Dipna out

Dipna out

The first local woman to win an individual South-east Asia (SEA) Games sprint medal in 34 years will not be participating in the Commonwealth Games later this month.

Dipna Lim-Prasad has pulled out of the Glasgow Games from July 23 to Aug 3 due to a recent quadriceps injury, and will be replaced by Tyra Summer Ree after approval from the Commonwealth Games Federation in accordance with their Athlete Replacement Policy. Lim-Prasad had been slated to compete in the 200m and 4x100m relay in Glasgow.

QUADRICEP TENDON

The 23-year-old told The New Paper: "I strained my left quadricep tendon a month ago in training.

"I continued running and training, it's just that I couldn't sprint 100 per cent.

"After discussing with my coach (Vassiliev Viatcheslav) and the SAA (Singapore Athletic Association), I have decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games so as not to injure it again.

"This decision was made with the bigger picture in mind as I still have the Asian Games and next year's SEA Games to compete in, so we have to be more cautious.

"This would have been my first Commonwealth Games, so I'm definitely a bit disappointed. But I just have to think positive and focus on doing well in the competitions I'll be participating in."

In last year's SEA Games in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, Dipna clocked 59.96 seconds to win a bronze in the 400m hurdles, becoming the first Singapore woman to win an individual sprint medal at the biennial meet since Heather Merican's 100m hurdles bronze in 1979.

Dipna was also a former national 200m record holder after she clocked 24.36sec last year to break Prema Govindran's 29-year-old national record of 24.54sec set in 1984.

Shanti Pereira subsequently lowered the mark to 23.99sec.

Team Singapore are sending 70 athletes from seven sports - athletics, badminton, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting - to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games.

At the last Commonwealth Games, Team Singapore achieved their best-ever haul of 11 golds, 11 silvers and nine bronzes.

Table tennis (six golds, five silvers and one bronze) and shooting (five golds, four silvers and five bronzes) contributed the bulk of the medals.

I strained my left quadricep tendon a month ago in training. I continued running and training, it's just that I couldn't sprint 100 per cent. - Dipna Lim-Prasad


This article was first published on July 16, 2014.
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