If you think the SEA Games is just about sportsmanship and the spirit of competition, you are only half right.

Because with every record broken, there’s a male swimmer so ripped that spectators will start to feel for the water when he thrashes it in celebratory mood. And with every heart break, there’s an eye candy who many would love to comfort: “S*** happens. Singapore still loves you.”

Yes, the Games offer so much more than medals.

Read about 10 things Singaporeans should look out for during this year’s Games.

1. Eye candy 

Source: Team Singapore (18-year old Kimberly Chan – Diving)

Besides boosting viewership and increasing the number of sign-ups for that particular sport, eye candies also help relieve work stress and increase the happiness index for all visual creatures.

2. Pecs

Source: Team Singapore (14-year old Darren Lim - Swimming)

Don’t like the gorgeous display of pecs and abs of the athletes? Stop lying. With a view like that, who needs stunning architecture? Oh and yes, the best time to view them meat (or muscles) is during the instant replay. The slow-mo and the flex. That’s real entertainment.

3. Outrageous attires

Source: Alvinology

The five stars and crescent designed trunks still linger in most minds. Yes, the design is outrageous but it shows that the boys have the bandwidth (ahem) to achieve big (ahem) things. Too bad the water polo team has toned down a few notches in terms of aesthetics for this SEA Games.

4. The Lions

Source: Team Singapore FB

Despite never winning the SEA Games football gold medal, the love for the Lions cut deep. This is our year, scream the Lions’ die-hard fans (or is it Liverpool FC fans)? Well, it doesn’t matter if this is the year or not; red is the colour of the Lions’ jersey and blood.

5. The waterpolo team

 Source: Team Singapore FB

Possibly every Singaporean’s favourite sport during the Games, waterpolo brings home the gold. The team has been obliterating teams left, right and centre and has collected gold medals (25 consecutive gold medals) like how some people collect dandruff.

6. The medal tally

Source

With the United States, China and Russia out of the way, the SEA Games are perhaps Singapore’s only chance to be the front-runners in the medal tally. So for every two years, the nation’s collective ego will swell ever slightly.

7. Majulah Singapura

Source: Team Singapore FB

Talking about swelling, national pride will soar whenever the national anthem is played. That means only one thing: another gold medal in the bag!

8. Performance of Joseph Schooling

Source: Team Singapore FB

All eyes are on the republic’s favourite poster boy Joseph Schooling. Will his performance this year be a prelude to the 2016 Olympic Games? Singapore is hopeful and it’s wonderful to hear that the medal-hopeful was granted NS deferment to concentrate on his training. Good on you, SAF.

9. The fights

Source: Team Singapore FB

All rules of Fight Club go out of the window here. Because the bouts are all about honour and respect, not mischief and mayhem.  The writer’s personal favourite martial art is silat, which commands so much intensity and ferocity from the athletes that he actually sweats with them.

10. The opening and closing ceremonies

Source: 27th SEA Games Official FB page

Always the visual spectacle, the opening ceremony on Dec 11 showcased the best of Myanmar, with more than 8,000 performers and 30,000 spectators celebrating the return of the Games to Myanmar after 44 long years. Missed the opening ceremony? Fret not. There’s always the equally impressive closing ceremony, which will probably feature the passing of the baton to Singapore, to look out for.

Other articles you may like:

5 sure-win sports that will fire Singapore to the top of the medal tally

How to defer your National Service obligation? Be Joseph Schooling

S'pore Sports Council, you've got some explaining to do

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