Singapore secured two silver medals on October 22 at the Asian Para Games held in Aichi, Japan, with achievements in para-archery and para-swimming.

Para-archer Nur Syahidah Alim earned her second consecutive silver in the women’s individual compound open event, narrowly losing to India’s defending champion Sheetal Devi. The final took place at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, where the world No. 2 Syahidah fell 142-139 to the top-ranked Devi. Syahidah opened strongly with five 10s in the first two ends, leading 59-55. However, the 19-year-old Devi responded with six 10s, including four hitting the innermost ring, to turn the match and secure victory by three points.

Syahidah, 41, cited the challenging gusty winds as a major factor but expressed satisfaction with her composure and focus during the competition. She acknowledged managing performance anxiety as an ongoing challenge that made this medal particularly meaningful. “I’m proud of how I handled the conditions and gave everything I had until the final arrow,” she said.

Her coach, Pang Cling Liang, praised Syahidah’s dedication and ability to perform under pressure, highlighting the increasing competitive standard in Asian para-archery. Pang emphasized continuing work on her mental preparation and consistent execution to sustain her performance level in future events.

The two archers have met previously in major finals, including the 2023 Asian Para Archery Championships where Syahidah triumphed after a shoot-off, and the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou where Devi won by a narrow margin.

On the same day at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium Rainbow Pool, para-swimmer Toh Wei Soong added a silver medal in the men’s 100m backstroke S7 final, finishing with a time of 1:16.09. China’s Ruan Jingsong took gold with a games record of 1:12.16, while India’s In-Ja Tejas Nandakumar secured bronze.

Toh, 28, who also earned three bronze medals earlier in the Games, reflected on his performance, stating that this event brought him closer to his expectations and reminded him of his capabilities. He has previously won gold in the same event at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

Earlier in the competition, Toh placed third in the 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 50m butterfly events. He is set to defend his men’s 50m freestyle gold on October 23.

In other swimming events on October 22, Wong Zhi Wei set a national record in the men’s 50m freestyle S13 final with a time of 26.55 seconds, finishing fifth, while Sophie Soon also broke a national record in the women’s 50m freestyle S11 final, recording 32.97 seconds, finishing sixth.

With these results, Team Singapore’s medal tally at the ongoing Asian Para Games has reached nine. Earlier in the Games, boccia players Jovin Tan and Aloysius Gan won silver, adding to Jerilyn Tan’s bronze, and debutant para-cyclist Amelia Tan earned a bronze in the women’s 15km B time trial on October 21.