WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Sports happenings in Singapore (5-11 September)
SINGAPORE — Here is a round-up of sports events and developments in Singapore in the past week (5 to 11 September):
Albirex takes over at top of Singapore Premier League
Albirex Niigata (Singapore) replaced Lion City Sailors as Singapore Premier League leaders with four games left to play, after they defeated the Young Lions 2-1 at Jurong East Stadium on Saturday (10 September).
Two goals from Tadanari Lee (20th and 69th minutes) allowed the White Swans to come back from Syed Muhammad Akmal's 12th-minute opener for the Young Lions.
Albirex now have 54 points from 24 matches, three ahead of the Sailors, who slumped to their second straight defeat in a 1-2 loss to Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub on Saturday. Boris Kopitovic (55th) and Zehrudin Mehmedovic (58th) scored for the Stags, while the Sailors replied through Maxime Lestienne (56th).
On Friday, Tanjong Pagar United ended their five-match winless run with a 3-1 win over Balestier Khalsa at Jurong East Stadium. Goals from Mirko Sugic (28th), Blake Ricciuto (61st) and Khairul Amri (71st) helped the Jaguars to the victory, while Ryoga Taniguchi (82nd) scored for the visitors.
On Sunday, Hougang United snapped Geylang International's three-match winning run with a come-from-behind 4-2 win at Our Tampines Hub. Goals from Pedro Bortoluzo (42nd), Andre Moritz (63rd), Shawal Anuar (85th) and Kristijan Krajcek (95th) gave Hougang the win, while Geylang scored through Umar Akhbar Ramle (7th) and Faizal Roslan (36th).
Safe Sport Commission announces disciplinary panel
Singapore's Safe Sport Commission announced on Friday (9 September) its first disciplinary panel to hear, resolve and adjudicate safe-sport reports and violations for member organisations.
The panel comprises independent individuals appointed by the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth to perform adjudicative functions in accordance with the rules of the Safe Sport Programme. Disciplinary and appeal committees for each hearing will be appointed by the disciplinary panel chair, Senior Counsel Molly Lim, to determine the appropriate measures and sanctions.
A decision-making framework is in place to guide the Safe Sport Commission and disciplinary committee in their determinations. Respondents will have the opportunity to be heard by the disciplinary panel, who will ascertain the seriousness of the misconduct based on the degree of culpability and harm caused, and consider the aggravating and mitigating factors before coming to a decision on the appropriate measures or sanctions.
Moderate to severe cases will be referred to the disciplinary panel, and criminal offences will also be referred to the police. For misconduct classified as low severity, the commission will work with member organisations to provide support to affected parties, address concerns raised through implementation of appropriate measures, or determine if any other appropriate organisation-level measures could be undertaken.
Sailors clinch Women's Premier League title with 2 games to spare
The Lion City Sailors clinched the inaugural Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title on Saturday (10 September), after a 4-0 win over Still Aerion Women’s FC at Yishun Stadium.
The victory meant that the Sailors have amassed 28 points from 10 games, and with two rounds of matches remaining, they have moved beyond the reach of second-placed Tanjong Pagar United, who are eight points behind.
Undefeated this season with nine wins and a draw, the Sailors will receive their $25,000 winners' cheque in their final league game against Tanjong Pagar on 2 October.
Enhancements to Singapore Marathon race routes
Enhancements have been made to the race routes of this year's Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM), which will be held from 2 to 4 December, said organiser The Ironman Group in a media release on Wednesday (7 September).
The marathon route will see the removal of the unsheltered stretch at West Coast highway, leading runners into the cool, shady East Coast Park (ECP) at the 21km mark, and also allows for supporters to cheer runners on. Runners will then breeze through the scenic Gardens by the Bay and its Supertree Grove, before passing the finish line at the Esplanade.
Runners from all categories will begin their race from the same start point across the event days – in front of the Formula One Pit Building.
With the event back in full scale, traffic advisory signs will be put up in advance to inform the public of impending road closures. More details about road traffic arrangements and shuttle services for participants will be shared later.
Race organisers have also announced the $70,000 prize purse for competitive runners in the marathon and half-marathon categories. To be eligible to compete for the prize purse in the marathon category, male athletes will need to show proof that they had achieved a race time of 3hrs or less in a World Athletics or National Federation-sanctioned race between 1 January 2018 and 31 October 2022. For female runners, the qualifying time is 3hr 30min.
For the half-marathon category, male and female athletes will need to have an official timing of 1hr 45min or less, within the same qualifying window period. Runners have until 31 October to submit their details and records for organisers’ review.
Tan Chuan-Jin re-elected as SNOC president
Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, was re-elected unanimously as president of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) during its annual general meeting at Paradox Singapore Merchant Court on Thursday (8 September). He will serve his third term from 2022 to 2026.
Former national sailor Dr Benedict Tan was re-elected as vice-president and will serve a fresh four-year term till 2026. Former Singapore Badminton Association president Lawrence Leow, will return to the SNOC in a vice-president capacity.
Both will join vice-presidents Jessie Phua and Juliana Seow, who were elected in 2020, on the SNOC executive committee. Former national shooter Lee Wung Yew was also elected to serve a one-year term as treasurer.
The 2022/2023 SNOC executive committee comprises: Tan Chuan-Jin (president), Ng Ser Miang (IOC member), Jessie Phua, Juliana Seow, Dr Benedict Tan, Lawrence Leow (vice-presidents), Lee Wung Yew (honorary treasurer), Dr Hing Siong Chen, Dr Koh Koon Teck, Dr Patrick Liew (members), Lim Teck Yin, Tan Chen Kee, Shayna Ng (athletes' commission chair), Lau Kok Keng, Forrest Li (co-opted members), Chris Chan (secretary-general), Edmund Lim (ssistant secretary-general).
Zeng Jian, Zhou Jingyi clinch doubles silver in Bulgaria
Singapore paddlers Zeng Jian and Zhou Jingyi clinched a silver medal in the women's doubles competition on Sunday (4 September) at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Feeder tournament held in Panagyurishte, Bulgaria.
The duo had defeated three doubles pairs - Croatia's Mateja Jeger/Hana Arapovic, Turkey's Simay Kulakceken/Sibei Altinkaya, and Germany's Yuan Wan/Chanteal Mantz - before losing in the final to France's Prithika Pavade/Camille Lutz 13-11, 9-11, 9-11, 9-11.
Zeng and Zhou will next play in the WTT Contender tournament in Muscat, Oman.
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