Story by Colin Tung/Red Sports

AYG track team

Liang Wei is the B Division girls’ 100m champion and the 2008 International Children’s Games bronze medallist. Her PB is 12.50s. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

One look at Liang Wei tells you there is something feisty about her. Perhaps it’s her relatively short hair or it could be the confident air with which she carries herself. One thing is for certain – she is no slouch on the track.

Sports School athlete Liang Wei, who turned 16 on January 18th, is representing Singapore at the Asian Youth Games in the 100m. She is the B Division girls’ 100m champion and her personal best is a 12.50s set at the 3rd All-Comers meet in March this year.

Looking deeper below the gloss of her achievements is a person who grew up playing the same, simple childhood games that many of us have played – police-and-thief in particular.

In the void decks of HDB blocks, chasing after friends (boys included), arguably laid the foundation blocks for the confident champion that she has developed into.

Liang Wei shared: “I could catch my friends easily in police-and-thief and so I began to think I could run fast. That made me decide to join the track-and-field team in Fuchun Primary where I started running the 100m.”

Like her teammate Shahrir, she went to the International Children’s Games in 2008 and that is where her proudest achievement was derived.

Liang Wei said: “I got a bronze medal in the 100m at the International Children’s Games and achieved a time of 12.56s. It was great to compete in San Francisco against international athletes.”

When asked about her thoughts about being selected for yet another major meet, the AYG, she commented: “I’m happy and excited but nervous as well as this is the first major competition in Singapore and people will have a high expectation for us.”

She added: “I hope to break my PB and a podium finish would be a bonus. Most importantly though, I want to do Singapore proud!”

That would make for a Singapore sports story worth telling.

AYG track team

“When you sprint so fast that you can feel the wind in your face,” she says of what she enjoys the most in track-and-field. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

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