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Competing and Training in Korea

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3 players under the Special Preparation Programme did Singapore proud in the 4th Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships held from 1 to 5 November 2008 in Suwon, Korea. They matched the best in the various categories to ensure that Singapore team did not return empty handed.

The Special Preparation Programme is for players earmarked for the Junior Tournaments. Participants in the programme have to commit themselves to regular training and fulfill the development plan which includes attending overseas training, friendly matches and competitions.

The event which attracted 1,200 competitors from 37 countries saw our players collect 2 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze medals. The medals came from the following.

Poomsae – Wesley Ong (Silver) & Keith Ong (Gold)
Sparring – Tessa Tang (Gold)

Gold                –           Keith Ong (Poomsae – Individual)

                                   Tessa Tang (Sparring)

Sparring – Keith Ong (Silver)
Poomsae (Championship Match) – Keith Ong (Silver) & Wesley Ong (Bronze)
Sparring (Championship Match) – Tessa Tang (Silver)

Silver         –             Keith Ong (Sparring)
                               Keith Ong (Poomsae – Championship Match)
                               Wesley Ong (Poomsae – Individual)
                               Tessa Tang (Sparring – Championship Match)

Sparring (Championship Match) – Keith Ong (Bronze)
Sparring – Wesley Ong (Bronze)
Poomsae – Tessa Tang (Bronze)

Bronze            –           Keith Ong (Sparring – Championship Match)
                                  Wesley Ong (Sparring)
                                  Wesley Ong (Poomsae – Championship Match)
                                  Tessa Tang (Poomsae – Individual)

After the competition, our players headed to Seoul for a training stint in Yeongdong Middle School. The training was arranged by Prof Lee Kyu Seok who is the Technical Advisor of the Singapore Taekwondo Federation.

At the school, our players had a lot of opportunity to trade kicks and punches with the school’s best players. Needless to say, our players had gained valuable sparring experiences from the exchanges.

Team Manager Ng Lee Noi said: “I am happy with the performances of the team and appreciate the co-operation and support of the coach, players and accompanying official and parents.”

Players and Proud Parents

Singapore Flag Bearers

Team Manager – Ng Lee Noi

Coach – Wong Liang Ming

Team Captain – Lanetar Quek

Players – Jordan Tay
Keith Ong
Wesley Ong
Tessa Tang
Official – Linda Sim

Parents – Mr Dicky Ong
Mrs Katherine Tay
Mrs Janet Ong

‘Mascot’ – Kaylar Ong

 ‘Mascot’ Kaylar Ong with Keith Ong (left) and Linda Sim (right)

Selection Trials Open to Red Belts

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The selection trials for the 13th Asian Cities Gold Cup and 25th SEA Games scheduled on 30November 2008 are also open to red belts.

Coaches, who feel that their red belts are good enough, may recommend them for the trials.

Only recommendations from coaches of clubs affiliated or recognised by the Singapore Taekwondo Federation will be accepted.   

For more information on the selection trials, please refer to the website posting of 6 October 2008.

Steven and Lim attend WTF Technical Meeting

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Steven Soh and Lim Teong Chin, both senior technical members of the Singapore Taekwondo Federation, attended the Joint-Technical Meeting organized by the World Taekwondo Federation on 14 November 2008.

The meeting held at the Ramada Seoul Hotel attracted 60 taekwondo experts from over 30 countries. It was primarily to improve the competition rules so that competitions could be more exciting and judgment could be more transparent.

There were animated discussions made on various areas including the reduction of the competition area, the change of the weight categories, the removal of the 12-point ceiling and 7-point gap, the adoption of graduated scoring system and the introduction of instant video replay system.

A few interesting ideas bounced around during the meeting but did not get much support.

Said Lim: “I thought the suggestion by the Iranian delegate to break a tie by declaring the last player to score as the winner was brilliant. It will be less subjective. Furthermore, the disadvantaged player will be compelled to take positive action which can mean more exciting game. Unfortunately, not many people supported it.”

There would be some changes in the competition rules. But would it be for the better? Well, that is something we have to wait until after they have been implemented.

Looking for Presenters

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If your ambition is to be a sports presenter, here is your chance to acquire some training and experience.

The Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) is looking for volunteers who want to be presenters for the Youth Olympic Games taekwondo event. Training will be provided by media industry experts.

A camp will be held in December for those who are interested. Please call Jolene, Theresa or Rosalind at 63451491 for registration by the end of this week.

Only STF members who are between 18 and 45 years old can apply.

131st Centralized Grading

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SATURDAY03 Jan 09  2.00PM – 6.00PM  (Senior Brown 1 & above)  Toa Payoh Sports Hall  
     
Sunday  04 Jan 09  9.00AM – 6.00PM  (All grades except Senior Brown 1 & above)  Toa Payoh Sports Hall  
IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. Submission for the Grading can only be at the STF office during office hours.

2. Please ensure that ALL grading cards are properly completed and duly endorsed. A recent photograph of the candidate must be attached.

3. For ALL candidates who are going for Brown 1 & above , please have the following documents during submission:

a. Candidate’s grading card

b. 1 photocopy of the candidate’s Identity Card (front & back) / Birth Certificate (for candidate below age of 12)

c. 2 recent IC / passport photographs of the candidate

d. Form B (duly completed)

Submission will not be accepted if any of the documents is not available or, for Form B, partially completed.

4. Submission will not be accepted if candidate fails to produce any of the documents mentioned above.

5. The last day of submission is on 15 DEC 2008 (MONDAY) . Any submission after this date will be considered as LATE SUBMISSION.

6. Late submissions for candidates taking Brown 1 & above are to be done within two (2) weeks from 16 Dec 2008 (Tuesday). Submission beyond the grace period of two (2) weeks WILL NOT be accepted. An administrative fee will be charged accordingly for late submission. The charges are as follows:

PERIOD OF LATE SUBMISSIONAdministrative Fee Chargeable  
1st subsequent week from last day of submission 16 Dec 2008 – 22 Dec 2008 ) SGD 10.00
2nd subsequent week from last day of submission 23 Dec 2008 – 29 Dec 2008 )50% of the grading fee payable by candidates for their respective grades. 

7. An administrative fee of SGD 5.00 will be charged for late submission of candidates taking all other grades except Brown 1 & above.

8. A roll call will be taken at 1.30pm for Brown 1 (Senior) candidates going for 1st dan and 2.30pm for 1st dan , 1st poom and higher candidates. Those who miss the roll call will be considered as ABSENT or LATECOMERS. Latecomers will not be graded.

9. Candidates are to turn up in proper dress code (as stipulated by the STF) for the grading. Candidates who fail to comply with the dress code will not be allowed to take the grading.

10. Supplementary Grading can only be conducted two (2) weeks before or after the Centralised Grading and will be subjected to the approval of the Grading Department.

11. Candidates will be taking the grading at their own risk and therefore will not hold the Federation, the Grading Department or anyone so concerned, responsible for any injuries, accidents or mishaps that may befall on them during the course of the grading.

12. For any enquiries, please contact the STF Secretariat Office or the Grading Department.

Thank You for the Sponsorship

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The Singapore Taekwondo Federation received a total sponsorship of $20,000 – $10,000 obtained through Mr Kris Wiluan (ASEAN Taekwondo Federation President and STF Patron) and another $10,000 secured through Mr Lawrence Leow (STF Patron).

While Mr Leow clinched the sponsorship from CRESCENDAS Group of Companies, Mr Wiluan won the support from Premium Multi Trading Pte Ltd, Golden Image Services Pte Ltd and Inter-Premium Goup Services Pte Ltd.

The STF Patrons’ effort was significant as the sponsorship resulted in STF getting another $20,000 from the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) under its matching grant scheme.

The amount would be used to fund the numerous taekwondo programmes run by the STF. These included the programmes for children with life-threatening illnesses, members above 50 years old and coaches.

The STF Management Committee would like to put on record its heartfelt thanks to the SSC, all the kind donors and STF patrons.

More than 2,000 Electrified

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“It is out of this world,” said Sarah Hayes, a taekwondo exponent from United States of America.

“My sons cannot stop talking about it. The performances were fantastic,” said Dicky Bong, a member of the Team gOLD.

“I was awestruck. The demonstrators were amazing.” said Janet Ong, the mother of Keith Ong who won a gold medal in the recent Korea Open Taekwondo Championships.

They were all talking about the Taekwondo Spectacular held on 9 November 2008 at Toa Payoh Sports Hall.

The event was organized by the Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) in conjunction with Korea Festival 2008. It was graced by Mr Ng Ser Miang, Executive Board Member of the International Olympic Committee, as the Guest-of-Honour and supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Korea Taekwondo Association and Liang Seng Sports Equipment.

More than 2,000 spectators including HE Kim JoongKeun (Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Korea), Mr Kris Wiluan (President of ASEAN Taekwondo Federation and STF Patron), Dato Dr Sabree Salleh (President of Malaysian Global Taekwondo Federation) and Prof Tan Cheng Han (STF Advisor) cramped the hall in anticipation of a breathtaking show.

They were not disappointed. The sensational flying stunts, surprised moves and perfect synchronized movements drew oohs, aahs and resounding cheers and deafening applause.

The performances by both the Korean and the Singapore national demonstration teams kept some of the spectators talking about it for days. One parent, who missed the demonstration, called the STF to ask why there was only one show. Another enquired when the next demonstration would be organized.

The STF wishes to thank everyone – the VVIPs, VIPs, officials, coaches, taekwondo students and their parents and all other guests who had made the event a tremendous success.

Successful Meetings in Korea

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STF President Milan Kwee and GM Lim Teong Chin were in Seoul, Korea from 25 to 27 October 2008 to touch base with key officials of the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU), the Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).

They also met Dr Kim Un Yong, the founder President of the WTF and former Senior Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee. Dr Kim was in the pink of health and looked ready to return to the sports scene. His sense of humour was still intact.

When he was told that he looked good, he smiled and said: “It was because I do not have the communists to contend with.”

After the exchanging of some pleasantries, the meeting discussed the future of taekwondo as a sport in the Olympics. It was clear that the WTF had to do something right quickly to boost its chances to ensure that taekwondo remained as an Olympic sport after 2012.

The meeting at Kukkiwon saw the two Singaporean officials clarifying some discrepancies in the issuance of certificates and establishing an understanding in ensuring that all certificates issued to Singaporeans were through a legitimate channel. It was a fruitful meeting presided by Mr Song Sang Keun, Kukkiwon Vice-President.

Mr Kwee and Mr Lim also had a brief meeting with Mr Lee Chong Woo who was the former WTF Vice-President and a well-known grandmaster of taekwondo. They learnt that while he was enjoying his retirement, he was still concerned with the development of the sport.

They also obtained information on the Youth Olympic Games taekwondo event from the WTF. The details included the position of the use of electronic protectors for the Games and the age and weight divisions.

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The longest meeting the Singaporean officials had was with Prof Lee Kyu Seok, ATU Senior Vice-President and STF Technical Advisor. Among other things, they spoke about the relationship of ATU and Asean Taekwondo Federation. Dr Lee Dai Soon, ATU President was not able to attend the meeting as he had to undergo eye surgery two days ago.

Mr Kwee and Mr Lim were scheduled to leave Korea on 29 October 2008 but they chose to return a day earlier as they had accomplished their mission.

Appointments by Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU)

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The Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) is proud to announce the appointments of its members by Dr Lee Dai Soon, ATU President, to sit on the various ATU Committees.

  • Steven Soh (Technical Committee Member)
  • RA Jeyaraman (Public Relations Committee Member)
  • Wong Liang Ming (Women’s Committee Vice-Chairman)
  • Tan Cheng Hui (Junior Committee Vice-Chairman)
  • Lee Thiam Poh (Games Committee Member)
  • Tan Kok Heng (Education Committee Member)
  • Chow Pak Hoong (Sport-for-all Committee Member)
  • Lee Thiam Huat (Collegiate Committee Vice-Chairman)
  • Lim Teong Chin (Advisory Council Member and Referee Chairman)

The appointments will be for a two-year term from 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2010.

This is the first time so many members from the STF are appointed. It is surely an endorsement of the confidence of the ATU in the members of the STF.

Mr Milan Kwee, STF President, has also been appointed an Executive Council member of the ATU in May 2008.  

Breaking News – A Breakthrough for Taekwondo

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Taekwondo will be included in the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) and Singapore Primary Schools Sports Council (SPSSC) calendar in 2010. 

It is a breakthrough for the sport.

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The Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) has been trying for years to convince the Co-curricular Activities Branch (CCAB) of the Ministry of Education to recognize taekwondo as an inter-school sport. Although taekwondo is recognized as a CCA, it is not in the SSSC and SPSSC sports calendar.

With the inclusion of taekwondo in the SSSC and the SPSSC calendar, participating schools and pupils excelling in the sport will, among other things, qualify for the Achievement Award (AA), Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) and Colours Award.

As it is the policy of the CCAB to organize school sports events with only National Sports Associations, it means that only students taught by taekwondo coaches recognized by the STF can enjoy the privilege.

 The acceptance of taekwondo as an inter-school sport by CCAB has enhanced the status of the sport further. This is due to the initiative of STF Advisor, Prof Tan Cheng Han.

A meeting with CCAB officials was held on 15 October 2008. Prof Tan, Mr Milan Kwee (STF President) and Mr Lim Teong Chin (STF GM) represented the STF at the meeting which proved to be fruitful.

Participants of the Annual Rosyth School Invitation Taekwondo Championships, the Hwarang Taekwondo Meet and the National Inter-Junior College Poomsae Taekwondo Championships can expect some changes in the competition format. This is to ensure that the tournamnents comply with the SSSC and SPSSC competition rules and regulations.

The STF would like to thank all principals of schools with taekwondo programmes, teachers in charge of the sport and school taekwondo coaches for their support of and belief in the organization and the sport.