Hanoi (VNA) – While athletes’ capabilities usually diminish with age, Singapore’s 27-year-old Ang Chen Xiang is getting better as he gets older.

He broke the national record for the ninth time in his career on May 16, claiming a silver medal in the SEA Games 31’s 110m hurdles.

Taking part in his fourth Games, the hurdler clocked 13.94 sec at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium to finish second behind the Philippines’ Clinton Kingsley Bautista, who won gold in 13.78 sec.

Ang shaved 0.03 sec off his national record, which he had set at the Singapore National Track and Field Championships in January.

This was Singapore’s first medal in SEA Games hurdle events since Pasupathy Parameswaran clinched bronze at the 1989 Games in Kuala Lumpur.

It is a recognition of the hard work in the last 10 years, he told reporters, adding that hurdles is an event where an athlete matures later and all his hard work over the years has finally paid off.

Singapore athletics men's 4x100m relay team comprising Marc Brian Louis, Joshua Chua, Mark Lee and Ian Koe also clinched a bronze on the same day, clocking 39.44 sec.

It was the first time since 2015 that Singapore has earned a medal in the men's 4x100m relay event, with predecessors Calvin Kang, Gary Yeo, Muhammad Amirudin Jamal and Lee Cheng Wei winning silver at the 28th SEA Games./.