Singapore secured its first medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games on October 19 when swimmer Toh Wei Soong earned bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle S7 final. The event took place at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Toh, 28, finished with a time of 5 minutes 24.23 seconds, trailing the gold medalist Ernie Gawilan of the Philippines (4:56.72) and silver medalist Zhang Yilong of China (5:01.36).

Although Toh led during the initial 100 meters, he ultimately placed third, marking his eighth Asian Para Games medal across three editions. He also won silver in the same event at the previous Games three years ago and recently took silver at the Commonwealth Games earlier in July. Despite his success in the 400m freestyle, Toh indicated that this event is not his primary focus. He explained that his preferred races are the sprints, which align better with his natural style and temperament, emphasizing a fast, strong start.

Toh, who has transverse myelitis—a condition causing inflammation of the spinal cord and limiting his leg movement—plans to compete in five events at the Games. Following the 400m freestyle, he will defend his S7 titles in the 50m butterfly (October 21), 100m backstroke (October 22), and 50m freestyle (October 23). He will also participate in the 100m freestyle S7 final on October 20, an event that was absent from the last Games. Reflecting on his extensive international career spanning nearly 14 years, Toh shared that he believes he has found an effective balance in his training and competition strategy that allows him to perform at his best while staying true to himself.

In other swimming events on October 19, Sophie Soon competed in the women’s 100m freestyle S13 final. Although Soon, classified as an S11 swimmer with little to no vision, finished last among six competitors with a time of 1:20.45, she participated in the S13 category due to the absence of an S11 event. Japan’s Ayano Tsujuchi won gold with a Games record of 1:00.84, followed by Mubina-bonu Khalilova and Muslima Odilova of Uzbekistan who took silver and bronze respectively.

Meanwhile, in the men’s 100m freestyle S13 final, Wong Zhi Wei finished fourth with a time of 58.55 seconds, missing the podium behind winners Egor Bolotov of Uzbekistan (52.90), India’s Ravi Karthik Budigina (56.68), and Kazakhstan’s Viktor Volkov (57.23).

Singapore’s para-archery contingent also made progress, with Nur Syahidah Alim, 41, advancing to the round of 16 in the women’s compound open event. She secured second place in the ranking round at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square with a score of 629 points, just behind defending champion Sheetal Devi of India (646) and ahead of China’s Xu Xuexiang (623). Syahidah will face Kazakhstan’s Zhanat Atitimova on October 20 for a spot in the quarterfinals. She previously earned silver at the last Asian Para Games.

Overall, Singapore’s delegation to the Aichi-Nagoya Games comprises 20 para-athletes, including eight making their debut. In addition to swimming and archery, they are competing across seven other sports: athletics, badminton, boccia, cycling (road), judo, shooting, and table tennis.