Contributed by reader Daniel Wong

Ryan Ng breaks world record

Ryan Ng with his team at the 2008 Rowing By The Bay Machine Rowing Competition. They won silver for the team event in that year. From left: David Tan, Yap Qi Long, Nicholas Ee (President of Singapore Rowing Association), Ryan Ng, Khoo Yong Xing. (Photo 1 © Daniel Wong)

Singaporean Ryan Ng may have placed our little red dot on the world map of indoor rowing by breaking two world records in his age category (13-18 years old) and weight category (Heavyweight). Not only that, he is also the first and only Singaporean to place his name in the indoor rowing world record book.

Ryan said he set the records at a public gym during training. He said, “From what I understand from Concept2 (the company which manages the world records for indoor rowing), they accepted it as a world record because there were witnesses.”

The two witnesses who saw Ryan achieve the records are Khoo Yong Xing and Debra Lam Mun Ting.

Ryan shaved off 0.1 seconds off the previous 500m world record by clocking a 1:17.6 for 500m. In the 1000m, Ng set a totally mind-blowing timing of 2:53.9. Dena Hirchak from Concept2 commented that Ryan’s timing was fantastic.

After he found out he broke the record, Ryan told Red Sports, “I’ve never been a world record holder! Well, I can only use one word to describe – happy. I can’t find any other words to describe what I am feeling.”

“I would like to thank two very close buddies of mine who have been constantly motivating me in everything I do. They are Khoo Yong Xing and Chng William. I derive my motivation from both of them,” he added.