Test of grace and agility

By MANJIT KAUR, Photos by CHARLES MARIASOOSAY

Young talents: 120 gymnasts from throughout the country stretch, skip and leap their way to glory at the three-day Pela[is Carnival in Penang.

Sweet success: Nur Aqila Junaidi doing the ball routine and finally clinches a gold and a silver medal in two events.

DOLLED up and clad in glittering leotards, some 70 girls fluttered gracefully to the background tune while mesmerising the crowd with ball and hula-hoop tricks.

The gymnasts, who came from throughout the country, were among 120 girls aged between six and 11 participating in the annual three-day Pelapis Carnival held at Queensbay Mall in Penang recently.

Not letting go: Amisha Sofia Azli wins a bronze medal for the Grade One free-hand category and a silver medal for the ball category.

The event, jointly organised by the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF), Malaysia Schools Sports Council (MSSM) and Milo, saw the gymnasts performing using ropes, balls, hula-hoops, ribbons and free hand (without any apparatus).

The participants were given a maximum one-and-a-half minutes to showcase their skills.

The judges had a tough time selecting the winners, as all the cute little girls with broad smiles fascinated them in their own way. The parents were all excited, as they were seen clicking away their cameras and giving moral support to their children.

Stretch: Aesyah Umairah showing her agility during a ball routine.

There were four categories — Little Gymnasts, Grade One, Two and Three.

In action: Cindy Law Pui Yee from Perak doing the hula-hoop routine.

The overall winner for the Little Gymnasts category was Arisha Amalyn Mohd Arif, with Yap Jane Ling and Tham Ling Ling trailing behind.

Nurfatinah Mohd Anuar was adjudged the overall champion in the Grade One category, clinching the gold medal at the same time, while Mariah Izabelle won the silver medal and Sharifah Zeynah Alhada took the bronze medal.

Nurfatinah, nine, who also won a gold medal last year in Kuantan, said she had been active in the sport since she was seven years old.

Smile: Izzah Azman stretching her way to a bronze medal in the Grade Two category.

As for Grade Two, the overall winner was Fariza Alia Mohd Nasir, followed by Zaily Neesha Zainuddin and Izzah Azman.

And in the Grade Three category, the overall winner was Nuryn Syarafana Saupi, followed by Puteri Nellissa Syarifah and Shasangari Sivaneswary.

The technical chairman of the event, Petrina Low, said the event was held twice yearly, with the next meet to be held in Malacca in August.

She said besides gymrama, the carnival included other sports such as swimming, boxing and archery that were held at various locations in the state.

Practise makes perfect: The gymnasts practising before the start of the competition at Queensbay Mall in Penang.