BOWLING’S AMF World Cup champion Jasmine Yeong-Nathan was named the Sportswoman of the Year on Tuesday after pipping two past multiple-winners – national paddler Li Jiawei and swimmer Tao Li.
The achievements of Singapore’s women athletes in 2008 made the choice a difficult one for the Singapore Sports Award Selection Committee.
Li was part of the women’s table tennis team that delivered a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, while Tao Li finished fifth in the women’s 100m butterfly final on her Games debut.
But the panel had an even bigger debate when it came to the Coach of the Year award.
Much of the three-hour meeting at the Singapore Sports Council was spent deliberating if former national table tennis head coach Liu Guodong should be considered. This despite not being nominated by the Singapore Table Tennis Association.
Ultimately, he was not in the reckoning, and the committee decided not to give out an award for this category.

Jasmine Yeong-Nathan PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

There was also no winner for the Sportsman of the Year award – the first time since the awards were introduced by the Singapore National Olympic Council in 1967.
The national table tennis women’s team of Li, Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei and Sun Beibei were crowned Team of the Year (Event).
Wushu’s Yong Yi Xiang and kegler Jazreel Tan picked up the Sportsboy and Sportsgirl of the Year respectively.