SINGAPORE JUNIORS COULD HAVE WON A GOLD MEDAL IN THE YOG

The YOG came and gone, and I would have to admit, I found the games to be highly enjoyable and entertaining. I always looked forward to catching the wrap-up show every evening and it never fails to fill me with nationalistic pride to see our youths giving the other athletes a good run for their gold medals.

My favourite moment of the games was from the table tennis competition. Isabelle Li, a studentl from the Singapore Sports School, exceeded all expectations and stormed her way to a silver medal, losing only to the tournament top seed China’s Gu Yuting. Her defensive play was a joy to watch, as she chopped, sliced and returned smashes from awkward angles, patiently waiting for her opponents to make mistakes. She’s definitely a potential world-beater and I won’t be surprised to see her up there in the world rankings in time to come.

Watching the games got me thinking, if golf is included in the Youth Olympic Games then Singapore surely has a chance to win a gold medal or two. Our nation is currently blessed with a plethora of top junior talent who all have shown tremendous aptitude to hold their fort even in high-pressure situations.

Marc Ong (pictured left) is only 15 this year, but he has already established himself in the national squad. Recently, he won the Warren Amateur Open, beating the best golfers from the region. The amiable young man is a fierce competitor on the fairways and always sets the highest standards for himself.

Nicholas Lim (below, right, in blue), 14 years old, is a schoolmate of Marc Ong at the Singapore Sports School. He is a frequent winner on the HSBC Youth Golf Challenge series, proving that he can definitely stand toe-to-toe with the best golfers in Singapore.

Joshua Ho (below, left, in pink pants), 16 years old, is a supremely confident young man who always seems to enjoy himself on the fairways. His talents were first discovered at NSRCC, beating everybody else in the club competitions. Now inducted in the Development Squad, his game can only get better.

Then finally, there’s 15-year-old Edgar Oh (main picture, above). This young man has shown tremendous abilities as a competitive golfer. He is the SICC Junior Invitational B Division Champion this year and he beat all the local boys to win the Faldo Series Singapore Championship. That gave him a ticket to compete in the grand finals at Mission Hills Shenzhen. Most recently, he won the Singapore Open Amateur Championship, beating the best amateurs from Asia and beyond. A truly remarkable young man.

Local golfers are used to the climate, topology and “feel” of the golf courses here, giving them a key advantage. I’m very sure that juniors like Edgar, Joshua, Nicholas or Marc Ong will surely rise to the occasion and beat the juniors from around the world.

It’s a pity that golf will only be included in 2016 and hence the YOG after that. But given the glowing track record and sound infrastructure that local golf clubs are providing, one can only be optimistic that the first YOG gold medal will come from golf. 
 

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