KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Singapore will hold a grand open-top bus parade on August 14 to celebrate its Olympians, marking a dramatic end to the nation’s eight-year medal drought.
According to CNA, Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) chief Su Chun Wei said this at a press conference yesterday in Paris.
“We hope that Singaporeans can come out and cheer on our Olympians as they travel on through an open-top bus through the heart of the city, and we can enjoy... and come together once again as a nation to celebrate these very amazing achievements by all our Olympians,” he told the news portal.
A total of eight athletes will be taking part in the parade including the city nation’s hero of the year, Olympic bronze medallist Max Maeder, as well as swimmer Gan Ching Hwee and badminton mixed doubles, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan.
Sport Singapore (SportSG) said that the parade will consists of five “cheer points”, with the procession taking the athletes from Bayfront Avenue through Chinatown, Orchard Road, Serangoon Road, and Victoria Street.
CNA reported that Su praised the “gritty performances” of Singapore’s athletes and stressed the “very high bar” needed to make the cut for the Games.
Singapore sent a total of 23 athletes across 11 sports and the contingent will bring home, for the first time in eight years, a bronze medal, all thanks to kitefoiler Maeder.
“It has been a journey for each of them, fighting each (of their) way for qualification. Being able to achieve that, to represent the nation here at the world’s largest sporting stage, it’s an outstanding achievement,” Su told CNA.
He also lavished praise on Maeder. The 17-year-old kitefoiler is currently Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist.
“We are immensely proud of his performance, and at 17 years old, it is very easy for us to forget that he has achieved what many of us (as) teenagers have not even dared to dream (of) at the world’s largest stage,” said Su.
