SINGAPORE: Singapore's gymnasts may have missed out on the opportunity to compete in this year's South-east Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar in December after their sport was axed by the hosts.
However, they will still get to compete in two regional championships - of similar standard to the gymnastics competition at the biennial Games - at the tail end of the year.
According to Singapore Gymnastics (SG) President Philip Chan, the South-east Asian Gymnastics Zone (SEAGZONE), a grouping of ASEAN affiliates in the Asian Gymnastics Union (AGU), has decided to organise the SEAGZONE Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the SEAGZONE Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships to make up for the sport's exclusion at the SEA Games.
The former will be organised by the Myanmar Gymnastics Federation in November, while the SG will host the Rhythmic Championships in December.
Chan told TODAY that, while the news of gymnastics' exclusion from the SEA Games was disappointing, it did not come as "a complete surprise".
"The decision by the Myanmar Olympic Committee to drop gymnastics from the SEA Games because of the host's bleak prospects of podium success is regrettable, but it is also within its rights as organiser," he said.
"Singapore Gymnastics and the other national affiliates of SEAGZONE had been hoping for the best, while planning for the worst."
Gymnastics, which produced a team gold medal, two individual silver medals and an individual bronze medal for Singapore at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, was one of three sports dropped from this year's edition following a meeting by the SEA Games Federation last Tuesday. The other two sports were tennis and tenpin bowling.
The staging of the two regional championships also means that the SG will have a strong case in ensuring that its annual funding from the Singapore Sports Council is unaffected.
"There is no concern over this because the results of the two SEAGZONE Championships are equivalent in standard to the SEA Games," Chan explained.
He also sees a silver lining emerging from this setback.
"This just means that our gymnasts have another reason to work harder in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships as well as the 28th SEA Games in Singapore in 2015, when we also hope to introduce the trampoline event for the first time."
Still, there was no denying the disappointment felt by the national gymnasts. "I was looking forward to taking part in the SEA Games. Now that it's cancelled, I just have to move on and wait for the next one," said Chermaine Yeo, 16.
Joey Tam, part of the women's team that won gold in 2011, rued the missed opportunity for both her and her younger team-mates.
"It's a missed opportunity. This would have been a good chance for the younger ones to gain experience and exposure," said the 19-year-old.
"Also, the SEA Games is one of the events that we athletes dream about competing in.
"When you're part of that huge Singapore contingent and you know that people at home are watching you and cheering you on, you can't help but feel proud and inspired." - TODAY
Gymnastics: Silver lining for Singapore gymnasts
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Gymnastics: Silver lining for Singapore gymnasts
