Singapore’s Darren Yap prepares for a dual Asian Games challenge

Singapore taekwondo athlete Darren Yap is preparing to compete in both traditional poomsae and virtual taekwondo at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The new virtual event will add a different kind of challenge to his Games campaign.

Yap has competed at the Hangzhou Asian Games and won a Southeast Asian Games bronze medal in freestyle poomsae. After qualifying for poomsae this year, he was also selected for the virtual event through the Asian Taekwondo Union. It will be his first major formal competition in the discipline.

His previous experience of virtual taekwondo was limited to a brief try-out at Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. He began structured training in July. Despite its video-game appearance, he has found the event demanding: athletes must judge distance and control their footwork in a smaller virtual arena while adapting to a different set of attacking and defensive techniques.

Yap trains for two hours a day, working on footwork, conditioning and reactions, with simulated bouts to develop decision-making under pressure. He also attended a four-day training camp in South Korea to learn from athletes with different fighting styles.

He says representing Singapore is an honour. As a newcomer, he is approaching the event with relatively little pressure, aiming to perform at his best, enjoy the competition and challenge for a podium finish.

Yap also hopes his participation will introduce more people to virtual taekwondo. By removing direct physical contact between opponents, the format offers another route into a martial art that combines real movement with digital competition.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/virtual-taekwondo-asian-games-2026-darren-yap-6347576