LESS IS MORE FOR PEREIRA

Sprinter to compete less as she ramps up preparations for more SEA Games golds

- Melvyn Teoh

With nearly three-quarters of her season gone, Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira believes fewer competitions will be the best preparation for more success at the year-end SEA Games in Thailand.

It has been a long season for the 29-year-old. Her first race of 2025 came at the International Track Meet in New Zealand back in February, while her most recent competition was September's World Athletics Championships in Japan, where she clocked 23.13sec in the 200m heats and did not make the semifinals.

Speaking to the media at the launch of the School Sports Fiesta at Edgefield Secondary School on Oct 15, she said: "To win (the SEA Games), that's my target... No sugarcoating it.

"(Preparations) are going good, this time round the SEA Games is a bit late in the year, so I did have to rearrange my season quite a bit.

"I do have some preparation races in the next few weeks, but because it was a rather long season for me, I won't be competing as much before the Games... Just to prepare for me to be in my best shape."

She won the sprint double at the Cambodia SEA Games in 2023, clocking 11.41sec in the 100m and 22.69sec in the 200m.