SINGAPORE – A month ago, CHIJ Katong Convent floorballer Megan Tsu tasted disappointment in the National School Games when her team were knocked out in the B Division’s preliminary stage.
But on Friday, the 16-year-old found redemption in another sport, taekwondo, as she clinched gold in the kyorugi black belt Under-56kg category at the Ministry of Education headquarters at Mount Sinai.
“I had some regrets not being able to do well in floorball at the NSG, so I felt relieved to be able to win in taekwondo especially since this will be my last year in (Katong Convent),” said Megan.
The self-professed sport lover has no qualms juggling both sports.
In preparing for the NSG, she had floorball practice in school for more than three hours every Wednesday and Friday, followed by a two-hour taekwondo training session at a private gym in the evening. She also has taekwondo training on Mondays.
The Secondary 4 student, who started taekwondo seven years ago, does her best to keep up with her studies.
She does the bulk of her homework on days when she does not have training.
“I think my will to do well motivated me to give my best in both floorball and taekwondo. Since both require good stamina, I think that each sport helps me to do better in the other,” she added.
As her school does not offer taekwondo as a co-curricular activity, she was the only B Division representative from Katong Convent at this year’s competition.
With kyorugi (sparring) being a combat sport, Megan admitted that her parents do get concerned about her, particularly when it comes to getting injuries.
But their support is unwavering. Her father Jerome, who was with her at the competition, beamed with pride as she received her medal.
The overall B Division girls’ kyorugi title went to Temasek Junior College, with Mayflower Secondary second. St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary and Pei Hwa Secondary finished third and fourth respectively.
Temasek JC girls’ captain Ng Yee Suang, who was joint third in the black belt U-60kg category, said: “I was quite shocked but I’m really happy that our school won.”
This was her first time competing in the kyorugi discipline. In the last three years, there were no kyorugi events in NSG as the taekwondo competitions were held virtually.
The 16-year-old, who competed in the 2022 NSG in the poomsae category, which is a set of movements against imaginary assailants, said this year was far different as she was not doing her moves in front of a camera and was cheered on by her teammates and supporters.
In the B boys’ kyorugi, Maris Stella High School won the overall title with Edgefield Secondary, Mayflower and Pei Hwa taking the next three rungs.
