SINGAPORE – Following a bumper haul for local sports in 2023, several world champions and major Games gold medallists have earned nominations for the top gongs at the 2024 Singapore Sports Awards, which will take place on June 3.

Among the four nominees for the Sportsman of the Year award unveiled by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on April 24, there are three world champions – English billiards player Peter Gilchrist, wushu exponent Jowen Lim and bowler Darren Ong.

They are joined by sailor Ryan Lo, who qualified for the Paris Olympics by striking gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Gilchrist, who is looking for his third Sportsman of the Year title after winning in 2014 and 2020, claimed his fifth World Billiards Championship title in October while Ong was the men’s singles winner at the IBF World Bowling Championships that same month.

Lim landed his first world title in the gunshu event at the world meet in November.

He also won Singapore’s first wushu silver medal in the daoshu and gunshu combined event at the Asian Games in September and gold in the same event at the Cambodia SEA Games in May.

Like Ong, Lim has never previously won the accolade but he felt this year’s nomination meant more to him than his first in 2018 as he accomplished several firsts and personal goals.

The 25-year-old said: “I’m very honoured to be recognised as one of the top sportsmen in 2023. It was such an intensely packed year for wushu and it feels like all the blood, sweat and tears were all worth it. I’m also glad that the journey of pursuing my sporting dream helps my sport gain more popularity and recognition.”

The Sportswoman of the Year category features six nominees, with Kyra Poh, a world champion in indoor skydiving, joined by bowler Cherie Tan, who was women’s doubles champion at the world championships and won four golds at the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships, as well as sprinter Shanti Pereira, the Asian Games gold-medallist.

The other nominees are kayaker Stephenie Chen, who clinched an Asiad silver; wushu’s Kimberly Ong, who won two silvers at the world championships and a bronze at the Asian Games; and swimmer Letitia Sim, who won four golds at the SEA Games and broke the national records in the women’s 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.

Thanking her supporters, Poh, part of the 2019 Sportsgirl Team of the Year alongside Choo Yi Xuan, said: “It’s truly an honour to be nominated for the Sportswoman of the Year award, especially considering indoor skydiving is not in the major Games.

“I feel like it’s a humble recognition of all the years of hard work and passion I’ve poured into indoor skydiving.

“It has been a long journey filled with challenges, triumphs and unforgettable moments.

“This nomination is the perfect summary of this and serves as a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much potential lies ahead.”

There is no shortage of world beaters even among the Sportsboy and Sportsgirl of the Year nominees, with kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder and wushu exponent Zeanne Law leading the way in their respective categories.

Singapore Sports Awards organising committee chairman Mark Chay said: “The year 2023 was a momentous one in Singapore sport – one filled with stunning performances from Team Singapore at the SEA Games, Asian Games and many other world championships. 

“We look forward to celebrating these achievements as well as the outstanding efforts by our athletes, teams, coaches, journalists, photographers and event organisers, who have all contributed to add vibrancy to our sporting ecosystem in 2023.”

The main awards selection committee was chaired by SNOC president Grace Fu while vice-president Jessie Phua headed the selection committee for the Sportsboy and Sportsgirl awards.

National sports associations submitted candidates for the main award categories based on a set of eligibility criteria, including their achievements for the year.

The selection committees then decided on the finalists and cast their votes via a secret ballot to determine the winners. Independent auditing firm KPMG will then tabulate the results for the June 3 announcement.

Meritorious awards will also be presented to individual and team performances in the senior and junior categories.

Meanwhile, The Straits Times has three out of the five nominees for the Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year award, which is managed and judged by national sports agency Sport Singapore. The other two nominees are from Lianhe Zaobao and CNA TV.

Singapore Sports Awards nominees (selected categories)

Sportsman of the Year

Peter Gilchrist (cue sports), Jowen Lim (wushu), Ryan Lo (sailing), Darren Ong (bowling)

Sportswoman of the Year

Stephenie Chen (canoeing), Kimberly Ong (wushu), Shanti Pereira (athletics), Kyra Poh (indoor skydiving), Letitia Sim (swimming), Cherie Tan (bowling)

Sportsboy of the Year

Maximilian Maeder (sailing), Nicholas Mahabir (swimming), Izaac Quek (table tennis), Aiman Lim (bowling), Samuel Robson (fencing)

Sportsgirl of the Year

Keira Carlyle (sailing), Elle Koh (fencing), Zeanne Law (wushu), Ashley Lim (swimming), Lim Shi En (bowling)

Coach of the Year

Luis Cunha (athletics), Ivica Dolenc (sailing), Gao Ning (table tennis), Ivan Ng (tchoukball), Gary Tan (swimming)

Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year

• A Golden Lesson From Shanti: Winning Is Within Our Reach – Rohit Brijnath (The Straits Times)
• Of Goals, Dreams And Escapism With The Migrant Domestic Workers Futsal League – Deepanraj Ganesan (The Straits Times)
• Blind And Now Paralysed, Paralympian Thomas Yong Continues To Love Life And Sport – David Lee (The Straits Times)
• Flag Football Team Hopes To Represent Singapore At 2028 Olympics – Clara Lee (CNA TV)
• The Weight Of The Gold Medal, How Can The Players Resist The Pressure? – Tan Zhi Xin (Lianhe Zaobao)