It’s a big CHEER for primary school pupils

Lots of fun: Cheerleading coaches helping the young participants with stunts during the Cheer 2018 roadshow and workshop at Quill City Mall in Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR: Primary school pupils stand a chance to join CHEER 2018, Malaysia’s leading cheerleading competition.

Event organiser Star Media Group has decided to add in a new category for primary school students that will enable them to show off their acrobatic skills.

The Primary School Level 1 category will see junior stunt lovers showing off basic routines, said Star Media Group’s assistant general manager (events) Corinne Chieng.

“This is the first time in 19 years that we have opened this category. We hope to encourage new teams to participate,” she added.

Chieng said they had been receiving a lot of enquiries about the category, prompting them to introduce it this year.

“We are calling all aspiring cheerleading teams to join us. We have extended the registration to July 31 to give more parties the chance to participate,” she added.

In an effort to encourage and mould younger teams, CHEER had organised a special workshop for students from as young as six.

The workshop on Saturday was conducted by four coaches from the Cheerleading Association and Register of Malaysia (Charm).

The team taught some 24 children in two separate workshops at Quill City Mall in Kuala Lumpur.

Coach Bayle Yong said they wanted to expose the community to the cheerleading sport.

“We not only opened the workshop to the cheerleaders who pre-registered but we also welcomed children visiting the mall as well,” she said.

Yong and her teammates assisted the children with special skills including jumps, stunting and motions.

Spotted among the group of youngsters were sisters Nur Adrianna Zarra, seven, and Nur Adrianna Sofea, five.

Their mother Hartini Abdul Rashid, 39, said Zarra had joined her school cheerleading team.

“Workshops like this are good because they help build confidence and improve skills,” she said.

Cheer 2018 is organised by the Star Media Group, with Appeton as sponsor, Quill City Mall KL as the official venue sponsor and Sunway Education Group as the prizes sponsor.

The event is supported by the Youth and Sports Ministry, Education Ministry and the Cheerleading Association and Register of Malaysia.

CHEER 2018 Grand Finals will be a one-day event at Quill City Mall KL on Aug 18.

For details, visit Facebook at TheStarCHEER or email inquiries to [e-mail].