Amita, Koen Named Top Junior Athlete For 2019

Singapore Sports Awards 2020

The way is only up for paddler Koen Pang Yew En who started 2019 on a high and ended the year on an even greater high when he won the Table Tennis Men’s Singles gold and Men’s Doubles silver medals in his maiden Southeast Asian Games experience in Philippines in December.

In January 2019, Koen was one of two male paddlers promoted into the national senior team. Eight months later, he made history by occupying the top spot on the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) Boy’s Under 18 ranking list. He had climbed three spots after clinching the Boys Junior Singles silver medal at the Hong Kong Junior and Cadet Open in August.

Koen’s achievements in 2019 earned him the Sportsboy of the Year crown at the Singapore Sports Awards 2020 organised by Singapore National Olympic Council on 28 October 2020. The 18-year-old beat pencak silat exponent Muhammad Hazim Mohamad Yusli and swimmer Darren Chua to the top award in the junior category, becoming the first table tennis player to win the award since its inception in 1978. Koen, a Singapore Sports School alumnus who is currently in National Service, also won the Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Team of the Year (Event) – with 2019 SEA Games Men’s Doubles partner Josh Chua – and the Meritorious Award, also in the junior category.

“Being the first table tennis Sportsboy of the Year is really big for me and caps off a wonderful 2019 year. This achievement shows that the standard of Singapore’s local table tennis talents is growing and that it is possible for local talents to compete with the best in the world too,” said Koen.

In the junior girls’ category, Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier proved that the third time’s a charm when she was named top Sportsgirl for 2019. It was the former Sports School student-athlete’s third year being nominated for the award. Among the fencer’s achievements is attaining the No. 1 position on the FIE Junior Foil ranking list. She also won numerous medals at both junior and senior competitions. She ended the year by successfully defending her Women’s Foil individual gold medal at the Philippines 2019 SEA Games and also helped Singapore to the Team gold in the same weapon.

“Winning the Sportsgirl of the Year award is testament to all who believe in my ability and who are in this journey with me. The award goes to my family, coaches, Fencing Singapore and Singapore Sport Institute for running the miles with me. I am deeply grateful and hope that this will motivate other young fencers to believe in themselves,” said Amita.

Year 2 Diploma in Sport Management student-athlete Siti Khadijah Mohamad Shahrem was also nominated for the Sportsgirl of the Year for her bronze medal-effort at the 1st World

Beach Pencak Silat Championship in Phuket, Thailand. Other contenders for the top female junior award were bowler Arianne Tay and swimmer Quah Jing Wen.

Of the seven award categories for athletes, Sports School’s present and past student-athletes were finalists in five. In addition, 22 present and past student-athletes also received Meritorious Awards junior and senior categories.

SINGAPORE SPORTS AWARDS RECIPIENTS AND FINALISTS 2020

Sportsman of the Year

Nominee: Sheik Ferdous Sheik Alau’ddin

Sportsboy of the Year

Winner: Koen Pang Yew En (Table Tennis)

Sportsgirl of the Year

Winner: Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier (Fencing)

Nominee: Siti Khadijah Mohamed Shahrem (Pencak Silat)

Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Team of the Year (Event)

Winner: Koen Pang Yew En (Table Tennis 2019 SEA Games Men’s Doubles Team)

Nominee: Quek Lu Yi, Xavier Teo Jun Hao (Bowling 2019 World Junior Bowling Championships)

Team of the Year (Event)

Nominee: Trevor Tan XuXuan, Xu Jing Feng (Ice Skating 2019 SEA Games Men’s 3,000m Relay Team)

Nominee: Daphne Tan Shi Jing, New Hui Fen (Bowling 2019 SEA Games Women’s Team of 4)

Nominee: Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier, Tatiana Wong Yu Rong (Fencing 2019 SEA Games Women’s Foil Team)

Nominee: Hamillatu Arash Juffrie, Nujaid Hasif Zainal Abidin (Pencak Silat 2019 SEA Games Men’s Artistic Team)

Nominee: Sheena Soh (Underwater Hockey 2019 SEA Games Women’s Team)

Meritorious Awards

Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Individual

Marc Brian Louis (Athletics)

Amabel Chua Jiaying (Bowling)

Xavier Teo Jun Hao (Bowling)

Abdul Raazaq Abdul Rashid (Pencak Silat)

Ho Xiu Yi (Shooting)

Kimberly Ong Li Ling (Wushu)

Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Event/Team

Xavier Teo Jun Hao (Bowling 20th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships Boys’ Team)

Goi Rui Xuan (Table Tennis 2019 Commonwealth Championships Junior Mixed Doubles)

Koen Pang Yew En (Table Tennis 2019 Commonwealth Championships Junior Mixed Doubles)

Individual

Loh Kean Yew (Badminton)

Yeo Jia Min (Badminton)

Bernice Lim Hui Ying (Bowling)

New Hui Fen (Bowling)

Constance Lien Tian-En (Jiu-Jitsu)

Abdul Raaziq Abdul Rashid (Pencak Silat)

Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Rahman (Pencak Silat)

Nurul Suhaila Mohamad Saiful (Pencak Silat)

Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin (Pencak Silat)

Martina Lindsay P Veloso (Shooting)

Amanda Lim Xiang Qi (Swimming)

Jowen Lim Si Wei (Wushu)

Event

Nur Hakim Norshamsuddin (Pencak Silat 5th Asian Pencak Silat Championship Artistic Male Doubles)

Cecilia Low Rui Qi (Sailing 2019 49erFX World Championships)

Amanda Lim Xiang Qi (Swimming 2019 SEA Games Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay Team)

Goi Rui Xuan (Table Tennis 2019 ITTF-ATTU Asian Table Tennis Championships Women’s Team)