By Hishan Welmilla
Ach-Nagoya. Singapore will send a 20-member athlete contingent to the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from October 18 to 24, aiming to build on the nation’s growing achievements in para sport at the continental level.
The Singaporean athletes will compete in nine sports: para archery, para athletics, para badminton, boccia, para cycling (road), para judo, para swimming, shooting para sport and para table tennis. The team will represent Singapore among athletes from 45 nations and regions competing across 18 sports at the Games.
Singapore’s participation reflects the steady development of its para-sport programme and a history of determination and landmark performances at the Asian Para Games since the inaugural edition in 2010.
The first Asian Para Games was held in Guangzhou, China, from December 13 to 19, 2010. Singapore competed in six sports and won four bronze medals. Swimmer Theresa Goh secured two bronze medals in the women’s 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke, while the nation’s tenpin bowling athletes earned two more bronze medals in doubles competition.
Singapore made further progress at the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, where its contingent grew to 53 athletes. The country won its first Asian Para Games gold medal when sailors Jovin Tan and Yap Qian Yin triumphed in the Hansa 303 double-handed event. Swimmer Theresa Goh also added a silver and two bronze medals, contributing to a six-medal campaign.
The 2018 edition in Jakarta, Indonesia, marked another significant milestone. Singapore recorded its best-ever Asian Para Games performance at that time, winning 10 medals — three gold, two silver and five bronze. Swimmers Yip Pin Xiu and Toh Wei Soong were among the standout performers, underlining Singapore’s growing strength in para swimming.
At the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, held in October 2023 after a one-year postponement, Singapore fielded 31 athletes across nine sports. The contingent established two Games records and nine national records while achieving 12 personal bests. Para archer Nur Syahidah Alim also secured Singapore’s first-ever Asian Para Games medal in para archery, winning silver in the women’s individual recurve event.
These performances have helped establish a strong foundation for the Singapore team as it prepares for the 2026 competition in Japan.
Among the athletes expected to attract attention is para sprinter James Ang, who will return to the Games after finishing fourth in the men’s 400m T13 and fifth in the 100m T13 at Hangzhou. He will be looking to turn that experience into a podium finish.
Singapore will also look to established performers in para swimming, including Toh Wei Soong, and in boccia, where Aloysius Gan and Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha will bring valuable international experience. Their participation adds depth to a team competing across a broad range of disciplines.
The 2026 Games will provide Singapore’s athletes with another opportunity to challenge Asia’s best, improve their personal performances and inspire greater participation in disability sport at home.
With a history that includes a maiden gold medal in 2014, a record 10-medal campaign in 2018 and new milestones in Hangzhou, Singapore will arrive in Aichi-Nagoya seeking to continue its progress and add another chapter to its Asian Para Games story.
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