2015 SEA Games: Red Crew memories

Red Crew outside the National Stadium on the final day of the SEA Games. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Singapore, Wednesday, June 17, 2015 — The Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore gave the Red Crew a chance to cover Team Singapore like never before.

The crew, with an average age of 20, wrote 166 stories over the 17 days of the Games. We also put out 1,000 social media updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Thank you for reading our stories and supporting Team Singapore.

Thank you to the Red Crew who made the coverage possible.

Red Crew 2015 SEA Games
Nicholina Chua, Erwin Wong, Lim Yong Teck, Lim De Jun, Soh Jun Wei, Matthew Lau, Clara Yuan, Tan Wan Xin, Laura Lee, Koh Yizhe, Nicole Lum, Jiexin Neo, Jerald Ang, Rachel Yip, Rebecca Yip, Carissa Tan, Siti Rohaniza, Lee Jian Wei, Tessa Cho, Chan Hui Mui, Rebekah Abbott, Low Sze Sen, Leslie Tan

SEA Games Stats at a Glance
Number of 2015 SEA Games posts on redsports.sg: 166
Total number of page views: 244,989

Number of impressions on Twitter and Facebook (last 15 days): 11.9 million (source: sproutsocial.com)

Number of Instagram posts: 360
Number of likes for Instagram posts: 411,046

Number of users (May 31–Jun 16): 131,690 (source: Google Analytics)
Number of page views (May 31–Jun 16): 395,662 (source: Google Analytics)

“For me, it was amazing that I got to cover such a huge sporting event under Red Sports. It’s a first for me, and I’m really humbled to have had this opportunity. I have learnt and gained so much from this journey too! I know I’m going to miss working my ass off every single day in the media centre after all this. Besides that, I’ll also miss sweating like crazy carrying those heavy lenses to the various sporting venues.

“The Red Sports crew has also been amazing, and every day spent at the media centre has been filled with laughter and joy. All these memories will stay with us for many years to come, and we will look back to say “I’VE BEEN TO THE SEA GAMES!”

“My best moment of the SEA Games would be the part where we took a selfie on the Benjamin Sheares Bridge while covering the Men’s Mass Start Road Race with fellow Red Crew Lim Yong Teck. To add on to the fun, we were in ponchos and braving the rain!” — Soh Jun Wei, 20

“At first, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do my bit to cover such a large sporting event, but I figured things would just sort themselves out along the way, and somehow they did (with the help of an awesome Red Crew – passion truly makes things happen). For me, I think it would be hard to mention just one best moment, so I’ll go with my top three: Supporters ‘broadcasting’ their love (loudly) for their country, the crowds at the swimming and track events, and friends of athletes tagging them on the Red Sports Instagram account whenever they were featured – there’s just something really heartwarming about that.” – Nicholina Chua, 32

“Being able to be part of the media team for SEA Games is definitely a good experience for me. I learnt many things throughout these two weeks of SEA Games and I am glad to be able to bond with the fellow Red Crew. Being the youngest member on the team, I am inexperienced in many aspects but this team has taught me so many things, not to mention the many nonsensical things that everyone is capable of doing. Highlights of this SEA Games? I would go with being able to catch our Basketball Men’s team in action. They fought hard for the country and they have definitely done the country proud.” – Lim De Jun, 17

“So many things to say, so little space! The highlights of the Games would definitely have to be watching some of our athletes exceed expectations and break boundaries. I used to think that Singapore, being traditionally a nation focused on financial growth, would not come this far in sport, but our athletes’ grit and determination in their respective sports have proven otherwise.

“It was heartwarming to see some of them reap the fruits of their efforts and some were even brought to tears when they won medals. Experiencing the support from Singaporeans definitely came as a surprise as well, especially in less popular Singaporean sports. While we have a long way to go when compared with the support from the Thais and the Burmese for example, I feel that the Games has laid a stepping stone for the support for the sporting industry to grow in Singapore.

“Personally, one of the best moments of the Games would be taking selfies on Benjamin Sheares Bridge in the rain alongside fellow Red Crew Jun Wei. We even had to wake up at 4am just to get to the venue. The things we do just to get photos that we want. HAHAHA.” – Lim Yong Teck, 25

“I’m definitely going to miss the SEA Games and the Red Crew. The past two weeks have been nothing short of amazing. One of my favourite games to watch was the men’s hockey gold medal match between Singapore and Malaysia. The Singaporean team didn’t give up even though they were trailing by two goals. They kept fighting, even when they were still one goal down with less than two minutes remaining.

“The home crowd was no less amazing either – they sang the national anthem with gusto, cheered enthusiastically regardless of the score, and proudly applauded the team at the end of the game. The result of the game didn’t matter. What mattered was that the Singaporeans there were united as one, and in that moment, it made me feel extremely proud to be Singaporean.” – Tan Wan Xin, 20

“The national anthem played 84 times when Singapore won the gold medal, but it was the national anthem that rang out before a second-place finish that impressed me the most. Usually, when the national anthem is played, muted singing follows, but during the pre-game anthem before the final of the hockey match between Singapore and Malaysia, a packed Sengkang Hockey Stadium sang their hearts out, prompting me to do the same.

“An atmosphere of pride and emotion lingered around venue and what followed was a brilliant display of fighting spirit as Singapore came back from 0-2 down to tie the match at the death at 2-2. Though Singapore eventually settled for silver, hearing over 2000 spectators singing Majulah Singapura with such gusto and pride would be firmly anchored in my memory for years to come.

“As veteran netballer Premila Hirubalan mentioned, Singaporeans are not known for their cheering and followers of the sports scene are well aware that spectatorship for many national events is not fantastic. However, the SEA Games fever caught many and it was heart-warming to see many venues filled to support their fellow Singaporeans – even if it means standing for an hour. I am surprised that almost all events were sold out and the support for Team Singapore was tremendous.

“We have a long way to go before reaching the same level as the Thai or Myanmar fans but I believe the showing at this SEA Games is a step in that direction.” – Koh Yizhe, 24

“I’m glad to be a part of such a supportive crew who would readily be glad to help you out, be it subbing, buying food or helping to carry stuff. The RED crew was really what made the whole experience so enjoyable, it just feels great working with people who share the same passion. Although the pressure is on to push out stories fast and the standards are higher but I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the games.”

“One of my best moments at the SEA Games was cheering for Team Singapore at the Men’s basketball semi-final against Indonesia alongside fellow photographers whom I have never met before. Yet, we were bonded sharing the same spirit as we supported our home country with pride. For myself, watching this team play their hearts out and not giving up till the final whistle was truly heartwarming. These are the familiar faces I have watched since IVP last year and covering them from ABL to SEABA till now, I’m glad to be able to witness their progress and achievement.” – Clara Yuan, 20

“My first day of the SEA Games was pretty disappointing because I wasn’t allowed to the grounds for interviews even though I was accredited. They chased me up back to the stands everytime I went down to try my luck. After the fifth time of trying to go unnoticed, the Singapore Rugby captain Daniel Chow managed to sneak me an interview before I was chased off again, for which I was very thankful. My personal highlight of the rugby games was to see Singapore thrash Thailand 21–0 to clinch bronze after going down by four points to them earlier on to miss out on the final.”

“It has been amazing to soak up the SEA Games atmosphere with the crew who always have so much fun together even while rushing out stories, and to cheer on Team Singapore together.” – Jiexin Neo, 21

“The SEA Games was an awesome experience and truly an eye-opener. Aside from getting to watch so many games back-to-back for FREE, I had many opportunities to interact with veterans in the local and foreign media. It was truly heart-warming to see that most of them, despite having to rush to meet deadlines, were still polite and willing to help. These are the kind of people who work for long extended hours to provide readers with accurate news. They inspire me to strive to be a better reporter.

However, the highlight of the Games was definitely the football fans. In a match against Cambodia, a whole stand of Singapore fans encouragingly started a “Come on, Irfan” cheer when Irfan Fandi went down with an injury. For me, that moment was when the saying “Sports unites all” came to life.” – Carissa Tan, 19

“Most importantly, I’m going to miss covering all the games with my fellow crew. If I had to work with another group of people, I might not have enjoyed covering all the events as much as I had during this SEA Games. The crew always kept things lighthearted and most of the time we spent, be it inside the media press centre or at the venues, were always filled with laughter and MOSTLY cheery talk.

“I definitely feel very honoured to have been given a chance to cover the SEA Games and be able to capture the athletes in action even though I might not have been able to capture the best pictures possible of them. Being able to watch the athletes give their very best in these games was heartwarming to say the least as I felt very proud of these athletes who have given up a lot of time to train for these games and to have given their best during their matches.

“The best moment for me during the SEA Games was when the home crowd was cheering their lungs out for the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay when Quah Ting Wen helped pull the team from second place to first place and eventually winning the gold medal for Singapore during that event. At that moment, I felt a deep sense of pride that despite our differences, we Singaporeans were able to cheer as one.

Oh and I was kinda sad I couldn’t take a picture with a certain athlete though. – Jerald Ang, 18

“This SEA Games has been a memorable journey. Many of the great parts include the times when I saw the crowd cheering on their athletes with gusto and pride. It is hard not to get the heart involved even when I’m on duty, especially after doing prior research on the athletes/teams and knowing about their struggles and sacrifices, all for that minute of glory. Even when seated among fellow reporters and journalists, it becomes common to find ourselves cheering for the teams. Other good times include the instances where I managed to score one-on-one interviews with some athletes, away from the mainstream media. The support from the crew has been a tremendous blessing as well.

“What the Games have taught me most is about the potential of the human spirit. We may still have some way to go in terms of learning to be fans of our own local athletes but what I’ve experienced is a great start and I am hopeful that it will get better from here.” – Tessa Cho, 21

“I don’t really know where to begin. Since the start of the Games, I’ve been overwhelmed by inspiration every single day.

I especially liked Shanti’s race in the 200m where she dominated throughout to take the gold. Then, the stands were packed with Singaporeans and because I was sitting at the back, I could see everything happen right before me. When Shanti crossed the finish line, I saw literally every Singaporean jumping out of his/her seat, raising their hands in jubilee. It was such a sight to behold that I almost cried. Tears of joy, to be exact.

The grand presentation of athletes into their respective competition areas was truly amazing. I think that these sportsmen deserve that kind of recognition, and I hope that Singaporeans will go on to appreciate the blood and sweat of these athletes regardless of their background. May we continue to celebrate the extraordinary as one.” – Nicole Lum, 19

‘It’s really a good experience to be able to cover a major sporting event and I would like to thank Red Sports for this chance, without Uncle les, I don’t think I would be able to do this.

I think the best part of the intense 17 days was actually covering the softball games, even though most of the games were delayed due to bad weather. I still went down in the morning at 830am to wait out the rain to cover the games. Softball was not covered much by other press so I was glad that I was there to cover the games. Being able to cover some of my friends in the national team was a plus point too as well as making some new ones. The surprising thing was that for a rather small sport in Singapore, there were a lot of fans who went down to cheer on the team.

Another highlight was whenever Singapore won a medal and I was at the venue when the national anthem played. To sing the national anthem with pride alongside hundreds of singaporeans felt amazing.

Lastly, Im going to remember this for a long time as I actually celebrated my 18th birthday right there at the stadium with the crew. I tried to hide it as I didn’t want to trouble anyone but the truth came out and we went for supper that night. Fellow Red Crew Nicholina Chua, actually bought me a cake to celebrate the next day haha!’ – Matthew Lau, 18

Tan Wan Xin of Red Sports in a daze after being secretly photographed at the Main Press Centre. (Photo 2 © Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Lim Yong Teck of Red Sports on the track of National Stadium when he was covering Athletics during the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. (Photo 3 © Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Lee Jian Wei of Red Sports caught in a candid moment where he stares into space while covering Athletics at the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. (Photo 4 © Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Matthew Lau of Red Sports poses for the camera during a gathering for his birthday on the last day of the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. (Photo 5 © Jerald Ang/Red Sports)

Leslie Tan of Red Sports clapping his hands during a birthday song for one of the Red Crew. (Photo 6 © Jerald Ang/Red Sports)

Les Tan with Zachary Ryan Devaraj, who ran for Singapore in the 800m final. Zach finished 5th. (Photo 7 by Dawn Yip)

Lim Yong Teck (left) and Soh Jun Wei on Benjamin Sheares Bridge for the road cycling event. (Photo by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Lim Yong Teck (left) and Soh Jun Wei on Benjamin Sheares Bridge for the road cycling event. (Photo 8 by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Red Crew intern Tan Wan Xin joined Red Sports after writing in from overseas. She used to run cross country and track for school. (Photo 9 by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Red Crew shooters at Main Press Centre (L-R): Soh Jun Wei, Lee Jian Wei, Lim Yong Teck. (Photo 10 by Les Tan/Red Sports)

With Soh Rui Yong, Red Crew alumni, after he won marathon gold. L-R: Koh Yizhe, Erwin Wong, Soh Rui Yong, Les Tan. (Photo 11 by Low Lin Fhoong)

Les Tan with Soh Rui Yong, Red Crew alumni, who won marathon gold at the SEA Games. (Photo 12 by Dawn Yip)

Red Crew at the National Stadium for the football final between Thailand and Myanmar. (Photo 13 by Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Red Crew pointing the way to Stadium MRT. Sort of. (Photo 14 by Nic Chua/Red Sports)

Red Crew with swimmers Quah Ting Wen and her brother, Zheng Wen. L-R: Jiexin Neo, Nicole Lum, Quah Ting Wen, Tan Wan Xin, Quah Zheng Wen, Clara Yuan. (Photo 15 by some random stranger)