Sisters Emma (left) and Amanda Yap win first SEA Games medals on same day. SNOC/ Lim Wei Xiang
Winning a medal on your SEA Games debut will always be special. But what made it even more meaningful for artistic gymnast Amanda Yap was witnessing older sister Emma follow with her own first medal.
Amanda scored 12.733 in the women’s balance beam final to win silver on Dec 12, while Emma also clinched silver with a 12.633-effort in the floor final at Thammasat University.
This is Emma’s first individual medal since making her SEA Games debut in 2022.
It is also Singapore's first balance beam medal since 2005 and first in the floor exercise since 2011.
Emma, 20, said: “This is special to us because we get to do it together. We came into this competition just wanting to do our best, hit our routines and make them clean without expecting any big results. We’re just really pumped right now.
“I was more nervous watching Amanda than for my own final. It’s always more nerve-wracking watching other people do gym than doing it yourself, but I’m glad she pulled through so I was more at peace going into my routine.”
Amanda, 16, was proud of her sister for overcoming a sore throat and dizziness last night. After Emma completed her routine, she was congratulated with a hug by a teary Amanda.
The sisters have not always shared such a good relationship, with Amanda admitting they only became closer four years ago when they had to share a room and started training in the national team together.
But like all siblings, they still bicker about who stole the blanket in the middle of the night – Amanda has proof it is Emma – and who “borrowed” the other’s clothes.
Commenting on their relationship, Amanda said: “When we were younger, we weren’t very close because she was already training in the national team, so we didn’t spend a lot of time together. But four years ago, we had to share a room, and that really helped us bond a lot because we had a lot of time together.
Emma Yap in action during the floor exercise final on Dec 12. SNOC/ Lim Wei Xiang
Amanda’s latest result builds on her history-making feat at the World Championships in Jakarta last month, when she became the first Singaporean to qualify for a final at that level. She later finished sixth in the balance beam.
While her world championships performance has motivated her, it also gave her some pressure before the SEA Games.
She said: “There were a lot of people saying ‘go get the gold’ and stuff like that. I feel like I really put too much of my mindset on trying to gain that gold. Even though it didn’t happen, I’m still really proud of myself for just coming here to compete.
“The pressure definitely affected me, especially the past few days. After the world championships, every time I made a small mistake during training, I would end up in tears. It was really tough but I spoke to some friends and that helped my mindset.
“One of my friends told me I’m focusing too much on people’s expectations, so I just need to remember that I’m doing this for myself and even if I make a mistake, I’m still young and have time to grow. There’s always room for improvement and I’m just happy I was able to do it well enough today.”
Still, she is grateful for the lessons learnt from that outing. She added: “My performance there really showed me my capabilities. It’s shown me that I can do anything as long as I set my mind to it.
“It’s definitely given me a stronger mindset because I know how to calm myself down now. Rather than ‘I need to win, I want to win’, it’s more telling myself to enjoy the moment and relax.”
Amanda and Emma also paid tribute to their parents and extended family for their strong support. Their parents and maternal grandparents were among the Singapore supporters in Bangkok and frequently travel to watch the girls compete.
Their grandparents Peter Teo and Peggie Tan would ferry them from school to training almost every day, while parents Clarence Yap and Patsy Teo would pick them up from training. Meals would be bought or cooked and consumed during each commute.
Peter, 82, is proud to see his granddaughters represent the country and pleased that they have found their passion.
He said: “We try to make sure they have enough rest, especially after competitions. It takes a lot of sacrifice and a big toll physically and mentally.
“It’s nice to see them progress stage by stage from school to the national team now. It’s great development for both of them but they enjoy it and we can only encourage them to give their best and enjoy the experience.”
Tan added that while her granddaughters have different personalities – Emma is more serious, while Amanda is more bubbly – they are always helping each other.
Patsy was also careful to not impose any expectations on her daughters, instead letting them make their own decisions.
The 51-year-old said: “We always tell them that they can walk away any time and if they wanted to take it further, it would really be up to them. Emma wanted to quit at one point in time, but she decided to come back and now she’s here.
“The most important thing is that they can just enjoy the experience and not feel that they are pressured to do it in any way. They know that they have the confidence and can dream big and achieve it if they want.
“I hope they also always remember the people who have helped them on the way and be grateful.”
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.