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STAYING HOPEFUL
(Gymnasts Appeal To Go For Commonwealth Games)
By Lynn Koh & Jason Cai
They were among our star performers at the 2005 SEA Games in Manila but Singapore's women gymnasts have not been selected for the coming Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. But all is not lost yet as their federation has lodged an appeal to the Singapore National Olympic Council.
A Matter Of Scores
The reason for the team's exclusion from the Commonwealth assignment? In terms of scores, the girls' total failed to meet the qualifying mark set by the SNOC, which is the sixth placing at the last Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002
In the Philippines SEA Games, the team - made up of Lee Wen Si, Lim Heem Wei, Lee Wen Ling, Nicole Tay (picture), Tabitha Tay and Nur Atikah Nabilah - clinched the gold medal in the artistic team event. Among them, only Wen Si has since retired. They earned a score of 96.755, below the score of at least 97.925 needed to qualify for the Melbourne trip.
Young Team
In making the appeal, Henry Tan, the Singapore Gymnastics vice-president for excellence, told The Straits times, "The team are still young and they have all committed themselves to the next SEA Games in 2007. We hope that the SNOC will consider them on a case-by-case basis."
Minister's Praise
While it will take much for SNOC to change its mind, the girls have certainly attracted attention from the highest level. For example, Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in a recent speech, said, "Nicole Tay, taking part in her first SEA Games last year, was performing on the balance beam when she lost her footing.She finished sixth for that event. But she picked herself up and, despite the pain from that injury and disappointment from that mishap, performed outstandingly in the individual floor exercise to clinch a second gold medal (after the team gold)."
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