Videographer : Kenny Lee
Photographer : Chrystal Chan
Editor : Ng Peiru
We caught up with Dr Shaun Ho, an ex-National athlete who now aims to use his past experiences to aid in the organisation and conduct of Canoe-Kayaking in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore this year.
We caught up with Ahmad Murbarak, ex-national tennis player in Singapore. Having played in the local and regional scene for almost 15 years, we asked him what he thought of the local scene and to share his experience playing for country. In addition, we asked him how the tennis scene in Singapore could be improved. Read what he has to say, right here on VOXSPORTS! … Continue Reading
We caught up with this mother and daughter pair from the Karate scene and quizzed both of them on how they cope with the stresses of Vanessa striving to excel in the local Karate scene.
Photos of Vanessa in action :
Read our interview below :
Questions for Desiree Tan (Mother)
1) When did you find out that Vanessa is talented in Karate?
I wanted to expose Vanessa to a range of activities from 3 – 6 yrs (prior to formal Primary education) so she can explore where her interests lie. She can then find her way to destress, build up her confidence and find a suitable CCA that she enjoys doing. As any mum with girls, I started her with art, ballet, music. She gave a firm no to music and was crying each time when she had to wear her tulle for ballet.
2) Why Karate and not Ballet?
We were posted to Sri Lanka and one day, at 3.5yrs, we were at the Social Club and she passed by a Karate class in action. Her eyes gleamed and she was really excited and she keep saying this is how she wants to spend her time. We went in to enquire but the sensei said she was way too young and they only take in kids at 5 yrs – she was so upset and she looked like she was going to burst into tears. So, the sensei said since we were there, Vanessa can try out the lesson and if she can take the instructions and remember the movements, she can stay on. And she did.. so every 6 mths, she passed her grading and by 6 yrs when we returned to Singapore, she had passed 4 rounds and was an orange belt. (The colour belt system is different from Singapore)
3) What was the motivation for sending her to Karate lessons at such a young age?
It was an activity she obviously enjoyes and I have learnt to accept I do not have a princess in the making but more of a mulan version.
4) How did you think Karate has helped her mentally, physically and emotionally?
After 6 years of Karate training, I can vouch that besides training the physical strength, more importantly, it has taught Vanessa focus and discipline. Due to the heavy training commitments prior to competitions, Vanessa does not watch much TV or play – her leisure time is spent mostly in Karate. Vanessa has learnt through her competitions that if she lose – she can always standup and train again and the results will be different the next round. If she win – she cannot be proud cause if she lose her focus, she can lose in the next demonstration. Karate has given Vanessa this exposure and she has learnt to pick herself up when things do not go her way and she has also learn to be humble when she wins. I think practising Karate also helps Vanessa to destress as I have often seen her doing bits of her Kata or mediate while studying for her exam :). There are also many role models of big sisters like Peiyi, Peiyu etc who excel both in Karate and studies so through them, Vanessa understood the importance of prioritising and focusing on the tasks on hand. She is more mature than kids of her age.
5) How often does Vanessa trains and what is a normal day like for her?
Vanessa trains under sensei Richard on Wed 7:30pm to 9:00pm and on Sunday 9:30am – 11:00am weekly. There are competitions every quarter and a month before the competition, Vanessa also trains on Friday 8pm – 10pm weekly. Vanessa is at school from average 7:00am – 1:30pm daily, she is also in Golf CCA so she comes back at 6pm on Tuesday. She also has enrichment classes on Wed, Fri and Sat. She is also a school prefect so she has duties during recess and school hours. So, she spends her time – study, homework, golf, karate and sleep. I make sure she has at least 8 hours of sleep each day. She loves Karate so much that there was once, she woke up at 4:30am to study Chinese spelling so she can go for her Wed training.
6) What are her achievements in Karate so far?
2009:
· 18th Kobe Osaka International World Cup & Training Camp Girls Individual Kata 8-10 yrs – Gold
· 18th Kobe Osaka International World Cup & Training Camp Girls Individual Kumite 8-10 yrs – Silver
· 3rd Asian KOI Open Karate Championship Individual Kata 8-9 yrs – Gold
· 3rd Asian KOI Open Karate Championship Individual Kumite 8-9 yrs – Silver
· National Inter-School Karate-Do Championship Girl Individual Kumite P3 & 4 – Gold
· National Inter-School Karate-Do Championship Girl Individual Kata P3 & 4 – Silver
· Pesta Sukan Karate-Do Championships Girls Individual Kumite 8-10 yrs – Gold
· Pesta Sukan Karate-Do Championships Girls Individual Kata 8-10 yrs – Silver
· 7th Shinwa-Kai Karate-Do Invitational Championships 2009 Girls Individual Kata 8-9 yrs – Gold
· 7th Shinwa-Kai Karate-Do Invitational Championships 2009 Girls Individual Kumite 8-9 yrs – Gold
2008:
· 2nd Asian Koi Karate Championship Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Girls Individual Kumite 6 -7 yrs – Gold
· 2nd Asian Koi Karate Championship Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Girls Individual Kata 6-7 yrs – Silver
· 9th Malaysian Schools Open Karate Championship, Girls Individual Kata 6-7 yrs – Gold
· 9th Malaysian Schools Open Karate Championship, Girls Individual Kumite 6-7 yrs – Bronze
· 6th Shinwa-Kai Karate Open Invitation Championship, Girls Kumite 6-7 yrs – Silver
· 6th Shinwa-Kai Karate Open Invitation Championship, Girls Kata below 10 yrs – Bronze
2007:
· 1st Asian Koi Regional Karate Championship Sabah, Malaysia, Girls Individual Kata 6-7 yrs – Gold
· 1st Asian Koi Regional Karate Championship Sabah, Malaysia, Girls Individual Kumite 6-7 yrs – Silver
· Shinwa-Kai Karate Do Championship Girls Individual Kata 6 yrs below – Silver
7) Is it tough to juggle school and competitive Karate at the same time? How does she cope with it at such a young age?
I don’t think its easy but Vanessa wants it and she gives up TV time or play time to practise Karate and cope with school work. She is in the best class in school so school also sets a high standard for these students – there is more homework, tests and spelling. I draw up a timetable with timelines so Vanessa knows where she is at in terms of homework and revision. Her study effort is like a production line with mini deadlines that she needs to complete – its therefore much easier to follow through when she is on her toes and on the ball to know what to do. By nature, she is competitive so she will grit through when she understands what she needs to do so there are days when she has school followed by enrichment classes and then she has Karate class till 10pm – she is still very alert and focus at 10pm although meals are like a quick bite and she had minimum rest in between the day. I think her interest in Karate and her competitive nature makes her pull through with the heavy demands.
8) What is next for Vanessa? Any upcoming competitions?
Vanessa will attend any competitions that will not clash with her school exams and if the competition venue is not too far or expensive to make the commitment. Her school is very supportive so last year, when Vanessa took 10 days off to attend the World Cup Competition and Training in Malaysia, her school allowed her time off and her teachers gave her extra time and coaching to catch up with the missed school work. This year, I think there will be about 3 competitions only – the Milo Cup, the Asia Cup and the interschool competition. Usually, I leave the competition training in the good hands of her coach who will bring and train her for the events. We would give the World Cup a miss this year as the cost and time of going to Greece may not make it possible for her to participate.
9) What are your goals for Vanessa in Karate this year?
I have no goals for Vanessa in Karate. I do not practise and I probably understand less than 20% of the art. I can only provide the logistics and any other support Vanessa requires to continue her interest in Karate. The exposure in international competitions grooms and trains her to improve on her Karate so as much as we can, as long as Vanessa express an interest, we would support her to compete.
10)What are your goals for Vanessa in Karate beyond 2010?
Please see above. I know Vanessa wants to be in the ASEAN Karate Team to participate in SEA Games badly so I think thats probably her target beyond 2010.
11) What do you think of the standards of Karate in Singapore?
I really dont know much to comment on the standard but I can see from attending international competitions that other countries have a bigger and more committed team as some are employed by their country to win medals in Karate. As such, they take winning and training much more seriously.
12) As a mother, would you allow your children to pursue a career in sports?
As a mother of young children, I would like to expose my children to many interests and allow them opportunities to explore, find and develop their interests and calling. As a mother, I would wish my children to grow up happy and successful. When they are pursuing a career which they are interested in, its much easier and happier to wake up doing the trade each day, success will come as a by product. If my children realise this calling in sports, I would also give them my blessings although — I would also ask them physically, how long would they think they can cope with the demands of training and competiting and I would also ask them to plan for the career path to see how they would then go on to coaching etc.
13) Why do you think that it is hard for Singaporeans to make a career in sports?
Do you think that the sports scene in Singapore is not mature enough to sustain high paying career in sports? I think its not easy cause our educational focus is more academic base and the high demands mean kids start at a young age attending enrichment classes in Chinese etc. If we do not have the audience or the fan base to appreciate the art/sports, we do not have the sponsors and thus, we will not have high paying careers in sports. Its probably more profit generating for medal winning sports man to open schools for young children than to pursue the sports itself. Parents will pay a lot to train their children but few parents and children have the time or commitment to pursue sports professionally in addition to the demands of school work and exams. As Singaporeans, our interests in sports is also much limited to swimming, bowling, football and badminton so its not easy for people with other interests to be groomed or recognised. At the end of the day, we are also very result oriented – the sports that bring in the goals will also be the area that gets the attention and the grooming BUT it does not take a short time to identify, groom or recognise the next award winning sportsman. So.. its a chicken and egg thing.
14) How do you find the standards of local sports in Singapore in general?
I am not really into Sports.
15) Lastly, do you have anything to say to Vanessa on VOXSPORTS?
Through Karate, you have learnt about discipline, focus and professionalism. I hope you will incoporate this into your daily life and enjoy practising Karate. Take each day, each competition one step at a time and mummy and daddy will support you in what it takes for you to achieve what you want.
Questions for Vanessa Tan (Daughter)
1) Hi Vanessa! How old are you now and which school are you from?
I am nine years old and I am from Bukit Timah Primary School. (Vanessa is born 1st Jan 2001 so she is attending P4, a year ahead of her peers)
2) Do you like Karate and why?
I like Karate because we can compete with each other and see who is better in Karate and its fun!
3) What are your hobbies besides Karate?
Golf and Swimming
4) Do you have a favorite Karate player in Singapore?
Ng Peiyi and Ng Peiru
5) Do you have anything to say to your mom on VOXSPORTS?
Thank you for your support and encouragement during tournaments and everything I do.
We caught up with Joerg, winner of the 2010 NTU Open Tennis Championships and asked him what he thought of the local tennis scene…
1) Please introduce yourself to our VOXers
Hi, I’m Jörg, 23 years old and from Germany. If you wonder about how to pronounce my name correctly, I can tell you, that you’re not alone :-) I’ve made the experience that most people outside of Germany have some problems with it. The English spelling for the correct pronunciation would probably look like “Yorg” or something.
Anyway, I’m here in Singapore for approximately 16 months to pursue my MBA-studies at Nanyang Business School (NBS). Apart from my studies, I love to do more or less any kind of sports but because I’d been playing tennis for a team back in Germany I was really relieved to find that there is a tennis team here at NTU. So far, the time with the team as well as the time in Singapore in general have been truly amazing so right now I’m NOT really looking forward to going back next year. :-)
2) How long have you played tennis and what is the highest level of tennis you have played back in Germany?
I started playing tennis approximately at the age of 12, so that makes it about 11 years now.
The highest level of tennis that me and my team (we play 6 vs. 6) have played back in Germany was three years ago when we made it – starting from the first national league – into the 6th league from the top. We got utterly defeated week after week, though, so we found ourselves one league below again in the year after :-)
I’ve never really participated in single tournaments back in Germany.
3) We understand that tennis in Europe is sometimes played on clay whereas most tennis played in Asia is done on hardcourts. How does this affect your style of play?
Back in Germany I had only played on clay so when I came here, it certainly was a little bit different in the beginning. The way you move around the court is definitely different, mainly because on clay you can slide if necessary while on hardcourt you have to take every step one by one until the very end :-) The balls bounce a little bit higher as well on hardcourt, but this is something you get used to quite quickly. In fact, I think it actually made my kick serve more effective, especially when I serve to the backhand of the receiver.
Overall, I must say, that I quickly got used to the slightly different conditions on hardcourt and it definitely did not go as far as affecting my style of play. In the end, it’s still ’bout hitting that small yellow ball over the net, right? :-)
4) Having seen some high standards of tennis back in Germany, you probably have some reflections on the standards of tennis here in Singapore. Please share these thoughts and reflections with our VOXers.
Having trained a few months with the NTU Tennis Team now, I must say that the level of play is actually pretty decent. Of course, in Germany there is more competition simply due to a much higher population and more people practicing the sport. But what I really appreciate about playing with the team here is the high status that the sport has for many of the guys. Although we all sometimes suffer from the coach’s ideas of new exercises, everybody actually seeks to come to the training sessions. When you come to the courts you can always count on the majority of the team to turn up as well.
5) Being crowned the new NTU Open 2010 champion, what are your reflections on a job well done and how do you intend to keep up the winning momentum?
First of all, I must say that of all the people I’m probably the one most surprised by me winning this tournament. My initial goal was to make it through the first day, where the first two rounds were played. Having achieved this, I didn’t really have much to lose in the following rounds, which maybe was an advantage over my opponents in those matches.
Nevertheless I am, of course, very happy with my performance. I managed to keep up my concentration and consistency throughout all the matches which was definitely a very important factor.
During the next weeks the inter-club matches are coming up, so I hope that I will be able to use the winning momentum there and contribute as much as possible to a good performance of the NTU Team.
6) During your match with Ahmad, you served all but 2 double-faults, what is the secret to this low level of service errors?
That’s a hard question. I think one aspect is – what I mentioned earlier – that I managed to keep up the concentration most of the time during the match which usually results in fewer errors. Another point may be my serving technique in general because a kick serve (which I usually use) has less probability of producing an error due to the higher flight path.
I’d give the most credit to the concentration factor, though, because I’ve definitely had matches in the past where I have served a lot worse with the technique being not really different. :-)
7) What do you have to say to all tennis fans out there?
You have definitely chosen the right sport to play and support! Always have fun while you play, because that’s the most important thing!
8) Who is your favourite tennis player?
Roger Federer. Even more, after he has fought his way back to the top last year after many disappointing defeats in 2008; something that not many players have achieved before. I really admire his intelligent way of playing tennis, which – apart from all his technical abilities – is certainly one of his greatest strengths. I also consider him a role model in terms of his personality and sportsmanship.
1) Please introduce yourself to our viewers
My name is Marc, Im from switzerland, I went for 10 months as an exchange student at NTU and now Im staying for 6 more months in Singapore for an internship.
2) Tell us when you first started playing tennis and what is the highest level of tennis you have played
I started playing around like 6-7 years old! Until 15, I was taking lessons with a swiss qualified tennis trainer!! During this time, I was doing playing lots of competition and my best ranking was R4 in switzerland!! I don’t know to what it corresponds here in Singapore!! then I stopped 5 years, 15 to 20yo, and then I restarted playing for me, then restarted some competitions too and now Im still playing and my rank is R5 in Switzerland!!
3) What do you think about the standard of tennis in Singapore?
I can just compare to Switzerland. So compare to switzerland, the standard in Singapore is definitely lower! But it’s not like a big surprise cos in switzerland as in europe in general, tennis is much more a popular sport than here in Singapore…where it’s more considered a bit as a “fancy” sport. But still there are some good players in Singapore too.
4) What do you think is the main challenge of our tennis players here in Singapore?
Hmm u mean for the elite/professional ones?? I dont know if there is like a structure for the elite player. I dont know if the best player in Singapore can join a structure where they are trained, helped financially, helped with school stuff and sent oversea to play against other player…cos Singapore is pretty small so players have to move if they wanna know which level they have compared to the other.
5) What is the main difference between the mindset of tennis players here in Singapore and back home?
So i dont know how play the elite players in Singapore but the more “popular” level, like I play…it’s not considered at all as a sport!! it’s considered as a recreation game, a past time!! it is not considered as a competitive sport!! they dont play the real rules, no advantages, never…even in tournament!!! sometimes its like only 9 games?!?! I do not understand this rule, only 9 games!?!?…it’s totally not the same sport anymore!!! so then, its like not really motivating too…cos ur not playing tennis, ur like playing “kind of tennis”!! so u play, u lost like 3 sudden death in a row, so ur losing like 3-0…but ur not even that much frustrated cos in ur mind(at least its like that in my mind) its a bit like…im not playing real match, a real tennis match…its like a bit fake!!
Like at home, even in the popular level, u can see people (old and young) like break their racket, yelling on the court, cursing like hell…cos they are in the game, and its really mental game!!like when u lost a game and u had like 10 Advantages but then u missed them all and then the other has just one, and he wins the game, that can make that u want to killurself…thats totally different then here, where u know that the first who wins 4 points has the game, so less emotion, less pleasure in a way cos its not the real game and ur never like totally in the game, cos ur not playing the real game!!
6) Were you surprised at the standard of tennis in Singapore when you first arrived?
I knew tennis is not really popular sport in Singapore like badminton or pingpong but I didnt know they were not even playing the real rules!!
7) What kind of advice would you like to share with our tennis viewers and players?
Give more credit to tennis and play the real game,real rules…even if a tournament has to been played over 1 week or 2 weeks!! take time to play and enjoy this sport
8) Who is your favorite tennis player on the ATP circuit and why?
Roger Federer!!! cos he is just the best for me and he is swiss :-))
Starting tennis at the youthful age of 4, Stefanie’s efforts have paid off. Armed with a killer forehand, not to mention killer instincts, the 17-year-old has won the Singapore ITF juniors grade 5 gold medal just two months ago (Nov 2009), and managed to claim a spot in the quarter-finals in Xia Men’s ITF juniors tournament grade 3. Look out for her as she plays the qualification rounds in Melbourne for the Australian Open Juniors Grandslam in January 2010.
Here, Singapore’s tennis golden girl holds court on what she looks for in a guy, how it all began, and her secrets to success in tennis.
Profile
Birthday: 16/09/1992
Current school: Raffles Institution Junior College
Height: 1.64m
Weight: 55kg
Double-handed backhand
Favourite shot: The inside-out or inside-in forehand
Favourite surface: Hard court
Current ITF juniors ranking: 259
High ITF juniors ranking: 234
Personal Aims
Short term – To be in the top 100 for ITF juniors by the end of 2010 and to represent Singapore in the Youth Olympics.
Long Term – To play in the Women’s circuit, be in the world top 100, and participate in the SEA games.
So Stefanie, I heard you started tennis at the age of 4. You must be really passionate about tennis.
Yes, so early because my uncle is and was a coach and so my mum used to leave me with him over the weekends and I’d join in his coaching lessons despite mine being over. I would say I was extremely passionate, because I remember helping him feed balls to his other students, although that was much later, maybe about maybe when I was 7 or 8 because before that I don’t think I could actually hit the ball yet.
I was extremely fond of Uncle Mike Tan, who’s probably my favourite uncle, and I used to talk about him a lot when I was in Pre-school. I even remember my teacher telling me that she did not want to hear me utter his name one more time. It still scars me; I think that’s why I don’t like school [laughs]. He was very, very patient with me.
Other than your uncle, who is your role model when it comes to tennis?
Roger Federer definitely. I am a fan on his Facebook! He’s really cool and calm on the tennis court and I love how he’s so emotional when he wins. I love his off-court personality so much too. On court he hits the ball so well and clean, and I love his footwork because it looks like he’s dancing.
How’s your tennis training schedule like?
Currently I train privately under Boyan Hadjisotrirov who’s from Bulgaria. Training is usually 2 to 3 hours a day and 6 times a week. I do quite a lot of drills, and he tries to mix things up so that I won’t get bored. Additionally, about 3 times a week, my friends and training buddies, either Abdul Hakim, who I guess you can say is one of the top guys, or Kenneth Kam, come to train too, if not, training can be quite stale sometimes.
I’ve watched you in action on the courts, slaying even guys who challenge you. How do you feel about that!
I am still unable to beat some of the guys I play with, like Hakim. But as for the other guys who I can beat, well, I try not to think about it. It’s weird! I don’t really date guys who can’t beat me in tennis [laughs]. I’d rather they not play the sport at all or are really good at it [laughs).
What other criteria do you have for the guys out there?
And what I look for in a boy… Athletic, good-looking, funny, caring, not clingy. Boys who seem to be hard to get.
Playing tennis for so long, have you dated any tennis players?
So far most of the guys I’ve dated are from tennis... I’ve not been in a proper relationship with those overseas because long distance is kind of difficult. And also because I only meet them briefly and there is so much more than meets the eye. It's so difficult when you only know the person for such a short time, and don't know how they act around other people and you can be deceived by how nice they treat you.
I met a few guys overseas whom I find very intriguing and interesting but I don't want to reveal that much online because my parents might read it [laughs]! It’s a treat to go overseas though because guys overseas are so much better looking with good height, coloured hair, and coloured eyes. They are also more outgoing and not shy to approach or hit on a girl. According to my mum, I’ve always had a thing for white guys since the age of 4!
You seem to be going abroad pretty often. What’s the best place tennis has ever taken you?
The best place tennis has ever taken me to have got to be Melbourne when I was 12. It was my first time representing Singapore. We got to play in Melbourne Park’s show courts, and even got to use the players’ lounge! That was the first time I travelled abroad to compete so it was a new refreshing experience! This was the under-14 World Youth Cup Qualifying.
You must’ve tried many court surfaces being around the world so frequently. What’s your favourite surface?
Hard court because actually, that’s the only surface I’ve ever played on besides the occasional grass at the Singapore Recreation Club. I would love to play on clay and get down and dirty [laughs]!
Would you rather play singles or doubles?
Singles I guess, because you get to control the whole match, or be controlled if the player is better, and dictate play and hit without feeling pressure from your partner. But I’ve done quite well in my doubles too. I’ve got 4 ITF junior titles, and I really enjoy it when I have a partner whom I’ve got good chemistry with, and whom I can joke around with in between points. It makes me feel very relaxed.
What do you find most difficult about tennis?
The mental aspect. Sometimes you are able to hit the shot, but when it comes to a match you get tight, and everything just does wrong and getting angry doesn’t ever help! Mental definitely by far!
I see. What other sports do you do besides tennis?
Well, I basically played tennis my whole life. I can still do most racket games; For instance, I played badminton for my school in primary 6. I get quite frustrated when I don’t excel in things so I just stick to tennis (laughs).
I’m also keen in water sports, like wake-boarding, white water rafting and those kinds of adventurous things, but I haven’t been able to try them. I would love to paraglide too. Other than that, I don’t mind playing social ping-pong…
Wow, with so many interests and such hectic training sessions, how do you balance them with your studies?
Well, I put in a lot more time into tennis than into anything associated with studies, so I guess I don’t expect myself to be getting all As or whatsoever, and so there’s not much stress there (laughs). I cope by doing the work that I think is necessary and more important, and also because I’m in Arts, I think there’s not all that much work.
What advice do you have to all tennis players out there to be successful?
Never give up and just keep trying your best. You’ll see improvements in time to come.
Finally, give me 3 words that describe tennis.
Challenging, gladiator-like, interesting.
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