YOG windsurfer Amanda Ng finishes third in Techno 293 Class

Story by Yvonne Yap/Red Sports. Pictures by Vanessa Lim/Red Sports.

National Service Resort and Country Club Sea Sports Centre, Sunday, 10 January, 2010 – Youth Olympic Games (YOG) windsurfer Amanda Ng was the only Singaporean to finish on the podium in the Techno 293 Class after three days of competition at the SIM 29th Singapore Open Windsurfing Championships.

She beat fellow local and Asian Youth Games (AYG) bronze medallist Audrey Yong by four points to pip her to the third position.

In the boys’ category in the same class, Singapore’s Jeddy Tan had to settle for fourth place while Chuah Jun Ler and Merrick Pang finished sixth and eighth respectively.

On the final day, only two races were conducted in each of the RS:X, Techno 293, IMCO and Raceboard classes due to the light winds. Amanda came in first position for the final race, with her only other top position coming from the first race on the first day of competition.

“I think we did not so bad,” commented guest-of-honour Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). He was present on the final day of the event.

“Windsurfing is not something that we always have championships or competitions that would enable them to gain experience so I’m glad they are at least in the top-five in this competition,” he added.

In the RS:X (Open) class, South Korea’s Kwon Ohhan beat Philippines’ Reneric Moreno by three points after 11 races and two discards. Singapore's Joshua Choo took third position. 18-year-old Leonard Ong, who came in third in the RS:X (Men’s) Class at the recent Sail Melbourne 2009, was 13 points behind Joshua, and settled for fourth position with 43 points.

In the Formula class, Philippines’ Geylord Coveta stormed to the top after five straight wins and that was where he finished. In second place was Singapore's Goh Thye Hock while Australia's Christopher Newman took third position.

Taking place concurrently with the SIM Singapore Open Windsurfing Championships on the second and third days was the inaugural SIM Windsurfing Championship, which saw competitors from the local universities – National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Across the novice, intermediate and open categories, SIM and NUS each swept five of the 15 available medals, with SIM clinching one gold, three silvers and one bronze (1-3-1) while NUS brought home one gold, two silvers and two bronzes (1-2-2).

“We still have room for improvement,” commented NUS’ windsurfing chairperson Heng Choon Peng, who came in third for the 4M Men’s Novice category.

The next competition on the calendar for tertiary students is the Inter-Tertiary Windsurfing Championships (ITWC) in February.

Results for the SIM 29th Singapore Open Windsurfing Championships 2010:

RS:X Open
1. Kwon Ohhan (Korea)
2. Reneric Moreno (Philippines)
3. Joshua Choo (Singapore)

RS:X Youth
1. Gabriel Brettell (Hong Kong)
2. Dominic Brettell (Hong Kong)
3. Joseph Alagos (Philippines)

Techno 293 (Boys)
1. Kim Chaneui (Korea)
2. Kitpatchai Pantawee (Thailand)
3. Tam Man Fung (Hong Kong)

Techno 293 (Girls)
1. Sarocha Promprai (Thailand)
2. Paphawadee (Thailand)
3. Amanda Ng Ling Kai (Singapore)

Formula Open
1. Geylord Coveta (Philippines)
2. Goh Thye Hock (Singapore)
3. Christopher Paul Newman (United Kingdom)

Formula Masters
1. PJ Su (Singapore)
2. Yeap Leong Soon (Malaysia)
3. Nicholas Conceicao (Singapore)

Mistral Open
1. Natthaphong Phonoppharat (Thailand)
2. MD Astika Oye W. (Indonesia)
3. German Paz (Philippines)

Raceboard
1. Rumsap Phanuthat (Thailand)
2. Samuel Chng Wei Yang (Singapore)
3. See Loong Huat (Singapore)

Slalom Open
1. Rumsap Phanuthat (Thailand)
2. Joon Chyi Huey (Singapore)
3. Catherine Chua (Singapore)
4. Gee Hee Yong (Singapore)
5. Rachel Charis Ng (Singapore)

Slalom Masters
1. Catherine Chua (Singapore)
2. Denis Wee (Singapore)
3. Norihisa Kato (Japan)

Slalom Ladies
1. Joon Chyi Huey (Singapore)
2. Catherine Chua (Singapore)
3. Rachel Charis Ng (Singapore)