More than 800 para-athletes under 23 years of age from 31 countries flew to Manama, Bahrain for the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games (AYPG). Organised in conjunction with the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bahrain and with the support of the Bahrain government, this 4th edition of the multi-sport event for Asian youth athletes with disabilities was held from 2 to 6 December 2021. This was the first time Bahrain hosted an international multi-sports event.

The AYPG offers youth athletes a chance to experience high-level competition and compete against peers in the same age-group. Yip Pin Xiu, for example, won a gold at the Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Para Games while Toh Wei Soong won a silver at the Kuala Lumpur 2013 Asian Youth Para Games. Wei Soong went on to win Singapore’s first para sports medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, while Pin Xiu has five Paralympic gold and one silver to her name.

Janelle Tong in action in the Women’s 100m Butterfly – S8 – 10.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE NATIONAL PARALYMPIC COUNCIL

13 youth para athletes across four sports represented Singapore at the 2021 AYPG. The contingent’s chef de mission was Theresa Goh, Paralympic bronze medallist and former national swimmer, and flag bearer was boccia athlete, Aloysius Gan Kai Hong. Aloysius competed alongside his father, Gan Keng Aik, who was his ramp assistant.

Singapore youth para-athletes who made their debut at the Games included Yan Jia Yi (boccia), Caleb Lee Jia Xuan (table tennis), Ahmad Nor Imran bin Nor Azhar, Maveric Lee Dong En (both athletics) and Liauw Thiam Hee Jeremiah, Robby Yeo Zhi Yah, Kate Tan Jing Wen, Janelle Tong Jing Xuan and Darren Chan Wei Siang (all swimming).

It was the second time Colin Soon Jin Guang (swimming), Muhammad Nur Ariq bin Yaakub and Siti Nurhayati binte Ali Aksar Khan (both athletics) competed at the AYPG.

Caleb Lee celebrating a point against an Iranian opponent.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE NATIONAL PARALYMPIC COUNCIL

To the elation of Singaporeans, Team Singapore bagged five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. This was Singapore’s second-best medal haul at the AYPG. Sixteen year-old Colin rose to the occasion and bagged his fourth gold medal when he won the men’s age 12-16 400m freestyle S11-13, and clocked a new personal-best time record. Colin also took part in the men’s age 12-16 100m breaststroke SB11-13 and won his second gold medal with a time of 1:14.53. He then went on to win the men’s 12-16 200m individual medley SM11-13 and men’s 12-16 100m freestyle S11-13, setting a new personal-best and national record for both, and bagged four gold medals in total.

His teammate, 18 year-old Darren clinched bronze medals in the men’s 16-18 200m freestyle S14 and men’s 17-18 200m individual medley, also setting new personal bests for both events.

Games debutant, 15 year-old Aloysius, clinched Singapore’s first-ever AYPG medal in Boccia, winning a gold medal in the BC3 Men’s Individual at that, while the team of Aloysius and Yan Jia Yi won a silver medal in the BC3 Mixed Pairs.

Siti won a silver medal in the Women’s U20 T20 400m, while Caleb won a silver medal in the Table Tennis Men’s Mixed Team T6-8.

Aloysius Gan and Yan Jia Yi celebrate their silver medal win in the BC3 Mixed Pairs.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE NATIONAL PARALYMPIC COUNCIL

“I think I kept the games tight with my opponents and did not allow them to have too much space to score. That allowed me to score more points when they started to make mistakes on their shot,” divulged Aloysius.
When asked what are some learning points he took away from the Games, Aloysius shared, “Keep up the hope, concentrate on the next game and play the next ball well. Do not let defeat distract you.” Aloysius shared that he has many people to thank for his journey so far – in particular, his father, who wears multiple hats as his caregiver, his coach and also his ramp assistant. As for what’s next for him, Aloysius has his sights set on the Paralympics. “I wish to go to the Paralympics together with all my teammates in the Singapore Boccia team.”

For swimmer Janelle, discipline and focus were her mantra on the road to the Games. She shared, “I did pool sessions four times a week from the beginning of the year until the end of October, and then six to seven times a week during the post-exam period. I also used post-it notes to plan races, practice some visualization, and (kept to) a healthy diet.”

Reflecting on her performance, Janelle added, “What I think I accomplished well was that I wasn’t as nervous as I had anticipated. I feel I adjusted well to the environment, despite the fact that it took some time to adapt, and I am glad I was able to execute the race as planned. What I didn’t do so well was that I thought my swimming technique and body position could have been improved”. Janelle hopes to do better at the next Asian Youth Para Game and when training resumes, she will be working towards qualifying for the ASEAN Para Games.

For paddler Caleb Lee, the silver medal from his maiden competition in an international sporting event is testament to his passion for and commitment to his sport.

When asked how he prepared for the Games, Caleb revealed that he increased his training frequency at Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) from twice a week to four times per week. He also increased the intensity of his training, trained with different SSI players to gain more experience and to improve his stamina, Caleb kept to his fitness workouts when at home. To work on his weaknesses, the Table Tennis Association for the Disabled (Singapore), TTADS, specially engaged a sparring partner for Caleb.

Caleb shared that one of the most memorable AYPG moments was when he stood on the podium to receive the medal for Singapore. “It was very magical. I felt very proud and happy,” Caleb disclosed. It was a proud moment for Singapore, too. Caleb made history at AYPG by winning Singapore’s first-ever table tennis medal when he secured the silver medal for the Men’s Mixed Team T6-8 on 5 December 2021.

And Caleb is not one to rest on his laurels. “I felt proud to represent Singapore in this game, being part of Team Singapore with other athletes, and making friends from different countries,” he said. “I will continue to train even harder and prepare myself for my next game.” Caleb hopes to represent Singapore in the 2024 or 2028 Paralympic Games.