Speed climbing, roller skating athletes hope Asian Games inspire more Singaporeans to pick up niche sports

SINGAPORE: Athletes representing Team Singapore in Sport Climbing and Roller Skating at the upcoming Asian Games hope their participation and performance will inspire more people to pick up urban sports.

Singapore is sending its largest delegation to the Games so far, with 431 athletes competing across 32 sports. The event will be held from Sep 23 to Oct 8 in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou.

Among the contingent are five climbers and five skaters who said their journey to the Games has been exciting but tough, citing a lack of local competition and facilities.

Their disciplines are considered niche competitive sports by some, with speed climbing only making its official Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and roller speed skating at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

SPORT CLIMBING

“I really like the adrenaline rush,” national speed climber Tan Bing Qian told CNA.

His discipline requires athletes to scale up a 15m wall with an inclination of five degrees as fast as they can in one-on-one speed eliminations.

The 22-year-old has clocked a personal best of 6.4 seconds but wants to climb even faster. 

He hopes to shave his timing to below six seconds before travelling to Hangzhou, where he could face powerhouses Indonesia and China.

“I've been training consistently and I'm pretty confident with (being able to bring my timing down),” he said. 

Aside from training five times a week on strength, speed and endurance, Tan improves by comparing his own climbs to other elite athletes' at international competitions.

“I look at how the other competitors climb – how fast they do it, which part they are fast in and how I can improve myself,” he said. “I watch my own videos, then watch their videos, and make a comparison.”

He said a more vibrant climbing scene in Singapore can boost the standards of competitive climbers, adding he hopes the Games can bring more awareness to the sport and inspire more Singaporeans to head to climbing walls. 

“Not a lot of people in Singapore do speed climbing. If there are more participants, the sport will be more fun and it will really help the speed climbing community,” he added.

He will be joined by four other Team Singapore climbers at the Games – Denzel Chua, Luke Goh, Amar Hassan Mohamad Kamal, and Dennis Chua.

ROLLER SKATING

The Singapore Rollersports Federation (SRF) is sending its maiden squad of five which was set up less than two years ago, to the Games.

National speed skater Ng Ping Siang said being part of this historic delegation holds special meaning.

“To be part of this contingent is a testament to the growing scene for this sport within Singapore. It awards us the opportunity to contribute, and showcases our sporting talents,” he said.

The 25-year-old is part of the men’s 3,000m speed skating relay team. They are currently clocking about 4 minutes 18 seconds, and are looking to get even speedier ahead of the Games.

However, their path to Hangzhou has not been smooth. Among the challenges faced by the team is the lack of a 200m banked track, the official standard used for international competitions. 

This means the team has to train overseas, such as in South Korea, where the skaters have been preparing for the Games since April.

Ng, a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) history major, has to juggle his studies remotely in between training sessions. Meanwhile, his working teammates have had to take time off from their jobs to be in South Korea.

His teammate Ryan Chua, who will be competing in the 1,000m sprint, said it will be a tough fight for a shot at a podium finish at the Games, especially against more experienced teams such as Taiwan and South Korea.

“Skating is a relatively new sport in Singapore. We are a very new team and we are going up against skaters who have been doing this competitively for more than 15 years. So the gap of skills is definitely there, but we will try our best,” he told CNA938’s Asia First.

The SRF’s secretary-general Shermaine Lim said the federation has set its sights on a more realistic goal of placing top six at the Games.

SIGNIFICANCE OF URBAN SPORTS

Lim said the inclusion of such newer events in major games hold immense significance for urban sports in Singapore, as it raises awareness of such sports and could inspire more people to pick them up.

“This not only acknowledges the dedication of the passionate athletes who train really hard, it also provides them a global stage to showcase their skills alongside the world’s best,” she said.

Ng said that while roller sports are easily accessible to Singaporeans as a recreational activity, many are not aware that there is a competitive aspect to them.

“I've been doing this sport since I was nine years old, I've seen how the sport has been steadily growing in terms of influence and participation … within the Southeast Asia region and larger Asia region,” he said.

“With our entry in the Asian Games, it provides us with a platform to showcase the competitive aspect of the sport so that hopefully Singaporeans can realise that there is room for sporting talents to develop.”

Ng and Chua will be joined by fellow roller sports athletes Keenan Brunkard, Chua Qi En and Lucas Ng at the Games.