BERLIN, GERMANY — Special Olympics (SO) Singapore brought home an impressive medal haul from the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023 in Berlin, thanks to its team of dedicated and hardworking athletes.
The event, which is the world’s largest international sporting event for athletes with intellectual disabilities, saw participants from 190 nations competing in 26 different sports.
17-year-old Muhammad Hazrul Danial Bin Muhammad Alif was one of the standout performers for Singapore, securing a silver medal in the Athletics Track Men’s 400m Level A M03 finals. He also set a new personal best with a time of 57.65s, improving his previous best by 1.69s.
His fellow athletes, Carol Ho Siew Fong, 19, and Mohammad Zulkhairi Lutfi Bin Mohd Azam, 17, also displayed commendable performances, each securing 4th place in their respective 400m Level A finals.
Meanwhile, the youngest athlete in the Singapore delegation, 15-year-old Jocelyn Sng, managed to strike gold at the Bowling Women’s Singles D39 event, overcoming initial jitters to bowl a remarkable four strikes in a row. Her win contributed to Singapore’s total medal count, which stands at six golds, two silvers, and two bronzes.
In a thrilling turn of events, the Athletics 4x400m Relay team managed to clinch the fifth gold medal for Singapore after the SO Pakistan and SO Ecuador teams were disqualified for technical violations.
Not to be outdone, Singapore’s badminton athletes also made their mark. Muhammad Rohaizat Bin Razid, 23, achieved Singapore’s sixth gold medal in the Badminton Men’s Singles MS 6B event, the second-highest-ranked division.
His teammate, Jerica Tan Hui Min, 20, secured a commendable 4th place in the Badminton Women’s Singles WS 5B event. Despite dealing with injuries, the duo demonstrated remarkable resilience, earning praise from their coach, Ms Faith Toh.
All athletes who placed between the 4th and 8th position received ribbons as per the Special Olympics tradition. Even those who did not score or were disqualified were awarded participation ribbons, reinforcing the event’s ethos of inclusivity and the celebration of participation.
The team is set to return home on June 27, 2023, bringing with them an impressive medal haul, a wealth of experience, and an unwavering spirit of resilience and determination.
