SINGAPORE: Two-time SEA Games marathon champion Soh Rui Yong failed in his second attempt to convince the Singapore National Olympic Council that he deserved a spot in the Team Singapore contingent for the 2022 Asian Games.
After a five-year absence, Soh returned to the national selection and represented Singapore at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. He took part in both 5,000m and 10,000m events. Soh came in fourth in the 5,000m race with a time of 14:48.43 and won the silver medal in the 10,000 event, setting a new national record with a new time of 31:10.70.
The long-distance runner won his first SEA Games marathon gold medal in 2015 in Singapore with a time of 2:34:56, and he successfully defended it two years later in Malaysia with an improved timing of 2:29:27.
The recently crowned winner of the Pocari Sweat 2.4km National Championships elite men’s race winner was hoping that he could represent Singapore in the marathon and 10,000m events at the Asian Games.
“Marathon – Qualified once with a time of 2:22:59 (National Record) against the Qualifying Mark of 2:23:42 at the 2021 Valencia Marathon. 10,000m – Surpassed the qualifying mark of 31:44.14 five times in total – 31:34, 31:28, 31:25, 31:12 (National Record), 31:10 (NR again),” posted Soh on his Facebook page.
Soh added that it is worth noting he became the first Singaporean man ever to meet the qualifying mark for both the 10,000m and marathon, as many as six times in just under two years.
“Yet, despite these credentials, I wasn’t selected by the Singapore National Olympic Council for the Asian Games, even after appealing twice. Interestingly, I did represent Singapore at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia after a special appeal earlier this year. This means that, till now, Singapore has had no male representation in the Asian Games 10,000m and marathon, something that will continue to the 2026 Asian Games at least,” remarked Soh.
Soh explained that he reached out to SNOC again in July after Tan Chuan Jin had resigned as the organisation’s president. Singapore Athletics backed his appeal, and he was hoping for a reconsideration, but unfortunately, Soh did not receive a favourable reply as the SNOC’s decision remained unchanged.
Singapore has never won any medal in the 10,000m or marathon event at the Asian Games. The last men’s medal at the Asian Games for Singapore came from former national athlete C. Kunalan in the 1970 meet. He won a bronze medal in the 100m and 200m events with a time of 10.5s and 21.5s, respectively.
Singapore Athletics’ last medal from the Asian Games was in 1974 when they brought home one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Chee Swee Lee clinched the only gold medal for Team Singapore in the 400m race with a time of 55.08s. The bronze medals came from the men’s 4 x 100m (40.34s) and women’s 4 x 100m (47.10s), while the women’s 4 x 400m (3:43.85s) won the silver medal.
While Soh may not be in Hangzhou to compete in the track and field events, eyes will be on Team Singapore’s Shanti Pereira; hopes are high on her after a sizzling performance in several competitions earlier this year.
The sprint queen stormed to the gold medal in the 100m and 200m at the SEA Games with a time of 11.41s and 22.69s, respectively. Her timing for the 200m race is a new Games and National Record. At the Asian Athletics Championships in July, Pereira won the 100m race with a time of 11.20s, setting a new national record for the sixth time this year. She also became the first Singaporean to win a gold medal at the championships, ending a 16-year medal drought for Singapore at the meet. At the same competition, Pereira set a new championship record when she won the 200m race with a time of 22.70s
But Pereira was not done yet. In the same month, Pereira travelled to Germany to compete in the Mittsommernacht Athletics competition in Berlin. She took first place and claimed the gold medal, beating Gina Luckenkemper, the reigning European 100m and 4x100m champion, in the 200m race. At the 2022 Asian Games, Pereira will compete in the 100m and 200m events.