Track and Field sensation Kang Yee Cher of Fuhua Primary breaks age-group long jump record

Story and pictures by Leslie Tan

Bishan Stadium, Thursday, July 3, 2008 – Kang Yee Cher of Fuhua Primary won the long jump gold earlier this week in the 49th Inter-Primary Track and Field Championships. His jump of 4.74m was 74cm further than his closest challenger and is also a new record. This afternoon, Yee Cher won the 300m D-Boys Final in a time of 43.84 seconds, almost six seconds faster than his closest competitor.

Yee Cher, who stands head and shoulders above his Primary 4 cohort, attracted intrusive media attention last year because critics doubted his age. However, the Ministry of Education confirmed that the birth documents of this Vietnamese-born Singapore citizen were in order and this year he continues to run for Fuhua Primary.

Given his prodigious talents, Yee Cher is now training with the Singapore Sports School, a conducive training environment that should encourage him further in the sprints. He is still attracting attention, with a mainstream media reporter and photographer showing up just to take his picture and interview him with no desire to cover any of the other finals. Yee Cher, who declined to speak to the reporter, seems to have learnt from last year’s torrid experience when he was made the subject of at least two newspaper articles questioning his real age. Certainly an uncomfortable experience for anyone, never mind a youth.

To stand out for whatever reason in school is tough for anyone. Too fat, and you get teased. Too small, and you get bullied. Too slow, and you get left behind. Now Yee Cher, through no fault of his own, finds himself with a remarkable gift – he is big for his age. As far as his critics are concerned, too big for his age. He is not oblivious to the critics. After his 300m win, noticing the cameras, he keeps his eyes averted to the floor. He doesn’t celebrate his wins and walks off quietly.

With the right support from coaches and schools, Kang Yee Cher may one day win a significant sprint medal for Singapore. Let’s hope his enthusiasm doesn’t get extinguished along the way and is given the time and space to come into his own.

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