SINGAPORE - From the high of hosting the world's first Youth Olympic Games, to the women's world team table tennis championship triumph in Moscow in May and the country's best haul at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi earlier this month, it has been a year of unprecedented success for Singapore sport.

With the Asian Games in Guangzhou 23 days away, Team Singapore chef-de-mission Low Teo Ping is confident the 244-strong contingent bound for China will surpass the record haul from the last Games in Doha in 2006.

Represented by 132 athletes, Singapore won eight gold (sailing, bodybuilding, bowling), seven silver and 12 bronze medals in 2006.

"We hope the luck continues at the Asian Games. This is a much bigger contingent so it's only fair to say that we should do better," said Low, who conducted a briefing for the Asian Games athletes at the Civil Service Club last night.

"We'll try to defend or improve on our position from the last Asian Games, which was largely contributed by one sport (sailing).

"Hopefully, we can spread it around a little bit and contribute to a better medal haul."

Team Singapore will compete in 22 sports in Guangzhou from Nov 12 to 27.

The Republic's shooters, who delivered five gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, swimmers and gymnasts are expected to shore up Team Singapore's medal tally, alongside the traditional strong bowlers, table tennis players and sailors.

The swimming team, including Rainer Ng, will head to Japan's sports institute next month for a centralised training camp ahead of the Guangzhou Games, and is gearing up for his Asiad debut against the leading swimmers from China, Japan and South Korea.

The backstroke specialist won silver in the 50m sprint in the Youth Olympics in August and said: "I definitely want to do good times in my races as everyone will be much faster than at the Youth Games."

The bowling gold in 2006 came from the women's doubles pair of Valerie Teo and Michelle Kwang.

This year, much more is expected of the eight-strong women's squad which will feature seven debutants, including Jasmine Yeong-Nathan.

"Everyone is really excited and we're just getting in the flow of training together as a team," the 22-year-old told MediaCorp.

"There's definitely pressure, but we want to go out there and win as a team. For us, it's a relatively young team as the oldest is only 25.

But we have bowlers like (New) Hui Fen who came back from the World Cup Youth Championships with a medal. We're now focusing on our peaking programme, competition simulations and team bonding sessions."

Yesterday's briefing for Low, and officials from the Singapore Sports Council and Anti-Doping Singapore, provide information on the Games Village, medical services and precautions, doping regulations and other guidelines to athletes, coaches and team managers ahead of the Asian Games.

Over 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and millions of spectators worldwide can expect a dazzling opening ceremony directed by Chen Weiya - the assistant director for the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony - when the curtains come up at Haixinsha Island on Nov 12.