Swim coach Reese wins Coach of the Year award
Swimmer Schooling one of three nominees in Sportsman of the Year category
Swim coach Eddie Reese, who guided swimmer Joseph Schooling to Singapore's first Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro last year, has been named the Coach of the Year.
In a list of the Singapore Sports Awards (SSA) nominees released yesterday, Resse was the sole nominee in his category.
Schooling himself will certainly be the frontrunner in the Sportsman of the Year category, where he will come up against two-time silat world champion Shakir Juanda and billiards and snooker player Peter Gilchrist.
In what looks like a more evenly matched contest in the Sportswoman of the Year category, two-time winner Jasmine Ser, paddler Feng Tian Wei, bowler New Hui Fen and silat exponent Nurul Suhaila are vying for the crown.
Speaking to The New Paper over the phone, Shakir paid tribute to his fellow Sportsman of the Year nominees, Schooling and four-time billiards world champion Gilchrist.
The 28-year-old said: "Honestly speaking, I am very honoured to have been one of the three guys shortlisted.
"Winning it or not, it doesn't matter to me because I know that I have already given of my best in training and in competition to make my country proud.
"The other two men are really up there and I don't think I have an edge over these guys.
"But, then again, it is a great honour for me."
Ser was grateful her efforts last year did not go unrecognised.
Said the 26-year-old, who last month won a bronze medal in the women's 10m air rifle event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup leg in Azerbaijan: "I really appreciate being nominated because last year was filled with ups and downs.
"I placed first in the Asia Olympic qualifying competition in New Delhi and won a bronze medal at the ISSF World Cup in Bangkok, but I did not perform at Rio 2016."
Ser added that she is not thinking about whether she can complete a hat-trick of Sportswoman of the Year awards, as her mind is fully focused on her next big assignment.
She said: "I'll answer the next time (when I win it). I am not thinking about it too much for now because the focus remains on improving myself and performing at the upcoming SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur."
CONTEST
The Sportsboy of the Year award will be contested by sailor Bernie Chin, wushu athlete Malcolm Lai and silat exponent Sheik Farhan, while bowler Chua Jiaying, fencer Lau Ywen, and wushu athlete Cindy Lim will vie for the Sportsgirl of the Year award.
The women's K2 500m canoe duo of Stephenie Chen and Geraldine Lee are up against the wushu women's duilian pair of Fung Hui Xin and Emily Sin in the Team of the Year (event) award.
Other categories include Best Sports Event of the Year (local), Best Sports Event of the Year (international), Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year and Best Sports Photo of the Year.
All winners will be announced at the SSA presentation ceremony on Aug 8.
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