Thursday March 15, 2007
Impressive show by youngsters
A 15-MINUTE performance by young children, some only six years old, was the highlight of the National Figure Skating Championship at the Sunway Pyramid Ice Rink recently.
About 12 children, from the Ice Skating Association of Malaysia (ISAM), so mesmerised the small crowd with their graceful moves that even Subang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, who officiated at the opening ceremony, could not hide his admiration for the kids.
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Impressive: One of the youngsters in action.
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Lee said he was impressed with the young kids' courage.
“They did not show any stage fright and performed the routines well. Their commitment shows that Malaysia can produce calibre figure skaters in the coming years. In fact, the youngsters should be encouraged to continue the training programme. I would like to see Malaysian figure skaters in action in the Winter Games,” said Lee.
ISAM president Datin Laila Abdullah said they were organising the championship for the second consecutive year.
“We will witness our skaters not just competing in this championship but also preparing themselves for future international skating tournaments.
“We want to send at least two figure skaters to the next Asian Winter Games in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2011. We are confident it will become a reality as we have promising skaters. We also hope to be affiliated to the International Skating Union (ISU) soon,” said Laila.
Meanwhile, Lee said he was prepared to mediate in the crisis involving ISAM and the Malaysia Ice Hockey Association (MIHA).
“We have decided to take the Sports Commissioner’s advice. I have started discussions with both parties and they should come to an amicable solution soon,” added Lee.
