‘It’s beautiful to see’: Singaporeans turn out in force to support Olympians on bus parade through the city

SINGAPORE: It rained on their bus parade, but Singapore’s Olympians – with a bronze medallist in tow – were not fazed. 
The 10 athletes – including kitefoiling medallist Max Maeder, swimmer Gan Ching Hwee and shuttler Yeo Jia Min – were recipients of a warm reception by supporters who had lined the streets of Chinatown, Orchard, Serangoon, among other landmarks. 
“It’s beautiful to see, like I said, my heart melted, and I am very happy to see that people enjoyed the fact that we, as Team Singapore, came through and gave a wave hello to everyone,” said Maeder after the parade.
The bus parade set off at 11.30am from the Sports Hub in Kallang. Dark clouds loomed in the distance and it didn’t take long for the skies to open up when the bus passed through the central business district. 
The athletes scrambled for ponchos, but there was no question of anyone heading down to the lower deck of the bus for shelter as crowds braved the rain to cheer them on. 
Out came some umbrellas, while others cheered from sheltered areas – while others stood where they were. 
“We were used to it in the opening ceremony in Paris,” said Maeder. “It seemed to us, (that) any time we got together, it starts raining.”
Other athletes that were part of the bus parade: Badminton mixed doubles pairing Terry Hee and Jessica Tan, kayaker Stephenie Chen, sprinter Marc Brian Louis, sailor Ryan Lo, and paddlers Izaac Quek and Zhou Jingyi.
At Marina Bay Sands, retiree Teng Gay Hong had waited for about 30 minutes for the athletes despite the rain.
“They go through a lot of training and it takes a lot of effort,” said the 65-year-old. “We should support Max. It doesn’t matter which medal he won. And it was a National Day present. Thank you, Max.”
She watched the final race together with her husband and children on Friday after catching the National Day Parade on TV. Her husband, Wong Wann Shing, 68, said they had only heard about Maeder recently, and that his wife became very interested in the sport.
“She supports him, and I support her,” he said. “The best part is that Max speaks Mandarin,” he quipped in Mandarin.
The rain subsided midway through the journey, and more people were spotted at the subsequent stops. At Chinatown, supporters crowded on overhead bridges. Many waved Singapore flags, some held up posters that grabbed the athletes attention. 
SportSG’s mascot, Nila the lion, was also present. Supporters clamoured for selfies with the icon, whose namesake is Sang Nila Utama, the founder of Singapura. 
Among the Chinatown crowd was nine-year-old Darien Lui, accompanied by his dad, Don, and mum Ms Edna Teo. 
Ms Teo said sprinter and reigning 200m Asian Games champion Shanti Pereira performed “really well” despite coming off an injury. “She really showed the perseverance and resilience to carry on.”
Mr Lui added that they wanted their son to be at this event to inspire him to excel in his sport.
Darien, who is a jump rope athlete, hopes to one day take part in the Olympics.
At Orchard Road, supporters gathered early with Singapore flags and posters.  
One of them was former SEA Games marathoner Ashley Liew, who told CNA: “They work their whole lives to hone their craft. They made sacrifices to be here today.”
“It’s only right we come out and give them the full support,” said Dr Liew, who is a chiropractor and is aiming to qualify for next year’s SEA Games in Thailand.
When the bus passed by, he ran briefly after it, cheering on the contingent shouting “well done, Max!”. 
Former Singapore national footballer Aleksandar Duric represented Bosnia at the 1992 Barcelona Games. With limited resources, the then-kayaker had to hitch-hike his way to from Bosnia to the Spanish city.
He, too, was out on Orchard Road, supporting the athletes.
“We should welcome them and give them huge support. It’s not just about medals,” he said.
“But just to be there, it’s a huge sacrifice for them to represent Singapore. I know exactly how it is.”
Then, at the School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA) came the loudest cheers of all – from hundreds of students who came out in full force to support their sporting heroes. 
Many held up banners and posters, some of which Maeder had noticed. 
“There were so many good signs… there was one that said ‘winning is always possible if you continue’, or something along those lines… it was wonderful to see,” he said. 
As the face of Singapore’s Olympic campaign, Maeder appeared the most jubilant, waving at the crowds and making heart signs with his arms. 
On National Day, Maeder became the sixth Singaporean to win an Olympic medal. At 17, he is also the nation’s youngest to make an Olympic podium.
Maeder’s parents, Valentin and Hwee Keng, were at the Victoria Street stop cheering him on.
Expressing surprise at the turnout, Mrs Maeder said it was wonderful to see everybody come together like this.
“Sports is very powerful, and can be harnessed to bring people together,” she said. “I’m very happy many people have been able to share with him this journey, and the other athletes too.”
Maeder told the media later that he did spot his mother in the crowd. 
“That was the only time I blew a kiss to someone, (it was) to my mother,” he said.
Even as the bus passed stretches with no standing supporters, some cars honked their horns to show their appreciation for the athletes. 
Parents driving children home from school wound down car windows for the kids to wave at the athletes. A boy even poked out his head from a sunroof, waving a Singapore flag. 
Not far from Orchard Road, a car stopped beside the bus and a student had a short conversation with the athletes, revealing that she had just completed her PSLE oral exam that morning.
Commenting on the crowds that turned up, swimmer Gan Ching Hwee said that she was heartened to see Singaporeans rallying together in support of the Olympians. 
Gan Ching Hwee set two national records at the Paris Games – in the 800m freestyle and 1,500m freestyle.
She is the first Singaporean female swimmer to break a national mark at the Olympics since since Tao Li (100m backstroke) in 2012.
The 21-year-old’s appearance at the Games followed heartbreak at the Tokyo Olympics, for which she had been initially selected but later withdrawn from the team.
Asked about her tough journey to the Olympics, she said: “It feels amazing, I’m glad to be able to settle down and celebrate it all … being at home with the home crowd, it’s a really amazing feeling.” 
One athlete who did have mixed feelings – badminton player Yeo Jia Min.
The 25-year-old had equalled the best finish by a Singaporean women’s singles player at the Games, matching Gu Juan in 2012, who was also eliminated in the round of 16.
Yeo suffered a heartbreaking exit at the hands of Japan’s world number 10 Aya Ohori in a tense and narrow three-game battle.
She told the media after the parade that she was unsure if she should have been on the bus at all, prompting a member of the media to assure her after the interview that her efforts deserved to be celebrated.
As it turned out, the parade was as much a show of appreciation for the national athletes as it was a chance for the Olympians to inspire the next generation of Singaporeans.
“What I would say so far is, please, give yourself a shot,” said Maeder, “because you are capable of so much more than you would believe, and trust me, you will surprise yourself.”