The tentative programme and blank fixtures for the PA-STF Taekwondo Championships 2009 are attached.
Representatives of participating CCs are encouraged to print the documents and bring them along for the Team Mangers’ Meeting and Drawing of Lots on Sunday 5 July 2009 at 6.00pm at the National Training Centre.
All participating CCs are expected to have at least a representative each at the meeting. During the meeting, important and helpful information will be provided. It will also be a good time for the representatives to raise any questions they may have.
In view of the prevailing H1N1 situations, the Singapore Taekwondo Federation is appealing to all affiliate leaders and coaches to
complete the attached form for all their candidates and themselves and hand it over to the grading official before entering Yio Chu Kang Sports Hall on Sunday 5 July 2009.
For parents accompanying candidates, their temperature will be taken at the gate. Please inform them to co-operate with our officials. The procedure is necessary for the heath of all participants. Although it is inconvenient, it is our social responsibility as taekwondo members to do whatever we can to help control the spread.
Candidates with flu systems should be advised to stay away from the grading venue and seek medical care immediately.
The form will not be necessary for the centralized grading on Saturday 4 July 2009 because the number of candidates is small. Nevertheless, their temperature and that of their club leaders, coaches or parents will be taken at the gate.
We appeal to your understanding, patience and co-operation in the matter.
The Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) will be issuing a new coach card for special pass holders to make it convenient for them to identify themselves as recognized professional coaches of the national sports association for the sport.
Coaches do not have to apply for the card which will be issued free in recognition of their achievement as coaches and their desire to be the best coach they can be. This means you have to live up to the expectation of being a professional coach. Don’t get the card if you think you are not ready to do so.
Here is how the card looks like.
If you are a special pass holder and are prepared to fulfill your role as a professional coach, please submit a passport-sized photograph to the STF for the card to be made. When it is ready for collection, the STF will inform you of it.
All coaches are to note that the cards cannot be used as an entitlement for them to accompany their players to the arena as coaches. To do so, they have to display their coach pass prominently.
The coach card will also be issued to future special pass holders if they are ready to be coaches with a professional attitude.
TEAMgOLD members, wearing their well-pressed uniform, gathered at the National Training Centre on 23 June 2009 at 7.00pm. Some were accompanied by their spouses.
They were there not to have more training. They were there to celebrate their success in the promotion test and the recent national poomsae championships.
The event started with a simple ceremony for the presentation of dan certificates to TEAMgOLD members who passed their grading on 8 March 2009. Before presenting the certificates, Mr Milan Kwee, STF President, thanked the members for the support given during the inter-school and congratulated them on their accomplishments in the grading and the national poomsae championships.
All the certificate recipients obtained their last grades more then 30 years ago! It was indeed an achievement for them and an inspiration for others.
Said Lim Meng Tong: “Even in my wildest dream, I could not see myself going any further in my grade. I am delighted that I am able to achieve my 2nd dan at 67 years old!”
Mr Dick Goi, who was promoted to 5th dan, thanked the STF for renewing the interest of TEAMgOLD members in the sport and giving them the opportunity to enjoy the sport. On behalf of the team, he invited Sister Linda Sim, who was awarded a 2nd dan, to present tokens of appreciation to the President and coaches.
After the ceremony, it was food, fun and lots of picture-taking for their albums. Here are some of them for your viewing pleasure.
The Singapore contingent for the 9th Asean Taekwondo Championships held on 5 and 6 June 2009 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam returned with a haul of 2 gold, 1 silver and 9 bronze medals.
The competition attracted 9 teams from 8 Asean countries including taekwondo powerhouses in the region, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines. Vietnam fielded two teams for the tournament which consisted of both ‘kyorugi’ and ‘poomsae’.
Our ‘kyorugi’ players sportingly participated in the ‘poomsae’ event for the fun of it. And they did not do too badly winning 3 bronze medals through the following.
Denise Thong (Senior Female Indidvidual)
Keith Ong and Tessa Tang (Pair)
Denise Thong, Tio Jia Xin and Tessa Tang (Female Team)
For ‘kyorugi’, Singapore players collected 2 gold, 1 silver and 6 bronze medals for their effort. They all fought tooth and nail to win. But, for some of the new players in the Singapore team, their opponents were just too experienced for them. Nevertheless, they had learned a lot from the exposure and it would stand them in good stead for future competitions.
The following clinched the ‘kyorugi’ medals.
Gold
Zakirah Bte Zakaria
Jacqueline Quek
Silver
Muhammad Norhalim
Bronze
Keith Ong
Wesley Ong
Samuel Lee
Tio Jia Xin
Geraldine Quek
Tessa Tang
Singapore Flagbearers
Coach : Wong Liang Ming
Players (Male) : Jason Tan Junwei (Captain)
Nicholas Lau Jun Yi
Benjamin Teo Zhi Ming
Muthiah Ponmani
Keith Ong Jin Cong
Wesley Ong Zhi Qiang
Wister Tan Jun Ray
Daniele Haadi Tan
Jordan Tay Jun Jie
Samuel Lee Tee Koon
Muhammad Norhalim
Players (Female) : Lanetar Quek Yi
Denise Thong Bai Hui
Tio Jia Xin
Geraldine Quek Jie Yi
Zakirah Bte Zakaria
Tessa Tang Xue Yi
Jacqueline Quek Jie Lin
Supporters : Mr Roland Ong
Mrs Janet Ong
Mr Dicky Ong
Mrs Christine Ong
Mr Jeffrey Tan
Mdm Katherine Lok
Mdm Nor Ainon
Mr Zakaria Othman
Mdm Norizah Bte Sanan
Miss Fadzlyn Zahruddin
(Photographs courtesy of Mr Dicky Ong and Mr Muthiah Ponmani)
The National Inter-School Taekwondo Championships held at the end of May 2009 were a resounding success. The event was well organized and participated. Feedback received from participants, coaches, teachers and parents had all been positive and very encouraging.
The STF is fully aware that the national referees had played and important role in the competition. Without their hard work and excellent job, the success of the event would not have been possible.
As a token of STF appreciation, souvenir T-shirts will be given to the following referees who had contributed more than 7 hours to the competition.
1
Denise Thong
2
Pauline Yow
3
William Lai
4
Yap Jim Cheng
5
Yap Gin Yee
6
Titus Issac Chua
7
Koh Poh Ling
8
Leong Yun Yuet
9
Joyce Lim
10
Johnnaton Ho
11
Fadhil Musa
12
Tay Xiong Sheng
13
Choon Kean Fatt
14
Linda Sim
15
Jackie Poon
16
Low Yiap Kee
17
Leon Koh
18
Tang Mui Huang
19
Wong Choon Hou
20
Wister Tan
21
Francis Lim
22
Muhammad Norhalim
23
Jacqueline Quek
24
Lu Si
25
Lee Kai Xiang
26
Han Hew Juan
27
Adnan
28
Michael Ho
29
Celestine Lee
30
Bong Peng Luck
31
Quak Soon Ming
32
Tan Kok Seng
33
Dion Tan Kuan Leng
34
Ng Li Xuan
35
Tan Willy
36
Merly Laperme
37
Ronald Lim
38
Tan Kok Heng
39
Kong Shu Yi
40
Benedict Ong
41
Girlene Tan
42
Diana Mok
43
Ananurmelati
44
Jeffrey Koh Bee Seng
45
See Xinyou
46
Jaromes
47
Dick Goi
Eligible referees may collect the T-shirts, personally or through a representative, at the Secretariat from Ms Lanetar Quek.
In view of the limited stock, those who collect the T-shirts early will have a better chance of getting the right sizes.
On 17 June 2009, a team from Batam visited the National Training Centre (NTC) for training. The team, comprising junior belt holders aged 5 to 12, was led by Siaw Lung, the Chief Coach of the team and one of the top instructors in Batam.
After a brief introduction, the visiting players, some of them accompanied by their parents, began training under the guidance of the national squad members. The Batam players might be young and junior but they displayed potential with their natural movements.
Said Ms Wong Liang Ming, the national coach, “I am surprised that they can kick so well. They have the makings of future champions. If they continue training, I am sure at least one of them will make it to the Indonesian national team.”
The youngest player, a 5-year old, who was only a yellow belt could already perform a decent reverse kick. During sparring, some of the older boys showed guts taking on our experienced junior tournament players.
At the end of the training, the visiting team was treated to pizzas. They certainly relished the food as they had to replace loss calories.
Before they left, souvenirs were presented to them to commemorate their visit to the NTC.
The 3rd National Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held on 14 June 2009 at Yishun Sports Hall proved to be a record breaking event.
It attracted almost 1,200 participants. The youngest was 5 years old and the oldest 69 years old. For the first championships in 2007, more than 200 signed up for the event. Last year, the number doubled to more than 400.
While the organizers were delighted with the overwhelming response, they were concerned with the timing. It would take a minimum of 20 hours to complete the competition – that is, the event starting at 9am would end at 5am the next day.
An emergency meeting was called to consider various alternatives. The most popular solution was to hold the event over two days. But it could not be done because the hall was not available the day before or the next weekend.
The organizers decided to use six courts instead of the original and usual plan of three courts for the competition. This led to another problem: Would there be 30 poomsae referees available for that day? In view of the various challenges, the rules were modified.
The STF was grateful to all club leaders, team managers, coaches and participants for accepting the modifications and co-operating with the organizers to make the event a success. The championships saw performers giving of their best to bring honors for the clubs, coaches supporting and congratulating one another for the outstanding results of their participants and the judges ensuring that deserving participants finish among the medalists. The standard of performance and sportsmanship was simply outstanding.
The STF would like to put on record its thanks to all parents, club leaders, coaches, volunteers and participants for their support, understanding and patience.
Prof Tan Cheng Han, STF Advisor, gave away the following awards.
Best Coach : Lai Han Seng (J H Kim TKD)
Best Performer : Soh Qian Yi (Acme TKD)
Fighting Spirit : Karen Lim (Shota) and Ng Wei Hau (Assisi)
The World Taekwondo Hanmadang 2009 will be held from 12 to 15 August 2009 in DangJin Stadium, Korea. It is an interesting and exciting event comprising competitions for destruction, standard poomsae, creative poomsae, taekwondo aerobics and hoshinsul (self-defence).
Any club interested to field participants for the event may do so with the blessings of the Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF).
All applications for the tournament will be processed by the STF and submitted to the organizers.
Clubs may at the same time apply for subsidies from the STF to participate in the event. The subsidies will be awarded based on the contributions of the clubs to the development of taekwondo and the organisation.
The STF encourages as many members as possible to participate in the event.