Latest news with #sportsday
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
On your marks, get set... you're going the wrong way! Boy single-handedly derails sports day relay
This is the hilarious moment a young school single-handedly derails sports day by running the wrong way during a relay race. Watch the video in full above.
Malay Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Sorry for the noise: South Korean students apologise before sports day in video that sparks debate
SEOUL, May 17 — It was meant to be a joyful morning of games and laughter, but before a South Korean elementary school could begin its annual sports day earlier this week, the children did something unexpected – they apologised. A now viral video shows the primary schoolers gathered on a field near an apartment complex, bowing their heads and chanting together: 'We're sorry. Please let us play just a little today. Thank you.' The video, originally shared on Instagram and widely circulated online, is titled 'These days, elementary school sports days start with an apology' and has been reported by South Korean media outlets. It captured what was supposed to be a cheerful event but instead revealed a growing tension between schools and residents over noise. According to Maeil Business Newspaper, schools are now using microphones before events to deliver a message to residents: 'We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the noise of the event.' The tradition of sports day, once a lively gathering of students, parents, and local residents, is turning into a hushed affair. 'We turned toward the apartment complex and apologised before starting. It's a sad reality,' The Korea Times reported the original poster of the video as saying. The same user said the event lasted only two hours and 40 minutes, starting at 9am, without music and with low microphone volume. 'With fewer than 100 kids, it wasn't even that loud,' the post continued. 'Raising kids these days makes you feel like a criminal. I just want to raise them to be decent and healthy thinkers. I hope people can be a bit more understanding.' The words in Korean read: 'Sorry, these days sports day starts with the kids apologising.' — Picture from South Korean social media The video struck a nerve with many South Koreans, drawing criticism of what some see as a hypersensitive society, The Korea Times said. 'So apartment prices go up if there's an elementary school nearby, but people complain about the sound of kids playing?' one online user reportedly commented. Another added, 'Why should children have to apologise for being noisy one day out of the year?' South Korean parents also expressed frustration. 'It is an event that happens once or twice a year,' a parent from Yangcheon-gu in Seoul told Maeil Business Newspaper. 'It is unfortunate that even the space where children can run around as much as they want is not properly guaranteed.' School staff say they are stuck between community complaints and pressure from the authorities. 'If resident complaints are repeated, the education office also gives instructions to be careful. 'The reality is that we see the complainants' faces before children,' one unnamed elementary school vice-principal was quoted as saying by Maeil Business Newspaper. According to the same business newspaper, the problem is rooted in a phenomenon known as cho-pum-ah – short for apartments with nearby elementary schools – which have seen soaring demand in South Korea's competitive real estate market. While such locations were once desirable for convenience and education, they now come with tension over school activity noise, leading schools to scale back even routine events. Some schools, however, are pushing back by trying to rebuild ties with the community. An elementary school in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, has begun inviting nearby residents to school festivals and sports days to enjoy the events together. 'It was more effective to enjoy it together than to seek understanding,' another unnamed school official told Maeil Business Newspaper. 'The response from local residents was quite good.' As complaints mount, experts are calling for perspective. 'Schools are not only educational, but also a space to develop sociality and experience a sense of community. 'We should focus on long-term social values rather than short-term inconveniences,' one education expert told Maeil Business Newspaper.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fun for all in the sun as busy Willowbridge celebrates sports day
The sun was shining and smiles were very bright as Willowbridge School celebrated its sports day recently. Held last Thursday, May 8, the day saw the Willowbridge community gather for a day of fun in the fresh air, with the children and adults alike having a great day together. The spell of great weather held for the day, with plenty of sunshine, mixed with laughter and shouts of encouragement, adding to the day's upbeat, inclusive atmosphere at the highly-regarded school. As ever, it was a day that firmly put the Willowbridge pupils first, with the school thanking all who had helped the day to be such a successful one, and a day full of events that were very much enjoyed by the Willowbridge community.
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘It's not fair': Transgender girl smashes records at school sports day
Parents at a private Catholic school in South Australia have voiced 'anger' and 'disappointment' after a transgender student broke a number of records competing against girls at a recent sports day. The K-12 school, which is not identifying, hosted its annual sports day earlier this year, where the 13-year-old student's performance reportedly caused a stir among parents. 'We were at the sports day, there was just a lot of chat about a boy (who) transitioned into a girl, (they) were breaking all the girls' records,' said one father who has a seven-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son at the school. The local builder said there had been 'rumours' among parents after the same student's performance at last year's event. 'All the parents were talking about it, even the primary school parents,' he said. 'It became quite noticeable. A lot of mums and dads, it became quite apparent a lot of (their) daughters were losing. It was anger — I mean, for (that child) to be competing with girls in a Catholic school of all places.' Following last year's sports day, the school took to social media to congratulate a number of students for breaking records, saying it was 'not an easy achievement'. The transgender student was singled out for setting a new under-13 female javelin record of 20.58 metres — smashing the previous record by more than three metres. It did not make a similar post this year, sharing only the overall house results. The father said usually the sports day notice would be sent out with all the winners 'but it didn't come out (this year) because this (child) won the majority of the events — running, high jump, javelin, discus'. He stressed that he didn't want the transgender student to 'cop abuse' but said 'we can't allow this kind of stuff to happen, to change the whole school for one person'. Another father, who has three children at the school, said 'the entire day was marred'. 'Literally all day, it was all anyone was really discussing,' he said. 'Every parent was disappointed. A lot of parents with kids competing, they felt essentially that the school was wronging their kids. In the name of fairness they were making it completely unfair for 10 or 15 or 20 other girls. It's not fair morally or whatever way you want to look at it. This (child) broke a heap of records that day, I know some were 10-, 20-, 30-year-old records.' He approached a school official on the day to voice his concerns and says he was told 'that's disappointing to hear' but 'I haven't had anyone say anything today (about the student competing)'. Since then a number of parents have emailed the school about the issue. That evening, the first dad sent an email to the school's principal, in which he referred to the student as 'a boy' ad claimed 'a male student is pretending to be a girl'. 'Numerous concerns come to mind, child safety, equality and morality being the main ones,' he wrote. 'Watching this (child) compete against girls and winning at the sports day was very concerning. 'Physically boys will be able to outcompete girls, hence the need for male and female sports. Also taking from some poor girl an opportunity to further herself in her athletics.' The school last year also began installing gender-neutral toilets. 'I have a daughter at the school and if (this child) is being freely allowed to go into the female toilets, you're setting yourself up for lawsuits,' the dad wrote. 'As a private Catholic school I would be under the assumption that this would not even be a thing my children and us as parents would need to worry about. 'I appreciate the need to love all people and show kindness but that does not mean that we should bend from our morals.' He claimed the $5000-a-year school 'as a whole has taken a downward turn as it seems to be more run like a public school with poorer standards in dress code and representation'. 'Unfortunately I am not the only one with these concerns and would like to see a private school standard set and better executed as to not have things like this arise in what is supposed to be a Catholic school,' he wrote. 'We send our children to this school for Catholic structure, rules that are set for all to adhere to and a safer environment than a public school.' He said he received a phone call from the principal but 'she hasn't answered my questions'. 'It was just 'we can appreciate your concerns', 'we can appreciate' this, 'we can appreciate' that,' he said. 'It was just the most political response. (She said) there was nothing she could do, that it's nationwide that you can't discriminate against children (based on) gender identity.' Diocese of Port Pirie diocesan director of Catholic education Nichii Mardon said in a statement: 'To support the privacy, dignity and wellbeing of all students, we are not able to comment on individual student circumstances. We work in partnership with families on all matters relating to student learning and wellbeing.' The SA Education Department's policy document states in relation to school competitive sport that 'the goal of full participation by gender diverse children and young people in all types of sport activity includes participation in competitive sport'. It notes that federal and state legislation, namely the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act and the SA Equal Opportunity Act, prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity by an educational authority. 'All children and young people must be supported to participate in events that align with their gender identity,' it says. 'This includes all sport run by schools including inter-school competitions and School Sport SA … Compliance with law overrides any complaint the school might receive about including a gender diverse child or young person in any competitive sport.' The policy also mandates that 'all children should have access to toilet and changeroom facilities that respect their privacy, safety and inclusion'. 'A gender diverse child or young person should be able to access the facilities that match their gender identity,' it says. 'Education settings might also have unisex or gender-neutral facilities, which any child or young person can use. This can help create an inclusive environment for gender diverse and intersex children and young people.' SA Education Minister Blair Boyer has been contacted for comment. Sarah Game, One Nation's South Australian upper house member, said the incident showed Labor and the Coalition needed to 're-establish biological reality in the law'. Dr Game said last month's UK Supreme Court ruling, which held that sex was defined as biological sex under the country's equality law, highlighted the 'spineless' attitude of the major Australian parties on the issue. She took aim at ousted Liberal leader Peter Dutton, who repeatedly refused to answer a reporter's question on whether 'trans women are women' while on the campaign trail. Mr Dutton, speaking to reporters last month to unveil the Coalition's $90 million domestic violence package, instead referenced the UK court decision. 'A woman and gender is defined with reference made the other day to a case in the United Kingdom,' he said. 'I think a woman is defined as an adult female and that is the definition.' In February, however, Mr Dutton hinted he supported US President Donald Trump's moves to stop trans people competing in sport against biological girls, declaring that allowing it to occur is 'not in the spirit of sport'. In 2023, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was accused of being a 'transphobe' after he was asked the controversial 'what is a woman' question in an interview with UK broadcaster Piers Morgan. 'An adult female,' Mr Albanese replied simply. 'How difficult was that to answer?' Morgan asked. 'Not too hard,' the PM said. 'I was asked during the campaign actually, but I think that we need to respect people for whoever they are … People who are young people coming to terms with their identity and who they are, I think they need to be respected as well.' Dr Game said only One Nation was prepared to 'stand up for Australian families and common sense' by taking action, including advocating for a national ban on puberty blockers, banning biological males from competing in girls' and women's sport, and banning biological males from accessing spaces dedicated to biological females. 'One of the major reasons why the Coalition haemorrhaged votes to One Nation in the Federal Election is our rock-solid, commonsense policies on men in women's sport, and gender ideology being taught in schools,' Dr Game told 'That contrasts sharply with former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's non-response to whether or not he supports the UK Supreme Court's ruling that a woman is someone born biologically female, and that trans gender women are not women. When we make laws, feelings cannot trump facts, and while we expect the Labor-Greens alliance to embrace this illogical nonsense, it seems the Coalition isn't strong enough to speak the truth.' Dr Game said she was currently drafting legislation that would prohibit biological men and boys from participating in female-designated sporting and athletics competitions in South Australia. 'What happened recently over in a South Australian school, where a (biological) boy broke girls' sports day records, is another example of how ridiculous this gender dysphoria situation has become,' she said. 'It's ridiculous that we even have to say this, but girls should be competing against girls, not biological males. The idea that you can change your biological sex with a piece of paper or even by surgery is demonstrably absurd.'
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Parents at elite Aussie school outraged after transgender student smashes records at sports day
The parents of a private Catholic school have lashed out at a transgender student who broke multiple athletics records during the annual sports day. An angry father from the South Australian school, which has not been named but costs parents $5000-a-year, said the student won the 'majority' of events. 'All the parents were talking about it, even the primary school parents,' the father-of-two told 'There was just a lot of chat about a boy (who) transitioned into a girl, (who was) breaking all the girls' records.' The man, who is a local builder, said he didn't want the student to 'cop abuse' but added: 'We can't allow this kind of stuff to happen, to change the whole school for one person.' Another father echoed the sentiment, telling the publication that 'the entire day was marred'. 'A lot of parents with kids competing, they felt essentially that the school was wronging their kids. 'In the name of fairness they were making it completely unfair for 10 or 15 or 20 other girls.' Multiple parents have reportedly contacted the school regarding the sports day, including the first father who emailed the principal. 'Physically boys will be able to outcompete girls, hence the need for male and female sports,' he said in the email seen by 'Also taking from some poor girl an opportunity to further herself in her athletics.' The father also complained in the email about the school introducing gender-neutral toilets, as well as criticising how the school had generally taken a 'downward turn'. 'It seems to be more run like a public school with poorer standards in dress code and representation. 'We send our children to this school for Catholic structure, rules that are set for all to adhere to and a safer environment than a public school.' The father said he received a call from the principal but claimed she didn't answer his questions and said 'we can appreciate your concerns' repeatedly. The SA Education Department has said that, for competitive sports at schools, 'the goal (is for) full participation by gender diverse children and young people in all types of sport activity'. 'All children and young people must be supported to participate in events that align with their gender identity,' its policy document said. 'This includes all sport run by schools including inter-school competitions and School Sport SA.' The document noted that both Commonwealth and state legislation prohibits educational authorities, which includes schools, from discriminating on the basis of gender identity. 'Compliance with law overrides any complaint the school might receive about including a gender diverse child or young person in any competitive sport.'
