Young athletes achieve personal bests amidst fierce regional competition.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Singapore Swimming Association recently sent over a hundred swimmers to Malaysia for the 44th SEA Age Group Swimming Championships 2022, held from December 17 to 19 at the National Aquatic Stadium in Bukit Jalil. The young athletes emerged from the meet with an impressive haul of 27 medals, including four golds, ten silvers, and thirteen bronzes, along with 40 new personal bests.
During the three-day event, the junior swimmers faced off against competitive teams from various regions, including hosts Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Brunei. Head coach Eugene Chia expressed optimism about the future of these young talents in the sport they love.
“Improving day by day and making the right choices have been the central themes of the SEA Age Group Championships this year,” Chia stated. “The team had the opportunity to witness how these traits can influence results significantly.” He also serves as a coach at the Singapore Swimming Club.
Echoing Chia’s sentiments, coach Osamu Gushi emphasized that continued exposure to competitive environments will enhance the swimmers’ skills. “The young swimmers who missed out on the Junior International Championships and other major Age Group events showcased their potential here in Kuala Lumpur. With more competitive experiences, they will continue to improve. This is a significant hope for Singapore!” Gushi remarked.
He noted that the current Singapore SEA Age team can be categorized as a tier-two team, while the 13-and-under and 14-15 age groups represent a tier-one team. “For many of them, this was their first international competition, making it a valuable experience,” added Gushi, who coaches at the Aquatic Performance Swim Club.
After the first day of competition, the swimming association shared Gushi’s observations on their Facebook page. He highlighted that while there were many strong performances, especially in the sprint events, there’s a need to focus on speed endurance training and lactate tolerance sets to enhance performance in longer-distance events.
