sport 쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES FRIDAY, APRIL 3 2009 PAGE C14
SPORTS IN SCHOOLS
Six-year academic programme for Sports School
BY JONATHAN WONG
THE Singapore Sports School will extend
its current four-year academic pro-
gramme to a six-year one from next year.
At the school’s fifth anniversary cele-
brations yesterday, Minister for Commu-
nity Development, Youth and Sports Vivi-
an Balakrishnan, the guest of honour, an-
nounced an extension to its present cur-
riculum.
He said: “We’ve decided that four
years are not enough. We now realise
that the students need a longer platform.
“This will allow the athletes to peak at
This week’s action
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results on
www.straitstimes
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Andrew Leow of Singapore Sports School
(front) dribbling past defenders from Seng
Kang Secondary at the Schools National B
Boys’ North Zone football final at the
Co-Curricular Activities Branch last Friday. But
Seng Kang had the final say, winning 1-0 for
the title. PHOTO: NURUL SHAMIN JALIL
Meryl Ng of Yishun Junior College competing in the trampoline event of the Schools National A Girls’ gymnastics championships at the Co-Curricular
Activities Branch. She scored 8.05 for her event to finish 11th overall. PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
Greenridge Secondary’s Lee Jun Jie taking aim during the rifle event of the Schools National B
Division boys’ shooting championships at Yishun Safra. ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
Golf
National finals
A Boys: 1 Prawira Oka (Anglo-Chinese JC) 2 Jesse
Yap [Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)] 3 Van
Myron Neo (Temasek JC). Team: 1 ACJC 2 Victoria
JC 3 ACS(I).
A Girls: 1 Justine Teo (ACJC) 2 Lee Zhen Yi (ACJC) 3
Cheryl Ang (VJC).
B Boys: 1 Chung Hong Zheng (Raffles Institution) 2
Lucas Lee [ACS(I)] 3 Gregory Raymond Foo
(Singapore Sports School). Team: 1 ACS(I) 2 SSP 3
St Gabriel’s Sec.
B Girls: 1 Kok Jo Ee (Methodist Girls’ School) 2 Joey
Poh (SSP) 3 Cheri Gan (Raffles Girls’ School). Team:
1 MGS 2 St Nicholas Girls’ 3 SSP.
C Boys: 1 Marc Ong (SSP) 2 Brendan Chan (SSP) 3
Abdul Hadi (SSP). Team: 1 SSP 2 North Vista Sec 3
Hwa Chong Institution.
C Girls: 1 Jennifer Yan (RGS) 2 Goh Jen (RGS) 3 Asha
Lakshme (MGS). Team: 1 RGS 2 SSP 3 MGS.
an appropriate and optimal time and not
rush to do it in four years. Also, this will
provide them with more academic choic-
es and that is key to what we are trying to
offer here.”
The school’s current programmes pre-
pare students for the GCE O levels in ei-
ther four or five years, with the option of
post-secondary education through a di-
ploma course at either Republic Polytech-
nic or the Auckland University of Technol-
ogy.
Details of the expanded curriculum re-
mained unclear, though they will be re-
leased by the end of the year.
Do you have a photo of your teammates or schoolmates in action during a
schools competition? Send your pictures to stsports@sph.com.sg. The best
photos will be published in print and online.
TOP READERS’ PICTURE – BY NURUL SHAMIN JALIL
Schools’ scorecard
Gymnastics (trampoline)
National finals
A Boys: 1 Yap Yong Kong (Raffles Institution JC) 2
Lee Kern Choong (RIJC), Darrell Ang (Hwa Chong
Institution). Team: 1 RIJC 2 HCI 3 Catholic JC.
A Girls: 1 Amanda Lau (HCI) 2 Jeanne Low (HCI)
Amanda Tan (HCI).
B Boys: 1 Lin Kwun Tong (RI), Kester Kiong (HCI) 3
Danny Yeo (Whitley Sec). Team: 1 HCI 2 WSS, St
Joseph’s Institution.
B Girls: 1 Cherie Lee (Nanyang Girls’ High) 2 Ng Min
Yi (NYG) 3 Kimberly Chan (Singapore Chinese Girls’
Sch). Team: 1 NYG 2 SCGS 3 RGS.
C boys: 1 Danial Wong (HCI) 2 Chua Hou Zheng
(HCI), Darryl Leong (SJI). Team: 1 HCI 2 RI 3 SJI.
C Girls: 1 Rachel Giam (SCGS) 2 Phua Theng Hui
(SNG) 3 Adeela A.J. (SCGS), Lee Jiamin (WSS), Trudy
Sih (NYG). Team: 1 SNG 2 NYG 3 WSS.
It is likely that the A-level syllabus
will be involved.
The new six-year programme will pro-
vide “choice and flexibility” for students
through “customised and individualised
teaching programmes”, said the school’s
principal, Deborah Tan.
Netball Singapore president Tan Wee
Khim agreed, saying he felt that some
young athletes struggled to cope with the
demands of both studies and sports train-
ing at other schools after leaving the SSP.
Principal Tan added: “Physically, the
students need time to mature and devel-
op to reach their peak.
Lim Hui Tien of Presbyterian High (right) about
to spike against Bukit Panjang Government
High in their Schools National C Girls’
volleyball quarter-final on Monday. Hosts
Presbyterian High won 23-25, 25-23, 25-19.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Shooting
Rifle national finals
A Boys: 1 Gerald Mak (National JC) 2 Akshay Sharma
(NJC) 3 Xu Yang (NJC). Team: 1 NJC 2 RIJC 3
Anderson JC.
A Girls: 1 Carol Lee (NJC) 2 Vanessa Ong (Dunman
High Sch) 3 Sarena Ahmad. (RIJC) Team: 1 HCI 2
RIJC 3 NJC.
B Boys: 1 Daniel Toh (St Patrick’s School) 2 Darryl
Wong (Fuhua Sec) 3 Pang Jun Xiang (FS). Team: 1 FS
2 HCI 3 SPS.
C Boys: 1 Edwin Gouw [ACS(I)] 2 Soo Guo Sheng
(HCI) 3 Glen Tay (RI). Team: 1 HCI 2 ACS(I) 3 RI.
Pistol national finals
A Boys: 1 Daniel Lau (RIJC) 2 Hoong Shi Xiang (AJC)
3 Huang Bo Can (FS). Team: 1 Meridian JC 2 Catholic
JC 3 RIJC.
A Girls: 1 Eunice Chong (CJC) 2 Nawwar Angullia
(MJC) 3 Li Xinhang (NJC). Team: 1 NJC 2 CJC 3 RIJC.
C Girls: 1 Crystal Ho (Xinmin Sec) 2 Reesa Desker
(RGS) 3 Liew Hanyi (Ahmad Ibrahim Sec). Team: 1
AIS 2 RGS 3 Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Sec.
“Our main objective then is to bring as
many of them with us to the senior level
and realise their potential.”
With the new programme applying on-
ly to next year’s entry batch, there is no
pressing need for infrastructure expan-
sion at the school.
Dr Balakrishnan presented awards to
the school’s prominent athletes, includ-
ing national swimmer Tao Li and national
table tennis player Pang Xuejie. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan with recipients of the
He also opened The Champions’ Herit- Singapore Sports School’s Outstanding Student
age Centre, which showcases the trophies awards – national table tennis player Pang
won by its students and documents the Xuejie (centre) and national swimmer Tao Li.
school’s history. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
YOUTH GOLF’S
BIG STRUGGLE
Price of coaching and
course access hurdles
to golfers’ development
BY MAY CHEN & VALERIE CHIA
SYARIFUDDIN Rahiman has dreams of
one day playing golf for Singapore.
The 13-year-old’s aspiration has driv-
en him to improve his handicap from 20
to 17.5 in about two months.
But, without a personal coach or regu-
lar access to golf courses – most in Singa-
pore are at private country clubs – im-
proving has been an uphill task for the
Sembawang Secondary School student. Syarifuddin Rahiman playing at Marina Bay
“It’s hard to improve without a coach course yesterday. He dreams of representing
who focuses on my needs,” said Syarifud- Singapore, but the lack of a personal coach
din, who has to compete for coaching and country club membership stands in the
time with about 30 schoolmates in his way of his progress. ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG
school’s programme.
“At times, I don’t even know if my
쏆
swing is correct.”
Yet, as one of Sembawang’s better COST IS A HURDLE
players, he had to shoulder much of the
burden of helping his school at this
week’s Schools National Golf Champion-
“The lessons are very
ships (SNGC) at Marina Bay Golf Course. expensive – and it gets more
He combined with teammate S. Vik- costly year by year. My parents
kash Babu to finish ninth out of 12 teams
in yesterday’s team event. are worried about the price. I
Syarifuddin’s tale mirrors that of almost stopped golf because of
many other young, enthusiastic golfers.
While there is no denying the increas-
that.”
ing interest in the sport – a record 200 en- CHRISTOPHER CHONG, North Vista
tries were received this year, resulting in Secondary School, lamenting the high
organisers having to turn away some due cost of golf lessons. He has forked out
to the 180-player limit – striving to im- over $10,000 since picking up the sport
prove and getting course time can be a seven years ago. Seletar Country Club
frustrating experience. has since adopted him and he now plays
For example, Syarifuddin managed on- for free, lessening the burden
ly a couple of practice sessions on the
course for the SNGC. Extra time cost
$140 for two rounds.
“We started this in 2007 and we hope
Thomas Cheong, Sembawang Second-
more clubs will come on board,” said the
ary’s teacher-in-charge of golf, feels for
SGA’s general manager Peter Teo.
his student, adding: “At his level, Syari-
Laguna National Golf and Country
fuddin is one of our top players. But stu-
Club’s Youth Golf Programme has also
dents need to go beyond the driving
been developing young golfers free of
range to improve.”
charge since 1997. But the programme –
North Vista Secondary School’s Chris-
which has produced the likes of Johnson
topher Chong finished fourth in last
and Joey Poh, youngest players at the
year’s SNGC individual category. But
making strides in his game did not come 2007 Barclays Singapore Open and 2009
cheap. HSBC Women’s Champions respectively
“The lessons are very expensive – and – is nearing its capacity of 500 students.
it gets more costly year by year,” said Said the programme’s chairman Janice
Christopher, 16, who has spent over Khoo: “Golf is expensive, so giving oppor-
$10,000 on coaching. tunities for youth to learn for free will
“My parents are worried about the help the sport grow. But development has
price. I almost stopped golf because of also been hampered by the absence of re-
that.” al estate for training.”
Fortunately, Seletar Country Club The call to do more also came from Sin-
heard about his plight and “adopted” gapore pro Mardan Mamat.
him, allowing him to play on its course He said: “There’s so much that can be
for free. He has since improved his handi- done to support local kids. Countries like
cap from 19 to 4 in two years. Thailand have corporate sponsorships to
Seletar is one of six clubs who qualify send their young golfers overseas for com-
for the Singapore Golf Association’s subsi- petitions. It’s sad our young golfers don’t
dy scheme, given to country clubs who receive support like that.”
open up their junior programmes to neigh- maychen@sph.com.sg
bourhood school students. valchia@sph.com.sg