SWIMMERS AIM TO DOMINATE AGAIN

S'pore Aquatics sets an overall target of 20 golds with stalwarts like Quah siblings leading charge

- David Lee Senior Sports Correspondent

For the last two decades, Team Singapore’s swimmers have plundered multiple gold medals in the pool to top the medal tally at the SEA Games - in the last five editions (2015-2023) they won 23, 19, 23, 21 and 22 golds.

Beating their Southeast Asian rivals in Bangkok remains the goal, as national swimming head coach Gary Tan said during their media day in November: “We are very clear on the mission that we are supposed to go in there and win the medals, and nothing has really changed for us on the narrative.”

While Olympic champion Joseph Schooling retired in 2024, they can count on stalwarts such as sprint king Teong Tzen Wei - who is looking to recapture his 50m freestyle and butterfly crowns from Jonathan Tan and Mikkel Lee respectively - distance queen Gan Ching Hwee, as well as 134-medal Quah siblings Ting Wen, Zheng Wen and Jing Wen.

The five swimmers will spearhead the 21-athlete squad which feature eight debutants and an average age of 22.

Once again the Quahs are in the spotlight, with 33-year-old Ting Wen chasing Joscelin Yeo’s record of 40 golds and 62 medals, 24-year-old Jing Wen pencilled in for eight events while Zheng Wen, 29, is set to compete in 10 - bringing to mind his incredible 12-medal haul at the home Games in 2015.