Sea Games Training Squad Sprinters Set To Blaze The Tracks At Press Foundation Of Singapore Schools Relay Championships 2005

SINGAPORE, 15 March 2005 - Watch out for SEA Games 2005 training squad sprinters Lee Yan Ling, Ann Siao Mei and Amanda Choo exchanging batons as they represent National Junior College's 4 x 100m relay team at this weekend's Press Foundation of Singapore Schools Relay Championships.

It's anybody's guess whether theirs will be the first team to cross the finishing line or whether they will be pipped at the tape by the rival team from Catholic Junior College which has Amanda Teo, also a SEA Games 2005 training squad member, in their midst.

Some fast timings and close finishes can be expected in other races as athletes like Valerie Pereira, the National Age Group Under 15 years record holder for the 200m, competes for the Singapore Sports School which is the defending champions of the overall challenge trophy. Good performances should also come from Youth Training Squad member Balpreet Kaur Purba, also from the Singapore Sports School, and Abdul Hakeem Adul Halim of Raffles Junior College who is a member of the SEA Games 2005 training squad.

Returning for yet another successive year, this ever-popular and always exciting track relay event for schools will take place on 19 and 20 March at the Singapore Amateur Athletic Association (SAAA) Centre of Excellence, Gombak Stadium. Supported by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for the past 14 years, this year's championships is sponsored by the Press Foundation of Singapore, a charity organisation set up by SPH to help build a lifelong learning community that promotes language enrichment, creativity, diversity, healthy living and sports.

"Supporting this event is in line with one of the Foundation's key objectives of promoting participation in healthy sports and exercise. We also see this as our contribution towards nurturing sporting talents and fostering community and team spirit," said Mrs Sng Ngoi May, General Manager of the Press Foundation of Singapore.

Some 60 schools will compete for medals in three different age groups over 24 relays. More entries are expected over the next few days as coaches make some last-minute strategic decisions to enter their teams in this highly-anticipated competition, which has become one of the highlights in the school annual sports calendar for both athletes and supporters.

Following its successful debut during last year's event, a sprint-hurdle relay for teams of primary school students will again be held on the second day of the championships. Developed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as part of its "Kids Athletics" programme to promote track and field athletics as an attractive activity for children, this relay will be run shuttle-style. Each team of 10 runners, which can be
a mix of boys and girls aged 10 to 11 years, will race through specially-constructed obstacles.

To add colour, gaiety and some off-track excitement to the highly-charged atmosphere of the championships, a cheerleading competition and "Best Supporter" contest will also be held. For the cheerleading competition, teams will be judged based on their spontaneous and sustained cheering as well as a one-minute cheerleading performance on 20 March. "Best Supporter" prizes will be awarded to groups or individuals who turn up with fanciful costumes and/or banners in support of their school.

For more information, please contact:

Lim Jit Kee
Events & Marketing Director
Singapore Amateur Athletic Association
Tel: 6386 2721
Fax: 6386 7773
Email: jitkee_lim@singaporeathletics.org.sg

Eric Ching
Press Foundation of Singapore
Tel: 6319 1280
Fax: 6319 8150
Email: chingsm@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Amateur Athletic Association
Boasting a membership of 20 affiliate institutions, the Singapore Amateur Athletic Association (SAAA) continues to build on its proud history and tradition as Singapore's governing body in the track and field for the new millennium. Founded in 1934, SAAA's historic footprints began more than 60 years ago when it opened its doors to Singapore's early athletes at the Farrer Park Stadium. Since then, the association has toiled and grown, and is now poised to chart new territories for the future. Under the helm of a dynamic team of volunteers and full-time secretariat, the association strives to nurture talents and work towards holistic athlete development, making competitive athletics a viable career. More information about the SAAA can be found on its website at www.singaporeathletics.org.sg.

About Press Foundation of Singapore
The Press Foundation of Singapore, a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character, was set up in January 2003 to help build a lifelong learning community that embraces language enrichment, creativity, diversity, healthy living and sports. The first contribution of $20 million to the Foundation came from media group Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. For more information about the Foundation, please visit its website at
www.pressfoundation.org.sg.