KUALA LUMPUR: A motivational message composed by Cheras girl, Chua Sook Lin, made her RM350 richer on Friday.

Chua, 11, who won first prize in Nestle's KoKo Taekwondo Challenge, also took home a Nestle hamper at the prize-giving ceremony held at the New Straits Times Press office in Bangsar here.

The competition required participants to send in motivational messages of not more than 50 words to KoKo and his team which will represent Malaysia at a taekwondo championship at the Beijing Olympics.

Second and third place winners were R. Mathuri, 10, and Joy Chin Joe Yee, 12, both of Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya.

The three girls were among the 50 lucky winners of the competition, picked from 3,000 entries.
Five schools -- Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Megah, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Delima, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Selangor, Sekolah Sri Garden and Sekolah Kebangsaan Kompleks Uda, Johor Baru -- walked away with RM1,000 and a Nestle hamper for the most number of entries.

Also present was NSTP channel services and circulation sales senior manager Nagarajandran Arumugam, Nestle Breakfast Cereals senior brand manager Edmund Loke and Nestle Events manager Yang Kalsom Omar.

Meanwhile, 150 pupils aged 10 and 11 from SRJK (C) Khai Chee in Segambut took part in the NST KoKo Smart Start camp yesterday.

The half-day programme emphasised the importance of English as well as maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.

Headmistress Liew Ah Ching said the students had been excited about the workshop since being informed about their selection in May.

Thirty-five schools have been chosen for the camp.