Singapore's 2024 Olympics team waving to supporters in Eu Tong Sen Street on Aug 14, 2024. – The Straits Times
SINGAPORE: Ten returning Olympians, including Singapore’s bronze medallist Maximilian Maeder, were cheered on by the public in a celebratory parade on Wednesday (Aug 14), as an open-top bus travelled through five points in the heart of the city.
The iconic red-top bus carrying the athletes set off from the Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang shortly after 11.30am and wended its way through Bayfront Avenue, Chinatown, the Orchard Road shopping belt, Serangoon Road and Victoria Street. It returned to the Sports Hub just after 1.50pm.
Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist, Maximilian, 17, on Friday (Aug 9) took home the nation’s first Olympic kitefoiling medal. It was Singapore’s third bronze and its sixth Olympic medal.
He returned to Singapore from Paris on Tuesday (Aug 13), bringing home Singapore’s first medal since former swimmer Joseph Schooling’s historic gold at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.
The other athletes on the bus were shuttlers Yeo Jia Min, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan, swimmer Gan Ching Hwee, kayaker Stephenie Chen, sailor Ryan Lo, sprinter Marc Louis, and table tennis players Izaac Quek and Zhou Jingyi.
Speaking to the media at the Sports Hub before boarding the bus, kitefoiler Maximilian said: “It’s wonderful to get to see everyone here, and I’m happy that we all came together as a team here and get to wave hi to everyone that shows up.”
Shuttler Yeo said: “I’m feeling a little bit nervous. But definitely, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I can’t wait to meet people on the street and thank them for their support.”
Members of various sports fraternities – many decked out in red and waving the Singapore flag – also turned up to lend their support.
Low Zheng Yu, a senior executive with the National Youth Sports Institute, came with his colleagues to support the athletes who “did the nation proud at the Games”.
The 28-year-old, who assists athletes with their career pathways, said he was especially proud of swimmer Gan, who broke the national record at the 1,500m freestyle heat.
“It’s great to see what she’s achieved, breaking her own records on the biggest stage in the world.”
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who is also Singapore National Olympic Council president, also joined in to greet the returning athletes.
At Bayfront Avenue, more than 50 people had gathered at about 11.30am to show their support for Singapore’s Olympians. Dressed in red, many were seen waving Team Singapore flags and bearing clappers.
Former civil servant Veronica Haw, 55, who is semi-retired, said she decided to take part in the festivities with her family to cheer on the Olympians.
“I want to give them some support because they gave us some excitement.”
She added that she has high hopes for Singapore’s young athletes in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Just before noon, rain fell across the Shenton Way area as the bus passed through, sending the athletes scrambling to put on ponchos.
But the downpour did little to dampen the spirits of about 100 people who were awaiting the arrival of the bus in Chinatown.
Home business owner Stefan Huan, 54, arrived at People’s Park Complex in Chinatown with his son Christian, seven, at about 11am.
Huan told The Straits Times: “I brought him here to hopefully motivate him to excel not just in sports, but in life. We are here not just to cheer on the medallist Max, but also the rest of the athletes.”
Over in Orchard Road, about 40 people had assembled around noon.
Among them were Francesca Borreca, 35, and her boyfriend Fabio Iappelli, 40, who are on a week-long holiday in Singapore.
The Italian tourists chanced on the festivities while visiting the shopping precinct and decided to stay to watch the celebrations.
Holding a Team Singapore flag she was given, Borreca said: “It’s a great honour for Singapore that they were able to win a medal. I saw it on the news the day we arrived.”
The scene in Serangoon Road was similarly jubilant.
Scores of supporters as well as volunteers from national sports agency Sport Singapore were seen gathered outside Tekka Market.
A retiree who is an avid fan of Maximilian and wanted to be identified only as Mo Ching arrived around 12.15pm to catch a glimpse of the parade.
“If I don’t see this parade, when will I get a chance? I have to see it at least once,” she said.
On Maximilian, she added: “He went as a warrior and came home a hero.”
In Victoria Street, about 80 people were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the athletes’ bus.
Maximilian’s parents, Valentin Maeder and Teng Hwee Keng, were in the midst of the crowd.
Valentin Maeder, 60, said that while Maximilian had expected to achieve more at the Olympics, he has been very mature in handling his emotions.
Added Valentin: “The pride of a parent does not change because of what their children have accomplished. There is no ‘high school’ level of pride or ‘Olympics’ level of pride.
“Once your children are born, you are proud of them, and the rest is them continually surprising you.”
Maximilian told reporters after the bus returned to the Sports Hub: “I was completely blown away. I had no idea that there would be such a cheer for us.”
Asked what banners he remembered seeing, he said: “One said: ‘Winning is always possible if you continue.’”
“I saw my mother (in the crowd),” he added, “and that was the only time I blew a kiss. It was so sweet to see her.”
Twenty-three Singapore athletes competed in the 2024 Paris Games, but not everyone joined the celebratory parade on Aug 14.
Notably, badminton player Loh Kean Yew, 27, was not among those present. On Aug 7, he announced that his wife had given birth to a boy while he was away training for the Olympics.
Loh, who is ranked 12th worldwide, reached the knockout rounds, but lost to Denmark’s world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen. The Danish shuttler went on to win gold for men’s singles for a second consecutive time.
Sprinter Shanti Pereira, who struggled with injury before and during the Games, also missed the parade.
Shooter Teh Xiu Hong, who achieved Singapore shooting’s best Olympics outing by placing 12th in the women’s 25m pistol, was not there either. – The Straits Times/ANN
