By Nurul Aqilah Zakaria

paintball world cup asia 2011

Singapore’s Heartbreakers team. (Photo 1 © aeonview.com/courtesy of Nurul Aqilah Zakaria)

Langkawi, November 10-14, 2011 — Singapore paintball team Heartbreakers finished eight in Division 4 at the 2011 Paintball World Cup Asia (WCA).

Team Datis from Iran walked away with USD$50,000 in prize money and a trophy.

The Singapore team were honoured with an invitation to this vast tournament consisting of 1,810 participants from 152 team representing 32 countries.

It was also the world’s first ever international paintball tournament hosted indoors at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.

“In Singapore, we played 16 games (to finish as) as champions. However in WCA, we played 18 games and we were (only still at) the quarter finals, so this shows the stamina … that we’re expected to have an international level!” explained Kenny Leow, the captain of Heartbreakers.

This is his third time participating in WCA. The first two games were held in Kuala Lumpur and he said those tournaments honed his paintball skills.

Heartbreakers were overall champions in the novice division in the 2011 Singapore Paintball Series. Team member, Mohamed Naszrul bin Mohd Helmi, said: “Playing in Langkawi at the WCA is a total different atmosphere and a good eye opener. The Malaysian playing skills were polished and matured. Those are some skills I can learn from.”

Naszrul has won four medals so far in paintball.

There were also two female teams taking part in WCA — Ladies Weakness (multi-national) and Poison IV (Switzerland). Clearly paintball is not a male-dominated sport.

Nur Asyiqin Binte Rahmat, from Singapore Polytechnic, joined paintball as one of her co-curricular activities.

“I personally thought that it was a recreation thing. But after a little training, it’s really competitive. It requires a lot of planning and team work. You train yourselves, it’s a sport!” she exclaimed. “What’s stopping girls from playing paintball?! It’s fun, it’s addictive, and it’s healthy, it’s a sport. Girls should try it!”

Singapore started out with only one local team playing and then progressed to seven teams. There are currently 38 teams now.

“Paintball have been here for 15 years!,” said Ben, owner of a well-known local paintball ground, Red Dynasty. “But very little people tried promoting it because many think it’s only recreational thing where people get together and bond. Paintball like any other sports requires stamina and trainings; they’re doing everything that is required of an athlete.”

Ben Seow, who played for Red Sevens, Singapore’s first paintball team, also used coach the Singapore Polytechnic paintball team and also conducted outreach programmes at different polytechnics.

“Paintball is classified under firearm sports in Singapore. The regulations here are tight. We are not allowed to bring back our markers (paintball gun) home and so on. If the regulations here are a little flexible, I’m sure paintball can further progress but rules are rules,” Ben explained.

Malaysia, however are doing well in this sport with their more lenient regulations and support from their Ministry of Youths and Sports which endorsed and recognized WCA this year.

In 2007, the Singapore Sports Council recognised paintball as a sport.

Joshua Yeo, also from Heartbreakers, participated in this year’s WCA and commented: “It’s competitive and it’s a high adrenaline rush game, that’s for sure!”

paintball world cup asia 2011

Asyiqin and Naszrul of Heartbreakers sharing a light-hearted moment doing a paintball photoshoot. (Photo 2 courtesy of Nurul Aqilah Zakaria)

paintball world cup asia 2011

Jordan Toh of Heartbreakers with Tony Fernandez, the chief executive of AirAsia. Tony was also playing in Division 4 at the WCA with team Kronos Numbers. (Photo 3 courtesy of Nurul Aqilah Zakaria)