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SILVER LINING
Team Singapore's Shooters Earn Silver Despite Setback
By Christopher Ong & Peh Siong San in Bangkok
Singapore's representatives in the 25-metre standard pistol event missed out on the team gold at the SEA Games in Bangkok today, finishing second behind Thailand with a score of 1646. They had to settle for silver after a malfunction occurred with shooter Gai Bin's gun in the second-round.
More Drama
There was more drama when Gai placed his gun on the table and it went off. Subsequently, he did not have time to fire his three remaining three shots. This meant that he had a total of only 56 points in that round, out of a possible 100, costing the Singapore
team gold and Gai a shot at the individual gold. However, there was a silver lining as Poh Lip Meng's score of 559 earned him second placing in the individual event.
Missing Gold
Gai said, "I'm a bit disappointed on missing the gold. If not for the malfunction, I might have achieved the individual gold, and the team would surely have won the gold." However, he credited his teammates Poh and Rafiee Bin Sairi for their hard work, which saved the day. Poh said, "We nearly missed the boat, but pedalled hard to get the silver." Sairi was modest about his own contributions, saying, "It was Lip Meng who pulled us to the silver."
Anybody's Game
Even when Gai's gun malfunctioned, Sairi was confident that they would do well. He said, "I trusted that the team could manage." Poh noted, "In this event, malfunctions are quite common. Although it cost us 40 points, we just have to be prepared for such situations and do our best. Anyway, it's anybody's game during the competition, so we couldn't give up." He felt that they had done well, saying, "While we believed we could win a medal, we were not sure if we could strike gold. Coming so close to a gold, and only losing out due to a malfunction is still an achievement."
Meaningful Silver
For 53-year-old Sairi, a SEA Games debutant, the silver medal was especially meaningful. He said, "At this age, it's a surprise to be here. It's a privilege to be teaming up with my teammates who are the best in Singapore."
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