Kaeson Lim won a silver medal that was also Singapore's first pommel horse medal at the SEA Games since 2015. Photo: SportSG/Bryan Foo
By May Chen
Singapore’s men’s artistic gymnasts travelled to Cambodia knowing they had a tall order ahead of them.
While they harboured hopes of doing well at the SEA Games, the team was also carrying more than a few injuries.
So to wrap up their campaign with something to speak for – Kaeson Lim won a silver in the individual pommel horse – is laudable.
Even more so, considering that the last time a Singaporean stood on the podium in this event was eight years ago when the Games were held on home soil.
Said Lim: “I’m very proud of myself and the whole team. We had many challenges coming in, but we all managed to pull through this. No regrets.”
Lim coped with a cyst on his wrist earlier in the year, something that meant pain when performing routines. At the Olympic Complex in Phnom Penh, he learnt to put unfavourable results behind him, especially after a less than ideal showing the day before during qualification.
Said the 22-year-old: “I made mistakes here and there, and I had to reset my mindset. Before my competition today, I looked through training videos and visualised my routine a lot of times.
“This definitely gives me much more confidence. It shows that my training efforts have been paying off.”
Zac Liew in action on the Still Rings. Photo: SNOC/Andy Chua
In the team event, Singapore fell just short of a podium position by finishing fourth – a creditable result considering there was little to no room for error for the squad.
While countries are allowed to field six gymnasts in the team event, only five can compete on each apparatus with the best four scores considered. In Singapore’s case, injuries meant the team’s scores relied essentially on four athletes.
Said Lim: “We only had four all-rounders. The pressure on us was quite big because none of us can fall or make mistakes in any events. We were all quite stressed about that. But we pushed on and throughout our training we kept to our game plan. It is what it is, and I’m very proud of the team.”
For captain Terry Tay, the SEA Games has been a gratifying experience seeing his teammates step up for each other. Photo: SNOC/Andy Chua
Team captain Terry Tay, who dislocated his shoulder just a fortnight ago, competed in only the floor exercise.
“Our team was very lean,” he said. “The main learning point for all of us was to take each day as it comes and know that our best is enough. It was good to just see everyone in the team to always be learning, be on our toes, and have each other’s backs.”
He added that with the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships coming up in Singapore next month, this acted as a good stepping stone to an event that will be world-class.
“That will be another step to the Asian Games later in the year. It’s taking one thing at a time, and rolling with whatever comes our way. This was a really good test of the human spirit for all of us. We pushed through and that will set the pace going forward.”
The 32nd SEA Games are held in Cambodia from 5 to 17 May 2023. 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.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View All[BlogPost 164749641842 NSG 2024 Netball: Senior Div Girls League 3 Preliminary Round 2, BlogPost 163985727414 Beyond the Field: Exciting Sports Careers for Non-Athletes, BlogPost 164438712123 NSG 2024 Badminton: Senior Div Girls Quarter-Finals, BlogPost 164238055490 Evergreen Aleksandar Duric Still Making Headlines at 53, BlogPost 164170080646 NSG 2024 Rope Skipping: Junior Div Girls Freestyle Team Finals, BlogPost 162884973666 Move and Rest Better With Data From Your Own Body, BlogPost 163393049482 Life Comes Full Circle For Serangoon Garden Secondary School's Fahrish Khan, BlogPost 163258797651 Making Golf a Sport for All, BlogPost 162512222328 NSG 2024 Sepaktakraw: Senior Div Yuhua Primary School vs Qihua Primary School, BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches]