SINGAPORE – From 2004 to 2015, Valeri Obidko had helped to develop several national jumpers in Singapore, with some of their national records still standing. Yet a second spell still excites the 59-year-old.
On Jan 20, Singapore Athletics (SA) announced that the Georgia-born Singaporean has been appointed as its national jumps coach and coach developer.
SA president Lien Choong Luen said Obidko’s experience had benefited Singapore previously.
Two of his former athletes, Stefan Tseng and Matthew Goh, set national records for the men’s triple jump (16.04m) and long jump (7.62m) respectively in 2009, both of which still stand.
“SA wants to take a systematic discipline-by-discipline approach to our programmes to maximise our success for the 2029 SEA Games,” said Lien, adding that Obidko is “ready to help our jumps community develop their fullest potential”.
Obidko had two stints as Singapore Sports School’s (SSP) jumps coach (2004-2009 and 2013-2015), sandwiching his tenure as national jumps coach from 2009 to 2013.
From 2016 to 2023, he had coached Thailand’s national jumpers. Under his guidance, long and triple jumper Parinya Chuaimaroeng clinched an Asian Games silver medal in 2018 and an Asian Championships gold in 2019. She also won the women’s triple jump gold at the last three SEA Games.
Speaking to The Sunday Times on Jan 20, Obidko said: “I am always excited by a challenge. And the challenge of bringing up the jumps level here is something that will not be easy but that is also why I am looking forward to taking it on.”
While he had informal talks with Lien in May 2022, it was not until he resigned from his post in Thailand after the Asian Games in 2023 that serious discussions about returning took place.
A primary reason for returning is to be with his wife Chan See Huey, a local jumps coach, who returned to Singapore from Thailand in 2023 to care for her mother.
Obidko, who obtained Singapore citizenship in 2011, added: “I am very happy to be back home. To contribute back to this country and its sport scene gives me a good feeling and I feel a bit like I have unfinished business.”
The Republic has enjoyed a good spell on the track in recent years, with sprint queen Shanti Pereira leading the way. But it is in the field events that Singapore has failed to meet the mark.
At the 2023 SEA Games, the only medal from a field event was a bronze by high jumper Michelle Sng.
There has been no Singapore representative – male or female – in either the long or triple jump since the 2015 SEA Games on home soil.
The fact that Tseng and Goh’s national records have been standing for almost 15 years is also a clear sign that “things must improve”, said Obidko.
While he has just taken up the assignment, he is bullish about meeting a long-term objective of having two Singapore athletes in every jump event for both genders at the 2029 SEA Games, which the Republic will be hosting.
He said: “Results motivate me and the result I want to see in the future is to ensure we have good representation at the SEA Games when it comes back to Singapore.
“Since 2015, we have no representatives in horizontal jumps at the Games and we must change that and, to do that, I will work with our local coaches to bring up our level of jumps.
“For a start, we must have more sparring sessions locally and send our athletes for more competitions.”
It is not all doom and gloom, however, with Obidko identifying Tia Louise Rozario, 23, with whom he had worked at SSP previously, and Kampton Kam, 22, as medal prospects.
Rozario is the triple jump national record holder (12.92m) while Kam holds the national mark for indoor high jump (2.08m).
Obidko will also keep a close eye on the National School Games to identify fresh talent. While he promises to leave no stone unturned in a bid to boost the national jumps scene, do not be surprised if you see him at a music festival.
An avid drummer, Obidko’s return to Singapore will also see him reunite with his Singapore-based rock band MegalomaniA, which began as a Black Sabbath tribute band before releasing two albums of original songs.
Helping Singapore to win a medal in the jump events at the 2029 Games might prove to be his greatest hit.
