SINGAPORE – National hurdler Ang Chen Xiang will have to return to his doctor-athlete routine for the next three months as he prepares for the Asian Games, but he is lapping it up as he aims to do the country proud again.

Ang, who claimed a joint-gold medal at the SEA Games in May after a photo finish in the 110m hurdles final, was among 126 athletes to have won their appeal for the Asiad, it was announced yesterday.

In total, there will be 477 Singapore athletes in 32 sports – the largest contingent for the Republic at the continental meet, which will take place from Sept 23 to Oct 8 in Hangzhou.

Expressing excitement at his selection for the quadrennial meet, Ang said: “It’s an opportunity to race on the big stage and I’ll be looking forward to it.

“My coach and I will be working on executing my race well, and the technical execution with each hurdle will need to be precise. If we are able to achieve that, we expect times to drop and place us in a good position.”

On how he copes with training while working as a paediatric resident, the 28-year-old said: “Juggling full-time work and training is not easy but we will tune my body up for the Asian Games, similar to the lead up to the SEA Games this year.”

Also getting the nod was wrestler Timothy Loh, who won Singapore’s first wrestling gold at the SEA Games in the men’s 125kg freestyle event.

“It feels good to be selected for the Asian Games,” he said.

“That’s always been our goal, so we’ve always been training for it.

“We’re coming from a high and the smaller gap between the SEA Games and Asian Games this time allows me to ride on that momentum.”

Loh, who also claimed a bronze in the Greco-Roman 130kg event at the Cambodia Games, will be looking to improve on his performance in the same event in China.

“Greco-Roman is my pet event and it’s something I’m more comfortable in,” he said.

“I come from judo and the upper body techniques favour the Greco style more compared to freestyle, where you’re kicking the legs and doing all those low attacks.”

The 31-year-old acknowledges the difference in competition level between the SEA and Asian Games, remarking how “something that we should be focusing on is just that progression of getting better and better”.

Loh, who operates pop-up food businesses, plans to put work on hold and attend a two-month training camp from the end of July.

Singapore’s athletes won four gold, four silver and 14 bronze medals at the last Asiad in Indonesia in 2018.