Veronica Shanti Pereira
IHFS EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR SPORTS-WOMAN – EXTRAORDINARE–ATHLETICS
Shanti comes from a family of runners. Her father Clarence Pereira, mother Jeet, sister Valrie and brother Anand were all sprinters in their own way. Valrie was in the first intake at the Singapore Sports School. So, naturally it’s in her blood, the sports bug.
With all the family’s support, Shanti thrived in sports and there’s no surprise in her joining her family ‘s passion in the field of sports. When she was in primary school at CHIJ Katong, she ran in the Primary 3 Sports Day and won the 100m race. After that she had invitation to join the school’s track-and-field. She progressed steadily in her sports quest.
She holds the national records for the 100 metres (11.80s) and 200 metres (23.60s). She also holds the U-23 records for the 100 metres (11.80s) and 200 metres (23.99s) and was a member of the teams which set the records for the 4 x 100 metres (46.64s) and 4 x 400 metres (3:44.80) relays; the U-19 records for the 100 metres (11.89s) and 200 metres (23.99s); the U-17 records for the 100 metres (12.21s) and 200 metres (24.92s); and U-15 records for the 100 metres (12.68s).
After the many successes at the school and national level sports she was elevated to the International sports arena.
Shanti specialises in the 100 metres, 200 metres, 4 x 100 metres relay, and 4 x 400 metres relay.
At the International level, she participated at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Athletics in Donetsk, Ukraine. She took part in 100m sprint and ran in 11.89s and the first Singaporean female athlete to finish under12s. She was placed fourth, and again at the 2013 SEA Games at Myanmar, she came in fourth in the 100m and 200m final closely missing medals. Shanti was a determined lass, and the failures only spurred her to do well in the next games.
To make up for her earlier setbacks, she resolved that she’s not going to come back empty handed at the next important International meet, the 2014 Asian Junior Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.
She trained hard and prepared well to meet off the challenges. Young runners from all over Asia emerged to prove their stamina and talent and bring home the prestigious medals. In the 100m, she won a bronze in 11.79s behind the Chinese pair of Liang Xiao Jing and Yuan Qi Qi. In her pet race at the 200m, she won a silver in 23.99 behind India’s Dutee Chand who finishes in 23.74s. Shanti proved to the world of her capabilities of achieving success and it’s her indomitable spirit that helped her achieve her goals.
With Shanti’s grooming at the International level, it’s the sign that she was peaking and more good things were to happen soon or later in her sporting career.
It did happen sooner to the amazement of all.
The 28th SEA games, after a hiatus of 22 years, returned to Singapore in 2015, the year Singapore was celebrating 50 years of its Independence. It was an opportune moment for our sporting fraternity to bring in the glory at the games and make Singapore proud of their achievements. The team Singapore did bring honour to the SEA Games in a big way. It was the biggest haul of medals in the history of SEA Games by our sportsmen and women. They garned 84 gold, 73 silver and 102 bronze medals, total of 259 medals to be placed second amongst the 11 participating countries behind Thailand. Singapore’s contingent comprises 747 athletes participating in 36 different sports.
Shanti won big in the 200 meters final in 23.60s and clinched a gold for Singapore which was her personal best and national record, in the process re-writing the record set 42 years earlier by field and track legend Glory Barnabas in 1973.
Singapore’s gold in the 200m after a lapse of 42 years was a great achievement and that too in the Golden Jubilee year of Singapore. She went on to win another medal in the 100m sprint in11.88s where she won a bronze.
Shanti is the first recipient of the Yip Pin Xiu Scholarship offered by the Singapore Management University (SMU). Shanti, 20, who has graduated from the Republic Poly, will study accountancy at SMU, starting in August, 2017.