NYSI hosts 45 youth athletes and officials from Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF)

Several of the Japanese youth athletes strike a pose for the camera.

The National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI) recently hosted a contingent of 28 youth athletes and 17 officials from the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) from 7 - 12 February 2019. The contingent was in town for their winter training camp to take advantage of Singapore’s tropical climate.

This visit comes as part of a relationship that NYSI first established with JAAF in 2017 to provide Singapore student-athletes opportunities to train with and learn from Japanese track and field athletes.

In addition to organizing the camp, NYSI provided support in the form of accommodation, meals and transportation. Additionally, NYSI conducted athletic testing for several Japanese triple jumpers.

Staying at the Singapore Sport Institute Recovery House at OCBC Arena, the Japanese youth athletes trained at the Kallang Practice Track and the Singapore Sports School (SSP) where the SSP coaches and student-athletes had the opportunity to observe and train alongside them.

NYSI also arranged for Singapore-based coaches to engage the Japanese coaches in a sharing session. The session allowed coaches to exchange training methods, youth-centric developmental strategies and cultural information.

Baranee Kumar, NYSI Performance Pathway Executive, said, “We are able to learn a lot from our Japanese counterparts who are one of the powerhouses of Asia. Learning about their training methodology will go a long way in helping our own Singaporean athletes improve.”

 Officials from the JAAF and their Singaporean counterparts during the sharing session organized by NYSI.

Officials from the JAAF and their Singaporean counterparts during the sharing session organized by NYSI.

Our guests looking good during their training sessions at Kallang Practice Track.

The Japanese contingent was in town to take advantage of Singapore's tropical climate.