AT THE age of 12, most children are not exactly busy making plans for their future.

Try telling that to Lin Diyan.

When he was in Primary 6, he knew exactly what he wanted. First, score well at the Primary School Leaving Examination and get into the Chinese High School. Second, make it to the school's water polo team.

Just like his older brother, Diwei.

'There was no doubt in my mind. I was inspired because he was the captain of the school team. Playing water polo was all I thought about,' recalls Diyan.

A decade later and now 21 years old, he is part of the national team that won the 22nd consecutive South-east Asia Games gold medal for Singapore on Tuesday. Also on the team is younger brother Diyang, 20.

Eldest brother Diwei, now 23, is part of the national team but is away in Adelaide studying medicine. And youngest brother Diyou, 17, is keeping up the siblings' tradition, studying at Hwa Chong Institution (as The Chinese High is now called) and playing water polo.

The brothers - dad is a doctor while mum helps to manage dad's clinic - are not the only ones competing alongside their siblings in Korat. In fact, several sports are bringing out the family.

Most notable are gymnast twins Nicole and Tabitha Tay, 16, who made Games history by being declared joint gold-medal winners in the women's all-around event.

And while bowler Jason Yeong-Nathan, 24, struck gold in the men's trios on Monday, his sister Jasmine, 19, won a bronze medal in the women's trios.

There could be more to come. Sailors Elizabeth Tan and Dawn Liu are leading the pack for the women's 470, just like their respective siblings Sara Tan (women's 420) and Justin Liu (men's 420).

At last count, there are at least four other pairs of Singaporean siblings at the SEA Games this year, ranging from archery and shooting to equestrian and silat.

The same scenario can be seen in other countries. Filipino brothers Frazier and Norton Alamara powered their water polo team to a silver medal.

Thai brothers Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana - who recently became the first Thais to win a doubles title of an ATP tournament - are through to the men's tennis doubles semi-finals.
And in equestrian, Malaysian Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil made it a 1-2 with sister Quzandria in the individual dressage event. He also teamed up with brother Quzier to win the team jumping gold.

Most Singaporean athletes - like Diyan - say they picked up their respective sports after watching an older sibling in action.

Jasmine played different sports but only decided to focus on bowling when she saw her brother 'having so much fun throwing the ball around the lanes'.

Everyone says having a sibling around helps. For instance, the Lin brothers are both first-year medicine students at the National University of Singapore.

While Diyang is more conscientious about studies, Diyan is more enthusiastic about training. 'So he drags me to school, but I drag him to the pool,' laughed Diyan.

Sailing team manager Andrew Sanders - who has three pairs of siblings under his charge - feels that a sibling helps relieve stress in a pressure-cooker situation.

'When they are relaxing, I've seen Joshua (Choo) piggyback his sister Jovina, and Sara dance to techno music together with Elizabeth. There is a greater level of comfort, which definitely helps.'

Furthermore, siblings have a natural bond, said shooter Adrienne Ser, 20, who competed together with sister Jasmine, 17, in the women's 10-metre air rifle event.

'You don't have to spend time building team spirit like if you were strangers,' she pointed out.
Many of these siblings were exposed to an active lifestyle by their parents. The Lin brothers say they were 'practically born in the water'.

Similarly, Madam Lim Yee Kheng, 52 - mother to sailors Sara and Elizabeth - recalled taking them to The New Paper Big Walk every year since they were about six years old. Today, she drives the sisters to training at East Coast every weekend.

As for sibling rivalry, the question is: What sibling rivalry?

After their gymnast double-gold feat, the Tay twins described it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience that neither would exchange for anything in the world.

Tabitha recalled that it was Nicole who kept encouraging her when she lagged behind in points in the women's all-around contest.

Raffles Hospital consultant psychologist Danny Ng pointed out that healthy sibling rivalry can be good - but only if the siblings have a good relationship.

'Then they can encourage and help each other to improve. If they take defeat negatively and bring home their problems, it might affect their performance and relationship.'

Indeed, Diyang conceded that it can be demoralising to lose to a brother. He said: 'People tend to compare you because you are brothers. I will feel lousier if I was the one who performed worse.

'But we have never allowed competition to affect our relationship.'

Ultimately, blood is thicker than water.

Said Diyan: 'All of us are brothers in the team. But this guy - he is my real brother.'

Read more stories on the 24th SEA Games here.