Top Achievers at Singapore Sports Awards: Kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder and Wushu Exponent Zeanne Law bag the top awards
2025 PULSE: Maeder and Law Take the Spotlight as Singapore's Top Athletes
SINGAPORE - The glitzy Singapore Sports Awards 2025 saw Maximilian Maeder and Zeanne Law shine bright, each taking home the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year trophies, respectively. This double victory marked an impressive milestone; Maeder and Law becoming the first athletes in two decades to claim both junior and senior honors in consecutive years.
Kitefoiler Maeder raked in three consecutive Sportsboy of the Year awards before ascending to the crown of Sportsman this year. Meanwhile, wushu expert Law, who earned the Sportsgirl of the Year accolade in '24, made history this year as the first wushu exponent to secure the Sportswoman title.
Remarkably, since Mark Chay held the '01 Sportsboy and '02 Sportsman titles, no other male athlete managed to replicate this unique feat. Similarly, sailor Joan Huang was the last female to assert her dominance, claiming the '98 Sportsgirl and '99 Sportswoman honors.
Both Maeder and Law missed out on the gala event, as they were overseas prepping for upcoming competitions. Regardless, Maeder's parents, Valentin and Teng Hwee Keng, spoke to the press on his behalf, sharing his heartfelt appreciation and thoughts.
Valentin mentioned that Maeder expressed his gratitude for witnessing the impact of his journey, especially following the Paris Olympics. "He'd like to say how happy he was to see how, in many interactions, especially after the Olympics, with his ways and influence, he could change the way young people started to look at sport and also the parents who dare to let their kids pursue athletics," said Valentin.
Maeder faced tough competition, edging out Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau'ddin, Aloysius Yapp, Loh Kean Yew, and fellow wushu exponent Jowen Lim to claim the Sportsman gong. Making history as the first sailor to win the top men's award since '99, Maeder dominated the international kitefoiling circuit in '24, bagging nearly every event, like the European and World Championships.
His banner year continued well beyond Paris, with the young sailor clinching the overall title at the Kitefoil World Series and triumphing at the Formula Kite Youth European Championships. To top it off, he was declared World Sailing's Male Young Sailor of the Year in November.
As for Law, she's the first to land the Sportswoman of the Year award in wushu. The equally talented Daphne Tan (bowling), Valencia Yip (kickboxing), Teh Xiu Hong (shooting), Nurdianna Sidek (silat), and Gan Ching Hwee (swimming) were other nominees. In '24, Law won the women's taijiquan and optional taijishan events at the World Taijiquan Championships held in Singapore, adding to her Asian Wushu Championships gold in the women's optional taijiquan category.
Reflecting on the year, Law, who is prepping for the Taolu Asian Cup Championships in Yunnan, China, said, "I've switched my focus from appealing movements to the significance and intention behind them. That approach has taught me to make every step count, both in sport and in life. I'd like to thank the Singapore National Olympic Council, the wuzong (wushu federation), my coaches, teammates, and family, who have supported me throughout this beautiful journey."
The Singapore Sports Awards, organized by the SNOC and Sport Singapore (SportSG), spotlights exceptional sporting achievements from national and international level athletes. The esteemed event was attended by SNOC president and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu and Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo. It was also a momentous night for Singapore netball, with the Vandas snagging the Team of the Year (event) title, with Yeo Mee Hong, who spearheaded their first Asian win in ten years, named Coach of the Year.
For notable stories in Singapore sports throughout the year, our senior correspondent David Lee won the Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year award for his feature on Paul Lim, Singapore's 70-year-old darts legend. Other nominees were assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath and journalist Deepanraj Ganesan, recognized for their works on Joseph Schooling and Jeralyn Tan's remarkable journey in boccia at the Paralympics, respectively.
Maximilian Maeder's dominance in the kitefoiling circuit extended beyond the Paris Olympics, as he clinched multiple awards, including the Sportsman of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards. Zeanne Law made history in wushu by being the first exponent to win the Sportswoman of the Year title, following her victory in the women's taijiquan and optional taijishan events at the World Taijiquan Championships.
