Li Yue Long (left) and Tabitha Yeo took gold in the mixed team recurve event, beating Malaysia to the title. Photo: SNOC/ Eugene Goh Wei Hao
Li Yue Long still recalls the first time he met Tabitha Yeo some 10 years ago. He had just begun his archery journey in polytechnic, while she was still a child, “hiding” behind her father.
Fast forward a decade, and the two are now Singapore’s first SEA Games champions in the mixed recurve event. They beat their rivals from Malaysia 6-2 to seal the gold.
Said 16-year-old Yeo: “I'm really happy. This is our debut SEA Games, so to win a gold medal in this event… it really shows that all our hard work and effort have paid off.
“Yue Long is a really good teammate. Although he says that I'm more senior in terms of archery, I think that there's a lot I can learn from him, because he's more mature, has more life experience.”
To seal the deal, the duo had to contend with tough conditions at the Sport Authority of Thailand, under a blistering sun with shifty winds in the mix.
There was also the added element of a power outage mid-way through the final, which halted the event for some 10 minutes.
Li, 27, said: “Actually, it's a blessing in disguise. When the final started, we really needed some time to get used to the nerves. So when the power outage happened, we did some mental skill work to help us calm down a little bit more.
“When we resumed, it really helped us a lot to get back into the game.
“We did expect the wind conditions to be like this, but not as bad. We really had to aim off, maybe to the red or almost to the blue, to hit back to the centre.
“The winds were really gusty, but our coach really helped us a lot.”
Said Yeo: “The shifty winds were really a big struggle, but we pushed through anyway. We’re really thankful to our coaches, friends, teammates, family and everyone back home in Singapore for the support.”
The 33rd SEA Games are held in Thailand from 9 to 20 December 2025. 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.