SINGAPORE: For three years in a row, coach Luis Cunha has been Shanti Pereira’s Valentine’s Day date.
Only on Feb 14, 2026, did Singapore’s sprint queen finally get to spend the occasion with her fiance, former national runner Tan Zong Yang. In previous years she was overseas at training camps or competitions with coach Cunha.
Pereira, 29, said: “I see him more than I see any of my family members… But I think the important thing for us is that we’ve developed a friendship, we enjoy each other’s company, and training under Coach Luis is a very pleasant experience.
“It has been that way since I joined him, I believe it’s going to be that way, just enjoyable for however long I’m with him… He has become a very important part of my life.”
Similarly, Pereira is also a key part of her coach’s life.
His phone’s camera roll is filled with photos of her – training, competing and during down time. In a recent interview with The Straits Times, Cunha candidly shows this reporter that his device’s AI function has labelled her one of the top people in his albums.
The 61-year-old Portuguese, who has been working with Pereira since January 2020, now considers her part of his family.
He said: “I see her more than my sons… For the first time, she’s celebrating Valentine’s Day with her fiance.
“We have a ritual when she does something good and not only national records, we have our own celebration, to try to live this journey the best way possible.”
Their six-year relationship has reaped rewards for Pereira.
After enduring a six-year gold medal drought following her first at the 2015 SEA Games, she returned to the top of the podium in 2021 in the 200m and won a silver in the 100m.
She followed that feat with a historic double gold in the 100m and 200m at the 2023 Asian Championships, before claiming gold and silver (200m, 100m) at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
A milestone sprint double-double also followed in the 2023 and 2025 SEA Games.
In 2026, the athlete-coach pair will kick off another journey to defend her gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.
Pereira said: “Looking at the goals for this season, we are looking at the Commonwealth Games and hoping for a final spot in my event, and for the Asian Games, to see myself on that podium again.
“Training seems okay, everything is going in the right direction, so we just have to keep at it and keep working.”
Cunha added: “For Shanti, it’s a bigger challenge because she’s already achieved a very high level, she’s one of the best in Asia, ever.
“So it is a challenge for her to maintain at this level… The pressure now is higher but we embrace this pressure, she knows that when she goes for the SEA Games, (winning) silver medals is not enough for her.”
Pereira is not the only athlete who has benefited from Cunha’s training.
National hurdler Calvin Quek also made waves at the SEA Games in December, becoming the first Singaporean to win the men’s 400m hurdles gold in 60 years since Gunasena Migale’s triumph in 1965.
The 29-year-old, who joined Cunha’s group in 2021, admitted that he thought Cunha looked serious initially, but he has warmed up to him.
He said: “As we got to know each other better in the training group, the dynamics of the training changed and we had fun and could joke around.
“People on the outside will see him as this ‘very strict’ person, but in training he can actually be quite goofy and a lot of his mannerisms remind us of Mr Bean.”
Fumbling, lovable comedic character aside, both athletes stressed that they owe their success to him.
Quek said: “He’s definitely one of my major benefactors. I’ve not said this enough, but I’m honestly very grateful for all that he’s done for me.
“There was no reason for him to take me in, I was not close to making it to the national team or qualifying for SEA Games, for him to take that leap of faith with me, to perhaps see that potential in me, is something that I will forever be grateful for.”
Pereira added: “I owe all of my success to him, and this goes beyond the medals that we have won together as a team.
“He has really influenced my lifestyle and is the one that helped me change my perspective of what it is that I do.”
Cunha’s dedication to his athletes earned him a special nod at Sport Singapore’s Coaches Appreciation Night on Feb 13, when he was one of 214 coaches from 79 sports recognised for their contributions.
He said: “If I’m here, it is because of what the athletes that are training under me did. It’s always good to have this kind of recognition... it’s also a reminder that I’m doing something that helps the athletes to achieve something that they want.” - The Straits Times/ANN
