10-year-old boy is world's fastest cup stacker

MANILA, Philippines - A 10-year-old Filipino-American boy set a record by becoming the fastest cup stacker in the world, a report in GMA’s 24 Oras said. In her report, Trisha Zafra said Steven Purugganan first became curious with the sport after watching the sport stacking championship on ESPN. Tickled by his curiosity, the 5th grader bought his first cup set, practiced, and soon competed in the game. "I just practice everyday. And we first bought are set on Aug. 2006. We saw the world sport stacking championship in ESPN so later we just bough another three sets. Every day we've just been practicing," Purugganan said. He added that creating a world record gives him the utmost feeling of happiness. "It's really a great feeling cause of the people who stack in the world and being number one is just a great feeling." Purugganan, who is in the country at present, bested 116 kids all over the world during the 2008 World Sports Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado last April 6, where he set his blazing-record of 6.21 seconds in the hardest "Cycle Stack" category. The television report said Purruganan is scheduled to beat his own record as he competes for the same category on September. Purugganan’s mother, Vicki, said she noticed that with sport stacking, the focus and concentration of his son has been immensely developed. "He plays soccer, He play basketball, but I’ve realized and I’ve noticed that with the coordination training with the sport stacking he’s [become] a better ball handler when he dribble's the ball, bating, he's had a better hand right coordination, it really has a lot to do with the coordination in sport stacking," she said. According to the World Sports Stacking Association (WSSA), the game contributes greatly to the person’s mental development. Aris Alipon, WSSA Board of Trustees, said sport stacking promotes focus, sharpens the person’s concentration, and helps develop the person’s two sides of the brain. "It promotes focus, determination. It promotes ambidexterity and bi-lateral development. Bi-lateral development means of both sides of the brain is developed. Theoretically if you activate both sides of the brain you can be good in arts and math reading and music" said Alipon. The report said other parents also noticed the same improvement with their kids. "At first medyo half-hearted ako when she joined the club. But I thought it will improve her focus and I think that would also help in her studies," Cierlene Rivera, mother of a sport stacker, said. Sport stacking was formerly known as cup stacking. The game was believed to have started in the 1980s in the United States and was invented by a certain Wayne Godine. - GMANews.TV