‘I knew I had to give my absolute all’: Shanti Pereira reflects on historic Asian Games silver
“I didn’t even know it was (nearly) 50 (years) … It just feels incredible,” says sprinter Shanti Pereira, after ending Singapore's athletics medal drought at the Asian Games.
Singapore's Shanti Pereira celebrating after clinching silver in the women's 100m final at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sep 30, 2023. (Photo: SNOC/Kong Chong Yew)
HANGZHOU, China: Up against a stacked field in her maiden Asian Games final, Shanti Pereira knew she had to give it her “absolute all”.
Or to be precise, “150,000 per cent”.
Pereira ended Singapore’s near 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after she clinched a silver in the women’s 100m on Saturday (Sep 30).
At the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Pereira clocked 11.27s to take silver. The Singaporean’s personal best time stands at 11.20s.
“I knew I had to really give my 150,000 per cent today,” she told reporters.
“I’m really glad I did.”
China's Ge Manqi took the gold in 11.23s, while Bahraini Hajar Saad Saeed Saad Alkhadi finished third (11.35s) for the bronze.
Pereira was up against fierce competition in the final, with China’s Wei Yongli (10.99s) and Ge (11.04s) as well as Bahrain’s Ofonime Odiong (11.05s) and Alkhaldi (11.17s) all possessing quicker personal bests.
“I was up against really, really stiff competition, some of them I ran with in Bangkok (at the Asian Athletics Championships) in July,” she said.
“They were just getting better throughout the season.”
The last Singaporean to win an athletics gold was Chee Swee Lee (women's 400m) in 1974. Singapore’s last Asiad medal in the sport also came that year.
“I didn’t even know it was (nearly) 50 (years) … It just feels incredible,” said Pereira.
This is Pereira’s first Games finals in the 100m. In 2018, she did not advance out of the heats.
In May, Pereira became the first Singaporean woman to win both the 100m and 200m events at the same edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and then followed that up with a sprint double at the Asian Athletics Championships.
Last month in Budapest, Hungary, Pereira became the first Singaporean to make a World Championships semi-finals after a stellar showing in the 200m. She also met the qualifying mark for the event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris
Pereira will next turn her attention to the 200m and will compete in the heats on Sunday morning.
“It was really cool, I never had an introduction before - I’ve only ever seen it at (the) world champs and the Olympics,” said the Singaporean, who had been targeting a medal in the 100m and 200m events.
“I was a bit hazy you know? Like the light suddenly turned on.”
But as she proved minutes earlier, bright lights do not faze her. On Asia’s biggest stage, she is right at home.
