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Straits Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Singapore's Ritchie Oh makes comeback in open water swimming at World Aquatics Championships
Find out what's new on ST website and app. After coming out of retirement, Singapore open water swimmer Ritchie Oh is eyeing podium finishes at the 2027 and 2029 SEA Games. SINGAPORE – When Ritchie Oh retired from competitive swimming in 2023, the idea of racing at a home world championships two years later was certainly not on his radar. After competing at the 2019 SEA Games, Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and two world championships, he felt he had reached the end of his journey in the sport. Once driven by his goals of qualifying for major competitions, he began to feel stagnant, constantly measuring himself against others and training became a chore. Oh said: 'I stopped caring about what major meets I could qualify for, which had been my biggest drive before – to keep improving and making the next bigger competition. 'I dreaded going for training and did not have a goal anymore.' Now, the 22-year-old is among eight open water swimmers representing the Republic at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Oh said he had enjoyed the freedom in the first few months after his retirement, occasionally entering local meets to catch up with friends. But by late 2024, something was missing. He said: 'I pushed myself in the gym but after a few months I realised it wasn't enough for me. 'I thought I was missing out on something but I didn't know it was swimming because I thought I had firmly made a decision to stop and I had no passion for it anymore.' After speaking to his parents and girlfriend Claire Tan, a national artistic swimmer, he realised that he missed swimming and began considering a comeback. Though there was uncertainty, the thought of competing alongside Tan at major events again was hard to ignore, and he still enjoyed the adrenaline of racing. Ritchie Oh (left) with his girlfriend Claire Tan, a national artistic swimmer, at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RITCHIE OH About 10 months ago, Oh began training with coaches Roderick Eng and Jerome Teo at the Singapore Sports School. Careful to avoid the long-distance training that has once worn him down, he initially focused on distances of 200m and below, aiming for a spot on the 4x200m freestyle relay team at the 2026 Asian Games. But he soon turned to the 1,500m freestyle after realising his time away had made it difficult to hit the required benchmarks. At the Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships in March, he finished a creditable fourth in the event. Coincidentally, Singapore Aquatics also sent out the selection criteria for open water swimming for the SEA Games and world championships during that period, and he decided to give it a go with. At the trials in April, he finished second in the 10km race to earn his spot at the world championships. He said: 'Every single day I came to the pool, regardless of how I felt, how bad the times were, I just kept pushing myself. 'Every day when you have a goal in mind, your discipline kicks in, your motivation gets sparked and I became hungry again.' With open water swimming set to feature at the next three SEA Games, he has set his sights on reaching the podium at the 2027 and 2029 editions. Juggling national service with training has been a challenge in his comeback journey. While most open water swimmers clock 70km to 80km a week, Oh averages just 25km to 30km. On days he is on shift, he wakes at 4am to train by 5am, before reporting to base at 7.15am, often finishing at about 11pm. He is grateful to his coaches for turning up an hour earlier on those mornings to help him squeeze in 5km to 6km before his duties. Ahead of the world championships, which will also serve as a qualifier for December's SEA Games, he said: 'I want to do my best, I want to show my coaches and myself that all the hard work that I've put in is worth it.' Chantal Liew, Singapore's first open water swimmer to compete at the Olympics, will also be taking part in the world championships. PHOTO: SPORT SINGAPORE Also itching to compete at the championships is Chantal Liew, who contemplated retirement after narrowly missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Competing at home feels like a full circle for her, having made her national team debut in pool swimming a decade ago at the SEA Games in Singapore. While Liew, Singapore's first Olympic open water swimmer, is not sure how much longer she will compete for, she wants to do her best and enjoy the championships, where she will take part in the 10km, 3km knockout, and 4x1,500m relay. She said: 'I had half a mind after the last worlds to retire, but I was convinced by my coach to stay on for this one because he said racing at your home worlds isn't something everyone can do and it's special. 'In a way, I hope to redeem myself from Doha (qualifying event for Olympics). But more than that, I know I'm at the tail end of my career and I did read the other day what Naomi Osaka posted about enjoying whatever time I have left in the sport so that's what I'm going to be doing – I'm going to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy racing in front of family and friends.'
The Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Muhammad Azeem's three-step plan for WUG 2025 podium success
NATIONAL sprint star Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi has outlined a three-step strategy to secure a podium finish at the World University Games (WUG) 2025 in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. His plan includes breaking his season's best of 10.20 seconds, qualifying for the final, and clinching a medal for Malaysia. The Auburn University student acknowledges the tough competition, including Thailand's Puripol Boonson and other top sprinters he faced at the NCAA championships in the US. 'This is a world-class event, and it will be a tough fight. My mentality is to do my best, improve my time, and win a medal,' he said. Muhammad Azeem, who holds the national 100m record of 10.09 seconds, will also compete in the 200m and 4x100m relay in Germany. The relay team includes Aliff Iman Mohd Fahimi, Mohamad Raimi Mustaffa Kamal, Mohammad Thaqif Mohammad Hisham, and Pengirin Aidil Auf Hajam. Reflecting on his preparations, he said, 'I don't have high expectations. I just want to focus on the race and give my best.' The 21-year-old previously won bronze in the 100m at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Being selected as Malaysia's flagbearer for WUG 2025 is another milestone for him. 'This is a huge honour and motivation. It's my first time carrying the Jalur Gemilang, marking a great start in my career,' he added. The Malaysian contingent, consisting of 64 athletes, aims for seven medals across six sports: artistic gymnastics, badminton, archery, athletics, swimming, and taekwondo. At the 2023 WUG in Chengdu, Malaysia achieved its best performance with one gold, one silver, and five bronze medals. - Bernama
RTHK
10-07-2025
- Sport
- RTHK
Weiqi tournament kicks off in HK
Weiqi tournament kicks off in HK The three-day Weiqi competition is being held at the University of Science and Technology. Photo: RTHK A Weiqi competition amongst university students began in Hong Kong on Thursday, as 14 teams from Asia compete for the title. It is the third edition of the Hong Kong International University Student Weiqi Competition. New entrants to the board game tournament include students from Tsinghua and Peking Universities. The three-day event, hosted by the Hong Kong Greater Bay Area Weiqi Promotion Association, is being held at the University of Science Technology. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, who attended the opening ceremony, said he is glad to see that Weiqi is being promoted because it is part of traditional Chinese culture. He added that Hong Kong residents have shown increasing enthusiasm for the game in recent years. The organiser said the event is meant to promote the board game in the SAR, whilst encouraging exchanges between Weiqi players from around the world. Weiqi was a sport at the Hangzhou Asian Games held two years ago.
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Karate champion Arif Afifuddin targets Asian Games 2026 gold comeback
GEORGE TOWN: National karate exponent Muhammad Arif Afifuddin Ab Malik is determined to make a comeback from a recent surgery for his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, to defend his gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. The gold medallist in the men's 84 kilogramme kumite (sparring) event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is confident that he can make a stronger recovery in the next six months before his knee is fully healed in 10 months, according to the head coach. 'I suffered an ACL injury at the K1 Series A Championship in Salzburg, Austria after being taken down in the first round earlier this year and I have just undergone surgery for it. 'I am now focusing on physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Hopefully, I will come back stronger by next year,' he told Bernama at the Penang State Sports Awards 2023/2024 ceremony at the Amari Food Gallery near here today. At the ceremony, the 26-year-old athlete was crowned Penang 2023/2024 Sportsman of the Year and received a trophy and cash prize of RM4,000 presented by state executive councillor for Youth, Sports and Health, Daniel Gooi Zi Sen. Commenting on the recognition, Muhammad Arif described the award as a morale booster to continue striving for greater and more prestigious success on the international stage. 'I never thought I would be selected as the Sportsman of the Year because I was nominated before but didn't win. This year, I got it. I am grateful and very happy,' he said. The 1.83-metre tall exponent also expressed his intention to continue his Masters studies in business or sports science in the near future. For the record, Muhammad Arif created history when he won the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal after defeating 2021 World Championship bronze medallist Daniyar Yuldashev from Kazakhstan 10-4 in the final. Gold medal winner in chess at the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA Sarawak), Chua Jia Tien, was crowned Penang Sportswoman of the Year 2023/2024 and her father collected the award on her behalf. Meanwhile, Gooi said the presentation of incentives this year involved 12 categories of major state sports awards including a new category introduced for the first time, which is the Deaf Sports Excellence Award. He said the new award is dedicated to the deaf sports community in Penang and reflects the state's commitment to recognising the achievement of athletes from all walks of life despite physical disability, to instil an inclusive spirit in the development of state sports. 'This incentive is a sign of the state's appreciation for the hard work and commitment of the athletes, promoters and all state sports personnel in raising the prestige of Penang sports,' he said. He also congratulated the state contingent whose medal tally of 41 gold, 45 silver and 53 bronze medals secured fourth place overall at the 21st SUKMA in Sarawak last year, which showed a 39 per cent progress compared to the 20th SUKMA where Penang had to settle for seventh place. The gold medal winner for the chess event at the 10th Asia Pacific Deaf Games Championship (APDG) last year, Loo Pin Xie, 20, received the Deaf Sports Excellence Award. - Bernama
RTHK
26-06-2025
- Business
- RTHK
65pc of National Games tickets to be for public sale
65pc of National Games tickets to be for public sale A real-name registration system will be in place for ticket sales, which will be released in batches. Tickets for this year's National Games will be sold in phases, with at least 65 percent of seats at the various venues to be made available for public sale, according to event organisers. Guangdong sports bureau director Cui Jian said the Games in November, which will be co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau for the very first time, will adopt a single ticketing platform for all three regions. He said a real-name registration system will be in place for ticket sales, which will be released in batches. "Both domestic and international audiences can purchase tickets online by registering through the official ticketing website, mobile app and online official sales channels," Cui said. "Alternatively, tickets can be bought in person at authorised offline ticket agencies, service points or venue box offices. "The offline official ticketing agencies and service points will be strategically arranged in cities hosting the 15th National Games and the National Special Olympic Games, creating a ticket sales network that covers the entire country." Cui said the Games will be the largest ever in its history and that the total number of tickets sold is expected to approach or exceed that for the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022. He said ticket prices are expected to be announced by September at the earliest. In response to the announcement, Kenny Shui, vice president of Our Hong Kong Foundation, said in a statement that he welcomes a unified ticketing platform as it would enhance purchasing efficiency and allow organisers to analyse data on purchasing trends, enabling better assessments of market demand and audience preferences. He also said the new model would standardise ticketing across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, laying a foundation for a future ticket sales network in the Greater Bay Area.
