GROWING UP: Darren Choy wants to sail the 420 and go for bigger meets when he is older.
-- ST PHOTO: EDWIN KOO
- MEMBERSHIP has its privilege, then being the youngest should also have
its advantage.
Just ask Darren Choy.
The 13-year-old is the 'baby' of Singapore's 25-strong sailing contingent
at next month's South-east Asia Games.
But, far from revelling in the status, the Singapore Sports School
Secondary 1 student feels right at home with the seniors.
'We had a training camp just a few weeks ago, and we all got very close,'
said the pint-sized, squeaky-voiced Optimist sailor.
'Seniors like (captain) Koh Seng Leong have also been encouraging.
'No one teases me about being the
youngest. I feel like it's one big
family.'
So does being the youngest sailor
accord Darren any special status?
'No, no, I get no benefits,' he replied
swiftly. 'It sure would be good to
have some, you know.'
The computer game fan admits he
has a playful streak, and likes to poke fun at Optimist teammates Luke
Tan and Russell Kan, both a year older than him.
Amazingly, Darren once harboured a fear of water.
'When I started sailing four years ago, I didn't like the times when I kept
falling into the sea,' he said.
'It was quite frightening as I've never been a good swimmer. But I made
friends along the way, and started believing in myself more when my
sailing improved.'
Nowadays, the 1.57-metre, 40kg lad is 'neutral' to the sea. But he still
hates falling into the water.
The SEA Games is Darren's first major overseas competition. He is part of
Singapore's five-member Optimist team.
According to SingaporeSailing president Low Teo Ping, the team have a
strong chance of bagging a gold.
Hosts Thailand and Malaysia are expected to put up stiff competition.
Except for Darren, the other four - Rachel Lee, Russell Kan, Luke Tan and
Daniella Ng - were part of the team that won a silver in July's World
Championships in Italy.
They disposed of Bermuda and Denmark before losing to Greece in the
final. They finished as the top Asian nation.
Being young, however, does have some plus points for Darren.
While older competitors often wax lyrical about the pressures of a race
and the innumerable what-if scenarios, he is simply aiming for the team
gold and having fun along the way.
No stress or sleepless nights for this bubbly boy.
But Darren has big dreams.
He said: 'Once I outgrow the Optimist category, I hope to try the 420
class and go for bigger meets like the Asian Games.
'Hopefully, I can partner Luke or Russell for that. But I'll have to gain
more weight first.'
By the time that happens, this cheeky youngster would have blossomed
into a senior member of the sailing team - and it would be his turn to
make the next water-baby feel at home.
Read more stories on the 24th SEA Games here. |
