Newsflash: SAA to nominate Seng Song for SEA Games 100m ticket?
That PB is faster than the bronze medal-winning time of 10.53sec (clocked by Malaysia’s A. Noor Mohammad Imran) at the 2007 SEA Games in Korat.
The onus is now on Seng Song to consistently reproduce times close to or better than the 10.49sec he clocked at the Asean University Games. Picture from www.ssc.gov.sg
Of course, the onus is now on Seng Song to show that that this new PB is no flash in the pan and that he is consistently able to reproduce similar timings in competitions throughout this year.
Only then will the Singapore National Olympic Council approve of the SAA’s nomination.
Still, one could not have asked for a better end to 2008 and a better start to 2009 for Seng Song, who is coached by Singapore Sports School sprints coach Viatcheslav Vassilieve.
Last year, Seng Song’s season best time prior to the Asean University Games was 10.70sec, a far cry from his personal best of 10.59sec.
As a result, he lost out on the chance to compete at in the 100m at the Beijing Olympics on a wildcard entry. That slot went to national junior sprinter Calvin Kang who clocked a new national junior record of 10.55sec during a purple patch from May to July.
If Seng Song’s nomination is eventually approved by the SNOC, it means that he will be the first national sprinter since UK Shyam in 2001 to directly earn a berth in the SEA Games 100m sprint.
The SAA’s policy has always been to get our national sprinters to qualify for the SEA Games via the 4x100m relay first. The top two sprinters from the team of six will then get to compete in the 100m.
Here’s wishing Seng Song a blazing year on the track this year. I am definitely hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that he will continue to set new PBs this year and I would love to see him in action in the SEA Games 100m final at the end of the year.
Yours in sport
Singapore Sports Fan
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