SportPlus.sg goes behind-the-scenes as trio of prominent Team Singapore athletes become first endurance athletes to be signed by PUMA Singapore, as the global sportswear giant signals intent to be amongst top running brands
Singapore, January 6, 2025 – Global sportswear brand PUMA has officially signed three of Singapore's top endurance athletes, further solidifying its commitment to sports performance and running amidst projected growth in the Southeast Asian market this year.
The exciting new partnership sees Vanessa Lee (Singapore's national record holder for steeplechase, 10000m, 5000m and the Mile, and double winner of SCSM and Great Eastern Women's Run Half-marathon), Shaun Goh (Singapore's fastest 10km road runner, SCSM2024 Half Marathon champion and top ranked half-marathon male athlete for 2024); and triathlete Ben Khoo (Singapore's IRONMAN record holder and SCSM2024 full marathon runner-up), join sprinter Joy Kuan in PUMA's stable of athletes from Singapore.
SportPlus.sg understands the brand will provide its new ambassadors with top tier support at the same level as other global PUMA athletes: from customised cutting-edge running shoes, apparel, and technology to maximise their performance as they represent Singapore on both the regional and international athletic stages, as well as global opportunities to represent the brand.
Each of the three signed athletes will bring a wealth of experience and talent as PUMA looks to grow its roster of elite athletes across the region in the coming year.
Through this collaboration, PUMA aims to set the standard for athlete sponsorship across the region, while supporting and elevating the performance of Singapore’s top runners, continuing its ethos of innovation in the world of sports performance footwear and apparel.
SportPlus.sg joined PUMA behind-the-scenes at a photoshoot last Friday to find out more about a project that has been months in the making, and spoke with the three newly-minted PUMA athletes.
“We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional athletes to the PUMA family,” said Eleanor Wang, PUMA's Director of Marketing, Southeast Asia. "The selection of these three elite athletes was deliberate, based on their exceptional talent, proven track records, and potential to elevate the profile of running in Southeast Asia."
“Each athlete embodies PUMA’s values of resilience, ambition, and innovation, and their success stories align with our mission to champion the region’s top talent.”
The signed athletes Vanessa, Shaun and Ben are already leading the way in local competitions, and have aspirations to break records to take their performances to the next level internationally.
Each athlete’s unique story, athletic journey, and future ambitions embody the spirit of PUMA’s "Forever Faster" ethos.
Read our exclusive interview with Shaun Goh, Vanessa Lee and Ben Khoo and find out what they had to say after joining PUMA.
SHAUN GOH Singapore's fastest 10km road runner, SCSM2024 Half Marathon champion and top ranked half-marathon male athlete for 2024
In an exclusive interview with SportPlus.sg, Shaun Goh shared: "I am definitely feeling very excited to be part of the PUMA family. It's quite humbling to be able to represent one of the more established and legacy brands as PUMA. It is also one of my first brand sponsors so I am excited to make the most of this opportunity."
When asked on the top tier support he will be receiving as an athlete Shaun replied, "It's really awesome that we can have access to such resources, knowledge and technology. It feels very empowering, especially for us Southeast Asian Athletes. It will really help us bridge that performance gap between us and the rest of the world. And it gives me motivation to show PUMA that I am worthy of this opportunity, to thank them for taking a chance on me."
And what is he most looking forward to first as a PUMA athlete? "I am most looking forward to putting on the good shoes and to run as fast as I can. To showcase my fitness and the technology that PUMA has," he said with a chuckle.
Shaun hopes the tools from PUMA will help him achieve his personal goals this year.
"My pet events are the 5000m and 10000m on the track, and I would love to break 15 minutes for 5000m as only three guys have ever done so in Singapore, so I would love to be part of that list. As for the 10000m I would love to break 31 minutes on the track. I've done that timing on the road before, so I would love to emulate such a performance on the track as well."
VANESSA LEE
Singapore's national record holder for steeplechase, 10000m, 5000m and the Mile, and double winner of SCSM and Great Eastern Women's Run Half-marathon
Coming off fresh from another successful season where she defended her half marathon titles at the Singapore Marathon and Great Eastern Women's Run as well as setting new national records, Vanessa Lee shared that she is excited to be working with a fun group of people, and underlined the importance of support for athletes in Singapore.
"It's very exciting. This group of people here are very fun to work with, and they are very nice people, very on the ball. So I am very excited to start working with them," she shared with SportPlus.sg.
"Any kind of support would help an athlete in Singapore, especially as it's SEA Games year this year. I definitely want to be a lot more performance focused, hit some personal bests (PB) and qualify for the SEA Games, so it (PUMA's parntership) is very beneficial and a lot of support to help me reach my goals for this year."
When asked what convinced her to come on board the PUMA project, Vanessa reflects: "I think it's the people. They are very fun to work with, gave me a lot of support and encouragement. And I can see that with their actions, not just words and that's what really brought me on board."
"I look forward to running my first race as a PUMA athlete, and I really am excited to run my first race with PUMA but that has to be a while and I really want to do well."
BEN KHOO
Singapore's IRONMAN record holder and SCSM2024 full marathon runner-up
Singapore IRONMAN record holder Ben Khoo was quite the academic who did a lot of research on the brand before deciding to sign on the dotted line.
Speaking with SportPlus.sg the Singapore Marathon 2024 runner-up opened up saying: "To be honest, funny thing was I went to read up on PUMA, and went through their entire investor relations deck, read through their annual report."
"They have been delivering on what they've promised on running since 2021. They said they were going to deliver a performance shoe and they delivered a performance shoe. They said they were going to grow their running community, and they grew their running community overseas, so they stick to their promises. So it's really exciting to see how PUMA is going to grow the Singapore running community and I would love to be a part of that."
"When I had talks with the company I immediately jumped on that because I believed in the mission and what they're trying to do here in Singapore."
On what convinced him PUMA was the right choice, having tried running shoes from various brands, Ben shared: "Personally for me I was blown away by the line-up of shoes they showed me."
"I've seen the shoes they are going to launch in 2025, and that really convinced me. Their shoes are incredibly fast and I know they are the best tools to support my performance so when I go for the IRONMAN record (this year), if I don't get the record I know it's not the tools, it would probably be me."
And what are the elite runfluencer's personal goals this year?
"I have three goals for 2025 - the first big one is to break the Singapore IRONMAN record by doing a sub 9 hours. I currently hold the record of 9:02. A little bit more of a challenge would be to better the Southeast Asian record which currently stands at 8:57, that would be the cherry on top."
He added: "My next goal is to do the SEA Games in either the triathlon or duathlon, it's been something I've been trying to do since 2018. I've failed three times unfortunately but I believe I have what it takes now after training for so many years."
"My third goal is to run a fast marathon in a cold, fast course in spring. After having a good performance at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, that actually showed me that I can run, I am not just a triathlete. On behalf of the triathlete community I want to show that triathletes aren't just good at three sports together, but good at single sports too."
Shared Camaraderie
All three athletes share a great camaraderie that is apparent, and they were unanimous in their replies when asked if the friendship they shared will go a long way on this new journey with PUMA.
Said Shaun: "Vanessa and Ben are great athletes, and even better people. I have known Vanessa for a very long time, since my university days. She has helped me navigate this high performance athlete route. She has been in the upper echelon for longer than me so she has helped me through the challenges, so having her as a friend on board this journey will definitely make it more fun and more reassuring as well."
Vanessa agreed, saying: "It's going to be so fun honestly. It's really great to have them here. Ben, Shaun and I were already so tight even before this so it's going to be really fun to do this together."
Beyond signing its first endurance sport athletes, PUMA will be making more big moves in the local and regional running scene this year.
As part of the collaboration, PUMA will engage in a series of joint initiatives with its athletes, including community outreach programs, athlete training camps and engagement events, allowing local supporters to connect with Singapore's top athletes to gain insight into their training and competitive strategies.
PUMA’s entry into this strategic partnership marks a new chapter in the brand's ongoing expansion across Asia, reinforcing its dedication to fostering sporting talent and inspiring a new generation of athletes.
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