Singapore Disability Sports Awards 2025

Ms Ho Ching, Chairman of Temasek Trust, Patron of the Singapore

Disability Sports Council,

Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President of the Singapore Disability

Sports Council,

Mr Brian Loo, Group General Manager of Haw Par Corporation,

Community and Corporate Partners,

Athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers,

Families and friends,

Introduction

• Good evening! It is my pleasure to join you at this year’s Singapore Disability Sports Awards to celebrate the achievements of the disability sports fraternity.

Celebrating a Historic Year for Disability Sports

• This has been a remarkable year for Singapore’s disability sports. We made history as the first Asian nation to host the Toyota World Para Swimming Championships, welcoming 585 athletes from 75 different countries.

• This was made possible by the Singapore Disability Sports Council, organising committee and almost 1,000 volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. When I was talking to some of the international officials at the Championships, they shared that the community turnout was incredible and it speaks about the strong support within this fraternity. Thank you for making Singapore shine on the world stage.

• Our Team Singapore athletes did us proud:

  • Pin Xiu delivered yet another stellar performance, claiming one gold and one silver medal, securing her eighth world title. Let us give her a big round of applause.

  • Sophie broke the national record in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S11 event.

  • While Sophie is not here with us tonight, I believe all of us could feel the pride in the cheers of our home crowd every time one of our athletes takes to the pool.

  • I am proud of all our Team Singapore athletes. Let us give every single Team Singapore athlete a big round of applause!

The Transformative Power of Disability Sports

• Witnessing our athletes compete reminds us of the transformative power of sport.

  • Every performance tells a story – of the athlete, of the families, coaches and supporters who journey with them.

  • And this is the unifying power of sport. It breaks down barriers, builds bridges, and shows what is possible when determination meets opportunity.

• This is why disability sports matter – not only to athletes, but to every Singaporean who finds courage in your stories.

  • We continue building an inclusive disability sports ecosystem through our refreshed Disability Sports Master Plan (DSMP) launched last year, ensuring persons of all abilities can play, train and thrive through sports.

• At the sidelines of the Championships, I met up with Mr Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee. He was impressed by the DSMP and how the Government and stakeholders work together to realise these plans. This points to the efforts of everyone in this room, and we should all be proud.

• One of the key initiatives is the Enabling Sports Fund, launched in August. The Fund will empower and grow community-led disability sports initiatives through supporting programmes that enable more persons with disabilities to participate in sport and to discover their sporting aspirations.

  • We have received many good proposals, which is reflective of the community’s enthusiasm for expanding disability sports opportunities, and we are evaluating them. We look forward to seeing these new initiatives benefit the community.

• We are committed to building an inclusive and vibrant sporting landscape where persons of all abilities have ample opportunities to participate in sports and be engaged, enriched, and empowered through sports.

  • We are in the process of amending the Singapore Sports Council Act. Among other changes, we will include Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC), as one of Sport Singapore’s key partners in organising sports events and competitions.

  • We have been working closely with SNPC for years, and including this in the Singapore Sports Council Act will reinforce the Government’s strong and sustained support for disability sports and inclusivity.

Recognising Our Nominees

• Beyond celebrating sporting success, tonight’s awards also reflects what disability sports inspires: resilience, innovation, community spirit and belief.

• Congratulations to all 82 nominees! From athletes to coaches, community changemakers to volunteers, you all made a difference.

Recognising Athletes

• To our athletes, your courage and determination inspire us and you serve as powerful role models for Singaporeans.

• One such role model is Sportswoman of the Year nominee Jeralyn Tan, who won Singapore’s first Paralympic boccia medal at the Paris Paralympic Games in 2024.

  • Jeralyn was introduced to boccia in 2002, and she put in two decades of consistent training which culminated in this remarkable Paralympic breakthrough. That is an inspiration for all of us!

Recognising Coaches

• And we also want to thank our dedicated coaches.

• Para shooting coach Pheong Siew Shya, nominated in the Coach (High Performance) category, goes over and beyond technical coaching.

  • Working closely with SDSC, she helped restructure the national para shooting developmental programme, growing both athlete and coaching numbers.

  • Under her athlete-centred training, Daniel Chan achieved a Top 10 finish at Paris Paralympics and also won gold at the World Master Games 2025 in Taipei.

• Another nominee is Mohamad Faizal Bin Mohamad Jasni. Faizal is a nominee for the Coach (Community) category. He is a visually impaired teacher-coach from Lighthouse School and Faizal has driven para athletics growth among students with sensory disabilities.

  • His creativity and dedication – adapting training methods, learning sign language and mentoring volunteers – grew the team from five to over 30 athletes.

  • Lighthouse School won multiple trophies at the National Para Athletics Championships, showing how inclusive Para Athletics Championships, showing how inclusive

• Thank you coaches for nurturing and guiding young athletes to become the best version of themselves.

Recognising Volunteers

• We also want to recognise our volunteers, who make disability sports events and programmes possible.

• The Reddy family – Ranadeep, Ramadevi, and Anahi – our Volunteer of the Year nominees has expanded their corporate volunteering to a family commitment to disability sports.

  • Ranadeep has mobilised close to 100 Citibank volunteers, contributing hundreds of hours to para sports events.

  • Ramadevi trained as a boccia referee and volunteers as a tapper for visually impaired swimmers.

  • Even young Anahi serves as a playing partner for para athletes.

  • The Reddy family embodies our volunteers’ spirit of dedication. We thank all volunteers for your generous contribution.

Recognising Corporate Partners

• I also want to extend my appreciation to our corporate partners for their passionate support towards disability sports and bringing sporting opportunities to more persons with disabilities.

• A big thank you to Haw Par Corporation for its steadfast commitment. As one of SDSC’s longest supporters, Haw Par commitment. As one of SDSC’s longest supporters, Haw Par Championships to empowering our national athletes on the world stage.

  • Haw Par’s adoption of the boccia team has helped grow the sport from local school competitions to achieving regional and global success.

  • Their ongoing Tiger Balm WeHeartBoccia programme has extended boccia to seniors and persons with disabilities at Senior Activity Centres and Social Service Agencies.

  • What was once a niche sport has now reach people across all walks of life.

Conclusion

• In closing, I want to extend our best wishes to our Team Singapore athletes competing at the upcoming 5 th Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai in December and the 13th ASEAN Para Games in Thailand in January.

• We know all of you will make Singapore proud, and we are cheering you on.

• Together with SDSC, Sport Singapore and all our partners, let us continue building a strong sporting culture where persons of all abilities can play and enjoy sports together.

• Thank you and I wish everyone a pleasant evening.