Our best athletes honoured at Singapore Sports Awards

Story and pictures by Leslie Tan

Jazreel Tan (left), Sportsgirl of the Year, together with schoolmate Tao Li who won Sportswoman of the Year honours. (Photo 1 © Leslie Tan/Red Sports)

Marina Mandarin, Tuesday, June 24, 2008 – Shooter Jonathan Koh of Raffles Junior College won the Sportsboy of the Year award while Jazreel Tan of Singapore Sports School picked up Sportsgirl of the Year honours last night at the Singapore Sports Awards.

Jonathan won individual and team golds at the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand, a victory that ended a 34-year gold medal drought in the pistol and rifle events. Jonathan picked up air rifle as a co-curricular activity in 2003 when he was in Secondary One. By the end of 2006, he had won two golds at the South-east Asia Shooting Championships and earned a fifth-place finish in the team event at the Asian Games in Doha.

“I was in school attending a PE lecture when I found out I had won the award,” said the 18-year-old Jonathan who is in Year 2 taking Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. “My parents saw it in the paper and messaged me. I got a shock! But I kept it to myself. The next step is the SEA Games next year and then the 2010 Asian Games.”

Jazreel Tan, 18, clinched a silver medal last year at the World Women’s Bowling Championships Masters and won the 31st Malaysian International Open this year in Kuala Lumpur. She also picked up a silver medal at the 2007 SEA Games.

“I was having dinner with my family when I got the call that I won,” said Jazreel. “It’s nice to be recognised. It’s just another step and I hope to get the Sportswoman of the Year award one day.”

The Singapore football team also got the Team of the Year award for the second year running. They retained the Asean Football Championship when they beat favourites Thailand in the final and then made history when they qualified for the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. The Under-23 team also won a bronze at the SEA Games, the first football medal in years.

“It’s good to win it for the second time in a row,” said national footballer Baihakki Khaizan. “We did quite well in the World Cup qualifiers. I feel proud of the team. We’ve established ourselves at ASEAN level. We are looking at Asia next.”

National team coach Raddy Avramovic also picked up Coach of the Year honours, only the third football coach after Jita Singh and the late Choo Seng Quee to win this award.

“Our Team Singapore atheltes not only raised Singapore’s flag high at the 24th SEA Games with a record medal haul of 43 gold medals, they have also made their presence felt at international events by climbing higher on the world rankings. All the winners of the coveted Singapore Sports Awards have truly epitomised Singapore’s sporting spirit,” said Mr Chris Chan, Secretary General of the Singapore National Olympic Council.

Paddler Gao Ning and swimmer Tao Li were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively. Gao Ning placed in the top eight at the Men’s World Cup in Spain in 2007 while Tao Li was the first Singaporean to ever reach the final of the 50-metre butterfly event at the 12th FINA World Cup last year.

Jonathan Koh (right) receives his award from Minister Teo Chee Hean. (Photo 2 © Leslie Tan/Red Sports)

Baihakki Khaizan (middle) greets Minister Vivian Balakrishan while teammate Indra Sahdan looks on. (Photo 3 © Leslie Tan/Red Sports)

Football coach Raddy Avramovic gets his award from Minister Teo. (Photo 4 © Leslie Tan/Red Sports)

Mok Yin Ren (right) gets his Individual Merit Award from Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo Ser Luck. Yin Ren won the triathlon gold at the 2007 SEA Games. (Photo 5 © Leslie Tan/Red Sports)

Minister Teo shares a toast with the national water polo team which received a merit award for their successful defence of the 2007 SEA Games gold. (Photo 6 © Leslie Tan/Red Sports)