I CONGRATULATE our Paralympic swimmer, Theresa Goh, for reaching sixth place in the 100m freestyle. Despite the fact that she did not win a medal, I applaud her and see her as a role model. She might be Singapore's first Paralympic medal-winner. However, the poor media coverage of the Paralympics leads me to doubt whether we can witness her feat should it take place.

During the Olympics, the sports sections of many newspapers were devoted to covering the event. The Paralympics, in contrast, have received scant coverage. The Paralympics are news-worthier than the Olympics. During the event, we can see the resilience of the disabled as they overcome great odds. Despite not being able to reach the same heights as the able-bodied, they have great perseverance. Theresa Goh's 100m freestyle swim was not broadcast on national television. How would we have known about her achievement? By reading about it in a small story in the paper?

There should have been as much fanfare about her swim as there was about Tao Li's. While the opening ceremony for the Paralympics was a grand event, it was not telecast, and neither are the individual competitions. Many will not be able to witness and understand the effort put in by these sportsmen and women, who have been training so hard for the Games.

Mr Loh Sheng Hng   For more my paper stories click here.