Newsflash: Thrower Scott Wong breaks James Wong’s 21-year record at Asean Schools C’ships

Up-and-coming thrower Scott Wong continued his amazing record-breaking form this season when he broke a 21-year-old national discus (1.5kg) record set by the legendary James Wong at the recent Asean Schools Track and Field Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The 18-year-old Hwa Chong Institution student hurled 53.88m to break the Asean Schools record of 52.11m set by Thailand’s Sathaporn Japorn en route to winning the event.

The winning distance also bettered James Wong’s national schools record of 53.84m, which was also set in 1987.

James Wong is Singapore’s most well-known thrower. The 2003 Sportsman of the Year was a seven-time South-east Asian Games discus champion before he finally retired in 2005. 

The discus was one of two golds that Scott won at the Asean Schools Championships. He also took the shot put (5kg) title when he flung 16.56m.

In fact, Scott’s triumphs were the only two golds that Singapore won at the Asean meet. It also won a silver throug Wayne Yap in the high jump (1.95m) and three bronzes.

One bronze came from Scott’s Hwa Chong schoolmate Alan Teh in the discus. Singapore also won two 4x400m relay bronzes. The boys relay team was made up of Tee Yujin, Brandon Ng, Leong Yuan Chan and Ong Chin Hwee. The girls team comprised of Lim Shanru, Joanna Chng, T. Piriyah and Fiona Ng.

The three-day Championships, which attracted 182 athletes from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Brunei and Singapore, was won by the host country which came away with 13 golds. Thailand was second with 12 while Indonesia was a distant third wih three golds.

Scott’s two records adds to his collection of seven records so far this year. This means the protege of throws coach Guo Huaiyun has now set a total of nine records in the two disciplines so far this year.

He set a new national junior record in the shot put (6kg) when he threw 14.88m in March to break Chia Chang Yi’s 2004 record of 14.27m.

A month later, he set a new national junior mark in the discus as well with his distance of 49.60m. That broke James Wong’s record of 47.98m which had been standing unsurpassed since 1987. 

At the Singapore Junior Athletics Championships, Scott set two championship records.

His distance of 48m in the Boys U-20 Discus (1.75kg) obliterated Huang Weijie’s 39.17m mark set in 2006. He then wiped out Chia Chang Yi’s 14.27m mark in the Boys U20 shot put (6kg) with his 14.70m effort.

Finally, Scott set three records at the 49th National Schols Track and Field Championships. He won the Boys A Division discus gold with his record-breaking 52.94m effort. He also set a new A Division record in the shot put (5kg) when he threw 16.79m. The A Division mark is also a new National Schools record.

The Singapore Sports Fan congratulates Scott for his achievements at Da Nang and stands in awe of the record-breaking run that hehas embarked on this year. Here’s hoping that we can see him in action for Singapore at next year’s SEA Games.

Yours in sport

Singapore Sports Fan

Newsflash: Silver and bronze for Singapore at HK track meet

Singapore came away with a silver and a bronze from the Hong Kong Inter-City Athletics Championships over the weekend.

National long jumper Kenneth Wang Kan leapt 7.24m at the Wanchai Sports Ground to finish second in the men’slong jump, behind China’s Yang Kai who took the gold with 7.34m.

The 21-year-old national serviceman started off with a poor 6.86m before clearing 7.24m on his second leap. He then faulted o his third jump before recording a 7.11m on his fourth. He then faulted on his last two jumps.

Still, it looked like Kenneth,who has a personal best of 7.41m, would come away with the gold – until Yang Kai cleared 7.34m on his last jump. 

Meanwhile, national junior record holder Chia Chang Yi finished third in the men’s shot put final. The former Teck Whye Secondary thrower took the bronze with his 13.80m effort, which was 0.47m off his naional junior mark of 14.27m which he set in 2004.

Taiwan’s Chen Chia Hung took the gold with 15.44m while Hong Kong’s Chiu Lap San was second with 14.14m.

Meanwhile, national sprinter Calvin Kang wrapped up his preparations for this coming weekend’s IAAF World Junior Championships ( 12 – 13 July ) by winning the men’s 100m final in a slowish 10.73sec at a minor meet in Stuttgart, Germany, on 28 June.

The Stuttgart meet was Calvin’s second in three weeks as part of his month-long training stint in Germany in preparations for the world meet. The 17-year-old student, who holds the national junior record of 10.53sec, took part in the in the Boys’ U-20 100m at the Bahaus Junioren Gala 2008 on 21 June and finished fourth in 10.60sec.

Calvin will also be competing in next month’s Beijing Olympics as a wildcard entry in the 100m.

Things are also looking up for triple jumper Stefan Tseng, the only other Singapore competitor at the World Juniors. The 17-year-old national record holder (15.78m) had been trying to shrug off a niggling pain in his ankle for the past three weeks.   

He won a silver in the Boys U-20 triple jump at the Bahaus Junioren meet but it was achieved via a poor 15.20m, no thanks to the ankle injury which was sustained at the Asian Junior Championships.

Since then, Stefan has been undergoing medical treatment and light training. However, he was able to resume full training yesterday and showed no ill effects from his exertions.

The duo left for Bydgosczc, Poland yesterday, the venue for the World Juniors.

The Singapore Sports Fan wishes both athletes all the best and hope they will fly the Republic’s flag with pride and passion at the World Juniors.

Yours in sport

Singapore Sports Fan

Related links:

22 June: Newsflash – Calvin shows consistency, Stefan’s preparations take a small dent

20 June: Month-long German stint for World Juniors qualifiers Calvin and Stefan

21 May: Dawn of a new era in Singapore athletics?