SINGAPORE – World No. 1 para archer Nur Syahidah Alim was named the Sportswoman of the Year at the Singapore Disability Sports Awards (SDSA) presented by Haw Par Corporation on Friday (Aug 7), while bowler Eric Foo won the Sportsman of the Year accolade.
Syahidah, 34, was honoured for her achievements in 2019, which included winning a historic gold medal in the women's individual compound event at the 2019 World Archery Para Championships in the Netherlands.
The para archer, who has cerebral palsy, has grown from strength to strength since impressing in her competitive debut at the 2015 Asean Para Games on home soil where she won the individual compound and mixed team event.
A year later, she became Singapore's first-ever archer at the Paralympics when she competed at the 2016 Rio Games, making it to the quarter-final stage.
Syahidah, who also serves as chairperson of the Singapore Para-Athletes Commission and is a member of the Asian Paralympic Committee Athletes' Commission, was up against stiff competition for the top award on Friday.
Her fellow nominees for the Sportswoman of the Year were Paralympic medallists Yip Pin Xiu (swimming) and Laurentia Tan (equestrian), as well as Diane Neo (bowling), Nur Aini Mohamad Yasli (power lifting), Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha (boccia) and Claire Toh (table tennis).
Her male counterpart Foo, 32, also had a fruitful year, winning two gold medals (mixed singles TPB4 and mixed doubles TPB4) and a silver (all events mixed TPB4) at the Thailand World Para Bowling Championships.
He also claimed two golds (men's singles TPB4 and men's all events TPB4) and one bronze (men's doubles TPB4) at the Philippines World Para Bowling Championships 2019.
Foo, who has an intellectual impairment, also bagged the Team of the Year award on Friday with tenpin bowling pairs partner Muhammad Farhan Ismail.
The duo won the mixed doubles and men's doubles events at the Thailand and Philippines legs of the World Para Bowling Tour Series respectively.
There was a familiar name for the Sportsboy of the Year accolade, with swimmer Toh Wei Soong winning it for the second consecutive year.
The 21-year-old won a gold in the men's 100m freestlye and a silver in the men's 50m butterfly at the Singapore 2019 World Para Swimming World Series. He also clinched gold medals in the 100m S7 freestyle and 50m S7 fly events at the Japan Para Swimming Championships.
The virtual ceremony on Friday saw awards handed out to nine recipients. This year's awards ceremony was supported by Haw Par Corporation, which donated $120,000 to the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC).
SDSC president Kevin Wong said: "As we prepare to celebrate the nation's 55th birthday, we would also like to take this opportunity to take stock of how far we have come as one community, and how much more we can strive to achieve.
"Today's celebration recognises the contributions and achievements of individuals, organisations and communities, and we must also remember that there have been many who have come before us, without whom today's achievements would not have been possible."
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who was the event's guest of honour, said: "I would also like to commend our athletes for their unwavering commitment to their sport. Despite the cancellation of the 2020 Asean Para GamesRead More – Source
