'My wife says I'm mad': The 75-year-old gunning for a medal at his first SEA Games
'My wife says I'm mad': The 75-year-old gunning for a medal at his first SEA Games
75-year-old woodball player Tan Kok Tiong is the oldest Singaporean competing at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
Singapore's very first SEA Games woodball delegation consists of 12 players. All are aged above 60 except for 17-year-old Gwenifer Mak (bottom, left).
Invented in Taiwan in 1990, woodball is a mainly outdoor sport where players use a wooden mallet to hit a ball through a series of little "gates”. It is modelled loosely on golf.
When he moved to Bishan 25 years ago, Mr Tan was intrigued by the people playing woodball at a course near his home. Semi-retired in his 50s, he decided to try it.
"The first time I played, the ball went everywhere. But I didn't care, I just learn. Slowly, I got better," said Mr Tan. A year later, he joined the Woodball Association and started taking part in competitions.
When Mr Tan was selected for the national woodball team for the 2025 SEA Games, the retiree's family was just as surprised as he was. "My grandson said, 'Huh, you can play (so well) meh?'"
