Police officer delivers S’pore’s 1st taekwondo SEA Games gold since 2015
Singapore’s first gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok came from an unexpected yet inspiring source — a police officer who balances national service with taekwondo.
Staff Sergeant Nicholas Khaw of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and his partner Diyanah Aqidah Dian Khudhairi clinched the gold medal in the mixed recognised poomsae pair taekwondo event on Wednesday (10 Dec), said ActiveSG.
Source: Singapore National Olympic Council via Lawrence Wong on Facebook
Gold medal confirmed after tense 90-minute review
The final itself was anything but straightforward.
Competing at the Fashion Island shopping mall exhibition hall, the Singaporeans edged out Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Kim Ha and Nguyen Trong Phuc, scoring 8.67 to the Vietnamese pair’s 8.44, according to The Straits Times (ST).
However, celebrations were put on hold when the Vietnamese protested, arguing that Singapore should have been penalised for two major mistakes.
A prolonged review followed that stretched to approximately 90 minutes, but officials eventually upheld the original result, confirming Singapore’s gold.
Source: Singapore National Olympic Council on Facebook
Hosts Thailand and the Philippines shared the bronze medals.
S’pore 1st SEA Games taekwondo gold in 10 years
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong congratulated the pair in a Facebook post on the same day, noting that it was Singapore’s first gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
It was also the Republic’s first-ever SEA Games title in the event and first taekwondo gold at the Games since 2015.
Poomsae is a non-combat taekwondo discipline involving choreographed patterns of attack and defence, judged on technique, balance, power and timing.
Source: fashionisland via Singapore Police Force on Facebook
From police duty to the podium
At just 20 years old, Khaw is competing in his second SEA Games.
According to SPF, which highlighted his journey in a Facebook post on Friday (12 Dec), Khaw works at the Police Logistics Department by day, supporting police operations behind the scenes.
Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook
At night and on weekends, he trains in taekwondo, often heading straight to practice after work, SPF said, adding:
The body exhausted, the mind tested, but the spirit unbreakable. Because when you represent Singapore, you give everything.
SPF described his achievement as one that reflects “extraordinary dedication, duty and discipline”.
A family celebration
The celebrations were made even sweeter for the Khaw family when Nicholas’ older sister Nicole won silver in the women’s freestyle poomsae individual event on the same day.
Source: Entertainment – Mediacorp on YouTube
Competing in her first SEA Games after years of knee injuries, her medal added an emotional layer to the family’s achievement, both in Bangkok and back home.
“It feels so good,” Nicole told ST. “But when I watched my brother compete through three rounds and emerge as the winner, I got even more emotional.”
Source: fashionisland via Singapore Police Force on Facebook
Singapore’s taekwondo contingent also picked up a joint bronze in the men’s freestyle poomsae individual event, marking a significant improvement in the team’s overall performance from the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
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Featured image adapted from SNOC via Lawrence Wong on Facebook and Singapore Police Force on Facebook.
