Singapore’s Chef de Mission for the Doha Asian Games, Annabel Pennefather was moderately optimistic in November 2006 when she forecast six gold medals for the country’s athletes at the Games in December—just one gold better than 2002 in Busan. As it turned out, Singapore’s athletes surpassed all expectations and won eight gold medals, seven silvers and 12 bronzes. Singapore’s previous record was in Busan, Korea in 2002 when it won 17 medals (5 golds, 2 silvers and 10 bronzes).

Singapore sent its largest-ever contingent to the Doha Games: 134 athletes. Sailing dominated the results, picking up five golds, three silvers and two bronzes. Prior to the Asian Games, Mr. Low Teo Ping, president of Singapore Sailing Federation, had predicted that every sailor would win a medal. He was almost right: of the 20 sailors who went to the Games, 19 stood on podiums when their events were done.

Athletes in other sports also put up tremendous efforts against fierce opponents. Bowler Remy Ong led his mens team to the Team silver in addition to winning a silver in the mens masters. The reigning World Champion was under tremendous pressure from the Korean bowlers who were hoping to sweep the podium. However, Remy and the team ensured that Singapore 's colours flew over the men's event. In womens doubles, Michelle Kwang and Valerie Teo held the line to win the gold medal. Valerie also picked up a bronze in the womens all event, and the womens five-player team claimed a bronze.

In swimming Tao Li, who had made a strong debut at the SEA Games in 2005, surprised spectators with a golden performance in the women’s 50 metre butterfly and a bronze medal in the 100 metres. Bodybuilder Simon Chua picked up another gold medal for Singapore while his team mates added two bronzes to the total.

In shooting, the women’s air rifle team of Adrienne Ser, Jasmine Ser and Vanessa Yong came through with a silver medal. The women’s table tennis team, which has been one of Singapore’s most consistent medal winners for the past five years, also picked up a silver medal. Li Jiawei settled for a bronze medal in singles and in mixed doubles with Yang Zi.

The badminton Ladies team fought hard to a bronze medal. Goh Qiu Bin won a bronze medal in wushu. Peter Gilchrist won a bronze medal in cuesports. Ibrahim Sihat and Mohd Ismail Muhammad added to their collection of bronze medals as well in bodybuilding.

Singapore’s achievements at the Doha Games were the best the country had ever achieved and far better than they had expected. When the athletes returned from Doha, they were met by exuberant fans at Changi International Airport. The country’s appreciation and respect for its athletes was no longer in any doubt. It had been a long time in coming but there would be no turning back..

The end of the Second World War brought great change across Asia, including independence for many Asian nations. As countries successfully rebuilt their economies, their leaders also saw the value in strengthening their ties across the region in a spirit of cooperation rather than conflict. In 1947 Indian Prime Minister Jawahalal Nehru first raised the possibility of an Asian sports meet. Earlier in the century, the Far East Championships had been held 10 times from 1913 to 1934. However, the Championships had been suspended with the outbreak of the War.

It was only natural that Asian countries would turn to sport to revive national feelings of optimism and pride. India pursued the idea at the 1948 London Games with other Asian leaders, and by February 1949, the Asian Athletic Federation had been formed. The first Asian Games would be held in New Delhi in 1951. In line with Olympic tradition, the Games would be held every four years, and the location would change, allowing countries to alternate as hosts of the Games.

New Delhi 1951

Eleven countries sent 489 athletes to compete at the inaugural Asian Games in March 1951. Athletes from Afghanistan, Burma, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand competed in athletics, aquatics, basketball, cycling, football and weightlifting in the eight-day Games. Korea was unable to participate because of the Korean War.

Japan emerged from the event as the overall winner, with 24 gold medals, 20 silvers and 14 bronzes. Host country India placed second with 15 gold medals, 18 silvers and 19 bronzes. Japan’s participation in the Asian Games heralded its return to normalcy after the War. Japan had been barred from taking part in the London Olympics as a consequence of the country’s starting the War in the Pacific. However, they came to the Asian Games, expecting to win—and they did for the most part.

However, the very first gold medal won at the inaugural Asian Games was by Singaporean Mr. Neo Chee Kok in the 1500 metre freestyle. Nicknamed the ‘Flying Fish’, Neo swept the freestyle events, winning four gold medals—much to the chagrin of the Japanese. Neo shared the freestyle 400 gold medal with teammates Lionel Chee, Wiebe Wolters and Barry Mitchell. Neo also set a record for the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 5:13:8. They were coached by Kee Soon Bee.

Chee, Wolters and Mitchell also won a silver medal in water polo, with Tan Hwee Hock, Ho Kian Bin, Keith Mitchell, Tan Wee Eng and Kee Soon Bee, who was a player, not a coach, in this event. (In 1954 Singapore would win a gold medal at the Asian Games.) Swimming in the 100 metre freestyle race, Wiebe Wolters won the silver medal, making it a 1-2 for Singapore. Wolters, then 19 years old, had come to Singapore from Indonesia after the end of the War. Singapore also achieved a third silver medal in the 3 x 100 medley relay.

In athletics, Mr. Ng Liang Chiang won the 110-metre hurdles in 15.2 seconds while Lloyd Valberg, who was Singapore’s sole athlete at the 1948 Olympics, won the bronze in that event. Mr. Ng picked up a bronze in the 400 metre hurdles as well. Laura Dowdswell won two medals in athletics, in the 200 metre race and the 80-metre hurdles.

At the New Delhi Games, Singapore also showed great promise in weightlifting. In the 67.5 kg category, Ho Foon Onn won a silver medal on the back of a combined 292.5 kg. Team mate Cheong Kok Cheong also took a silver medal in the 82.5 kg category, lifting 317.5 kg.

In total, Singapore had won five gold medals, seven silvers and two bronzes. It was an encouraging beginning for Singapore. Unfortunately, for many years, it would prove impossible for Singapore to improve upon its 1951 results.

Bangkok 1966 & 1970

Even in 1966 in Bangkok when the country won 12 medals, no athlete was able to place first at the Asian Games. Singapore won five silver medals and seven bronzes. History repeated itself in 1970, again in Bangkok, when Singapore failed to win a gold medal. This time, Singapore won six silvers and nine bronzes.

Tehran 1974

However, in 1974 in Tehran, a young girl of 19 would bring the gold home to Singapore. Chee Swee Lee set a new Games record for the 400-metre race and a Singapore national record with a time of 55.08 seconds. It was the first time a woman from Singapore had won a gold medal at the Asian Games.

Bangkok 1978

In 1978, an even younger Singaporean girl would win gold at the Asian Games in Bangkok: in fact, 14 year-old Junie Sng would win two gold medals. Coached by Kee Soon Bee, who had won a silver medal as a water polo player at the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, Junie was a feisty endurance swimmer. She won a silver in the 200 metre, but the longer the distance, the more she shone. She broke the 400-metre freestyle record by more than four seconds—an eternity in swimming. The next day, she swam to victory in the 800-metre.

Without Junie, Singapore would have been locked out of the gold medals. The country managed to finish the Games with a total of seven medals, but the trend was not looking good.

New Delhi 1982

Indeed, in 1982 in New Delhi, Singapore won exactly three medals—two bronzes and one triumphant gold by swimmer Ang Peng Siong. Only 20 years old, Ang was a spectacular athlete as he proved more than once in 1982. He set the world record in 1982 for the 50-metre freestyle with a time of 22.69. At the Asian Games, Ang won the 100-metre freestyle, giving Singapore its only gold medal that year.

Seoul 1986, Beijing 1990

For the next two Asian Games, Singapore’s performance was mediocre. At Seoul in 1986 and Beijing in 1990, Singapore won one silver each and four bronze. As other Asian countries were improving their records, Singapore clearly was going nowhere in its development of athletes.

Hiroshima 1994

Finally, in 1994 in Hiroshima, Japan, 26 year old Benedict Tan produced another first for Singapore—its first gold medal in sailing. Once again, a young Singaporean had done something that had never been done before in Singapore’s sports history. The young doctor was so well ahead of his competitors in the Laser class that he didn’t even have to sail the final race.

Sailing also won a silver medal through the partnership of Siew Shaw Her and Charles Lim. Joscelin Yeo set a new National record in the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 1.01.62, and got a bronze medal. Bowler Grace Young also won a bronze medal. The third bronze was picked up by the mens team in sepaktakraw. Women in the martial arts also took bronze medals: Tan Mui Buay and Chiew Hui Yan in separate Wushu events.

Bangkok 1998

The Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998 saw four other sailors win gold medals. Naomi Tan and Joan Huang triumphed in the Ladies 420 class while Siew Shaw Her sailing with Colin Ng won in the Mens 420. Joan Huang was only 16 years old and deferred her O Level exams in favour of training for the Asian Games. Naomi Tan had to take unpaid leave of absence for her teaching job to prepare for the Games. Not only did they win Best Team of the Year award in 1999, Joan Huang won Sportswoman of the Year.

Singapore won three silver medals in Bangkok, thanks to Tan Tiong Boon in cuesports, Jesmine Ho in bowling and Anthon Kiong in sailing.

The country also won nine bronze medals—something that hadn’t happened since the 1970 Asian Games. The women’s trio of Jesmine Ho, Alice Tay and Grace Young brought home a bronze medal as did sailing’s Charles Lim & Tan Wearn Haw in the International 470, Roy Tay in the International Optimist and Tracy Tan in the International Europe. Sepaktakraw won a bronze in the mens team event. Shooting also scored a bronze medal in the mens doubles trap team event, with Lee Wung Yew picking up a bronze in trap shooting as well. Ladies squash contributed another two bronzes while Picasso Tan from wushu secured the final bronze.

Busan 2002

When the 2002 Asian Games opened in Busan, Korea, Singapore came with an agenda to win medals. The country’s sports community was no longer content with being an also-ran. Remy Ong made sports history by winning three gold medals in bowling: the mens singles event, the mens masters and the team events. No other mens bowler in the history of the Games had set the bar so high.

Singapore’s bodybuilders also showed that they had the right stuff in Busan. Standing at the top of the podiums were Abdul Halim Haron in the bantam weight and Simon Chua in the welterweight. Bodybuilding also picked up two silvers, courtesy of Ibrahim Sihat in the fly weight and Mohd Ismail Muhammad in the light heavyweight. Completing the picture was Amir Zainal’s bronze medal in bantam weight.

Overall, Singapore picked up 10 bronze medals in Busan. Sailors Teo Wee Chin, Sarah Tan, Joan Huang partnered with Toh Liying this time, and Tan Wearn Haw & Chung Pei Ming added to the cache of bronze medals. Singapore’s No.1 swimmer at the time, Joscelin Yeo scored a bronze in the 100 metre butterfly. In table tennis, 21 year-old Li Jiawei won a bronze medal—her first at the Asian Games. The Ladies Team also won the bronze medal, thanks to the all-round playing power of Li Jiawei, Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern and Zhang Xueling.