Speed climbing, roller skating athletes hope Asian Games inspire more Singaporeans to pick up niche sports

SINGAPORE: Athletes representing Team Singapore in Sport Climbing and Roller Skating at the upcoming Asian Games hope their participation and performance will inspire more people to pick up urban sports.

Singapore is sending its largest delegation to the Games so far, with 431 athletes competing across 32 sports. The event will be held from Sep 23 to Oct 8 in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou.

Among the contingent are five climbers and five skaters who said their journey to the Games has been exciting but tough, citing a lack of local competition and facilities.

Their disciplines are considered niche competitive sports by some, with speed climbing only making its official Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and roller speed skating at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

“I really like the adrenaline rush,” national speed climber Tan Bing Qian told CNA.

His discipline requires athletes to scale up a 15m wall with an inclination of five degrees as fast as they can in one-on-one speed eliminations.

The 22-year-old has clocked a personal best of 6.4 seconds but wants to climb even faster. 

He hopes to shave his timing to below six seconds before travelling to Hangzhou, where he could face powerhouses Indonesia and China.

“I've been training consistently and I'm pretty confident with (being able to bring my timing down),” he said. 

Aside from training five times a week on strength, speed and endurance, Tan improves by comparing his own climbs to other elite athletes' at international competitions.

“I look at how the other competitors climb – how fast they do it, which part they are fast in and how I can improve myself,” he said. “I watch my own videos, then watch their videos, and make a comparison.”

He said a more vibrant climbing scene