silver, followed by three gold medals later in the week. He is now Singapore’s most bemedalled athlete at the APG.
Colin Soon Jin Guang broke three National Records and set new Personal Bests in the Men 100m Breaststroke SB13 Timed Final, Men 200m Individual Medley SM13 Heats and Men 200m Individual Medley SM13 Timed Final.
Darren Chan Wei Siang broke the National Record and set a new Personal Best in the opening leg of the Men 100m Freestyle S14. Moi Yan Ting Danielle also broke the National Record and set a new Personal Best in the Women 100m Backstroke S14 Heats.
Flagbearer Wong Zhi Wei broke the National Record in the Men 400m Freestyle S13 Final. He achieved a new Personal Best in the same event, as well as the Men 200m Individual Medley SM13 Heats. He concluded Team Singapore’s campaign at the APG with a new National Record and Personal Best in the Men 50m Freestyle S13 Timed Final.
Para Table Tennis
Debutant Claire Toh Shu Min was Singapore’s first paddler at the APG. She also brought home the first para table tennis medal, a bronze.
Photo credits: Sport Singapore / Dyan Tjhia, Flona Hakim, Jeremy Lee
