He does not speak much Mandarin at home, but that did not stop Queenstown Primary's Theron Lim Chong Han, 11, from winning a top prize at the YMCA Mandarin Speaking Awards last night.

He touched many in the semi-finals when he spoke of his father's death last year and in the finals with a speech about a critically ill friend, winning the primary school category.

In its second year, the Mandarin public- speaking competition drew 114 contestants. Tanjong Katong Girls' Zhang Xintian, 17, and Hwa Chong Institution (College)'s Liu Zelai, 18, won in the secondary and post-secondary categories respectively.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Apr 16, 2008.