Jania Ang won silver in the women’s ILCA 6 at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday (2 October), less than a month after a bike crash forced her out of the world championships. Teenagers Nigel Tan and Sean Kum added a second sailing silver for Singapore in the boys’ 29er at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbour.
Ang, 22, was due to race her second ILCA 6 Women’s World Championships in Ireland in September when she was thrown off her bike on the way to the venue. She suffered a concussion and torn tendons and ligaments in her wrist, and had to retire from the event.
“I was looking out to sea to check the conditions… I was distracted and didn’t see a set of steps coming up and my bike ran into it. I flew forward, and my head hit the steps,” she said.
On her Games debut, Ang was fourth after nine qualification races, with three race wins. She then placed third and second in the two-race final to finish on 13 points. Thailand’s Sophia Montgomery took gold on five points and India’s Nethra Kumanan bronze on 14.
“It’s really a blessing because three or four weeks ago I wasn’t sure if I would be standing on the start line, and to come out with a silver, I’m really grateful for it,” she said.
Ang’s eyes on LA 2028
Ang thanked the medical team that managed her injuries. “I felt pretty close to 100%, and I didn’t need to spend extra mind space to think about how I’m going to manage my injuries,” she said.
The SEA Games gold medallist took a three-year break from sailing in her teens. The Sport Science and Management undergraduate now plans a gap year from January to focus on a bid for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“I think the regatta has shown me that I definitely have the calibre to be out there, and what I would be focusing on from here on is how to put things together a little bit better,” she said.
29er silver for Tan and Kum
Tan and Kum, in their first Asian Games, were last after the opening day and fought back to finish on 35 nett points, behind champions Hong Kong. They are coached by 2014 silver medallist Priscilla Low.
“She really helped us calm down and focus our minds on what’s within our control and not worry too much about what could go wrong,” Tan said. Kum, who moved into the 29er from the Optimist class, said Low had been with them “from day one”.
Fifth for Ryan Lo
Ryan Lo’s Asian Games title defence in the men’s ILCA 7 ended in fifth place on 25 points. The 29-year-old went into the two-race final fourth, five points behind Hong Kong’s Nicholas Halliday, but sixth and seventh places dropped him behind Vishnu Saravanan, who finished on 21.
“I think I can be quite proud of how I handled every day. I always tried fighting back, and just happy to have done my best,” Lo said.
Ha Jee-min took gold on nine points for his fourth Asian Games title. Halliday won silver on 11 points and Malaysia’s Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy took bronze on 14.
