Police officer behind Singapore's first SEA Games gold balances NS and taekwondo, credits family
Nicholas Khaw spends most of his weekends and weekday evenings training.
PHOTO: fashionisland
PUBLISHED ONDecember 14, 2025 2:36 AMBYMelissa Teo Nicholas Khaw, who won Singapore's first gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand on Dec 10, has credited his family and team at the Police Logistics Department (PLD) for their unwavering support.
Khaw, a full-time police national serviceman and his partner Diyanah Aqidah, 26, made history in the mixed poomsae pair taekwondo category by beating Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Kim Ha and Nguyen Trong Phuc.
In a Facebook post on Dec 12, the Singapore Police Force shared that Khaw, 20, trains on weekdays after assisting with the logistical needs of police operations during the day. He also trains during the weekends as well.
Khaw also admitted that during the competition, he didn't think they stood a chance of performing well.
"After making mistakes in the first two rounds, I lost confidence," he said.
"But with my coaches' help, I calmed down and focused. I wasn't thinking about winning – I just wanted to do my best for my teammate, our coaches, our sport, and our country."
The Singapore Police Force also congratulated the duo for their win.
"Your sacrifice, grit, and heart have come to fruition. You've made us incredibly proud! To all our Team Singapore athletes competing at SEA Games 2025: We're behind you all the way!" they said.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had earlier congratulated the duo for winning Singapore's first gold medal at the games.
"Congratulations to our Taekwondo mixed pair, Diyanah Aqidah Muhammad Dian Khudhairi and Nicholas Khaw, for delivering Singapore's first gold of the Games. Go Team Singapore!" He posted.
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