Becoming the Best at Boccia: Ta Lang and Jeralyn
Our SDSC Touch reporters had their first experience with Boccia and
spoke with two of the best Boccia athletes in Singapore.
Have you ever heard of Boccia? Boccia is a very comprehensive game;
one has to toss six coloured balls towards a white target ball
called the jack, and has to do so better than his or her
opponent. At first glance, Boccia looks like a fairly easy game
(although we later found out that the athletes have their own
strategies and not just luck to win this game). Ta Lang and Jeralyn
are seated on their wheelchairs and without any difficulty, they
seem to be able to toss the balls very skillfully.
JeralynIt is not physically strenuous, says Jeralyn Tan. But
Boccia made me stronger, comments Goh Ta Lang.
Picking up balls and controlling the muscles to throw the balls
accurately are not physically demanding to most of us. But for the
severely disabled, whom Boccia was invented for, simple movements
like these are quite a challenge. Nevertheless, the Boccia athletes
push on with their training. One only has to look at Jeralyn and Ta
Lang to realise that sports are indeed a form of rehabilitative
therapy for the disabled. From being almost immobile from the neck
down and having to employ the help of assistants, the two have
developed their trunk and arm muscles so much that they can now
bend to pick balls up themselves .
The two players are passionate sports lovers. Jeralyn, who also
plays basketball and badminton in school, aspires to be a Boccia
coach. Ta Lang wants to be a medalist in the international arena in
the near future. With dreams of representing Singapore in the
FESPIC Games this November, they are training very hard for the
selection trials. Playing Boccia is a major part of their lives. Ta
Lang
Although both are busy coping with studies and training sessions
simultaneously, they express enjoyment at what they are doing. It
is clearly evident from the way Jeralyn and Ta Lang smile
throughout the four-hour training session that the hard work is not
a problem.
There are many dedicated people who play a part in helping these
Boccia athletes fulfill their individual potential and realizing
their dreams of becoming Singapores representatives one day. Miss
Chan Mee Leen, principal of Chestnut Drive Secondary School (CDSS),
is a strong supporter of the Boccia programme and generously
provides the conducive school hall as a venue for the training
sessions. The students of CDSS take turns to assist as volunteers
in the trainings as well. There can hardly be enough thanks to the
staff and students of CDSS for their selfless contributions.
Goh Ta Lang See photos of Ta Lang here!
Although he is just 16 years old, Ta Lang is an athlete with great
potential. He has improved his health condition (cerebral palsy)
tremendously through Boccia, and has even upgraded in his
disability classification. He obtained a silver medal in last
years National Boccia Championships 2005 and is determined to
achieve more sports achievements in the future.
Jeralyn Tan Yee Ting See photos of Jeralyn here!
17-year-old Jeralyn, similarly, improved her medical condition and
is now upgraded in her disability classification. She is one of
the best Boccia players in Singapore, beating redoubtable
international players during the 1st Asian & South Pacific
Boccia Championships 2005.