With Singapore hosting the 28th South-east Asian (SEA) Games in 2015, the weight of expectation and responsibility that awaits those picked to represent the Republic that year will be greater than for those in previous editions.

The 2015 Games — the first that Singapore will be staging since 1993 — will be held at the S$1.33 billion state-of-the-art Sports Hub, two months before Singapore’s 50th anniversary celebration on Aug 9.

Although the nation’s sporting ambition now extends beyond the region, to the Asian and Olympic Games, for example, the SEA Games remains a crucial test-bed and an early indicator of the quality of the talent pool in Singapore, where S$100 million will be invested in grooming talent over the next five years.

With that backdrop, the Myanmar SEA Games holds added significance as a vital springboard towards 2015.

This month, 309 athletes will represent Singapore across 25 sports, and TODAY takes a look at some of the hopefuls among them who could play a starring role at the 2015 Games and beyond.

Sprinter Shanti Pereira kicks off our countdown to the 27th SEA Games today. While sailor Bertha Han and swimmer Darren Lim may not yet be household names here, given their potential, they could well be by 2015.

A good performance in Myanmar could signal greater things for these athletes with star potential, who will hopefully inspire more Singaporeans to make sports an integral part of their lives.