Asian Para Games 2026: Fruitful Final Day in the Pool for Singapore as Toh Claims Silver, Wong Sets National Record

Toh signed off with silver in the 50m freestyle S7. Photo: SNPC/ Lau Lup Yun

Team Singapore’s swimmers ended their Asian Para Games outing with a flourish, with Toh Wei Soong taking home his fifth medal in as many races.

The Games record holder and defending champion in the men’s 50m freestyle S7, Toh swam his way to silver in 29.22 seconds on Friday (Oct 23) night.

His time also bettered his performance at July’s Commonwealth Games (29.36s), where he also took silver and May’s Para Swimming World Series Fuji-Shizuoka (29.80s).

With all his races completed, Toh dedicated his “tough” campaign to the immense support system around him.

“​​It's a good race. I've been fighting very, very hard these past few days. I'm very proud of myself for how far I've come. It's been tough going up against my competitors, and I just want to thank my team for being there with me. I want to thank my parents who came down to support me.

“I also want to thank my family back home who's been cheering me on, sending me messages. I want to thank just everyone who's been following my story all these years. It really means a lot,” the 28-year-old said.

Toh brought home two silvers and three bronzes from Aichi-Nagoya. Photo: SpexSG/ Dejbordin Limsupanark

His fourth Games appearance also taught him the importance of “having faith”.

“That's something I have struggled with throughout my career. This idea of being able to trust myself, being able to just stop trying to be a perfectionist… to the point of trying to control every variable, and instead just accepting that things are gonna go however they're gonna go.”

“It’s really to build on the things I've learned this meet. To me, it seems like this long campaign of coming to more than 13 years has been leading up to me learning some very important lessons about who I am… and I think this is getting me very close to that conclusion and that outcome, so I'm very glad to be here.

Meanwhile, Wong Zhi Wei wrapped up his meet with a commendable fifth-place finish in the men’s 200m individual medley SM13, his seventh and final race of the Games.

He also clocked an exceptional nine-second personal best, improving on his previous mark of 2:35.29 set at the Hangzhou Games to finish in 2:26.16 at the Rainbow Pool of Nagoya City General Gymnasium.

The time was also a new national record, marking Wong’s third at the Games (400m free S13 and 50m free S13).

“I am glad I got all my events done. I felt a bit tired today, but I followed all the steps needed and internally, it felt like a good race. I think I broke my old PB by nine seconds. The last time I swam this event was at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games… I'm quite shocked and pleasantly surprised.”

Wong worked on his backstroke leading up to the Games and reaped rewards in the medley. Photo: SNPC/ Goh Si Wei

Wong chalked up the marked improvement to the work he had put into his weaker strokes.

“Historically, I have always had trouble in the backstroke and breaststroke, which was what my coach worked on… It has really helped me a lot, and I think it showed in the individual medley,” said Wong, who added that the cheers from the crowd each time he came up were a timely boost for him.

But progress hasn’t always been linear for the swimmer, who experienced doubts while he focused on pursuing his university degree in psychology.

“Over the past two to three years when I was in university and swimming, I think I doubted my abilities a lot. I knew I was a national swimmer, but I didn't truly believe that I was at a level where I could compete internationally.

“But ever since Tuesday, when I competed in the 400 free and 100 breast, even though it was fourth place and I missed out on the medal, being able to get two PBs in a single day… gave me confidence through competence by proving to myself that I am at this standard where I can make it a tough fight for everyone. So I am truly grateful for this experience.”

More importantly, the experience has shown Wong that he is “still learning more about myself”.

“I think I became mentally stronger and spiritually more at peace as an athlete because of this.”

Having competed at the Para Swimming World Series in Fuji-Shizuoka in May, followed by the Commonwealth Games in July, Wong felt that the build-up to his five-event programme in Nagoya has “helped me to apply my skills here, especially in the sprints”.

Training in a swim flume in Tenerife, Spain, also allowed Wong to track his technique, opening up “a new ceiling for me to understand the technique of swimming”.

The Games have given Wong renewed confidence as he transitions to being a full-time athlete. Photo: SNPC/ Goh Si Wei

But for now, swimming will have to wait, as the 24-year-old is due for a well-earned break, having been training full-time since graduating from the National University of Singapore.

“It hasn't even been a year, and suddenly I've seen my growth and abilities improve almost exponentially. I'm just really excited to see how it works out, given that I plan to do this at least until the LA Paralympics.”

Team Singapore’s four-man contingent of swimmers, including Sophie Soon and Danielle Moi, concluded their Asian Para Games campaign with eight personal bests, seven national records set and five medals.

The 5th Asian Para Games are held in Japan from 18 to 24 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.