• First Boys’ Town Sport Climbing Competition, which is supported by Mapletree, is an expansion of its adventure-based intervention programmes and an effort to build a vibrant and inclusive sport climbing environment
• Teams put up an impressive showing, with both schools and private clubs taking home the top three placings

SINGAPORE – 24 teams comprising participants aged 10 to 17 years old took part in the inaugural Boys’ Town Sport Climbing Competition 2019, which was supported by Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd (“Mapletree” or “the Group”). Held from 30 to 31 August 2019 at the Boys’ Town Adventure Centre (“BTAC”), the event is an expansion of its adventure-based intervention programmes.

Mr Edmund Cheng, Mapletree Chairman said, “Our evolving partnership has reflected Boys’ Town’s innovative methods to help its residents. Given the endurance and focus that sport climbing requires, it has the potential to impart valuable life skills to youths, such as resilience and discipline. We are pleased to support BTAC’s effort to create a vibrant and inclusive sport climbing environment for both Boys’ Town residents and the wider community.” 

Mapletree’s partnership with Boys’ Town began in 2012, when the Group committed to provide support for residential care and schooling programmes for at-risk youth. Since then, Mapletree has contributed over S$500,000 as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. In 2016, the Mapletree Youth Resilience Programme was launched to provide sustained financial aid to youths with a drive to pursue continuous education, including six beneficiaries from Boys’ Town. 

Dr Roland Yeow, Executive Director of Boys’ Town concurred, “We are grateful and fortunate to be blessed by the generous support by Mapletree all these years. Their recent donation to support the Boys’ Town Sport Climbing Competition will help us to promote and raise awareness of our Boys’ Town Adventure Centre. We look forward to continue running this competition annually in the coming years.”

A total of 15 teams made it to the finals on Saturday. Winners include teams from both private clubs and Hougang Primary School. Jeow Zhi Ning, Alyssa Tan and Dylan Seow scored an impressive 10,650 points to clinch first place in Category C, the youngest category of climbers aged between 10 to 11 years old. In first place for Category B were Tan Kai Wen, Elise Yee and Truman Kwan, with 24 tops in total. Category A’s champions, Jeanette Koh, Chua Kai’Ze and Quentin Kang Paphassarang scored a total of 9,200 points. 

Lucas Fun, 13, a participant, said “I enjoyed today because it was a great opportunity for us to experience competing against other teams, get to know more sport climbers and learn from each other. I look forward to participating again next year.” 

BTAC houses both high wall and bouldering facilities. Since 2016, BTAC has provided in-house adventure-based intervention programmes for residential boys, youths from YouthReach, and the wider community such as schools and family service centres. On selected weekdays, BTAC facilities are open for public climbs, a welcome arrangement for the growing sport climbing community in Singapore, which has scored a win with the sport’s inclusion in the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Photos
Available for download here: 
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-bYtYjFul1gag9P0w0rHDKQEZ9ttUNcL 
Photo Credits: Mapletree Investments

Friday, 30 August 2019, at the launch of the inaugural Boys’ Town Sport Climbing Competition 2019, Mr Edmund Cheng (2^nd row, 2^nd from left), Mapletree’s Chairman, (2^nd row, left to right) Mr Leon Ng, Boys’ Town’s Board of Directors, Dr Roland Yeow, Boys’ Town’s Executive Director, Mr Wan Kwong Weng, Mapletree’s Group Chief Corporate Officer, Ms Heng Sue Yuan, Mapletree’s Director of Corporate Communications and Mr Trevor Chan, Boys’ Town’s Deputy Director, Community Partnerships & Social Enterprise with participants.

Saturday, 31 August 2019, at the prize giving for Boys’ Town Sport Climbing Competition, Mr Kan Shik Lum (right), Mapletree CSR Board Committee Member, receiving a Token-of-Appreciation from Dr Roland Yeow (left), Boys’ Town’s Executive Director.

Mr Kan Shik Lum presenting medals to a winning team on Saturday.

Participants scaling the rock wall during the competition