In 2016, Joseph Schooling won Singapore’s first gold medal at the Olympics. But do you know which sport attained the first ever Olympics medal for Singapore?
What is “Petanque”, a game that originated from Provence in France and why is it important to Singapore?
Then there is Sepak Takraw, a sport native to Southeast Asia which continues to connect our local and regional community.
Find out more about these lesser-known sports in Singapore!
Weightlifting: A mix of patience and courage
The first Singaporean to attain an Olympics medal was none other than weightlifter Tan Howe Liang.
On December 12, Singapore Weightlifting Federation held the Singapore National Weightlifting Championship. Krys Lim Kang Yin won in the Under-81kg category as well as received the “Best Male Lifter” Award. We speak to Krys to understand the significance of weightlifting in his life and what it can mean to others.
A personal trainer and Weightlifting coach at Canvas Training by day, Krys was intrigued by the beauty of well-executed lifts after coming across it during Crossfit workouts. He decided to solely focus on weightlifting, and has been competing since 2018.
“I think Weightlifting is tough in that it demands patience in both the training and the lifts itself, as well as a lot of courage to attempt lifts that scares you.”
Krys is grateful for Singapore Weightlifting Federation as it has provided a safe environment for him to train in, as well as opportunities to compete regionally for Singapore. “Since young, my dream is to represent Singapore and compete,” Krys elaborates. Krys further hopes that weightlifting can be accessible to more children and youths who can benefit from taking part in the sport as it inculcates other life values.
“Under proper training and guidance, weightlifting is not as dangerous as one might assume. It can be as safe as letting your children learn to cycle and swim,” Krys shares. Krys prefers to focus beyond the vanity factors of weightlifting, seeing that it takes good coordination, precision and power to make a good lift.
Petanque: For the young and old
Initially when Petanque became well-known in the 19th century, Petanque was known as a game for retired men in France. Nowadays, most of the sport’s registered members in France are women. It has also gotten popular worldwide.
In Singapore, there are currently more than 100 Petanque courts!
In 1989, Sports Boules Singapore was established to promote a Sport for All Ages. Petanque is a sport that is more mentally challenging than physically challenging. This makes it an incredibly accessible and inclusive sport, where everyone can play, regardless of gender or age. Hence the aim for Sports Boules Singapore is to promote a healthy lifestyle for people from all walks of life.
To promote an active and healthy lifestyle among the elderly in Singapore, Sports Boules Singapore organises Learn-to-Play programmes with People’s Association and its community centers and residents committees.
Among the young, Sports Boules Singapore coaches enthusiastic players from primary, secondary, Junior Colleges and Polytechnics. These junior members are encouraged to take part in the SEA Games, World Championships, Asian Champions, and other regional competitions. These competitions provide international exposure to youth.
Sepak Takraw: Beyond a “kampung” game
“The acrobatic agility and the height of the jump of the players are always mesmerising. The act of spiking is fast and forceful but yet at the same time, is graceful and artistic that it never fails to awe the spectators.”
When one thinks of Sepak Takraw, one might think of its humble beginnings where it brought people within a “kampung” to play and connect with one another.
It has now become a competitive sport, with the aim for Singapore to get a podium finish in the SEA Games, Asian Games and other regional games.
For Singapore Sepaktakraw Federation’s current Secretary-General, Zahid Bin Abdul Aziz, their main focuses for Sepak Takraw in Singapore are to establish a long-term athlete development plan and develop a national curriculum for Sepak Takraw. While commonly seen as a sport for males, the Singapore SepakTakraw Federation is keen to develop its national Women Sepak Takraw team for the first time.
“Sepak Takraw is no longer a regional or traditional sport anymore. It is played in other parts of the world such as Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and the Middle East,” Zahid explains. Donations are vital for developing their high performance teams including the first ever women’s team, as well as community outreach programs for children in need and schools.
Singapore Weightlifting Federation, Sports Boules Singapore and Singapore Sepak Takraw Foundation are part of the SG Cares Giving Week Fund. The SG Cares Giving Week Fund is established to support smaller charities in Singapore, whose funding have been greatly affected during this time. Your donation will encourage the development of these sports in Singapore.
Donate to the SG Cares Giving Week Fund by 31 Dec: www.giving.sg/gwfund
