4 sports, 4 sibling pairs: Team Singapore’s athletes share more than a love for sport

Singapore jiu-jitsu exponent Noah Lim (left) helping his elder brother Paul to tape his fingers before a fight at the 2025 SEA Games.

PHOTO: SPORTSG/BRYAN FOO

Published Oct 03, 2026, 06:52 PM

Updated Oct 03, 2026, 09:46 PM

Singaporean siblings support and inspire each other across various sports, sharing training, competitions, and emotional challenges at major Games like the Asian and SEA Games.

Older siblings often mentor younger ones, balancing protection with allowing independence, seen in jiu-jitsu, gymnastics, squash, and hurdling families.

Some sibling pairs evolve into coach-athlete relationships, enhancing performance through deep understanding and shared commitment, exemplified by national record-breaking hurdlers Ang Chen Xiang and Ding Hui.

NAGOYA – Sibling rivalries can take on a whole new competitive meaning when it comes to sport, whether it is grappling on the mat or fighting over the blanket when rooming together.

There is also love – albeit slowly and sometimes grudgingly offered – as Team Singapore’s brother and sister pairs share their stories with The Straits Times on the sidelines of the Asian Games.

Noah and Paul Lim (jiu-jitsu)

After Noah Lim hit the mat head first during his bout on Oct 1, resulting in a trip to the hospital for medical assessment, his older brother and fellow Asian Games jiu-jitsu athlete Paul was one of the first ones to check on him.

Paul, 28, told The Straits Times: “Of course, I was worried for him. It’s his first proper injury, but he is actually quite resilient. I went straight away to the hospital to visit him, his condition stabilised, and I was able to go back and focus on my competition (the next day).”

Grappling, throws and injury are par for the course in their combat sport. They would know because as teenagers, a 17-year-old Paul started his jiu-jitsu journey when he “tried some moves” on Noah, then 14, on a carpet at home.

Rather than putting him off, the impromptu bouts inspired the younger sibling to also take up the sport. Eventually, they both made the national team and even won medals together at the 2019 SEA Games, where Noah clinched gold and Paul a bronze.

Paul said: “Competing as brothers is good because firstly, you carry the family’s name. And it’s like having two lives in competitions. If I do well, he’ll be proud of me; if he does well, I’ll be proud of him.”

Emma and Amanda Yap (gymnastics)

Home was also one of the first gymnastics training grounds for sisters Emma and Amanda Yap.

Emma first went for classes at two as part of a mother-daughter activity, before acting as a “first unofficial coach” for Amanda, giving instructions to the younger sister as she tumbled about at home.

The siblings are now SEA Games medallists, winning silvers in the floor and balance beam events at the 2025 edition.

In an earlier interview, Amanda admitted they were not very close when they were younger because Emma had joined the national team earlier and they “didn’t spend a lot of time together” .

Their bond grew five years ago when they started training with the national team and shared a room during competitions, even though they still bicker over the blanket and clothes.

Gymnastics sisters Emma (left) and Amanda Yap have grown closer after they started training together with the national team five years ago. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Gymnastics sisters Emma (left) and Amanda Yap have grown closer after they started training together with the national team five years ago.

PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Emma, 21, said: “We have gotten closer as we’ve trained together, and I learnt more about how she thinks and acts. I also feel much more protective over her now, with all the pressure and also injuries.”

Amanda, 16, added: “She understands me and what I’m going through. If I’m having a bad day and a good cry, I don’t need to say anything and I know she knows what’s going through my head. It’s comforting having someone share the challenges alongside me.”

Au Yeong Wai Yhann and Wai Iynn (squash)

Tears and struggles are part of an athlete’s journey, and while it is comforting to have a big brother or sister to guide the way, sometimes the older sibling has to learn to give the younger family member their own space to grow.

Squash sisters Au Yeong Wai Yhann and Wai Iynn picked up a racket after being influenced by their father, who was a teacher-in-charge of the sport.

Being eight years older, Wai Yhann studied and trained in England before her sister followed in her footsteps.

Tearing up as she spoke about their relationship, 27-year-old Wai Yhann said: “Having gone through a lot of tough times in the sport, I always want to protect her. But as an athlete, I also know she has to go through all this to grow and become the athlete she wants to be, and if I keep trying to protect her, sometimes it’s going to hinder her.

“So, I’m also learning to let go and let her go about her own journey, but reminding her that I’ll always be there for her when she needs me.”

Singapore squash player Au Yeong Wai Yhann (left) has had to balance being protective and giving her younger sister and fellow national player Wai Iynn space to grow and learn. PHOTO: SNOC/KONG CHONG YEW

Singapore squash player Au Yeong Wai Yhann (left) has had to balance being protective and giving her younger sister and fellow national player Wai Iynn space to grow and learn.

PHOTO: SNOC/KONG CHONG YEW

The mood lightened up when the sisters were asked if they are competitive with each other.

Wai Iynn, who at 19 is making her major Games debut, said: “Not really, just maybe on court when we are in each other’s way.

“There was once when she got so angry at me in a league match earlier this year. We were playing for different teams and it was our first competitive match against each other.”

She added: “It would be nice if we can win something together at the SEA Games, especially the one in 2029 in Singapore, if they have a women’s doubles event.”

Ang Chen Xiang and Ding Hui (athletics)

Hurdling brothers Ang Chen Xiang and Ding Hui’s relationship has evolved from fellow athletes to that of an athlete and coach.

They were first taught by their father, a former national youth hurdler who created makeshift hurdles out of the legs of a old study table and made it a weekend family activity.

The healthy competition spurred Chen Xiang to become a national record holder and a SEA Games champion in 2023 . Crucial to his success was Ding Hui coming on as an athlete-coach in 2015, when his older brother was doing medical student placements in various hospitals and needed a dynamic training plan.

Ang Ding Hui (left) did not just compete alongside his older brother Chen Xiang, he also coached the national record holder on his way to becoming a SEA Games champion in 2023.. PHOTO: SHALINDRAN SATHIYANESAN

Ang Ding Hui (left) did not just compete alongside his older brother Chen Xiang, he also coached the national record holder on his way to becoming a SEA Games champion in 2023..

PHOTO: SHALINDRAN SATHIYANESAN

Ding Hui, 30, conceded that it was quite a transition to coach his older brother as he had to “remind myself when we are training I am his coach and he is my athlete”, adding that being able to contribute to Chen Xiang’s career has been “tremendously meaningful”.

He said: “I know his history, his strengths and weaknesses, and how his body responds to training, especially given his schedule and responsibilities as a doctor.

“I do it because I know how much the sport means to him, and I want to help him see how far he can go. Watching him become the first Singaporean to break 14 seconds in 2022 while he was in national service was the best feeling, as this was something we had worked towards for the longest time.

“I have seen him go on to break 18 national records, bring home SEA Games gold for Singapore and make two Asian Games finals while juggling work as a doctor. Being there for him, and seeing the struggles he went through to achieve this, makes all this success so sweet.”

Chen Xiang shared that even when there are disagreements, he would respect his younger brother’s position as coach and defer to his decisions.

The 32-year-old added: “At the end of the day, the sport is only one part of our relationship as brothers.

“But having a sibling in the same sport means there is always someone beside me who understands what I’m going through. We have trained, travelled and tasted the highs and lows of the sport together. Even as I compete at the Asian level, we have never forgotten how our journey started from humble beginnings. ”

Dive into all the sporting action and trends in Singapore with ST’s weekly newsletter.

David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times, focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.

Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.

Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.

新加坡柔术选手诺亚·林（左）在 2025 年东南亚运动会比赛前帮助他的哥哥保罗缠手指胶带。

照片：SPORTSG/BRYAN FOO

发布于 2026 年 10 月 3 日下午 6:52

更新于2026年10月3日晚上9:46

新加坡的兄弟姐妹在各种体育运动中互相支持和激励，在亚运会和东南亚运动会等重大赛事中分享训练、比赛和情感挑战。

年长的兄弟姐妹经常指导年幼的兄弟姐妹，在保护和给予独立之间取得平衡，这在柔术、体操、壁球和跨栏等运动的家庭中很常见。

有些兄弟姐妹发展成为教练和运动员之间的关系，通过深刻的理解和共同的承诺来提高成绩，打破全国纪录的跨栏运动员昂陈翔和丁辉就是最好的例子。

名古屋——在体育运动中，兄弟姐妹之间的竞争可以呈现出全新的竞技意义，无论是垫子上的摔跤，还是同住一间房时争夺毯子。

在亚运会期间，新加坡代表队的兄妹组合向《海峡时报》讲述了他们的故事，他们之间也存在着爱——尽管这种爱来得缓慢，有时甚至是勉强的。

诺亚和保罗·林（柔术）

10 月 1 日，诺亚·林在比赛中头部着地，被送往医院进行医疗评估。他的哥哥，也是亚运会柔术运动员的保罗，是第一批去查看他情况的人之一。

28岁的保罗告诉《海峡时报》：“我当然很担心他。这是他第一次受重伤，但他其实挺坚强的。我立刻去了医院看望他，他的情况稳定下来后，我才能回去专注于我的比赛（第二天）。”

在他们的格斗运动中，摔跤、投掷和受伤都是家常便饭。他们对此深有体会，因为保罗17岁时就开始了他的柔术之旅，当时他在家里的地毯上对14岁的诺亚“试了几个动作”。

这些即兴比赛非但没有让他气馁，反而激励了弟弟也投身这项运动。最终，兄弟俩都入选了国家队，并在2019年东南亚运动会上携手夺得奖牌，诺亚摘得金牌，保罗获得铜牌。

保罗说：“兄弟俩一起比赛很好，首先，你代表着家族的荣誉。其次，这就像在比赛中拥有两条生命。如果我表现出色，他会为我感到骄傲；如果他表现出色，我会为他感到骄傲。”

艾玛和阿曼达·叶（体操）

这里也是叶氏姐妹 Emma 和 Amanda Yap 最早的体操训练场地之一。

艾玛两岁时第一次参加舞蹈课，这是她和母亲一起参加的活动。之后，她成为了阿曼达的“第一位非正式教练”，指导妹妹在家中翻滚练习。

这对兄妹现在是东南亚运动会奖牌获得者，在2025年东南亚运动会的自由体操和平衡木项目中获得了银牌。

在早前的一次采访中，阿曼达承认她们年轻时关系并不亲密，因为艾玛更早加入了国家队，她们“没有太多时间在一起”。

五年前，他们开始和国家队一起训练，比赛期间共用一个房间，他们的关系也因此加深，尽管他们仍然会因为毯子和衣服而争吵。

体操姐妹花艾玛（左）和阿曼达·叶五年前开始一起在国家队训练，姐妹情谊日益深厚。（图片来源：新明日报）

体操姐妹花 Emma（左）和 Amanda Yap 五年前开始一起在国家队训练，她们的关系也因此变得更加亲密。

图片来源：新明日报

21岁的艾玛说：“我们一起训练后关系更亲密了，我也更了解她的想法和行为方式。现在，面对所有的压力和伤病，我也更想保护她了。”

16岁的阿曼达补充道：“她理解我，也明白我的处境。如果我心情不好，忍不住哭了一场，我什么都不用说，我知道她知道我心里在想什么。有人能和我一起分担这些挑战，这让我感到很安慰。”

欧阳伟彦和伟茵（壁球）

泪水和挣扎是运动员成长历程的一部分，虽然有哥哥姐姐指导会让人感到安慰，但有时年长的兄弟姐妹必须学会给年幼的家庭成员自己的成长空间。

壁球姐妹花欧阳慧妍和慧莹在父亲的影响下拿起球拍，她们的父亲是这项运动的教练。

比妹妹年长八岁的魏彦曾在英国学习和训练，之后妹妹也追随了她的脚步。

27岁的魏彦在谈到两人关系时哽咽着说：“我在这项运动中经历了很多艰难的时刻，所以我总是想保护她。但作为一名运动员，我也知道她必须经历这一切才能成长，才能成为她想成为的运动员，如果我一直试图保护她，有时反而会阻碍她。”

“所以，我也在学习放手，让她走自己的路，但同时也会提醒她，当她需要我的时候，我永远都会在她身边。”

新加坡壁球运动员欧阳慧妍（左）既要保护妹妹，又要给妹妹、同为国家队队员的慧妍足够的成长和学习空间，这两者之间需要找到平衡。照片：新加坡奥委会/孔崇耀

新加坡壁球运动员欧阳慧妍（左）必须平衡保护妹妹和给予妹妹、同为国家队队员的慧妍成长和学习的空间。

照片：SNOC/孔崇耀

当被问及姐妹俩之间是否存在竞争关系时，气氛轻松了起来。

19 岁的 Wai Iynn 首次参加大型奥运会，她说：“其实没有，只是在球场上我们互相妨碍的时候可能会这样。”

“今年早些时候的一场联赛中，她有一次对我非常生气。当时我们效力于不同的球队，那是我们第一次在正式比赛中交锋。”

她补充道：“如果我们能在东南亚运动会上一起赢得一些奖项就太好了，特别是2029年在新加坡举行的东南亚运动会，如果他们有女子双打项目的话。”

昂晨翔、丁辉（田径）

跨栏兄弟昂陈翔和丁辉的关系已经从运动员发展成为运动员和教练。

他们最初是由他们的父亲教的，他曾是国家青年跨栏运动员，用旧书桌的桌腿制作了简易跨栏，并将其作为周末的家庭活动。

良性竞争激励陈翔在2023年成为全国纪录保持者和东南亚运动会冠军。对他而言，至关重要的是丁辉在2015年成为他的运动员兼教练，当时他的哥哥正在各家医院进行医学生实习，需要一个动态的训练计划。

昂丁辉（左）不仅与哥哥陈翔并肩作战，他还指导这位全国纪录保持者，最终帮助他在2023年东南亚运动会上夺得冠军。照片：沙林德兰·萨蒂亚内桑

昂丁辉（左）不仅与他的哥哥陈翔并肩作战，他还指导这位全国纪录保持者，最终在 2023 年成为东南亚运动会冠军。

照片：沙林德兰·萨蒂亚内桑

30岁的丁辉承认，执教自己的哥哥是一个相当大的转变，因为他必须“在训练时提醒自己，我是他的教练，他是我的运动员”，并补充说，能够为陈翔的职业生涯做出贡献“意义非凡”。

他说：“我了解他的过往经历、他的优势和劣势，以及他的身体对训练的反应，特别是考虑到他作为医生的日程安排和职责。”

“我这样做是因为我知道这项运动对他意义重大，我想帮助他看到自己能走多远。看着他在服兵役期间成为新加坡首位突破14秒大关的选手，我感到无比欣慰，因为这是我们长期以来一直努力的目标。”

“我亲眼见证了他打破18项全国纪录，为新加坡赢得东南亚运动会金牌，并两次闯入亚运会决赛，同时还要兼顾医生的工作。能够陪伴他，见证他为取得这些成就所经历的种种艰辛，让这一切成功都显得格外甜蜜。”

陈翔表示，即使有分歧，他也会尊重弟弟作为教练的立场，并服从他的决定。

这位32岁的男子补充道：“归根结底，体育运动只是我们兄弟关系的一部分。”

“但有个从事相同运动的兄弟姐妹意味着我身边总有人能理解我的处境。我们一起训练、一起旅行，一起经历了这项运动的巅峰与低谷。即使我现在参加的是亚洲级别的比赛，我们也从未忘记我们当初是如何从卑微的起点开始的。”

通过《海峡时报》的每周新闻简报，深入了解新加坡的所有体育赛事和趋势。

David Lee 是《海峡时报》的高级体育记者，主要报道水上运动、羽毛球、篮球、台球、足球和乒乓球。

Deepanraj Ganesan 是《海峡时报》的体育记者，主要报道足球、田径、格斗运动和政策相关新闻。

金伯利·郭于 2019 年加入《海峡时报》担任体育记者，此后报道了包括高尔夫和帆船在内的各种体育项目。