Perseverence pays off for Singapore Sports School Awards winners

National fencer Bron Sheum (left) and wushu exponent Zeanne Law were both winners at the Singapore Sports School's Awards Night on Feb 5. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

SINGAPORE – In a bid to qualify for the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, national fencer Bron Sheum took a gap year in 2022 to focus on training and competing.

But he struggled to perform and found himself removed from the national team that same year after falling down the pecking order in the local ranking system.

Sheum, then a student in a business diploma course jointly offered by the Singapore Sports School (SSP) and Republic Polytechnic, began to question whether he had made the right decision to take time off from his studies.

But he continued to train with the school and his perseverance paid off as he worked his way back into the team and made the SEA Games squad for Cambodia, where he was part of the Republic’s bronze-winning men’s epee team.

In 2024, he continued to represent the country in overseas competitions such as the Asian championships.

The 25-year-old was one of two recipients of the Tan Howe Liang Excellence Award at the Singapore Sports School Awards Night on Feb 5, an annual ceremony to recognise outstanding student-athletes in sports, studies and holistic achievements. The other recipient was badminton player Johann Prajogo.

Named after Singapore’s first Olympic medallist, the award is presented annually to two male graduating student-athletes who have outstanding sports achievements.

On the accolade, Sheum said: “I was doubting myself whether it was worth the effort to take a gap year to pursue my passion, but I felt that it would be a waste to let my hard work go down the drain if I don’t continue to try again, so I chose not to give up.

“Receiving this award made me feel a sense of accomplishment and recognition that people realise I’ve been putting in a lot of effort.”

Sheum, now a Nanyang Technological University accountancy undergraduate, has faced several obstacles in his academic and sporting career, but was determined not to let anything get in his way.

When he was a child, Sheum’s parents learnt that his hearing was impaired and they encountered difficulties finding a primary school that would accept him because of his condition.

He discovered fencing at six, when he walked past a fencing club in a mall and the sport reminded him of his favourite Star Wars movies.

But too much sweat damaged his hearing aid, which required repairs that could cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

That did not dampen his enthusiasm for the sport, however, and Sheum is now gunning for a spot at the 2025 Asian and world championships, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Among the other award recipients on Feb 5 was wushu exponent Zeanne Law, who received the Moo Soon Chong Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Award (Post-Secondary), along with national diver Max Lee.

The award, named after SSP’s late founding principal, is for student-athletes who excel in both sport and studies, and display exemplary conduct.

Law had a memorable 2024, starting the year by being named the 2023 International Wushu Federation Wushu Taolu Rising Star after she was crowned the women’s taijiquan world champion at the World Wushu Championships.

At the World Taijiquan Championships in Singapore, she won two golds and one silver, before clinching a silver and bronze at the Taolu World Cup in Japan.

Her achievements have motivated her to keep pursuing wushu, with Law, 19, saying: “When I was younger, the only goal I had was just to do my best because I had nothing to lose when I was younger.

“But after receiving the world title, there was a bit of worry about having to defend this title, so I was quite worried in a few competitions in 2024.

“Thankfully, I was still able to perform well and that assured me that I could still do it, despite having worries and uncertainties.”

Other awards presented on Feb 5 include the Moo Soon Chong Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Award (Secondary), Outstanding Sports Achievement Award and Annabel Pennefather Excellence Award.

Golfer Chen Xingtong and table tennis player Nicholas Tan were given the Moo Soon Chong Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Award (Secondary).

The Annabel Pennefather Excellence Award, presented annually to two female graduating student-athletes who have outstanding sports achievements, went to fencers Cheung Kemei and Filzah Hidayah Nor Anuar.

The award was named after former national hockey player Annabel Pennefather, who died in 2020.

Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.

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