Cover image via Ong Hock Eng (Provided to SAYS)
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First of all, what exactly is diabolo?
If you grew up in Malaysia, you may have seen this in school or at cultural events.
Often referred to as the Chinese Yo-yo (or Che Ling 扯铃), the diabolo is a traditional sport that originated in ancient China.
Unlike a standard western yo-yo that is attached to your finger, a diabolo consists of an hourglass-shaped axle (two cups connected in the middle) that is balanced and spun on a string tied to two sticks.
Professional diabolo is a high-speed sport that involves tossing the diabolo high into the air, performing complex wire tricks, and even juggling multiple diabolos at once.
Now, meet Ong Hock Eng, a diabolo athlete who recently made us proud, winning two medals at the inaugural World Diabolo Contest in Taiwan
Ong managed to secure a silver medal for the 3DB category and a bronze medal for the 2DB category.
The competition, held in Taipei in November, marked the first-ever global contest for the sport
Ong competed in four different categories, making it to the finals for all of them. He attributes his winning routines to originality and complex sequences of tricks.
"I try to add in tricks that I think are more original, or sequences and combos that I discovered on my own," he shared with SAYS.
"The key elements are the tricks themselves and how you perform them to the audience, matching every move to the music," he added.
Ong's journey started when he was just 8, watching his elder brother play with the diabolo
He joined a diabolo club in school when he was 9, but by the time he was 12, he was mostly self-taught.
What's impressive is that he isn't a full-time athlete. Ong has a regular full-time job unrelated to diabolo, and this means his training usually happens at night after work or on weekends.
Ong hopes this win will shine a spotlight on the diabolo community in Malaysia
"I've learned that progress takes patience, discipline, and heart. No matter where you start, consistency can take you further than you ever imagined," he told SAYS.
"Try it for yourself first and see if you like it. Just don't give up and keep practising," he added, encouraging newcomers not to be shy about giving the sport a try.
