Singapore athletes snatch 5 medals at World Kettlebell Championships

SINGAPORE – When he first picked up kettlebell training over a decade ago, Dexter Tay frequently watched videos posted by sports personalities on social media to get tips on lifting.

In June, the 41-year-old found himself competing alongside some of his heroes at the World Kettlebell Championships in Budapest.

He also stood on the podium with them, after clinching two medals – a silver in the one arm long cycle category and bronze in the snatch category for 74kg weights.

Singapore’s six-member team, which included Tay, was the largest ever for the 2023 championships held from June 23 to 25. The contingent travelled to Budapest at their own expense and returned home with four silvers and a bronze. The other medallists were Ng Chek Yong, Andin Nazura and Suzanne Ho.

Originating from Russia, a kettlebell is a cast-iron or cast-steel ball with a handle attached to the top that is used for exercise. Commonly used in the gym, it comes in six standard weights from 8kg to 32kg.

Kettlebell lifting is an “endurance weightlifting sport” that involves repeatedly lifting kettlebells within a limited amount of time, with the winner performing the most number of lifts.

Tay, who was also the coach of the team, said: “To come back with two medals is definitely a win, not a failure.

“I knew the standards of opponents on the world stage but the numbers I put up in training were encouraging, and I knew I had a chance to medal.

“I’ll be lying if I said there was no pressure, these competitors are seniors and mentors we follow on Instagram. We adore them from afar, so the pressure became real when competing together.”

Silver medallist Ng, who took up the sport in December 2021 and competed in the two arms long cycle category, was surprised to win a medal in Hungary.

The 23-year-old, a second-year student at Nanyang Technological University, said: “Winning a medal wasn’t the target and I had the mindset of going there to gain experience. It was quite nerve-wracking pre-competition as Singapore has not sent a lot of athletes to the World Championships in the past, and it was not easy.

“My biggest learning experience was watching athletes from other countries compete and how they prepare and train.”

According to Tay, kettlebell is a growing sport here with an active community of 300 athletes. Singaporeans have won honours at previous editions of the world championships, including a gold medal in 2017 courtesy of Samuel Lam in the 68kg weight class amateur category.

Amid growing interest in the sport, Tay hopes to form a national sports association for kettlebell in 2023 to promote the sport and raise funds for athletes to compete internationally.

He added: “Even though our country is small, our goals and aspirations don’t have to be. This is a sport we can do well in without too many resources, it is something more accessible.”

Aside from instilling mental toughness in athletes, kettlebell training is an inclusive sport for people from all walks of life, said Tay.

Ng added: “(They) can improve fitness and stay fit, even if they try the sport without competing.”