As former national goalball athlete Joan Hung stood on the ASEAN Para Games (APG) podium together with the region’s “more experienced” para judo athletes, her coach Gerard Lim, who is also the high-performance director at the Wrestling Federation of Singapore, was beaming with pride on the sidelines.
Hung, who added a para judo silver in the women’s J1/J2 -60kg event on Saturday (Jan 24) afternoon after a goalball silver at the 2022 edition, had won three out of her four bouts against more seasoned opponents at The Mall Korat Convention Hall.
Hung just missed out on gold on her Games debut in the sport, as eventual gold medallist Siyamsih Siyamsih of Indonesia, who had a similar 3-1 win-loss record, had won her three other matches by Ippon.
“I am very proud of her. Considering that we only had these two years to get her ready, she fought really well against more experienced athletes, and I think we can expect more from him in the coming years,” Lim said.
Hung contested all four of her bouts within an “intense” three-hour window, with her third fight against Siyamsih stretching into overtime, where she clinched victory by yuko.
But the cheers by supporters in the stands were a shot in the arm as she pushed past fatigue to make comebacks in her final two matches.
“Compared to competing in goalball, this APG experience was a lot lonelier because I do not have a team with me anymore. But with my coach, my physio and with all the people that came to cheer for me, it felt a lot better,” she said. “I was surprised to hear the supporters. I really liked it.”
Hung was also the only one of the four athletes on the podium wearing a brown belt (the minimum requirement to compete), underlining the early promise shown by her silver finish.
“She had some previous recreational experience, but she’s only been training properly for about a year and a half. It’s been an uphill climb, a lot of work, a lot of support from all the athletes who are sparring with her… Ultimately, it’s not about whether she’s black or not black. It’s about whether she can perform.
With a silver secured, Hung is hungry for more.
When asked what’s next for her, Hung replied, “More fights. More people to fight against.”
“What we want to do is to prepare her progressively so that she can go for the Asian Para Games this year. Based on how she performed here, I think that we can expect more from her. Perhaps medalling at the Asian Games will not be as far-fetched as we think. It will be a positive opportunity,” Lim added.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, but one thing is for sure: with a positive attitude, I think we can probably meet some expectations.”
