AYG Closing Ceremony: Golden girl Quah Ting Wen clinches Most Valuable Player Award

By Yvonne Yap/Red Sports. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports.

Raffles Ballroom, Swissotel the Stamford, Tuesday, July 7, 2009 – The two most outstanding athletes of the inaugural Asian Youth Games were unveiled at the closing ceremony today. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) Female Award went to Singapore’s Quah Ting Wen, while the Republic of Korea’s Chang Gyucheol took home the MVP Male Award. Both swimmers went home with four gold medals, with Ting Wen adding a bronze to her glittering haul.

“I did not expect myself to perform so well,” said a surprised Chang Gyucheol, in Korean, after receiving the award. Chang, who looks up to fellow Korean and World and Olympic 400m Freestyle champion Park Tae Hwan as a role model, aims to go beyond his limits in the future, even though it might be difficult at times.

Ting Wen was visibly elated after receiving the award. When asked to choose her most memorable event in AYG, the swimmer said without hesitation, “It has to be during the relays, when we were in the reporting room just talking.”

Ting Wen relates how the relay team were chatting about bringing their shoes with them and which poses they should do for the cameras, in the event that they had to mount the podium to receive a medal. Clearly, Ting Wen treasures her team victories over individual wins, reflecting the team player in her.

“I am a bit sad, the team has been so bonded. I’m glad how everything turned out, especially the support (from school and family),” said Ting Wen on the closure of the games.

The closing ceremony was an intimate and cosy affair. The athletes were seen taking some last snapshots with their new friends before the ceremony, which began with dance performances and a delivery of the AYG’s theme song, “Asia’s Youth, Our Future” by Amni Musfirah from the School of the Arts.

The final day of the AYG would not be complete without a trip down memory lane for the young athletes, who were treated to a slideshow of the opening ceremony and scenes from the competitions that they took part in.

“Whether you won or lost, you played like champions,” said Mr Ng Ser Miang, Chairman of the Singapore Asian Youth Games Steering Committee during his closing ceremony speech. He commended the athletes for their sportsmanship and hard work for their competitions, in summing up the Games.

The conclusion of the inaugural AYG opens a new door for Singapore. “It has brought a sports culture to a city like Singapore, who is more known for its economic development and growth,” said Mr Teo Ser Luck at an earlier press conference.

Singapore had a final medal tally of 9 Golds, 6 Silvers, 14 Bronzes. On top of that, Singapore came in third for the Sailing All-Nation Trophy. Although we are ranked fourth behind China, Korea and Thailand, Chef de Mission Lee Wung Yew said, “This is not a true reflection of world standards.”

He went on to explain that countries such as Japan and Malaysia, which are strong in swimming and bowling respectively, did not send their athletes to compete in the AYG. However, the local paddlers certainly had a taste of world-class standards during this competition, considering that the top-ranked players were present.

“It is important that athletes use exposure in the AYG as a learning experience, and become better athletes in the YOG (Youth Olympic Games),” said Mr Chris Chan, Secretary-General, Singapore National Olympic Council.

“AYG is about the athletes, who are our future.”

Indeed, with the closure of the first AYG today, we can definitely expect to see more action coming from this group of athletes as they move on from the regional to the world stage.