HONDA
The Honda 31 legs united race
31 legs racing Honda Introduces a new sport for Thai children
It's not often that an entirely new sport is introduced into a country, but that's what happened in 2005 when the Honda Group of Companies in Thailand organized 31 legs racing here.
Based on 3-legged racing, 31 legs racing involves teams of 30 children running fastened together as fast as possible 50 metres. It doesn't require complicated equipment or expensive facilities so all types of schools can enter with teamwork, a challenging spirit and unity of purpose being the keys to success. The 31-Legs United Race' was for students in Grades 5 or 6, aged between 10-12 years old. The team can be comprised of only male students, female students or both genders, but the students on each team had to study in the same school. For the race, each team has 30 runners standing side by side; runners' leg were attached to the person or persons beside them with a breakaway safety ankle strap. Each team will run 50 meters as a single unit and the three judges will press their stopwatch buttons when the last foot of the last team member crossed the finish line. For safety, every racer had to wear proper racing gear as follows: an elastic breakaway ankle strap, knee pads and elbow pads.
Following its introduction in 2005 as a pilot project in the Bangkok area, participating school, the children and educational authorities all reported very favorably on this new sport. As a result, the program's success in its first year and the great experience that Thai youth gained from the last year's competition. The Honda Group of Companies, in partnership with various government and sporting agencies, decided to continue with 31 legs racing and organised an expanded second event to the competition nationwide in 2006. This would give schools throughout the country the opportunity to participate in the event.
The winner of the H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's trophy was the Joseph Upatham School from Nakhonprathom province with a time of 9.32 seconds. Beating the 2005 winning time of 9.34 seconds by the team from the Wat Pom Vichien Chotoikaramin School, Samut Sakorn province. The current would record is 8.80 seconds by the Ishii Higashi School team in Japan.
The 2007, 31 legs competition is involving a record number of schools and race participants. Honda has received tremendous support from public agencies including the OBEC, which is co-hosting the 2007 event called the OBEC Honda 31 Legs United Race Year 3, the competition is being jointly organized by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Ministry of Education and the Honda Group of Companies in cooperation with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Athletics Association of Thailand, the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The organisers have invited schools with Grades 5 and 6 nationwide to participate. The maximum age of children in participating teams is 12 years.
The organizers prepared 1,000 sets of 31 Legs equipment including breakaway standard ankle safety straps, competition manuals and VCDs on safety and technique to distribute to 1,000 elementary schools nationwide. The regional rounds took place in six location around the Kingdom including the north, northeast, central (east coast), central (west coast), the south and Bangkok., with the top five teams from each of the six regions or a total of 30 teams going through to the final which will be held on Children's Day, 12 January, 2008 in Bangkok.
All team who join the regional competition will receive accommodation support 15,000 bath (BKK will receive 5,000 bath). The top five of each regions will receive award supporting for final competition round in Bangkok. North/northeast/South will receive 30,000.- Central (east coast), central (west coast) will receive 20,000.- Bangkok will receive 30,000.-
The winning school team will receive H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's trophy, Bath 30,000 in funds for team development and certificates for all team members and coaches. The other 29 teams will all receive runners-up prizes and certificates.
website : http://www.honda31legs.com/
