Younger contestants win Shin Min Arm-Wrestling Challenge 2015

Younger contestants win Shin Min Arm-Wrestling Challenge 2015

It was youth over age at the Shin Min Arm-Wrestling Challenge 2015, as two of the younger wrestlers beat their opponents to the top prizes.

Thirty-two men started out in two categories yesterday, battling one another at an Ang Mo Kio kopitiam in front of more than 1,000 people - all with the goal of getting the top prize of $1,000 each.

Student Tay Jia Jun, 19, secured a hard-fought victory against fire protection mechanic Ong Wee Lun, 28, in the category B (70kg and above) final, bagging the $1,000 prize.

A member of the Singapore arm-wrestling team, Mr Tay was eliminated in the second round of the competition last year.

He said the win will give him motivation to continue training: "It will take another five years to become worldclass, so I'm looking to keep going."

Mr Tay, who is part of a group of armwrestlers who frequently take part in local and regional competitions, joined the contest with three other friends.

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CHARITY

One of them is full-time national serviceman Melvyn Loh, 21, who won the category A (under 70kg) with a win over 48-year-old senior project manager Dave Hum.

Mr Loh, who has been arm-wrestling for almost four years, pledged his winnings to his church's charity.

He said: "I was looking for ways to raise funds for the church, and decided to join this competition to do so." He added that the win was another milestone in making him a more recognised local arm wrestler.

The arm-wrestling challenge was the main highlight of the yearly Shin Min PowerMan Challenge.

The event, sponsored by ABC Extra Stout, allows contestants to show off their physical prowess.

It was held at the S11 coffee shop in Block 711, Ang Mo Kio Ave 8.

Mr Choo Chee Wee, associate editor of Shin Min Daily News, said the event was held at a coffee shop because it is where most of the paper's readers like to congregate.

He added: "Shin Min wants to continue to engage its readers and provide them with an event near them."

The contestants in yesterday's armwrestling challenge were finalists from the competition's preliminary rounds at four coffee shops across the island over the last two months.

The winners in each category went through four rounds to claim the trophy and the top prize of $1,000 yesterday.

The other contestants were given medals and cash prizes ranging from $50 to $800.

OLDEST

Personal trainer Peter Lim, 53, was the oldest contestant.

He wanted to find out where he stood among the younger contestants.

He said: "I'm just here to give my best shot and see where I stand. When you are my age, you'd want to know, too."

It was a blow for him when he was knocked out in the first round of Category B.

The event also featured music performances, as well as fringe activities for the audience.


This article was first published on January 17, 2015.
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