Shawn Svento’s rise to become Asia’s best sport stacker began in the kitchen

SINGAPORE — He first saw it on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on television in 2016, where then-world champion Steven Purugganan displayed his prowess in sport stacking.

Then he went to his kitchen, took out some plastic cups and tried it himself.

And that was how stacking cups became Shawn Svento’s hobby, before it got serious and he started taking part in competitions.

Last year, Shawn was crowned the best in Asia after winning the Asian Open Sport Stacking Championships in Xiamen, China, beating more than 400 contestants from 11 countries.

He clocked 9.268 seconds stacking cups in a variety of set sequences.

Watching sport stackers in action as they take some colourful cups and speedily form pyramids in a blur of movement can make for fascinating viewing, yet Shawn, 13, insists it is actually quite easy.

“For new stackers you can just try it and practise it,” the Secondary 2 student at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) said.

“It’s actually not so hard, you just need a lot of practice.”

When Shawn first started out, he learned from watching YouTube videos.

Then his father, Reiner Svento, gave him an official stacking cup set which cost about S$120.

“I saw that he was interested in a new hobby,” Mr Svento, 45, said. “So I thought, why not give it a try because I also don’t know exactly what (sport stacking) is, but it was quite interesting to watch.”

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HIS FIRST COMPETITION

Shawn went on to join the Singapore team and took part in competitions.

The first time he competed, at a stacking competition held at the Sports Hub library, he finished as second runner-up in his age category (nine to 10 years old).

Shawn remembers the jitters he felt then, but it was clear that the competition was not going to be his last.

His parents were supportive. His mother, Vonny, believes that stacking is a good sport for children because it builds up their confidence and they learn how to deal with failure and manage pressure.

Instead it was Mrs Svento who felt the pressure whenever she watches her son compete, like at the Asian championships where losers were eliminated at every round.

“It’s like my heart would drop,” she said.

“Your heart is pumping so hard, because you want to let your child stay on the stage for as long as he could.

“I cannot imagine how much pressure they face and how they can take that kind of pressure.”

Another parent attests to different benefits.

Mr Peter Yeo, 40, said that stacking got his son Shane, 10, interested in reading.

Mr Yeo also cited studies showing how stacking improves motor skills and hand-eye coordination, which, in turn, helps one process information faster.

MINI CELEBRITIES

Like other kids his age, Shawn has other hobbies — playing the flute, basketball and football — among them, but he said stacking cups is his favourite. He could go on for six hours if he has the time.

Usually he would practise on his own for two hours a day. He also attends training sessions every Sunday with his teammates.

The best stackers are mini celebrities in their own right. Shawn has his own YouTube channel where he posts videos of him in competition or just playing at home. He has more than 1,700 subscribers.

Perhaps someday it would be his turn on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.