IT'S PEREIRA'S CROWNING GLORY

Sprint queen’s crazy’ season rewarded with The Straits Times Athlete of the Year 2023

- Deepanraj Ganesan

When Shanti Pereira and her coach Luis Cunha sat down in January 2023 to plan for the busy season ahead, little did they expect to rejig their programme just months later.

As the records tumbled for the national sprinter, the duo were forced to reassess their plans.

Their initial focus was on Asian meets, but they redirected their sights to Europe as they plotted the journey to the world championships.

Pereira's quick feet proved to be a happy problem. She had arguably Singapore athletics' greatest individual year, culminating in October, when she won the nation's first athletics gold medal at the Asian Games since 1974.

Her achievements have led to her being crowned The Straits Times Athlete of the Year 2023. This is the first time that Pereira has won the annual award that started in 2009 and is backed by 100Plus.

She edged out fellow nominees Yip Pin Xiu (swimming), kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, bowler Cherie Tan, English billiards player Peter Gilchrist and wushu exponent Jowen Lim to claim the prize.

Fashionably dressed in a black vest and white pants, Pereira was presented the award by Jaime Ho, editor of ST and Celine Tan, director of regional marketing (beverages), F&N, at The Straits Times office on May 9.