SINGAPORE: Singapore's athletes have wrapped up their Youth Olympic Games campaign in Dakar, Senegal with three medals, including a historic wushu gold and the country's first-ever fencing medal at the Games, secured on the final day of competition.
The 14-strong contingent clinched a gold, a silver and a bronze at this year's Games, held from Oct 31 to Nov 13.
Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary-general Mark Chay praised the young athletes for rising to the challenge of competing on the international stage.
"We are very proud of how our Team Singapore athletes rose to the challenge, showing their determination and hunger to compete against some of the world's best young athletes, including higher-ranked opponents, while embracing the spirit of the Games," he said.
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"Their performances reflect not only their competitive drive, but also the courage to challenge themselves and the joy of being part of this global sporting community."
Beyond the results, SNOC said on Friday (Nov 13) the lessons gained from handling pressure and overcoming setbacks would be valuable to the young athletes as they progressed in their sporting careers.
Singapore's athletes competed across nine sports: archery, athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, fencing, artistic gymnastics, sailing, table tennis and wushu.
The Dakar Games also marked the first time an Olympic sporting event was held on African soil.
On the final day of competition, sabre fencer Ashton Auw secured bronze in the men's individual event, becoming Singapore's first-ever fencing medallist at the Youth Olympics.
Entering the competition as the fifth seed, the 17-year-old topped the pool standings to advance to the elimination rounds before beating Georgia's Giorgi Urushadze 15-10 in the bronze-medal match on Friday.
Ashton Auw (right) competes against Giorgi Urushadze of Georgia during the boys' individual sabre event on Nov 13, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Service/Will Palmer)
"I went in with the mentality of going one point at a time, one bout at a time,” he said.
“I just kept telling myself that 'I want this so bad, and I just got to focus – not on the opponent, but I got to focus on myself, on what I want to do'.”
Auw had previously won silver at the 2025 FIE Cadet World Cup in Hammamet, Tunisia, as well as individual bronze and team silver at the 2025 Asian Cadet Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore's only gold medal at the Games came on Nov 3, when 16-year-old wushu exponent Ng Zhe Nin won the women's taijiquan combined event with a combined score of 18.713 points.
Her victory marked Singapore's first gold medal at the Summer Youth Olympics since 2014. This was also the first time wushu has been included in an Olympic programme as a medal sport.
Ng, who took up wushu at the age of 10, is no stranger to the podium.
Ng Zhe Nin performing her taijishan routine during the women's taijiquan combined final at the Youth Olympic Games on Nov 3, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Service/Remi Vallat)
In 2024, she won a gold and silver at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei. Earlier this year, she added two golds and a silver at the championships in Tianjin, China.
"Competing at the Youth Olympic Games has given me a lot of confidence in myself,” said Ng.
"It is a huge milestone and an important stepping stone for me as I work towards bigger competitions in the future. I hope to keep improving and do even better when those opportunities come."
Two days after Ng’s gold, 16-year-old table tennis player Loy Ming Ying added a silver to Singapore's medal tally.
Loy beat Hong Kong's Su Tsz Tung 4-2 in the women's singles semi-finals before losing 2-4 to Chinese Taipei's Chen Min-hsin in the final.
Her silver was Singapore's second Youth Olympic medal in table tennis, 16 years after Isabelle Li won silver at the inaugural Games in Singapore in 2010.
Loy Ming Ying in action during the table tennis women’s singles gold medal match on Nov 5, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Services/Nic Bothma)
Other Singapore athletes also turned in notable performances.
Archer Tabitha Yeo, 17, narrowly missed out on a medal after falling 4-6 to Spain's Sandra Perez Cumbreras in the women’s individual bronze-medal match on Nov 9.
Having entered the elimination rounds ranked seventh, Yeo fought her way into the semi-finals before finishing fourth overall.
"I've learnt that I'm a lot stronger than I actually think I am, and I'm going to carry that with me into every competition from now till forever,” she said.
Daryen Ko finished sixth in the men's 400m hurdles final on Nov 10, 2026. He clocked a time of 52.16s to set a new national under-18 record. (Photo: Olympic Information Services/Kieran Cleeves)
On the track, 17-year-old Daryen Ko finished sixth in the men's 400m hurdles final on Nov 10, clocking 52.16s to set a new national under-18 record.
He bettered his previous mark of 52.75s, set at the Singapore Athletics Age Group Championships in September.
Reflecting on his experience, Ko said the young athletes had to be mindful of pushing themselves too hard.
"We're all still young, and we remind one another to take things slowly. If we push too hard, whether it's training too intensely or lifting too heavy, we risk burning out," he said.
"At the end of the day, we're still students, and we have to remember that development takes time. These Games are just stepping stones."
Zack Ng's match against Thailand’s Punnatat Prempunpong at the Youth Olympic Games on Nov 3, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Services/Will Palmer)
In badminton, 17-year-old Zack Ng beat Venezuela's Fabricio Rodriguez Tovar 2-0 in the men's singles group stage on Nov 2, before losing 0-2 to Thailand's Punnatat Prempunpong the following day.
Meanwhile, Singapore's men's 3x3 basketball team bowed out after losing both their Pool C matches, falling 10-18 to Puerto Rico and 13-21 to Latvia to miss out on a quarter-final spot.
In the women’s artistic gymnastics qualification round, 14-year-old Emmanuelle Tan finished 34th with 44.498 points.
In the men's qualification round, 17-year-old Xavier Pang placed 51st with 63.964 points.
In windsurfing, 15-year-old Kate Teo placed 11th in the women's event with 103 points, while 16-year-old Trevor Ng finished 12th in the men's event with 110 points.
Chay said the Youth Olympic Games are about more than just sporting competition.
"These Games have the power to inspire young athletes to dream bigger, challenge themselves and pursue their aspirations," he said.
"Just as importantly, the experiences they gain and the friendships they build can inspire others who follow their journeys.
"The impact of the Youth Olympic Games therefore extends well beyond the competition arena, shaping not just athletes, but also the individuals and role models they become."
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The 14-strong contingent clinched a gold, a silver and a bronze at this year's Games, held from Oct 31 to Nov 13.
Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary-general Mark Chay praised the young athletes for rising to the challenge of competing on the international stage.
"We are very proud of how our Team Singapore athletes rose to the challenge, showing their determination and hunger to compete against some of the world's best young athletes, including higher-ranked opponents, while embracing the spirit of the Games," he said.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
"Their performances reflect not only their competitive drive, but also the courage to challenge themselves and the joy of being part of this global sporting community."
Beyond the results, SNOC said on Friday (Nov 13) the lessons gained from handling pressure and overcoming setbacks would be valuable to the young athletes as they progressed in their sporting careers.
Singapore's athletes competed across nine sports: archery, athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, fencing, artistic gymnastics, sailing, table tennis and wushu.
The Dakar Games also marked the first time an Olympic sporting event was held on African soil.
MAKING THEIR MARK
On the final day of competition, sabre fencer Ashton Auw secured bronze in the men's individual event, becoming Singapore's first-ever fencing medallist at the Youth Olympics.
Entering the competition as the fifth seed, the 17-year-old topped the pool standings to advance to the elimination rounds before beating Georgia's Giorgi Urushadze 15-10 in the bronze-medal match on Friday.
Ashton Auw (right) competes against Giorgi Urushadze of Georgia during the boys' individual sabre event on Nov 13, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Service/Will Palmer)
"I went in with the mentality of going one point at a time, one bout at a time,” he said.
“I just kept telling myself that 'I want this so bad, and I just got to focus – not on the opponent, but I got to focus on myself, on what I want to do'.”
Auw had previously won silver at the 2025 FIE Cadet World Cup in Hammamet, Tunisia, as well as individual bronze and team silver at the 2025 Asian Cadet Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore's only gold medal at the Games came on Nov 3, when 16-year-old wushu exponent Ng Zhe Nin won the women's taijiquan combined event with a combined score of 18.713 points.
Her victory marked Singapore's first gold medal at the Summer Youth Olympics since 2014. This was also the first time wushu has been included in an Olympic programme as a medal sport.
Ng, who took up wushu at the age of 10, is no stranger to the podium.
Ng Zhe Nin performing her taijishan routine during the women's taijiquan combined final at the Youth Olympic Games on Nov 3, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Service/Remi Vallat)
In 2024, she won a gold and silver at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei. Earlier this year, she added two golds and a silver at the championships in Tianjin, China.
"Competing at the Youth Olympic Games has given me a lot of confidence in myself,” said Ng.
"It is a huge milestone and an important stepping stone for me as I work towards bigger competitions in the future. I hope to keep improving and do even better when those opportunities come."
Two days after Ng’s gold, 16-year-old table tennis player Loy Ming Ying added a silver to Singapore's medal tally.
Loy beat Hong Kong's Su Tsz Tung 4-2 in the women's singles semi-finals before losing 2-4 to Chinese Taipei's Chen Min-hsin in the final.
Her silver was Singapore's second Youth Olympic medal in table tennis, 16 years after Isabelle Li won silver at the inaugural Games in Singapore in 2010.
Loy Ming Ying in action during the table tennis women’s singles gold medal match on Nov 5, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Services/Nic Bothma)
BEYOND THE MEDALS
Other Singapore athletes also turned in notable performances.
Archer Tabitha Yeo, 17, narrowly missed out on a medal after falling 4-6 to Spain's Sandra Perez Cumbreras in the women’s individual bronze-medal match on Nov 9.
Having entered the elimination rounds ranked seventh, Yeo fought her way into the semi-finals before finishing fourth overall.
"I've learnt that I'm a lot stronger than I actually think I am, and I'm going to carry that with me into every competition from now till forever,” she said.
Daryen Ko finished sixth in the men's 400m hurdles final on Nov 10, 2026. He clocked a time of 52.16s to set a new national under-18 record. (Photo: Olympic Information Services/Kieran Cleeves)
On the track, 17-year-old Daryen Ko finished sixth in the men's 400m hurdles final on Nov 10, clocking 52.16s to set a new national under-18 record.
He bettered his previous mark of 52.75s, set at the Singapore Athletics Age Group Championships in September.
Reflecting on his experience, Ko said the young athletes had to be mindful of pushing themselves too hard.
"We're all still young, and we remind one another to take things slowly. If we push too hard, whether it's training too intensely or lifting too heavy, we risk burning out," he said.
"At the end of the day, we're still students, and we have to remember that development takes time. These Games are just stepping stones."
Zack Ng's match against Thailand’s Punnatat Prempunpong at the Youth Olympic Games on Nov 3, 2026. (Photo: Olympic Information Services/Will Palmer)
In badminton, 17-year-old Zack Ng beat Venezuela's Fabricio Rodriguez Tovar 2-0 in the men's singles group stage on Nov 2, before losing 0-2 to Thailand's Punnatat Prempunpong the following day.
Meanwhile, Singapore's men's 3x3 basketball team bowed out after losing both their Pool C matches, falling 10-18 to Puerto Rico and 13-21 to Latvia to miss out on a quarter-final spot.
In the women’s artistic gymnastics qualification round, 14-year-old Emmanuelle Tan finished 34th with 44.498 points.
In the men's qualification round, 17-year-old Xavier Pang placed 51st with 63.964 points.
In windsurfing, 15-year-old Kate Teo placed 11th in the women's event with 103 points, while 16-year-old Trevor Ng finished 12th in the men's event with 110 points.
Chay said the Youth Olympic Games are about more than just sporting competition.
"These Games have the power to inspire young athletes to dream bigger, challenge themselves and pursue their aspirations," he said.
"Just as importantly, the experiences they gain and the friendships they build can inspire others who follow their journeys.
"The impact of the Youth Olympic Games therefore extends well beyond the competition arena, shaping not just athletes, but also the individuals and role models they become."
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