Mawjit Singh and Khirmern Mohamad, members of Singapore’s national para-lawn bowls team, have developed a strong and complementary partnership over the past four years despite contrasting personalities. Singh, 62, is known for his jovial nature, frequently sharing jokes with teammates, while the more reserved Khirmern, 56, approaches training with seriousness and focus.

Speaking about their dynamic, Khirmern described Singh as a brotherly figure whom he motivates, especially during moments of self-doubt. “He knows what I expect from him, and we’ve found a balance,” Khirmern said. Singh emphasized the importance of maintaining trust and encouragement in pairs play, noting that mutual support helps them recover from setbacks during competition.

Both players lost their left legs to gangrene, though under different circumstances. Singh’s amputation, at mid-thigh, followed an accident when he was 20 years old. Khirmern’s leg was amputated at the hip subsequently to gangrene contracted after a motorcycle accident.

The duo began competing together in 2022 and marked a historic achievement the following year at the World Bowls Championships on the Gold Coast, Australia. They secured a bronze medal in the men’s para pairs event, becoming Singapore’s first para-lawn bowlers to reach the podium at this level. This milestone came after extensive training alongside able-bodied players from Bowls Singapore, which Singh credited as instrumental to their development.

“Many of the Bowls Singapore players have competed in major events, so training with them helped us improve and build rapport,” Singh said. Reflecting on the team’s breakthrough, he added, “When we knew we could take on the best, we said, ‘Why not the rest?’”

Khirmern, who also earned a men’s singles bronze at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, described standing on the podium as a defining moment. “Even the able-bodied bowlers were never on the podium. We were the first—it was spectacular,” he said.

Looking ahead, Singh and Khirmern are preparing to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2 as part of Team Singapore’s four-man para-athlete contingent, which includes para-swimmers Toh Wei Soong and Wong Zhi Wei. Singh voiced their goal of achieving a podium finish or at least placing in the top four despite the expected challenges.

“We’ve trained hard and pushed ourselves for a long time,” he said. “We will adapt to the conditions and trust our abilities. Whatever the outcome, we want to give our best and not let ourselves down.”