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Singapore's archers won one gold and two silvers at the 2025 SEA Games. Photo: SportSG/Jeremy Lee
Being an archer was all Madeleine Ong ever wanted. She wanted to join it as a co-curricular activity in secondary school but could not get in, so she opted for arts and crafts instead.
After completing her O Levels in 2011, she finally had the chance to try out the sport and fell in love instantly.
She then joined the national team in 2014 and made her SEA Games debut the following year on home soil.
Ten years after her debut, she clinched two silver medals in Bangkok for her best performance at the biennial games. She previously won a bronze in the compound women’s individual in 2022.
On Thursday (Dec 18), she had a marathon day of medal matches in tricky wind conditions. She first teamed up with Ellie Low and Jeannice Low in the compound women’s team final, narrowly losing 228-227 for Singapore’s best finish in the event.
She then partnered Woon Teng Ng but lost 153-150 to Indonesia in the compound mixed team event.
Her last medal match of the day then saw her suffer another tight 142-140 defeat by Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrirfah.
Madeleine Ong won two silver medals at the 2025 SEA Games. Photo: SportSG/Jeremy Lee
Ong, 31, said: “There’s definitely heartbreak. I would be lying if I say that I wasn’t sad because my team and I put in so much effort.
“But I managed to make it to more than one medal match, that was beyond what I could ever dream of.”
Despite opening her day with a narrow loss, Ong was proud of her young teammates for persevering in the wind and holding their own on their SEA Games debut.
She said: “I don’t think getting silver is a bad thing. The compound women’s team hasn’t made it to the final for quite some time, so it’s really good progress. Our scores improved as well.
“We fought hard despite the difficult conditions. We all pushed through and I’m proud of our entire team.”
Jeannice Low in action during the women's compound team final on Dec 18. Photo: SportSG/Jeremy Lee
On how she combatted the wind, Jeannice, 19, said: “I just watched the wind and told myself where to aim. It was the last match so I just wanted to push through and continue.
“I really enjoyed this match. We did really well despite the winds and I feel really proud to be here.”
Ellie, 21, added: “We did the best we could and I’m really proud of them as well considering the winds were quite crazy at the start.
“I’m definitely going to work harder so that the next time, the gap will be a bit bigger and it won’t be a point difference or a tie.
“I didn’t think that I would win a medal, but I'm very proud of them and I definitely will work harder next time to earn even more medals.”
Ellie Low in action during the women's compound team final on Dec 18. Photo: SportSG/ Jeremy Lee
Ong, who made her SEA Games debut in 2015, hopes the team will continue to build on this historic result.
She said: “It’s a positive encouragement to ourselves and hopefully to the rest of our teammates as well. It’s kind of like a reminder to tell ourselves that we all can do it. Because of our hard work, we can come this far, so I’m pretty sure we definitely will be able to go even further in the future.”
Ong is aiming to qualify for the 2028 Olympics where a compound mixed team event will feature for the first time.
Madeleine Ong made her SEA Games debut in 2015 and now hopes to qualify for the 2028 Olympics. Photo: SportSG/ Jeremy Lee
On what keeps her going, she said: “For me, it’s just the love of shooting. I really like being an athlete.
“There are many days that make me sad, make me cry, make me frustrated, make me want to give up. But these are the moments that make me feel like I can become stronger.
“It’s my determination that has kept me going because I want to try over and over again. My 10-years-ago self would have been really proud to know that 10 years later, she made it to not one, but three medal matches. That’s why I want to keep going.”
The archers ended their campaign in Bangkok with one gold and two silvers for their best result at the SEA Games since 1983.
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.
