Rope Skipping Singapore / Asian Rope Skipping Championship 2009

Asian Rope Skipping Championships 2009, 28~30 August 2009

The Singapore team for the Asian Championship was supported by Rope Skipping Singapore (RSS), Rulang Primary School and the families of the athletes. The countries participating are Hong Kong China, Chinese Taipei. Macau China, China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Notice there are 4 China's.

This is Singapore's lowest medal tally of 2 bronze of the three Asian Championships RSS have participated in. We won 26 and 55 medals for at 2004 and 2005 Asian when RSS was the member of the Asian Rope Skipping Federation (ARSF). The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) is now the member of ARSF.

SHF decided to send only one school team to represent Singapore in the Team and Masters events of the Asian Championship in Hong Kong. RSS formed an alliance team with the Jumping Jewels, Rulang Primary School and PLMGS and requested to compete in the Asia Cup event which SHF did not intend to participate . The Asia Cup team called the Firecrackers was made up of 5 skippers from the Jumping Jewels, 5 skippers from Rulang and 2 skippers from PLMGS.

Then the swine flu pandemic hit Singapore and the Ministry of Education banned all school travel. The other school withdrew their 26 skippers and PLMGS withdrew their 2 skippers from the Firecrackers team. The 10 remaining Firecrackers kept on training. Just a week before the competition the ban was lifted and the Firecrackers were on their way to Hong Kong.

The 5 Rulang skippers competed in the Masters and Team events too but the 5 Jumping Jewels were not allowed to compete by SHF and ARSF even after we made numerous request weeks before the competition up the an hour before the Masters. Mavis from Rulang won a bronze for her freestyle masters effort. The Firecrackers were sparkling in the prestigious Cup event and won a bronze cup.

In all the years of competition tours this is the first time the Singapore team had to move to a hotel (Hyatt) and at our own expenses mid-competition because the organizers did not provide adequate accommodation and meals even though we paid for them in the competition package. We are also disappointed that SHF did not allow our 5 very experienced National skippers to represent Singapore in the Masters and Team events. Even the Ministry of Education CCAB rope skipping advisor and the National Primary School Rope Skipping Championship convenor HOD who sat with our team where helpless as the Jumping Jewels sat out the Masters and Team events.

The president of ARSF, Amy Ha, later suggested to me that Singapore should hold the next Asian in 2011. I asked her to contact the SHF as they were not represented at the championship.

The next day the Firecrackers visited Hong Kong Disneyland. All of the skippers have already visited Disneyland in Japan and some have been to Paris Disneyland on previous competition tours so this is becoming a regular ritual for us.

Evon Yak
Singapore Team Coach
Asian Rope Skipping Championship 2009

Asian Rope Skipping Championship 2009 results

Mavis Chew
. . . Bronze medal for 14 years & under masters freestyle

Firecrakers Rope Skipping Team of Rachel, Aidah, Pei Shi, Ariel, Amy, Syazana, Mavis, Idayu, Jaime, Serene
. . . Bronze Asia Cup

Asian Rope Skipping Championship 2009 snapshot

The RSS team and the Rulang team went on seperate flights to Hong Kong. Here are the Jumping Jewels at Changi Airport before departing.

Our first meal at the competition venue university canteen after we arrived in Hong Kong.

Practice on first day at competition hall. Firecrackers here with Ron Kappert the president of the International Rope Skipping Federation (IRSF or FISAC). The team in their newly designed tank tops in national colors of course.

With the Chinese Taipei team at welcome dinner on first day.

With Sada the Japan Rope Skipping Federation(JRSF) president and Japan's 'Peace Peace', champion of the Double Dutch Contest Japan(DDCJ) 2009 which the Jumping Jewels also competed in. A happy reunion for the two teams.

With the Macau China team. This is their first Asian Championship.

With Tommy and Ho Nam of Hong Kong

Old friends of the last two DoubleDutchCompetiionJapan. Haruki, Yuka and Mako of Peace Peace DD team with Rachel and Ariel of the Jumping Jewels

The Firecrackers with the man, Sada.

The MOE educationists that sat with the Firecrackers, - Chan, Ng, Kavitha, Goh, Lee, Kwan, Thin and Yanti.

At the Japanese team corner the All Japan Rope Skipping Championship 2009 Shoichi (open champion) with Masashi (3rd) and our very own Ariel, the All Japan champion (14 yrs under division), exchanging autographs.

Rachel in the coaching box and the Rulang double dutch team speeding.

The Rulang team with their unique school flag design attire.

Double dutch freestyle end pose and their result flashed by the judges with placards.

Practicing for Cup event in an assigned squash court was difficult because the Cup event floor is 15 by 15 meter. You can see the Korean team practicing their fan element for the Cup event. The next photo of Firecrackers and the Korean team waiting to compete in the Asia Cup.