NTUSU Tribune November 2012

sports the tr bune the tr bune
sports
26 NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
27
ntu top Athletes Recognized At
the Sports excellence Awards
Professor Kwok Kian Woon awards NTU sportspersons for their exceptional achievements
edward anthony lim
It was a night where the best
sports men and women of
NTU came together to receive
recognition for their contribution
to the university and
the nation. The annual Sports
Award Ceremony 2012 at the
School of Art, Design & Media
(ADM) auditorium was
held on the 18th October 2012.
The Guest of Honour for the
night, Associate Provost of
Student Life Professor Kwok
Kian Woon, through his opening
speech, expressed his delight
and joy at knowing the
achievements our students
had made, and had showed his
full support to these students,
by stating that sports & recreational
facilities have become a
top priority for the University.
Professor Kwok recognized
the new achievements made
in different sport categories,
including in Floorball, where
the men won the title for the
first time, while the women regained
their crown by winning
in every single game, to which
he stated, “I think that’s really
the NTU spirit.”
First, were the Merit
Awards, which are given to
outstanding student athletes
who have represented NTU
in at least 2 local competitions
yearly, which includes
Singapore University Games
(SUniG), Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic
Championship (IVP),
etc. As many as 93 students
received the Merit Awards,
followed by the Half Colours
Awards, which were given to
41 student athletes, who have
not only represented NTU in
2 local competitions yearly,
but have also achieved a top
3 placing consistently. Finally,
the Full Colours Award were
presented to 10 student athletes
represented the country
and combined-university
teams in international and regional
competitions.
Soon after, the ceremony
continued with the NTU
Sports Grants, which were given
to two individuals, Mainisah
Binte Buang and Cheong
Zhi Xian Brandon. Mainisah,
who had achieved many titles
for the past years in 3 different
sporting categories (Silat
or Malay martial arts, Women
Football, and Women Touch
Football), felt glad yet surprised
to be able to receive this
grant.
The final three awards to
be presented were three of the
most prestigious awards of the
night. Tay Yu Juan claimed the
Special Achievement Award,
before Victoria Chan and Tan
Si Lie received the Sportswoman
and Sportsman of the Year
Award, respectively.
Talking about her honour
on winning the award, Victoria
stated in an interview,”
Winning the award is a great
honour, as it is the highest
sport accolade one can get in
the University.”
Meanwhile, Tan Si Lie had
the opportunity to share how
he managed to get “So Near,
yet So Far”. Si Lie had won
first positions at the PAYM,
Singapore Polytechnic, NUS,
NTU and National Open Archery
Championships, as well
as setting four national records
within a year. He had also won
a Gold medal in the 26th SEA
Games. However, his most
“tragic” story came in the final
Olympic qualifier in USA. He
ranked 8th, however only the
top 7 are able to enter the London
Olympics.
Last but not the least, Tay
Yu Juan, currently a 4th Year
SBS student, is a Wushu athlete
who has won various
gold medals in the 25th and
26th SEA Games, as well as a
Gold medal in the Women’s
Dui Lian event, along with
Emily Sin and Tao Yi Jun, in
the 2011 World Wushu Championships.
In her speech, she
conveyed, “Dreams do come
true, if you’re willing to work
for them.”
PHOTOS| ntU SPortS and recreation center
ASeAn university Games
A unique Platform For young Athletes
VarUn gUPta
The ASEAN University
Games-‘AUG’, is a biennial
sporting competition in
which combined university
teams from the ten ASEAN nations
lock horns in a battle to
be crowned the region’s number
one sporting powerhouse.
At the 15th AUG in Chiangmai,
2010, Singapore finished in
a respectable seventh place,
having amassed 30 medals - 1
gold, 6 silver and 23 bronze
medals.
The 16th edition of the ASE-
AN University Games will
take place from 12th to 21st December in Vientiane, Laos,
and is expected to draw university
athletes from all ten
ASEAN member states and
Timor Leste. Thirteen different
sports will be included,
and both genders will compete
in each of them. Singapore’s
university athletes have been
training hard since the start of
the year, and their efforts have
left them brimming with quiet
confidence. “I believe we can
achieve personal best performances
in Vientiane, Laos, if
not top the podium,” said Colin
Tung, a 4 th Year English Literature
student and distance
runner from NTU.
Archery team captain and
NTU Sports Science and Management
student, Tan Silie,
epitomizes this patriotic spirit.
“Our preparation for AUG is
definitely much higher than
our normal training as we will
be putting the name of Singapore
on our back and hence we
would want to do our best at
the event to do Singapore University
proud. We would surely
have to push ourselves much
harder as the event is just right
after our exams, which means
we would have to be able to
balance both our studies and
training,” he said. “The fact
that I will be representing Singapore
University at the ASE-
AN University Games against
the best university athletes in
“The fact that I will
be representing
the Singapore
Universities
motivates me much
more because
my performance
reflects on our
country”, says colin
Tung
the region motivates me that
much more because my result
and performance won’t
just reflect upon me alone, but
on our country,” adds Colin
Tung, who feels the weight
of the country’s expectations
too. Competition is fierce at
the AUG, as the region’s elite
young athletes attempt to utilize
an international event
of this magnitude to make
their mark on their respective
sports. While the competitors
from NTU are respectful
of their undoubtedly accomplished
opposition, they remain
unfazed by the challenge
they pose. Tan Silie knows
his archery team will have to
raise their game in order to
match up to some of the prodigious
talents they will come
up against. “We are striving to
put up our best performance at
this event as we will be facing
a few Olympians, who represented
countries such as Malaysia
and Philippines at the
recent London Olympics,” he
said. Colin shares in his opti-
IllUStration| ignatia deVy dwiaStUti
mism -“I understand the AUG
commences quite soon after
our exams end but I believe
our athletes will be well prepared
to stand up to the challenge
of the best university
athletes from ASEAN.” He isn’t
paying too much attention to
the opposition though, and
prefers to focus on his own
preparation. “I believe that in
sport, the athlete controls what
he/she can. The standard of
other athletes from ASEAN is
something we cannot control
so it shouldn’t be something
we worry about,” he suggests.
Wise words for his fellow team
Singapore athletes. All in all,
the ASEAN University Games
will be a gruelling and hectic
competition for everyone involved
along with the chance
to explore Laos’ iconic spot,
but it promises to be 9 days of
non-stop fun as well.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 26-27 20/12/12 5:58 PM