Contributed by Lorna Campbell

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - Singapore's first-ever mass wrestling competition, the Chinatrust Charity King/Queen of the Mat 2009, will be held at the Wrestling Federation of Singapore's (WFS) new training facility on 7-8 December and will feature participants from all walks of life competing in the name of charity.

Organised by WFS, an active member of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Style (FILA), in collaboration with official sponsor Chinatrust Commercial Bank, the King/Queen of the Mat is a pushing contest based on modified Sumo rules. Both male and female participants will compete according to their weight categories in four different divisions – International Schools, Singapore Schools, Uniformed Servicemen and Corporate vs. Celebrities.

In addition to being exposed to the sport, participants will be competing for a good cause as the winning teams from the different divisions will each donate S$2,000 to a charity of their choice. The winning teams from the International Schools, Singapore Schools and Uniformed Servicemen divisions will also receive an additional S$2,000 awarded to their respective sports fund.

The Chinatrust King/Queen of the Mat will be held at the newly opened National Wrestling Training Facility at 102 Upper Aljunied Road and presents the perfect opportunity for the public to have a look and experience what the sport has to offer.

The opening of the National Training Facility is well-timed and it is the training ground for the national wrestling team as it prepares for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos, Vientiane in December.

Mike Denoma, President of WFS, said: "We are delighted to organise the first mass wrestling competition in Singapore. It is a big step forward for the sport in Singapore and the King/Queen of the Mat will help to develop and grow the sport here. We hope that more Singaporeans and school children will get to experience and enjoy wrestling. The competition is also a great way for WFS to give back to the society to help the less fortunate."

As wrestling starts to gather more interest among the community, the tournament will also serve as a scouting opportunity for wrestlers, coaches and referees for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games which will be held here in 2010.

"Having a competition like the King/Queen of the Mat gives the opportunity for Singapore youth to try out wrestling and is great for the WFS to identify promising talents to represent Singapore in the future," said Olympic gold-medallist and National Coach Sergei Beloglazov.

Members of the public who are interested to find out more about the event may refer to the WFS website at http://www.singaporewrestling.com/home.