Tokyo Olympics: Tan Chuan-Jin, Edwin Tong in 'friendly race' to photograph Team Singapore

SINGAPORE - There are 23 Singaporean athletes flying the Republic's flag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and while they are at their competitive best in their respective sports, that spirit has seemed to have rubbed off on some notable onlookers.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, who is also the Singapore National Olympic Council president, have coupled their ardent support for Team Singapore with their passion for photography.

Armed with their cameras and lens on the sidelines of the sporting action involving Singaporean athletes, Mr Tan and Mr Tong have been hard at work on their cameras, clicking away to snap the better pictures.

Perhaps, it's a competitive spirit the pair may have forged decades ago in Raffles Junior College, where they were classmates.

Both have put up their photos on their respective social media pages.

Said Mr Tan, who brought a Sony A9ii to Tokyo: "Most interesting to shoot? Our athletes in action. They are the main reason why we are here and the images I try to capture, are to recognise their efforts and to help Singaporeans be inspired by their champions flying our flag here."

Mr Tong, who brought his trusty Canon 5D along and rented a "long, fast lens" for this trip, said: "What I had intended was to be able to capture our athletes in action, as a keepsake for them of the occasion and event.

"Besides putting the pictures up on social media, I have also shared my pictures with the athletes too.

"Most interesting - there are a lot of action shots, but I like to capture the emotion of the moment. The exhilaration of winning a point, or the frustration of losing. Like Kimberly (Lim) and Cecilia (Low)'s expressions when they found out that they had qualified for medal race."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.