Australian Kendo Championships: Monash Alumni key in Vic’s dominance over NSW
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The National competition was held in Perth this year.
Photo: Japan In Melbourne.
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Dan events see a field of only black belts competing and
are the highest level of National Kendo competition that Australia has to
offer.
Three Monash alumni competed in the Championships, including
Bio-medical science graduate Hoey Yein Goh, who competed in both the Women’s individual
Dan and the Women’s team Dan divisions.
In a dramatic playoff and with the odds against them, Hoey
and the Victorians managed to win the Women’s Dan team division after a
dramatic final against New South Wales.
“We were against a team [NSW] that had two players who
represented Australia last year in Korea and somehow we still managed to beat them,”
Hoey said.
The Women’s team Dan division involves states competing
against each-other in a best of five series, with five athletes on each squad fighting
individual matches.
After the first four matches of the final, scores were tied as both
teams had a win, loss and two draws each. It was down to the last player on each
team to decide who would be crowned victors, and in stepped our Monash alum Hoey Yein Goh.
“It was down to the fifth player which was myself,” Hoey
said.
“Each match is best of three points and the opposing team
scored on me in the first 30 seconds.
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| Photo: Kendo Australia. |
“I was thinking ‘there is no way Victoria is going to lose
off my back’ and I managed to hold off until the 4 and a half minute mark and score
a point back to draw the match.”
With scores tied and no fighters left on either side, a playoff
was required to decide the winner.
“My teammate played the playoff, which is a one point
unlimited time playoff, against the previous Australian representative from New
South Wales and she won,” Hoey said.
“It was unbelievable, I don’t think I could even imagine
that happening, I just really can’t describe it.”
Following her clutch performance to fight back in her match
and keep Team Vic’s hopes alive, Hoey was elated with the victory and
celebrated with her team as they were crowned State Champions.
Two other Monash alumni competed at the Championships,
former student and two-time Australian Kendo representative Trent Reeves and
returning state athlete Nicholas Chan.
Trent Reeves made it to the quarter-finals of the Men’s
Individual Dan and was also part of the Men’s Team Dan who were victorious over
NSW and became State Champions as well.
Nicholas Chan competed in the Men’s Individual Dan only and
was happy to be back amongst the competition after some time away from the
sport.
“Life gets in the way sometimes but I missed it pretty
badly so I’m happy to be back competing,” Nicholas said.
“It was my first nationals in three years and I hope to
make it a regular occurrence.
“We’ve got some state competitions coming up then obviously
we’ll start preparations for Nationals again next year.”
Congratulations to our three Monash Alumni and we can’t
wait to hear all about your upcoming events!
#BleedBlue #MonashPride
Written by Joseph Arthur, Media Coordinator
