Shanti Pereira of Indian Origin Wins Singapore’s 1st Asian Games Athletics Gold in 50 Yrs

Singapore’s first athletics gold medal in 49 years at the Asian Games was won by Indian-origin sprinter Shanti Pereira. Shanti won the women’s 200m final in Hangzhou, China.

Pereira clocked 23.03 seconds to finish the race on Monday to grab the first athletics gold medal for the city-state since 1974, when sprinter Chee Swee Lee had won the women’s 400m race.

China’s Li Yuting took the silver with 23.28 seconds and Bahrain’s Edidiong Ofonime Odiong came third at 23.48 seconds in the Monday race.

The 27-year-old Shanti Pereira ended her country’s nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after a silver in the women’s 100m.

Her win also ended a 42-year gold medal drought for Singapore in a SEA Games sprint event.