First Singaporean woman to win Asian Games gold for swimming

Junie Sng Poh Leng was Singapore’s first female swimmer to win gold at the Asian Games. Held in 1978 in Bangkok, Thailand, Sng was also the youngest gold medallist in the history of the games at 14 years old.^[1] She was also the first Singapore swimmer to beat the Japanese — who had been dominating the swimming scene then — in the games.^[2]

Sng won the women’s 400-metre freestyle gold medal on 13 December 1978 clocking in at 4 minutes 31.35 seconds,^[3] after bagging a silver medal at the 200-metre freestyle event that same day.^[4] She picked up another gold medal the next day at the 800-metre freestyle event at 9 minutes 18.33 seconds.^[5]

A member of the People’s Association Youth Swimming Club, Sng entered eight individual and two relay events in the 1978 Asian Games.^[6] Her main competitors were the Japanese who had dominated at the previous Asian Games in Teheran four years earlier.^[7] Elaine Sng, Sng’s older sister who was also a swimmer, had won two silver medals at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games and three bronze and two silver medals at the 1974 Teheran Asian Games.^[8]

Sng was Sportswoman of the Year for three consecutive years: in 1977,^[9] 1978^[10] and 1979.^[11] She retired from sports in 1983 after participating in the 1983 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore^[12] where she won 10 gold medals.^[13]

References
1. Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO). [n.d.]. Junie Sng Poh Leng: First Singapore woman to win swimming gold at the Asian Games. Retrieved December 4, 2015, from the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame website: http://www.swhf.sg/the-honourees/22-sports/171-junie-sng-poh-leng
2. Johnson, A. (1979, January 31). Coach Kee praises A-Games swimmers. The Straits Times, p. 19.; Johnson, A. (1978. December 7). Junie Sng is causing quite a stir. The Straits Times, p. 31. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Johnson, A. (1978, December 14). Junie eyes the double after gold triumph. The Straits Times, p. 37. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Johnson, A. (1978, December 13). Junie fights for silver. The Straits Times, p. 29.; Junie wins the first medal for S’pore. (1978, December 13). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Johnson, A. (1978, December 15). Junie makes it a gold double. The Straits Times, p. 39. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Johnson, A. (1978, December 4). Junie is given even chance to win a gold. The Straits Times, p. 31. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. The Straits Times, 7 Dec 1978, p.31.
8. Patricia Chan, Elaine Sng, Justina Tseng and Joscelin Yeo. (1998, March 25). The Straits Times, p. 45; Togetherness for swimmers. (1978, December 12). The Straits Times, p. 30. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Pereira, B. (1978, May 20). Swimmers Marc and Junie sweep awards. The Straits Times, p. 31. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Nair, S. (1979, March 3). Junie aims for hattrick. New Nation, p. 17. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Yeo, W. (1980, April 8). Junie, Chua are top sportspersons again. The Straits Times, p. 29. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. Miller, B. (1983, June 1). Goodbye all... The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
13. Miller, B. (1983, June 2). The last of Junie the First. The Straits Times, p. 43. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.