RAISING THE BAR
National coach Amir Gani said adapting to the intensity and pace of international bouts has been a major focus in training, with former national athletes being involved as sparring partners.
“We do more training because of the pace of the fights. The bouts are different from what we have in Singapore,” he added.
“So we need to understand and make the athletes understand the pace, the power of these international games. They are not easy.”
Amir said he believes his charges are capable of holding their own against Asia’s best, and is aiming for at least four medals from the team at the championship — but medals are just part of the bigger picture.
“My goal for the Asian Championship is to win as many as we can as a nation, and I want as many Singapore athletes to be carded for SEA Games,” he added.
“That's what our main goal is, but for the main goal to happen, we have to have a successful event.”
If their quest for December's SEA Games is successful, the athletes will have their work cut out for them.
They could face fierce fights from powerhouse and host Thailand, as well as other teams such as Malaysia and the Philippines.
Amir said: “We know that there’s always pressure, but we can work with this pressure to be even better.”
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