by Joshua Tee (15A01D) and Solihin Samsuri (15A01D)
Photos by Gabrielle Jeyaseelan (15S06A)

Boys

The last time RI Hockey managed to secure both places in double finals was nearly a decade ago, whereas a double gold had not been attained for over 15 years. Considering the past six to seven seasons of near-misses, dubious decisions and arduous preparations, victory  tasted especially sweet for the Year 6 boys of Raffles Institution (RI) Hockey, who emerged undefeated from this year’s Inter-school National A Division Championships. Bowling over Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), the imposing score line of 6-0 at the end of 60 minutes was a true reflection of the sheer calibre, discipline and perseverance exemplified by the team as a whole.

Standing strong: RI poised to take a short corner.

Having just ousted the reigning Victoria Junior College, ACJC, whom Raffles previously faced off with in the preliminary round, seemed more inclined to pose a larger threat at such a level of competition. Determined to seize the title after a narrow defeat via penalties last year, morale ran high amongst the players who were “motivated and pumped up” to exhibit the best of their abilities.

Rishi’s resilience: A rock in safeguarding the Raffles goal.

Keeping to a predetermined structure that minimised unnecessary passes, a focused RI side enjoyed comfortable possession of the ball, allowing for early breaks into the D courtesy of left back, Harshvir Singh. Paired alongside the dominating presence of vice-captain Rishi Ramathas who held his own against sudden counter-attacks, Benjamin Ang was a relentless force that did not balk to hinder any hint of opposition. Maintaining fluid control of the ball in check, a tight defence swiftly converted into an aggressive assault spearheaded by captain Ahmad Ashraf who drew first blood with a resounding shot through the keeper’s legs.

Harshvir coolly diverting the ball upfield

In response, ACJC’s Gerald Goh swung in a precarious lone strike outside the shooting arc that was disallowed much to the obvious relief of the supporters present. Reeling from such a brash attempt at goal, Raffles redoubled their efforts in their monopoly of midfield with central midfielder Muhammad Ramzi deftly setting up Mohamed Haseef who dribbled along the baseline and coaxed another one in. Proclaiming the match to be the team’s “best performance” this season, Ashraf’s fervour in slotting in an optimum number of goals shone through with a formidable dive which deflected the ball straight into the net.

Ashraf and Benjamin taking aim

Even the slightest falter in defence was optimised; at one point, ACJC’s Gerald went head-to-head with RI goalkeeper, Ram Kumar who stepped up and instinctively kicked the ball out of harm’s way. Truly, the team persisted in asserting their well-earned dominance of the game even throughout the second half when ACJC made a more concerted effort to regain their footing.

Ramzi weaving through a congested ACJC defence

Nevertheless, Anglo-Chinese’s close-knit passing did not achieve the equilibrium they aspired for, only to incite a fervent Rafflesian offensive that drilled home their advantage. Easily intercepting and bursting through the opponents’ ranks, it was Ramzi’s confident ball play and Haseef’s precise cross that assisted left winger Gurveer Singh in putting another one past the keeper. Instead of yielding their momentum, the goal finding frenzy intensified by a twofold – via a rebound shot by Ashraf and the combined effort of forwards Yeung Jek and Anirudh Srivathsan in the last few minutes of the game.

Later attributing RI’s success with their tenacious adherence “to the game plan”, the sense of pride and camaraderie for his team was palpable as Ashraf commented, “The feeling [of victory] is indescribable. After so long, we finally did it!” In the face of two reckless green cards and crowd-wowing, mid-air-ball-stopping skills, we could not help but share the giddy sentiment.

Girls

The beginning of the girls’ game was highly contested, with RI edging a slight positioning lead over the VJC team with regards to ball control, but both teams’ solid defences initially prevented any team to gain a written advantage through an open goal. However, a clean penalty corner led to VJC scoring the first goal of the match, but the advantage that VJC was hoping for soon disappeared after a clean penalty corner with a smooth pass through VJC’s defence equalised the score in favour of RI. The game reached half-time with an equal score of 1-1.

RI controlling the ball despite much pressure

The second half of the game started with a quick succession of VJC penalty corners, forcing RI’s strong defence pressure to weaken and eventually concede goals. VJC also managed to take advantage of RI’s tight defensive structure, issuing passes which managed to allow them to take possession of the ball despite constant pressure.

Alert players start to move towards an approaching ball

Both teams were able to effectively deliver pressure to the opposing team, leading to a drought of open goals in the game. This was true both offensively and defensively, where defenders were quick to respond and goalkeeping from both sides was extremely solid. However, VJC was slightly more comfortable with gaining penalty corners, where defensive numerical pressures were severely reduced, which contributed to their lead over RI. By the end of the game, all of VJC’s goals had come from penalty corners, signifying their importance in the fiercely-contested finals of which VJC had eleven penalty corners – a large margin over RI’s two. Penalty corners were especially important in this game due to what it seems to be both teams eschewing unpredictable long-range passes for more accurate short-range passes. Additionally, VJC’s slight advantage in mobility in terms of responsiveness to unpossessed balls and interceptions led them to take the advantage in an otherwise equal game of skill.

RI succeeds in gaining possession, one-on-one

Unfortunately, the game was scarred with a double injury from the RI side, a rarity to most hockey games. During the second half of the game, RI’s Rebecca Kang received a direct impact from the  ball to above her right eye, collapsing immediately and had to be taken off the field. Following soon after was RI’s Beverly Goh, who received a severe debilitating cramp which led to her unable to continue playing. Despite two consecutive injuries, any dampening effect on moral was hardly noticeable in the field; RI’s team continued to play as hard as they had before.

The spectators react to the second unfortunate injury

Soon after the second injury occurred, the game ended with a final score of 1-5. Although the team might have lost in the end, the determination that the team demonstrated, especially when the team had lost two of its important players, remains admirable. Throughout the game, the RI team possessed both the perseverance and the team spirit worthy of any true sports team. Defender Arina Rashid echoes this sentiment, feeling that “I couldn’t have asked for more of any one of my teammates, and felt incredibly honoured to play alongside them.”

by Shikhar Gupta (15S06M)

photos by Hee Xin Wei (15S03I)

On the 28th of May, Orchid Bowl came alive for the final day of the 22nd National Schools Tenpin Bowling Championships. The eleven-day event saw twelve schools competing  to win what would be the last competitive bowling event for many.

As the RI team warmed up, the situation looked difficult. With ACJC putting up strong performances in both the Boys and Girls subdivisions, top spot seemed to slipping out of the Rafflesian bowlers’ hands. Neither the boys nor the girls were able to win the team championships, but they put up fierce fights, right until the last pin had been toppled.

A Division Boys

The boys with their championship trophy!

With Captain Ian Siow and Jonah Goh leading the charge, the possibility of the win was always on the cards. The day began without a hitch, as the boys bowled strikes and spares to push hard for the win but there was a wobble midway through the third game where there seemed to always be at least one pin left standing. It was a passing choke-up, after which the boisterous support of the RI Student Council gave the bowlers the resolve to push forward, with every strike met with roars of approval.

Luck did not seem to be on the bowlers’ side, however, as ACJC pipped them to the win with an extremely fine margin of 2 points. Nevertheless, Ian was upbeat even in defeat, rating the team’s performance a “9/10”. He also described the competition as a “very good conclusion to [his] inter-schools bowling career”.

Boaz Chan and Bertrand Yan dazzled in the Singles Boys event to claim 1st and 2nd respectively.

Jonah Goh had a standout individual performance as well, spurred on by a vocal support contingent, and he finished 2nd in the All-Events Boys subdivision. “Grateful” for the support, he affirmed that he had “no regrets” and had “tried [his] best”.

Results (Boys):

• Team – 2nd

• Singles – 1st (Boaz Chan), 2nd (Bertrand Yan)

• All-Events – 2nd (Jonah Goh)

A Division Girls

The girls with their first runners-up trophy!

With national bowler Joey Yeo on their side, the RI girls were also shaping up for a strong drive towards the championship trophy. There were a fair bit more wobbles here, with some games nearly going for as few as 100 points. Hence, the girls’ mistakenly announced 3rd placing was met with much disappointment.

It was with much surprise and jubilation that the girls found out they had actually placed 2nd, also behind ACJC. Vice-Captain Jaime Lim was satisfied with the girls’ performance, labeling it as “expected”. As with Ian, she was wistful when faced with the reality that this would probably be her last competitive tournament, though she hopes to find time to compete in Open division events in the future.

Joey herself placed strongly in the individual events, finishing 2nd in the Singles Girls and 3rd in the All-Events Girls. Together with Jaime, they also clinched 3rd place in the Doubles Girls event.

Results (Girls):

• Team – 2nd

• Doubles – 3rd (Joey Yeo and Jaime Lim)

• Singles – 2nd (Joey Yeo)

• All-Events – 3rd (Joey Yeo)

When asked if he was satisfied with the bowlers’ performance this year, team coach AK Yong was more balanced in his view, giving an answer of “Yes, and no.” He lauded the fight shown on the last day, calling it a “very good recovery” but lamented the lack of practice with which he thought top spot would have been possible.

If this showing was anything to go by, then we can say with just a little more effort, RI Bowling can definitely wrest the title back next year.

by Chew Cheng Yu (16S06L) Photos taken by Hee Xin Wei (15S03I), Nigel Gomes (15S06R) and Gabrielle Jeyaseelan (15S06A)

Amidst the cloudy weather that afternoon, the humid air was heavy with expectation as the hockey boys broke from their huddle and tensely walked to their positions, ready to play.

Last Thursday, 7th May, at Seng Kang Sports and Recreation Centre, this year’s A Division Hockey Finals saw our boys pitted against Anglo-Chinese Junior College. In a spectacular show of skill and control, our hockey boys emerged as champions once again, earning them their fourth gold in five years. While our RI hockey team is well-known for being a powerhouse, their streak was stopped in 2013, with Victoria Junior College claiming the Gold instead. Sheer hard work brought them back the gold in 2014, and it seems to be the case this year as well. In an interview with captain Darryl Ong Ming En (15S06R), he said he was “feeling a little wary and anxious at the beginning of the game, as ACJC definitely had a good team”, but they just had to keep a cool head and play on.

A whistle blew; there was a wild scramble for the ball; the game had started. Keeping up a ruthless attacking front, RI made several scoring attempts, including a penalty shot, but to no avail. However, RI eventually managed to break through ACJC’s defensive ranks, with Adam Aniq (16A03A) scoring our team’s first goal barely 10 minutes into the game. This was followed in quick succession by the next goal; Ryan Jay Naidu(16S03J) received a deflected ball to score successfully, bringing the score to 2-0 for the first half.

Adam Aniq (#16) keeping the ball away from an opponent.

Throughout the first half, ACJC was forced onto; they made an incredible effort to land a shot during the first few minutes of the second half, and even received a penalty, but they missed their chances due to excellent defence and goalkeeping on RI’s part. Regaining control of the field afterwards, RI managed to get a penalty shot, which was handled well by Gurveer Singh (15S05A), with a lob over the goalkeeper’s head. Despite the score disadvantage, ACJC put up a brave front, constantly pushing the ball towards RI’s side, maintaining the score. Eventually, RI managed to break the ball out of ACJC’s lock, and Mohamed Haseef (15S06P) scored the final goal of the match.

Ryan Jay Naidu (#13) contesting for the ball with an opposing player.

The game was set – RI defended their title with relentless offensive and solid defence. However, ACJC had been no pushover either; despite several of their players sustaining injuries and having to be subbed out during the second half, they pushed on with unwavering spirit – Captain Darryl Ong mentioned that the ACJC team had “put in a lot of effort, and improved a lot overall”, and that it was “very commendable”.

With this, the A Division Hockey Boys have secured the Champion title for the second year running. We at Raffles Press would like to congratulate them, as well as wish good luck to others in their upcoming seasons!

by Louisa Li (16A13A)

Photos by Hee Xin Wei (15S03I) and Nadya Ang (16S03D)

The team huddled together before the game.

On the 8th of May, the Raffles Softball A Division Boys team played their national school championship finals against ACS(I). Despite the stormy weather and showers before the game, the boys looked excited and ready to play. RI was undefeated thus far, and had beaten ACS(I) in the preliminary rounds by a landslide victory of 9-0. There was a strong showing of support from alumni and schoolmates alike as many looked forward to seeing RI battle against ACS(I) as the defending champions.

To give some context: softball is a complicated game but simply put, consists of 5 innings each divided into two halves. The first half sees one team bat and try to score runs, while the other team occupies the field and tries to record 3 outs. In the second half, the teams reverse their roles. The team that scores the most runs (points) wins the game.

The defensive innings were unremarkable early in the game – Edward Lee (15S03K) struck out the first 3 batters easily to hold ACS(I) to no runs. Now it was RI’s turn to score: though Ye Zi An (15S03D) managed to bring Jonathan Chua (16S06D) back home to score our first run, we were unable to capitalize on this momentum, and the first inning ended 1-0 to RI.

Edward Lee pitching

Urged on by RI’s batting, the batters from ACS(I) fought back valiantly. ACS(I) made the first hit of the game in the second inning, but Benjamin Loke (16S06F) made a diving stop to prevent the runner from advancing further. More hits ensued, but thankfully, tight fielding and solid defensive plays by RI ended the inning with no runs from ACS(I) as we breathed a collective sigh of relief. Offensively, we were aggressive; after being cornered at 2 strikes, Howe Lee (15S03U) hit a lead-off homerun, Hugo Tay (15A01A) pulled off a successful steal, and to cap it off Cher Wee Zheng’s (16S05A) hit to the outfield brought Hugo back home for yet another run.

The fielders managed to shut out ACS(I) again in the third inning, and were eager to increase the score difference – which they did. With Daryl Kow (16S06R) on base, Andrew Tan (15S07B) hit another homerun, bringing both Daryl and himself in for 2 runs, as supporters belted out loud strings of cheers. The situation repeated itself as Hugo hammered the ball past the ACS(I) short-stop – Howe (who was on base) used this opportunity to score yet another run.

ACS(I), desperate to fight back, managed to get a lead-off hit that went clear over the fielders. A series of pitching errors then lead to two more runners on base, and the bases were now loaded. The next hit drove the ball past the fielders, and one run from ACS(I) came in. Was ACS(I) mounting a comeback? The tides seemed to be shifting in their favour, but sharp fielding on our side prevented this. A quick and accurate throw from Zi An prevented a run from scoring while Benjamin easily fielded a ball for the third out. RI managed to hold ACS(I) to one run despite the precarious situation.

Daryl Kow swinging at a ball

Then came the 4th inning. With two runners on base, Daryl whacked the ball past the short stop, and both ran home for 2 runs; another hard hit from Howe lead to Daryl and Andrew running home for our 9th and 10th runs. Now the winning run was on second base – if the score difference was larger than 10, the game would have ended there without a need to play the last inning. Raffles was poised to win the championships, with just one out, and 2 runners on base. Wee Zheng then stepped up to the plate and drove the ball past the fielders, bringing Howe home to end the game with a final score of 11-1 to Raffles.

A photo of the team with coaches Barathan Ariezstinger (extreme left) and Farhan Harahap (extreme right)

RI consistently got on base through their impressive batting and running, while Edward’s indomitable pitching was key to RI’s defence as he struck out 7 batters in a mere 4 innings. Even though RI won the finals with an arguably better scoreline than the previous time they faced ACS(I) (9-0 to RI), the team still had high expectations for themselves. In the words of Coach Farhan, “The defence could be a bit better, I expected no runs from the other team.” One may think that winning means everything in sports, but RI has proven this to be wrong – the team put in long hours of training, of sweat and toil, not to prove that they are the best, but so that they could say they did their best, and the results will speak for themselves. This sentiment is echoed in the words of teacher mentor Ms Lynette Soh as well, who was impressed by the match and said, “They did very well, and I’m proud of them.”

Vice-captain Joshua Tam (15S06N) sums it up nicely: “Today was a good game, and I think we all played very well. There were some hiccups, but we gave it our all and it was the best game of our season.” And indeed, what a compelling win it was. We at Raffles Press wish the softball boys all the best for their future competitions following their spectacular season this year!

Scoreline by inning:
First inning: 1-0 to RI
Second inning: 3-0 to RI
Third inning: 6-0 to RI
Fourth inning: 11-1 to RI, RI wins by mercy rule (score difference larger than 10)

List of players:
Daryl Kow (16S06R), Russell Boon (16S03S), Cher Wee Zheng (16S05A), Mukund Bala (16S06O), Tien Chun (16S03F), Benjamin Loke (16S06F), Jang Yu Joon (16S06I), Jonathan Chua (16S06D), Joshua Chan (16S06O), Jorrell Low (16S06H), Ye Zi An (15S03D), Joshua Tam (15S06N), Andrew Tan (15S07B), Howe Lee (15S03U), Hugo Tay (15A01A), Edward Lee (15S03K)

by Kristal Ng (16S07C), Tasharani Palani (16S03P), Ian Cheng (16S03M)

Photos by Gabrielle Jeyaseelan (15S06A)

The rumble of thunder marked a sense of foreboding over the spectators in Yishun Sports Hall as the A Division Floorball boys took to the floor. Despite the heavy rain, the hall was filled with Rafflesian supporters as they cheered on the floorball boys.

After drawing with them 1-1 during the group stages,the Raffles Boys Floorball team were once again faced with their fierce competitors, Victoria Junior College. Buoyed by an undefeated streak all season, our floorball team looked set to claim their championship trophy once again.

Our boys definitely proved themselves worthy as defending champions as RI flew to an impressive start with three successive goals within the first period. The first was made by Jun Wei (#17) from mid court, and the mint green ball streaked past the the defenders into the waiting net. The subsequent goals by Zong Wei (#88), and Amirul (#45) were no less impressive, and it invoked roars from the watching crowd.

Amirul and Jun Jie grappling for the ball.

The second period was no less intense with great saves by both goalkeepers, their quick reflexes swooping to scoop up the ball and shut out any attack; Haziq’s (#29) skillful maneuvering was clear as he wrested the ball from VJC players’ grasp. VJC successfully took advantage of a slight falter to slip in a goal at the 10th minute. Nearing the end, our boys seemed to take a more defensive stance, executing practised long distance passing and dribbling.

RI players keeping possession of the ball.

Tensions were definitely high in the last period, with Amirul (#45) getting whalloped on the head three minutes into the game and having to sit out. However the injury was not serious and he resumed play once more. An alarming clash between Jun Wei (#17) and the opponent goalie also drew gasps from spectators on the stands, but both boys recovered quickly, patting each other on the backs in a show of sportsmanship.

Tumbles were not uncommon throughout the whole match.

RI regained control of the arena again as Zong Wei executed a “well practised” move of sweeping around the goal to flick in the ball, two and a half minutes before the end. VJC tried to make a last minute comeback in the last 17 seconds, with an impressive shot that flew in an arc over the players heads into the goal, but it was not enough as RI once again emerged as the A Division Floorball Boys’ Champions.

Later, goalie Jared Tan attributed their success to “the three early goals… we expected this game to be close later on and [when] it got closer, we were afraid [we] cannot score.” But ultimately, “We won thanks to a good team.”

To add on, some floorball members pointed out two players who outdid themselves during the game and generally overall during the season. In particular, we have Shaun Pua (#13) (15S06S), who despite picking up the sport only in J1, managed to improve tremendously within the short few months leading up to the season to “become really, an integral member to the team”, to quote a member who chose to remain unnamed. Apart from Shaun, Zong Wei (#88) was also highlighted for his tremendous efforts and performance during the game, scoring “two amazing wrap goals that really got the crowd going and got our team pumped up”, one to get the ball rolling, and the other that eventually sealed the game for RI. Silas (#22) had a few words of commendation for him: “As he and I rotate in the same positions, I know how hard it is to play as a forward and keep our composure at times. He really showed me today how to keep calm and patient and use his chances well, and refocused after every shift to do better in the next.”

To provide a brief behind-the-scenes glance into the floorball boys’ preparation for the season, they slogged for hours at physical training in thrice weekly sessions, that led up to as late as 8.45pm at times. Aside from that, their coach also ensured that they didn’t neglect their personal mental and emotional development as a member of a team, putting them through reflective thinking to analyze their performances during games and trainings. Even as training intensity and frequency lightened, players still ensured that they were in optimal physical condition via runs and exercises in their own time. Thus, it is with resounding agreement that the team members claim that they were “really proud of the team after seeing their hard work come into fruition”. Lee Minhao (16S03P) mentioned that even as “a non-team member of the CCA, I can’t help but feel honoured to be part of this CCA”.

In retrospect, to summarize one player’s sentiments over the game, we quote Silas Choe (16S03P) who said “All in all, we went out on court and got the job done, and that’s what matters. Honestly, the win was not very important to me at the start, but it just made the privilege of playing the match that much sweeter.”

A Div Floorball Boys with Mr Mag and Mr Chan.

Final Score:

RI – VJC : 4 -2

Scorers:

RI

Tng Zong Wei (#88) – 2 goals

Foo Jun Wei (#17)

Muhammad Amirul Afiq (#45)

VJC

Josiah Lim (#3) – 2 goals

Players:  

#1 Sean Jou (15S03L), #3 Julian Quak (15S03B), #7 Kenny Goh (15S07B), #9 Joshua Teo (15S06N), #10 Ethan Lim (15S06E), #11 Ng Juin Jie (15S03G), #14 Nicholas Ho (15S06S) #13 Shaun Pua (15S06S) #16 Daniel Ong (15S06G), #18 Brian Tan (15S06M), #34 Russell Yip (15A01E), #45 Amirul Afiq (15A03A), #60 Justin Tan (15S06O), #77 Clement Chew (15S06N), #92 Gerald Peh (15S07A), #8 Sean Toh (16S03R), #71 Jared Tan (16S03K), #88 Tng Zong Wei (16S03J), #22 Silas Choe (16S03P), #29 Haziq Rased (16A03A), #19 Kamal Hariz (16S07D), #17 Foo Jun Wei (16S03S)

by Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E), and Olivia Tan (16A01E)

photos by Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E), and Raffles Photography Society

May 15 saw our Basketball Girls playing a decisive match against National Junior College in their (successful!) quest for third place. The team had fought hard on their way to the finals, facing formidable opponents, such as Hwa Chong Institution in their semifinals. During the intense match, #4 Bernice drew first blood with a clean shot that was met with cheers by the Rafflesians watching. Throughout the first quarter against Hwa Chong Institution, the adept team managed to stay ahead of their opponents with a score of 24-16, leading by an impressive 8-point difference.

#9 Starter Charmaine in tip off.

Together with Captain #12 Woon Wei Jing keeping the team together with a spark of her own, the girls managed to press on with extraordinary three-pointers at the most unexpected moments of pressure. Both spectators and players could feel the intensity of the atmosphere during the third and fourth quarter, it wasn’t a surprise that both sides made a couple of slip-ups in the passes. We changed our line-up periodically to break the flow of Hwa Chong’s play, as #4 Bernice substituted #9 Charmaine, and #9 Charmaine later subbing #12 Wei Jing. Time-outs were called at the most burning moments with the coaches on each side rattling out strategy by strategy, raising their voices at times to get their points across with fierce sternness.

Despite making efforts to resist the mental and physical pressures on them, the girls experienced severe cramps nearing the buzzer, rendering them immobile with pain. It was also unfortunate that out of the eight players that played that day, at least four were fouled or injured. But in the end, it was a moving to watch how each and every one of them got up, stood strong, played on — against pain or pressure, they never once gave up.

#6 Starter Rachel on court looking for a pass.

There were moments when the Rafflesian crowd was slightly miffed, especially when the referee called travelling and pushing; despite protests and the incredulous looks on the team’s faces. With Hwa Chong narrowing  the point gap in the game’s last  few minutes, tensions climaxed, pressuring both sides’ coaches to call a timeout whenever the opponent had control. The court had an air of cutting distress during overtime, with each side searching desperately for an edge over their opponents. But throughout the process, several accidental fouls were made under pressure—resulting in a constant exchange of free throws. As expected, making two clean shots under such intimidating circumstances with all eyes on you (including the ticking time) is not an easy feat. However, the team’s #10 Lim Jie En who was subbed in at the crucial time managed to make both shots to the roaring cheers of the crowd, upping the team’s morale by a notch.

“Team, we got this.”

If anything at all, it was their teammates’ injuries that caused the most mental pain for each player. #4 Bernice Yeo crashed to the ground with a serious cramp that ran from her toes to her thighs, refusing to subside despite efforts to apply muscle sprays. However, Bernice was not the first to experience the cramps. Due to muscle fatigue from high intensity workout, several of Bernice’s teammates experienced similar pains—yet it was apparent that her cramps were of much higher severity. The girl’s coach, concerned and anxious, went onto the court to carry Bernice on her back to the bench, calling for timeout. It was indeed heart wrenching to see a fellow Rafflesian in such pain, but the sight of the coach’s care and concern was met with a warmly-moved applause from the spectators of both schools.

Coach expressing her concern for #4 Bernice.

With a couple of key players down, it was indeed a rough time for the team, considering that they were already shorthanded due to injuries. Moreover, it was evident that Hwa Chong was not going to back down as they managed to break the draw on the scoreboard by making two consecutive two-point baskets, thus having a lead over Raffles. The atmosphere on the court was taut with concentration and desperation; and despite #4 Bernice’s re-entry into the court, the girls, under pressure and not in their best condition, were having trouble keeping up, thus ending the match with a close 62-58.

Captain Woon Wei Jing was gracious in agreeing to answer our questions, in spite of the team coming so close to winning. She admits that they “could have done better”, and that they should not have “let their guard down” during the first half. However, Wei Jing was clearly proud of her teammates, as she knew that they had “fought really hard” and she was very “impressed” with the team’s “good spirit”.

The Coach’s statements echoed that of the captain’s, agreeing that each and every one of the girls “played their best” and “persevered to the last minute” despite being clearly “shorthanded”. So that afternoon, the girls went home with their hearts heavy, but also determined, as they looked ahead to their third-fourth match against National Junior College on Friday.

62-58. A close match indeed.

The 3rd – 4th match began well, as we gained an early lead,  with #4 Bernice scoring the opening points, and the girls managing to win rebounds and constantly pressure their opponents, causing NJ to miss many shots. But midway through the quarter, NJ subbed all 5 players, while our 5 remained. With their fresher players, NJ managed to turn the tide in their favour.  Within the last two minutes of the quarter, NJ scored 9 consecutive points, and it didn’t help that their last two baskets were 3-pointers. Our morale took a definite blow, as we ended this quarter down 8 – 12. The pressure was on to catch up.

The second quarter saw a bit of a stalemate, and a subsequent breakthrough by our girls. Initially, it was frustrating to see that whenever we closed in, NJ would score and pull away again, keeping us under constant pressure. Our team held on though, with a notable play being where #4 Bernice made a spectacular move to keep the ball in play by jumping out of the court and knocking it back in before she touched the ground — a testament to the skill level of the players in this match. The pressure escalated further however, when NJ began to score unanswered, till by mid quarter, the score stood at 11 – 20. The tension was palpable. NJ was pulling away, and the girls had to turn the game around. The coach called a timeout, breaking NJ’s momentum, and giving the girls a breather and strategy refresher. It seemed to work, with #9 scoring right after, and again later on, this time with 2 defenders on her. It was clear that we’d regained our momentum. We ended the quarter well, closing the gap to 17 – 22 with some satisfying plays. One which stood out was when #6 Rachel failed to convert her free throws but kept going, intercepting a pass immediately after  her throws, and successfully scoring a 2 pointer. So for this quarter, though we were still trailing behind, now we had the momentum, and we were chasing NJ down.

During the half–time break, one of the boys’ basketball players (who declined to be named) mentioned NJ’s strategy of continually substituting their players, while we were, as the coach mentioned in the semi-finals, “shorthanded”. It was thus an uphill battle, with the girls facing more well-rested opponents. As he said, “the only limiting factor is stamina.” But the girls pushed on, with the 3rd quarter seeing them close the gap and really chase down NJ. Captain #12 Wei Jing opened the quarter with a brilliant 3 pointer which closed the gap and ramped up the pressure on NJ, which mounted even further when #9 Charmaine equalized at 22 all, setting off a wave of cheers from our side. What followed was an almost point-for-point exchange for the rest of the quarter, and at one point the score stayed unchanged for three and a half minutes  The atmosphere was charged, with our spontaneous cheers of “Defeeeeeend defend!…” interspersed with shouts of “D-UP!” from the boys’ basketball team. Both teams had fought neck and neck this quarter, with every point being hard fought, and that set the mood as we entered the intense final quarter.

#7 Carisia going for the ball and defending hard despite the exhaustion.

The final quarter started with NJ trying to pull away as they widened the point gap to a 26 – 34. In between the fight for an upperhand, NJ subbed everyone, again trying to wear us out. Perhaps because they were more energized than our players, resulting in a subsequent pair of free throws, bringing the score to 30 – 36. But they couldn’t take away our momentum, as we caught up 35 – 36, with a stunning shot from #4 Bernice from under all three of her defenders, converting one free throw, and #9 subsequently scoring both her free throws to thunderous cheers, an incredible feat considering how exhausted she would have been this late in the game. The comeback was real.

#9 Charmaine sinking that free throw

Perhaps all too real for NJ, as they called a timeout; maybe feeling the need to restrategize and break our flow. During the timeout, there was anticipation in the air. We were a mere point behind, and down to the last minutes. So when a decisive 2-pointer was made our side erupted in cheers, with the score of 37 – 36 putting us in the lead for the first time since the first quarter. The girls were on a roll, and at 1m16s to go, #12 Wei Jing scored a stunning 3 pointer from the right, straight down into the hoop, securing our lead in a truly spectacular fashion. With a minute to go, the girls were able to maintain their cool amidst the cheers, the palpable tension, and their own exhaustion, and it was incredible to watch. When the buzzer finally sounded, all of the supporters on our side simply exploded with mirth, shouting and cheering with wild, total abandon (this writer was hoarse by the end of it all, and had to desperately search for water before doing the interviews). The girls were too worn-out to celebrate, but one could see it on their faces — that mixed in with all the exhaustion, was also joy at having just played an incredible match.

#12 Wei Jing’s incredible 3 pointer, which cemented our lead at 40 – 36.

After the match and their team talk, we again caught up with the captain Wei Jing about the game. As it turns out, they has been training thrice weekly for three hours at a time since the holidays, and she shared that in fact one of the most memorable parts of the season was the trainings, “that [they] were able to endure the trainings as a team” and “never gave up”. Their training clearly paid off, as they managed to overcome “all the cramps, all the injuries, foul trouble” and mental and physical pressure, as Wei Jing shared. For this match, they faced a couple of obstacles in particular, with one being their short-handedness, since as Wei Jing shared, they really had “few that can play such long minutes, up and down” for about an hour, and it was “mentally and physically tiring” for those on the court. Also, nearing the end of the season, many had sustained injuries, and couldn’t continue to come down for training, further exacerbating this issue. This game also saw them facing foul troubles, and Wei Jing provided an insight into this. Apparently, they were taking a  “long time to adapt to a new style of defense”, from ‘zone defense’ (which is slower) to ‘full court man’ (which is faster paced). On the whole though, they pushed through and overcame these, and as Wei Jing said to sum up, though it was “not exactly what we expected earlier on, [she] would like to thank the team for putting in so much effort, and that they hope to continue this intensity for next year, and get even better results”. That afternoon, despite the constant pressure, the exhaustion, and the tension as the game wore on,  the girls played even harder and eventually ‘bounced’ back. It was incredibly moving to watch, and Press would like to give our most heartfelt congratulations to them on their 3rd place! Through these two games, the girls’ basketball team truly showed us what it means to hang in there, and give your all. They showed us what it meant to be a team — that they didn’t simply support each other because they were a team; they are a team because they support each other.

40 – 36. This match was so much more than just the score – the tense moments, the emotions, and above all, the spirit of the team the girls displayed that day.

12: Woon Wei Jing (Capt)

6: Rachel Mok

4: Bernice Yeo

7: Carisia Lee

9: Charmaine Koh

14: Sevilla Chea

10: Lim Jie En

13: Thamim

by Stella Soon (16A01C) and Karen Cuison (16A01D)
Photos by Carla Mosqueda (16A03A) of Raffles Photographic Society

Smiling for the camera with medals in hand.

On the 19th of May, Raffles Basketball played an electrifying match, against long-time powerhouse Hwa Chong Institution. In spite of their intimidating streak of having won the Championship title for the past 9 years, Raffles Institution’s team did well in their pivotal match, wresting the A Division title for the first time in nine years.

From the start of the game, Raffles set up a stable ten-point lead. Most Valued Player Justin Yeo (#10) stood out for his clevers moves which outwitted the Hwa Chong defenders throughout the game. While the whole team displayed excellent chemistry, another standout player of the game was Vignesh Rengarajan (#11), who helped to score many goals using his quick reflexes and nifty footwork.

Justin (#10) shooting into the hoop for the team.

Similarly, Hwa Chong’s team lineup featured many capable players, so both teams were matched evenly in terms of skill and physical ability. Despite this, Raffles pushed on to take advantage of Hwa Chong’s minor slips in ball handling in the midst of their intense match, and tapped on several free throws, to add significantly to the scoreline. At one point of the game, the difference in scores even went up to 20, in favour of Raffles.

The game reached its climax in the last quarter, with Raffles putting in their utmost to retain their lead from the third quarter, and Hwa Chong trying desperately to close the gap. It was a frantic last lap, with both teams’ coaches repeatedly calling for timeouts to give the players pep talks and motivate them in the last few minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the large scoreline gap between the teams proved too big for Hwa Chong to close, thus ending the game with a 17-point victory to Raffles. The team spirit of the Raffles basketballers was evident in a poignant moment at the conclusion of the game, when the other players spontaneously ran onto the court for one big, comforting group hug.

The team in a moment of friendship and camaraderie.

When asked about his thoughts on the team’s performance, the Boys’ Coach Mr. Liu Tong immediately replied that they had done “very well”. With 8 years of experience in training Raffles Basketball under his belt, he commented that this year’s team was particularly “capable” and “well-behaved”, and could rise to champions as long as they had the necessary team spirit. The importance of team spirit was echoed by Ejin Tan (#9) (16S03S), who mentioned that the most impressive part of their victory had been their teamwork, as they did their best to sync the ball and create open chances to score. Ejin shared that the team had put substantial effort into their game preparations; committing to physically-demanding trainings thrice a week, as well as having serious talks about their game strategy. It was undeniably not an easy journey for our players, but they managed to rise above the occasion to do the school proud despite the tough competition. Raffles Press would like to congratulate the Basketball Boys for their hard-won victory!

Final Scoreline
RI 78-61 HCI

List of Players:
Ernest Chng (#4)
Joel Ong (#5)
Jieren Teh (#6)
Chean Shao Jie (#7)
Phi Phat (#8)
Ejin Tan (#9)
Justin Yeo (#10)
Vignesh Rengarajan (#11)
John Zhang (#12)
Zaki Tan (#13)
Jovi Lim (#14)
Daran Huang (#15)

by Shikhar Gupta (15S06M)
Photos by Shikhar Gupta (15S06M) and Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E)

Right from the very start, this had been RI’s game to lose. Having defeated ACS (I) in the group stages previously, the mood was buoyant in the pavilion of an RI victory. Even then, ACS (I) showed an initial spark of fighting fire as the first four balls saw three boundaries off Vinay Gupta’s (15S03J) spin. Not much happened after that, with ACS(I) generally restricted to a run-rate below 6 runs per over (RPO) – a par score for the ‘A’ Division level – and wickets falling at a steady rate.

Following the 12 runs conceded from the first over, ACS (I) found the spin-pace duo of Vinay and Himanshu Kubal (15S06G) difficult to hit, and lost their first wicket on the first ball of the 3rd over to a sharp catch at slip by Vivek Tadikamalla (15S06M). Even with the fast outfield aiding them, the boundaries for ACS dried up, leaving them with just a single boundary outside the six fours that the openers shared between them.

RI’s wicketkeeper Harish Thiyagarajan (16S03F) runs out the last ACS (I) batsman on the final ball (Photo: Shikhar Gupta)

RI did have lapses of concentration in their fielding, with a missed run-out, two dropped catches and a couple of overthrows, but the tight bowling kept the runs from bleeding and the wickets falling. Eventually, ACS (I) were bundled out for 88 runs, losing a wicket to a run-out on the last ball.

Striding out to bat, Ameen (16S06M) and Kaushik (15S06G) plundered 20 runs off the first over with three 4s and a 6. The next over saw another 16 runs, and by 2.4 overs, RI had brought up their fifty score. Balls were continually peppered down leg-side by the ACS (I) bowlers, and the fact that they were short of length just gave Ameen and Kaushik every excuse to send them screaming over the leg-side boundary.

Ameen plays a shot on the leg-side (Photo: Shikhar Gupta)

Occasionally, ACS (I) bowled deliveries on the middle and off-stump, but the deliveries hardly gave the RI openers any trouble, with Ameen clobbering one ball over cover for 4. There were also a few deliveries stopped well by point and short third man, but it hardly did anything to stem the tide of runs. By the end of the fourth over, RI had been blasting away at 14.75 RPO, and the required runs had fallen to a mere 20 off 96 balls.

Sixes were aplenty in the RI innings, with Kaushik blasting the first one off the second delivery he faced, pulled strongly over fine leg. Ameen did not hold back either, with a strong pull giving him his first 6 of the day. The poor ACS (I) bowling also conceded 15 extras, propelling RI even more quickly towards the 89-run total.

Ameen scored 52 runs (not out) off 24 deliveries (Photo: Shikhar Gupta)

Throughout the match, Kaushik was firmly in control of the RI innings, and provided a steady anchor with ones and twos. Over at the other end, Ameen unleashed a flurry of attacking strokes to bring up his 50 in just 20 balls, reaching the landmark through two consecutive sixes on the leg-side. There was a minor bit of drama, as the ball could not be recovered after one of Ameen’s sixes. This situation, coupled with the impending rain, raised fears that all of RI’s efforts would be for naught if the game was washed out with just 7 runs to win. Soon after, play resumed, but after bringing up his 50, Ameen defended the next four balls to give Kaushik the chance to hit the winning runs.

In a bit of an anti-climax, ACS (I) managed to claim the wicket of Kaushik on the first ball of the 6th over as he tried to slam the ball over long-on, but found himself clean bowled. It was a wicket for ACS (I), but a completely inconsequential one, for the game ended two deliveries later with a bye.

RI displayed complete dominance, in both bowling and batting. Deservedly, Kaushik and Ameen were the stars of the day, scoring 74 runs and taking 6 wickets between them. Even the coach was effusive in his praise, calling their performance “splendid”.

The team poses for the post-match photo (Photo: Choo Shuen Ming)

Even with his brilliant innings, Ameen was modest after the match, pointing out that “doing it for the team is more important than the individual achievement”, but added that all his shots were being pleasantly hit by the middle of the bat, allowing him to race to 52 off 20 balls.

As the rest of the team strode onto the pitch in a boisterous manner to celebrate, Kaushik had tears in his eyes and hugged Ameen tightly, citing the fact that in the past few seasons he had “let [the team] down, and this [game] was a good send-off”. Evidently, his plan to bowl dot-balls to build up pressure had worked very well and had snared him 4 wickets.

Sidanta Gunasinghe (15S03K), the Captain of the RI team, gave credit to ACS (I) for putting RI “on the back-foot right at the start” with 12 runs off the first over. However, he showed faith in his bowlers’ ability to “take on any opponent” and was rewarded handsomely with all ten wickets.

The game was a one-sided affair, but had plenty of action to satisfy neutrals and the RI support. For a team to be cruising at a run rate just below 17 RPO is tremendous any way you put it, and it is now up to next year’s team to pick up the mantle from where it has been placed. The win is even sweeter as it sees the title return to RI after the loss last year. In the meantime, let’s congratulate the RI side and join them in celebration.

Final Scoreline
RI 89 for 1 (Ameen 52*, Kaushik 22) beat ACS (I) 88 all-out (Santosh 15, Kaushik 4-16, Ameen 2-18)

by Gladys Lim (16S03K)
Photographs by Hee Xin Wei (15S03I) and Gabrielle Jeyaseelan (15S06A) of Raffles Photographic Society

Raffles Netballers huddle with River Valley Netballers after the game.

Raffles entered the last game of their season unbeaten, but not complacent. Despite the clean sweep of their last 7 games, the team had trained hard and stayed dedicated this year, and the fighting spirit blazed in each one of them that afternoon on 22 May, as they readied themselves for the pivotal match of their season. The final match was against River Valley High School (RV), whose team had been credited for making it to the finals with only 9 players, and to boot, had clinched victory against tough opponents from Hwa Chong Institution. But in spite of this, the Raffles team was determined to put on the best fight of their season.

Once the match commenced, RV started off with the first centre pass, but a missed catch by their team’s Goal Attack (GA) coupled with a quick pick up by our team’s GA Tessa Wong, and an accurate shot by Goal Shooter (GS) Isabelle Belanger put our team ahead of their opponents. This boosted the Rafflesian team’s morale and steadied their play. Jeimin, who played in Centre position, provided good support for the team with her effective leaps and considerable reach. Timely runs and good flow on the attacking side allowed the team to take a comfortable lead of 14-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Wing Attack (WA) Freda Mah in a leap to catch the ball.

In the second quarter, our team’s defence increased the intensity of our play. Good coverage by our Wing Defense (WD) Yvonne Goh, enabled Goal Defense (GD) Rukimini Roy and Goal Keeper (GK) Ayshath Zaseela to intercept and make turnovers for the team. Our tight defence cut off RV’s offensive path, making it tough for them to advance their attacks. The pressure led to a held ball that gave Raffles possession. Nearing the end of the quarter, GD Rukmini Roy made a dash out of the goal circle for an unexpected interception from their opponent’s Wing Attack (WA). The second quarter concluded with Raffles putting in 17 shots and RV putting in 5 shots.

Goal Shooter (GS) Isabelle Belanger taking a shot.

Entering the third quarter, Raffles continued their lead but RV did not give in. A long lob into their goal circle was successfully shot in by their GA. Yet, we stayed alert and WA Freda Mah was able to make an interception and score. The shooters and mid-court players communicated well during a smooth trade of passes between WA Freda Mah and GA Tessa Wong. They were assisted by Eyu Yan Yan, who took the court as a Centre. She displayed keen foresight and made quick runs into free space. Tessa Wong also executed swift movements in the goal third with GS Isabelle Belanger who helped put in shots. With a score of 42-19 in favour of Raffles, the quarter drew to a close.

For the last quarter, the coach substituted some players in to give all the team members an opportunity for court time and to experience the adrenaline on court. Nadia Quek took on the position of GA and scored an accurate shot a fair distance away from the goal post. Natalie Rodrigues who entered as a WD also put up a good show with her skilful deflections and interceptions. On the defensive side, GD Grace Tay made some powerful jumps against her opponents in the goal circle. Geraldyn Leong played as WA and did exceptional feeding of the ball to the shooters, ensuring that the opponent’s defenders could not challenge the ball. River Valley on the other hand, made conservative short passes to put in 8 more shots. The game ended with a score of 52-29 to Raffles, securing our girls a triumphant victory.

To the spectators, the competition faced by Raffles Netball may have seemed insignificant – judging from their seemingly easy victory. But they undoubtedly faced much internal pressure to succeed. For this season, the team’s regular coach, who had been out due to the upcoming Southeast Asian Games, was substituted by a former national coach, Mr Goh Seck Tuck. Tessa Wong (15S07A), Captain of the Raffles Netball team says, “Coach was very serious, dedicated and experienced. He was straightforward, and expected only the best from us, yet was understanding of the struggles we went through. He has taught us to fight against the odds, and helped us to enrich our capabilities, such as by challenging us [through giving] new drills.” Indeed, their coach had impressed the beauty of overcoming obstacles not as one, but as a whole, upon the Netball team. For everyone, it had indeed been a memorable season as each had a unique takeaway and renewed passion for the sport, especially after constant and tiring – but meaningful – trainings to amp up for the match. There was one thing the team would be sure to remember: the sky’s the limit. Every process determines the outcome, and indeed it was a well-deserved championship title for Raffles Netball.

A very proud Raffles Netball team.

List of Players:
Ayshath Zaseela, Isabelle Belanger, Grace Tay, Natalie Rodrigues, Freda Mah, Eyu Yan Yan, Geraldyn Leong, Rukmini Roy, Tessa Wong Ting, Yvonne Goh, Tang Jeimin

by: Adelyn Tan (16A01E), Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E) and Huang Jiawen (16S06G)
Photos by Hee Xin Wei (15S03I) and Chang Po Chun (16S03K)

20th May saw our Badminton Girls playing their finals against NYJC for a shot at 2nd runners’ up, and our Badminton Boys going toe-to-toe against AC in a bid to earn the championship title for this season. With four matches going on at once, the atmosphere in Toa Payoh Sports Hall was tense, with a strong show of support from spectators looking forward to intense performances from both the Girls and Boys’ teams.

Badminton is a deceptively simple sport, requiring players to win rallies so as to score points; when a player wins a rally and scores a point, they then serve again from the alternate service court. The side that first scores 21 points, or 2 more points than their opponent in the event of a deuce, wins a game and wins the match once they win three games.

Wei Yee (16S03K) represented the RI Badminton Girls in their first match of the day. One would expect the very first player of the day stepping up to the court to suffer from bouts of nervousness, but Wei Yee was confident in her strokes, maintaining a comfortable lead throughout the game. Not long after the match had started, she managed to secure a win for RI, boosting the morale of the team and their supporters, setting the mood for the next game.

In the doubles, we had Kelly Tan (15S07B) and Charissa Wong (15S03G) in the first doubles, and Charis Chan (16S07A) and Elizabeth Yaw (16S06C) in the second. The coordination within each pair was seamless, enabling the RI girls to maintain strong lines of defense while directing their attacks at the blind spots in their opponents’ line of defense. Keeping up a steady momentum, both pairs sailed smoothly to victory with scores of 21 – 09, 21 -11 for the last games of the 1st and 2nd doubles matches respectively.

Chin Wei Yee (16S03K)

Particularly intense was the RI badminton girls’ 2nd singles match of the day, the follow-up game to two winning streaks, played by Chung Shiqi (16S06O). A seasoned and experienced badminton player, Shiqi had a powerful smash that she often used to her advantage. After dashing to the front of the net for the shuttlecock and sending it flying to the end of the court opposite to where her opponent was positioned, she won the first game with a clean score of 21-13. At the beginning of the second game, while Shiqi initially had a lead, her adversary soon began to catch up. The crowd watched with bated breath as the match turned into a battle of wits, skill and strength with many impressive moves made on the part of both players. Despite facing intense pressure, Shiqi kept up the pace, edging her opponent out point by point. Finally pulling away from her opponent towards the 20-point mark, she ended the game with a decisive hard slam, securing the 3rd match for RI girls’ team with a score of 22-20. All the players held their own with impressive footwork and technique, never faltering under pressure and showing remarkable teamwork when playing doubles, clinching their well-deserved third place title for RI.

Likewise, the Badminton Boys fought the good fight, keeping their opponents on their toes at every turn. Their first two games were closely matched — with supporters cheering them on all the way, the players put in all their effort and never once gave up or allowed frustration to get the better of them. Our boys fought hard till the very end, leaving the court with their heads held high despite their losses in the first two games.

Qi Xueqian (16S06F).

RI proceeded to turn up the heat in the next two games, beginning with the 2nd Singles game played by Chin An (15S07A) who kept the game all over the court, consistently keeping the pressure up. He made several drop shots, clearly outmatched his opponent with his skilful net play, and won the RI Boys’ team its first game of the afternoon with impressive scores of 21-8 and 21-3.

The strong play was sustained through the 2nd Doubles, with Li Zhengxi (15S06B) and Jackie Tan (15S03C) showing commendable coordination, keeping it point for point with AC from the very beginning. With three points scored by AC within the span of a minute early in the game, the tension in the hall was palpable, only heightened by AC equalizing with RI at the 14th point. A neck-and-neck game right from the very start, both pairs made many comebacks, keeping the scoreline extremely tight. With capable players on both sides, there was a great deal of skill on display, with the point gap steadily narrowing and culminating in an intense last bout. Despite the pressure, both players kept their cool, worked together, and pushed through to win their second game. (21-19, 21-19)

With the score at 2-2, it all came down to the final game between Daryl Ng (15S06S) and Ronald Yeo of AC. Arguably the most breathtaking game of the afternoon, the final Boys’ singles saw a huge variety of lobs, smashes and drop shots traded all over the court, with Daryl containing Ronald impressively well in the first set (21-11). The second set followed with both players keeping each other on their toes, the point gap closing rapidly as the minutes passed, equalizing at the 14th point. A series of deuces ensued with scores keeping both sides on knife-edge as an epic exchange ended the set, only ending when AC took a victory 24-22.

It was down to the final set to determine if RI would win the championship title. It was one which saw RI not get off to a good start, with a 1-4 scoreline in AC’s favour during the first few minutes. At this point, Daryl put down his racquet, took a bit of a walk on the court, took a drink, and then came back in every sense of the phrase. Within moments, it was evident that his form was much more on point, with a series of smashes that led to a 6-6 equalizing comeback. A few more rallies brought us to a scoreline of 8-9, and a realization that this RI-AC match was the only match in the entirety of the hall which was still on. A long rally between the players saw total silence from all within the four walls of the sports hall. A kind of magic hung in the air, as everyone watched a stunning display of agility and grace, spellbound, and the only sounds were those of the skids and hits as they played – a stark contrast to the how the RI supporters erupted in thunderous cheers when Daryl scored to equalize after that particularly intense rally. The spectators held their breath when the scoreline reached 20-14, and a final quick smash brought RI to a score of 21-14 and the championship title for the Badminton Boys

Captain Daryl Ng (15S06S).

“We really wanted this. We wanted to make it count,” as quoted by Kelly, the Girls’ captain. The afternoon truly was a triumphant battle of wits, endurance and strength from both the Boys and Girls’ teams. Perhaps best summed up by Vice Captain Zhengxi: “We came here. We did our job. Job well done.” Indeed it was. From us here at Raffles Press, well done, Badminton teams! Our sincere well – wishes for all future competitions following an incredible season this year.

“Raffles is golden, witness the moment.” – Daryl Ng, Boys’ Captain (15S06S)

Raffles Badminton 2015:
Boys: Daryl Ng (15S06S), Li Zhengxi (15S06B), Eng Chin An (15S07A), Jackie Tan (15S03C), Nigel Siew (15S97B), Ong Xing Xiang (16S06N), Zhu Bolin (16S03F), Neo Wei Ren (16S03M), Qi Xueqian (16S06F), Deo Teo (16S03S)

Girls: Kelly Tan (15S07B), Lee Shu Zhen (15A03A), Charissa Wong (15S03G0, Chin Wei Yee (16S03K), Charis Chan (16S07A), Elisabeth Yaw (16S06C), Goh Jia Ling (16S06S), Agnes Tan (16S06N), Zuo Hao Lin (16S03N)

Finals Lineup:
Boys:
1st singles: Zhu Bolin
1st doubles: Deo Teo & Qi Xueqian
2nd singles: Eng Chin An
2nd doubles: Li Zhengxi & Jackie Tan
3rd singles: Daryl Ng

Girls:
1st singles: Chin Wei Yee
1st doubles: Kelly Tan & Charissa Wong
2nd singles: Chung Shiqi
2nd doubles: Charis Chan & Elizabeth Yaw
3rd singles: Lee Shu Zhen

by Louisa Li (16A13A)
Additional reporting by Teo Xue Heng (15S06C)

Hidden behind a veil of confounding and ridiculous sounding terminology (ruff, dummy) is the complex world of Contract Bridge: a realm where only the bravest dare enter, and where only the fittest survive. Over the June holidays, Raffles Bridge sent 2 teams to prove their mettle in the annual Hunger Games, or rather, the National Inter-Schools Bridge Tournament. They engaged in 2 grueling days of intense competition, fought endlessly from 9 in the morning to 7 at night, and eventually emerged from the fray with commendable results- as Champions.

The 2 RI teams consisting of 12 members in total duelled with the other 6 teams in double round robin matches. In an effort to amass Victory Points (20 points per round) to gain an upper hand over their competitors, RI pitted 4 members each round against their opponents, facing fierce competition especially from That Chinese School Near Bukit Timah Road, which sent 3 of the 7 participating teams. To win the tournament, RI had to match their results and beat them head-on as well.

However, it was not a smooth-sailing journey. After a horrifically unexpected 2-18 destruction by VJC in just the second match of the day, RI Team 1 (RI1) bounced back to beat HC Team 1 (HC1) 20-0. RI2, trailing close behind leaders HC1 performed stunningly well after two defeats by winning all the other matches on the first day, including a brilliant 20-0 win over VJC. Cheng Xingyu (16S06M) and Shi Jing Lin (16S06J) in particular played especially well as a partnership to bring in VPs. By the end of the first day, RI2 had propped themselves up to a comfortable 2nd place, trailing HC1 by a mere 4 points. As Bridge Chairperson Teo Xue Heng (15S06C) shared, “both RI teams performed beyond their expectations, except in different ways… so there were mixed feelings going into the second day playing a ‘catchup game’”.

It is with those feelings of trepidation and anticipation that the 2 RI teams went into the second day, and the tables were turned this time. RI1 got off to a very strong start with 20-0 wins over RI2, HC2 and HC3 and 16-4 win against NUSH, but HC1 played just as strongly and the VP difference still remained at about 5 VP before lunch. The turning point came when HC1 lost to RI2 6-14, allowing RI1 to overtake HC1 by 5 VP. The slim lead was maintained until the final game where RI1 had to play HC1 head on. HC1 had to win by at least 5 imps to clinch the championship title, and as an insider shared, “4 imps is almost a non-existent cushion… the scores were dangerously close.” And it did seem like the tides were turning. HC1 slowly built up a 12 imp lead, and all hope was almost lost – until Wang Tingxuan (15S06L) made a 3NT on the final board of the entire tournament to score RI1 10 imps. Despite HC1 beating RI1 by 2 imps, it wasn’t enough to prevent RI1 from clinching the title.

On the other hand, RI2 bounced back from an early 0-20 loss to RI1 to cement their position at third place, having a 19 VP lead over VJC in fourth place before their final head-on match. They could afford to lose 1-19 to VJC and still get third place, but it was not to be: the last set of 8 boards were tough and a slew of errors left them to a punishing 0-20 loss. Despite the good plays and the build-up, RI2 had faltered at the final moment to allow VJC to nick 3rd place away from right under their noses. RI Team 2 Captain Wu Hao Hsuan (15S06C) shares: “It was a really great experience for the team especially for the J1s who will have the opportunity to represent the school again in the Nationals next year. Although RI2 didn’t fare as well as RI1, I think all of us gave our best shot and that’s what really matters. I truly hope that the J1s would treasure this experience and dominate the event next year, bringing back glory to the school.”

RI Team 1 posing with their medals.

All in all, Xue Heng reflects that the journey “wasn’t easy” as “all 3 partnerships in our team had partnership issues at some point or another during this 1.5 years.” Despite that, Raffles Bridge managed to rally together and pull through to emerge victorious, and the last win was “really emotional”. Raffles Press would like to congratulate Raffles Bridge on their victory, and wish them luck for the upcoming tournaments!

Team members:

Team 1: Liu Yuchen (15S06J), Yu Yuxiang (15S06J), Teo Xue Heng (15S06C), Liang Shi Yi (15S06G), Wang Tingxuan (15S06L), Ren Siyu (15S06L).

Team 2: Wu Hao Hsuan (15S06C), Ng Wei Jie (15S03F), Daniel Tan (15S06P), Reuben Foo (15S06L), Cheng Xingyu (16S06M), Shi Jing Lin (16S06J).

by Darrell Koh (16A13A), Gao Yanxin (16S03N); photos courtesy of Yang Zuo (17A01E)

Upon entering the OCBC Aquatics Centre, supporters across the Raffles family banded together, busy coordinating cheers in preparation for the heated finals. Amongst the spectators, some looked on eagerly as they waited for the action to start, while others sought out their friends who were competing and wished them the best for what was ahead. In particular, the Raffles Swim Team seemed excited, but slightly edgy. After all, this was the culmination of months, or even years, of their training.

The Results

On Day One, Samuel Khoo (17S06H) led the team off to a strong start by clinching 1st place in the 50m Breaststroke Boys event and beating the medal record by a nail biting 0.09 seconds, no doubt setting the atmosphere for the day’s proceedings. The girls followed with an equal strong showing in the event right after, clinching the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions in the 50m Butterfly Girls event. Another moment that boosted team morale greatly was during the 50m Backstroke Girls event that saw the Raffles team taking the top 6 positions, with the exception of the 1st place that went to Anglo Chinese Junior College.

On Wednesday, another event that kept the supporters riveted was the 100m Freestyle Boys event as no clear winner could be identified from the spectator stands, with the leading swimmers appearing to be neck-to-neck with each other. A boisterous cheer erupted from the crowd as Nathan Wong (16S03K) pushed ahead to win 1st place by a mere 0.38 seconds. The Girls Team showed yet another stellar performance in the 200m Freestyle girls event, securing a majority of the top 6 positions, with Singapore Sports School coming in 3rd. In addition to this, Chloe Wang (16A01D) earned the Raffles Swim Team its second and last medal timing, beating the previous record by an incredible 0.05 seconds.

The girls team continued their strong showing throughout the two days, winning overall first comfortably, with more than double the points of Anglo Chinese Junior College who came in second. The boys team faced formidable opponents in Anglo Chinese School Independent, eventually coming in second. Despite this, their perseverance and team spirit were equally deserving of celebration as well.

Speaking with Jerome Kwang (16S06M), Captain of the Raffles Swim Team, he revealed that the CCA differed from other competitive sports in that members would not train together often, instead practicing at registered clubs across the country. Without common practices, one might think that this leads to members being individualistic, which was Jerome’s initial impression. However, the direction Raffles Swim Team pursued focused on teamwork rather than individual capabilities, which teacher-in-charge Mr Lim Yao Xiang was confident of. One particular initiative the Raffles Swim Team Exco pulled off was getting all the members together for combined practice every fortnight, usually during the early Wednesday mornings before assembly, a true testament to the drive of the members and the commitment put in for the finals. As Jerome enthused, “teamwork truly makes the dream work”. Indeed, the efforts of the Raffles Swim Team were evident from their stellar performance across the two days.

To the swimmers and especially those from the Batch of 2016, Mr Lim notes that while the CCA season has come to an end, he hopes that all swimmers carry the enthusiasm and passion they have for swimming to other areas in life. With Nationals closing the journey for many of these swimmers who have been swimming for 10 years, we wish them all the best in the next chapter of their journey.

By Yang Siqi (17A01C) and Andrew Atang Hidajat (17S03I)

As the midday sun climbs higher in the sky, bullets of sweat trickle down the archer’s face. He stares at the bullseye intently, perfectly poised while drawing the bowstring taut, his posture stunningly symbolic of Apollo. As the clock ticks, countless arrows are being shot by rivals beside him, each of their successes contributing more to the immense pressure already felt.

Archery is a silent war. It is one where the most menacing enemy is not one’s competitors, but rather one’s own mind. One must have the required mental fortitude, and physical endurance, to survive an entire day of matches under the sun.

Such was the challenge faced by Raffles Archery, who competed with various other Junior Colleges in the A Division Archery Championships on the 21st of  April this year.

The archery range.

Seasons are always a gruelling time for sportsmen, but they are especially so for archers. Contrary to many sports’ conventions, the entire season for Archery is condensed into one day, with the preliminary rounds, semifinals, quarterfinals and finals all conducted in succession. Archers thus have a much briefer respite, something which tests their mental and physical capabilities. In fact, to prepare for this season, many Rafflesian archers took it upon themselves to practise in external archery ranges within their free time, in a remarkable show of self-motivation and determination.

Aside from that, Raffles Archery’s main competitor, Meridian JC, boasted more experienced archers who had been through more competitions, and trained longer. In comparison, many of our archers only started competing seriously last December. Thus, it seemed initially as though they were going to be disadvantaged due to this, having had less time to train as compared to their opponents, a considerable number of whom had DSA-ed into the sport.

Our archers competing with other teams.

The rounds for archery were carried out in this manner: After sighting, a preliminary stage where archers got to shoot and adjust the sights of their bow accordingly, the match proceeded to the first and second rounds of ranking, where the top 16 of each category were determined from their individual total scores.

Seeking to boost the morale of the archers after the first ranking, Coach Ken told them to “maintain their focus while shooting” and not to “worry about their opponents”. He complimented them, saying that they were doing better than expected, even if their scores were not perfect. He reminded them of the incredible support they had from him, their teachers and their seniors — off the line where they shoot from, they had to learn to relax — and ended off the stirring talk by telling them to prepare for an arduous day ahead.

Coach Ken in the middle of his rousing speech to the team

He was right. At this point, only half the battle was won. After all, championship points are only gained during the subsequent individual elimination round.

Our archers refused to let the low morale due to a lack of supporters (in past years, juniors would come down in droves) bring them down – many of them went on to fill in the spaces in the top 8 and top 4 placings, on par with their more confident competitors.

During the last segment of the finals – the team knockouts – a final challenge awaited our archers as they were required to stand side by side, one-on-one with the opposing team. Each team comprised of three archers, and they were given a time limit to shoot their arrows onto the target. At this stage, each arrow becomes more precious than the last as even the slightest edge could help one’s team bring home a more lustrous trophy. It was incredibly stressful – if an opponent let fly his arrow first, one would be pressured to do the same, especially with the time limit a constant, ticking reminder to keep one on edge.

Nevertheless, our archers kept their cool and emerged as overall champions for both the male and female categories. In the words of their captain Wang Weiduo (16S06F), though they initially wavered in their belief that they could succeed in winning the tournament, they realised that “[Their] effort will eventually pay off”. And as Coach Ken rightfully put it in his afterword, their victory was “hard fought, hard won”.

Rewarded for their tireless perseverance – congratulations, Raffles Archery!

Raffles Archery’s euphoric triumph, however, was tinged with sadness – this was about to be the last year that the CCA would be competing in their season, as the CCA would be closing down at the end of this year. Vice-Captain Ong Hiok Hian (16S06K) remarked that the team was “sad that it had to be us”, but also added that “at least, we got to bring the win home.”

It is indeed fitting that the long-time efforts by the CCA have culminated in a double victory for the archers of Raffles Institution. Though it’s the end of the path for Raffles Archery, it isn’t the end for the dedicated archers. As expressed by the Head of AAS, Tang Chang Poh, in an address at the championships that “[his] door is open” to the young archers of Singapore, we know that if they are keen on pursuing the sport, they will definitely be able to do so. Mr Tang also tells them to “keep the flame burning”, evidently heartened to know that the fiery passion for archery will live on in many a young and hopeful heart.

Every end has a new beginning, and Raffles Press wishes the archers all the best in their future endeavours!

At the end of the day, sweet victory took the place of bitter sentiments, transforming the small, well-kept field into the grounds of ecstatic celebration as our archers crowded together for a picture with the golden trophy.

A team photo from an inter-school event in 2015. (Source: Ong Yong Jia)

by Clarence Lee (17S06D), Ivin Lee (17S06F), Chen Beijia (17S06F), Yong Duan Kai (16S06P), Lim Tian Yi (16S06S)

Recently, Club Automatica participated in RoboCup Singapore Open 2016 — one of the two major competitions our club takes part in annually — between 31 March and 2 April.

The RGS and RI Robotics Family at the RoboCup Singapore Open 2016

In RoboCup, participants compete in 4 distinct categories: Cospace, Dance, Rescue and Soccer. While each category’s demands are different, all are an exercise in creativity: Participants are given a seemingly simple task, and also complete freedom to choose the methods by which they will complete the task. In a sense this freedom can increase the difficulty of the task – given the plethora of electronics systems available, club members had to source for the optimal solution given time and budget constraints.

Despite these challenges, Club Automatica achieved spectacular results this year, attaining 1st in both Soccer and Rescue, and 1st in Dance Superteam.

Cospace Category
Unlike other categories, Cospace doesn’t involve any fiddling with physical contraptions. Rather, competitors have 3 hours to meticulously compile a code that gives instructions to a virtually-simulated robot to avoid various obstacles and collect objects. As the playing field is revealed only at the start of the competition, the bulk of the programming has to be done during the competition itself.

Dance Category
Though some may perceive that robotics is all about rigid programming and step-by-step structure building, the RoboCup Dance Team proved these perceptions wrong during the Dance competition, with their creativity and imagination. Instead of defaulting to tried-and-tested solutions, they gamely took the risk of utilizing innovative and complex mechanisms. These included using rotating tracks to change the costume of our robot, and employing pulleys to move different parts of the robot body. For example, the head of the robot (below) can actually be be detached from and reattached to the body. Moreover, besides designing all the mechanisms of individual robots, we also designed the performance, which involved numerous interactions between robots, and demanded not only precision but also a competent aesthetic overview.

The President Mummy robot tilting his head to act cute

Eventually, we were able to clinch the 1st position in Dance Superteam category. The connections and friendship we gained in the process made this experience all the sweeter.

Rescue Category
Rescue incorporates the twin aspects of robotics – programming and building – into a single event in a race against the clock. Participants have to build a robot that can not only navigate a maze by tracking a black line, but also detect and capture balls, and score the greatest number of points in the process.

This year’s Rescue event saw 3 teams from RI participating, with each team taking a different approach to the mission. This strategy allowed club members to exercise their creativity to the fullest, while being exposed to different systems and mechanisms.

However, in the face of the actual mission, preparation is but half the battle won. Field conditions can pose unforeseen challenges that require teams to adapt on the fly. As programmers seek to perfect their logic, builders stay constantly on hand to lend their aid in making changes to their robots’ builds to suit the new codes.

All this is a build-up to the missions — essentially a narrow race against time — as teams watch in anticipation the product of their hard work in action. As the robot makes a gruelling effort to complete the obstacle course, teams have to make crucial decisions: keep trying to score the all precious points, or skip the checkpoints in favour of progressing in the course.

Club Automatica’s very own prize-winning Rescue tank.

In the end, both our members’ hard work preparing for the competition and their quick thinking at the venue helped us clinch the top award for Rescue.

Team Singularity’s Rescue robbos in action

Soccer Category
In RoboCup Soccer, teams have to build a pair of robots that can play soccer autonomously – with the ultimate aim of scoring more goals than you concede, while operating in the spatial restrictions of the field.

A RoboSoccer match, executed well, is the tension of a real soccer match condensed into 20 short minutes – the robots whizz around on the faux grass, jostling for possession of the ball in their best impression of a human player. Team members and referees watch the robots’ every move – be it watching for infractions that robots make, or attempting to determine opponents’ strategies – and formulate the best ways to work around them.

The kickoff to RoboSoccer.

Each robot is a dual entity – equal parts hardware and software, supported by both LEDs and logic operators. And it’s only in the unity between both that the capabilities of the robot are maximized.

As in the other categories, improvisation is key. There are two halves to each match, and half-time is spent making quick fixes to the robots or tuning their performance. This time spent cannot be discounted and the last-minute adjustments to the robots do make a significant difference to the outcome of the battle.

Though it may seem like as though the majority of the battle was fought and won during the three days of the RoboCup competition, we believe that a huge proportion of the fight was not with the other teams – it was duked out against ourselves during the months spent in preparation. It was only in the countless afternoons and nights spent attempting to achieve perfection that we found our success.

And yet, the pursuit of perfection will never end. There are no limits in the pursuit of improving our robotics skills, and the time prioritization at the competition venue could have been improved as well. This pursuit of perfection is the driving force behind Automatica: each time we think we’ve completed our tasks, or attained our goals, there’s always another peak to aspire to. Nonetheless, with the dazzling conclusion to our competition this season, we look forward to a 2016 with many more successes ahead!

By Deborah Lee (17A01D), Carman Chew (17A01D) and Lee Yun Ning (17A01E)
Photos courtesy of Adriel Tan (17S06C)

Tears were shed, hugs were exchanged and vigorous calculations were being made in the nerve-wracking thirty-minute wait for the release of the bowling ‘A division championship results. Over the past week, RI had fought hard, with the girls maintaining just a 6 points difference between their closest competitors, ACJC, and the boys coming in close for third place. The alley, flooded full with avid school supporters and even more avid parents, held their breaths with the bowlers, each wondering: was the performance on the last day good enough?

The answer came with a resounding roar from the RI bowlers when the results were finally released. The boys had done spectacularly, exceeding expectations and coming in second place overall, beating ACS (I) by just 2 points. The boys also did well for other events: not only did Boaz Chan Xu (16S03H) top the singles and all events category, he also came in third for doubles along with team captain Bertrand. Ryan Teo (17S07C), too, bagged a bronze trophy for high game — just 6 pins away from second place.

Bowler Bertrand Yan (16S06F) rolling his way to the top

The girls had even done even better, clinching the champion title by just a slight margin. There was a tie in the number of points between the girl teams from RI and ACS(I), but RI came in first place overall because Alyssa Deanna (17S07B) had a higher pin fall than the competitor’s top bowler. When asked how it felt like to be the deciding factor of the whole competition, Alyssa commented, “I didn’t expect myself to perform at my peak because it’s the last day of comps, which is the most stressful, and I don’t think I deal well with stress but I did it — I managed to control my emotions and take it one shot at a time.”

Bowler Alyssa Deanna (17S07B) hitting a spare by sparing no pin

Despite the stellar performance, there were still teams who didn’t go home with a trophy. Nonetheless, they took home memorable experiences of their strong camaraderie, having worked equally hard and helping one another press on through the tough fight. In the words of an RI bowler: “Even though we ourselves didn’t win, I would like to think that we played an indirect role in helping the girls clinch champions. Maybe we bowled and cheered so well next to the other schools they were scared of our faces.”

For Tabitha Ong (17S03A) and Andrea Ng (17S07C), it had been their first competition, only picking up the sport a few months ago, but the two managed to remain calm and make the experience a memorable one. “Today’s performance wasn’t the best,” said Tabitha. “But we tried our best,” laughed Andrea.

In the recent Master’s event held on Saturday, pitting the top bowlers from each school against each other, both Tiara and Boaz clinched runner’s up in the girls and boys categories respectively.

Bowler Andrea Ng (17S07C) returning victorious from one of her strikes

In addition, the vibrant spirit of 30 councillors made up the motivational voice for the team and constantly cheered them on, completing every passionate “RA-” shouted by the bowlers with a resounding “-FFLES!”. Said Vice Head of CCAD, Jerome Boon (16S06K), “Today’s performance was commendable since the team was facing strong competition, and they managed to put up a good fight. I’m proud to see our fellow Rafflesians achieve good results.”

Both team captains and teachers-in-charge were pleased with the outcome of today’s competition, with Mr CH Low acknowledging that the team ‘exceeded their normal performances, which was a pleasant surprise.’ The team captains Han Rae Ann (16S07A) and Bertrand Yan (16S06F) of the Boys and Girls team respectively shared the same sentiments, Rae Ann attesting that ‘Our team fought hard despite there being lots of ups and downs.’ and Bertrand similarly affirming that ‘Everyone showed strong character and fought hard and managed to keep their spirits up.’
Raffles Press would like to congratulate bowling for their great achievements!

The bowling batch of ‘16 and ‘17 celebrating their win

By Rachel Lim (16A01E)

On 29 April 2016, the National Stadium seated a crowd of roaring spectators in the thousands-strong, boasting students from schools ranging from Cedar Girls’ Secondary to Victoria Junior College. With cheering competitions, ‘flexcams’ claiming their enthusiastic victims and the initiation of the quintessential ‘Kallang wave’, there was hardly a dull moment for members of the thundering audience.  So when the pin-drop silence hit right before each race, ushered by Nila the SEA games mascot on the massive LED screens, the tension in the stadium was almost palpable. Under the eyes of a sea of nearly 15,000 peers and judges, the grand stage was set with the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands looming in the backdrop, and the athletes only had one goal in mind.

The scene of the A Division Girls’ 800 metres finals (Source: Rachel Lim)

Such was the pressure that the athletes faced during the Track and Field Finals this year, where their fates were somehow going to be sealed in just the hundredths of a second, faster than a blink of the eye. Thankfully, many of our competitors from Raffles Track and Field saw their hard work and determination bear fruit, earning podium positions in 15 final events. One of them was Joshua Chua, who achieved a new record time of 10.87s in the B Division Boys’ 100 metres final on top of his gold.

Joshua Chua set a new record in the B Division Boys’ 100 metres (Source: TODAY)

Aside from Joshua Chua, the entire boys’ team attained similarly stellar results. Mohammad Shafiq Anshad (17A01D) clinched 1st in the A Division Boys’ 1500 metres, while RI’s relay team achieved 1st in both the A Division Boys’ 4 x 100 metres relay, and the A Division Boys’ 4 x 400 metres relay.

The girls were also a force to be reckoned with. Amirah Aljunied (17S06H) won the gold in the A Division Girls’ 100 metres and the relay team came in 1st in the A Division Girls’ 4 x 100 metres relay, amongst other impressive achievements.

Amirah Aljunied achieving a personal best of 12.97s (Source: Les Tan/Red Sports)

However, the road to the top was definitely not without hurdles. “[A highlight] for Track this year,” according to Boys’ Captain Bryan Wong (16S06L), “would be winning even though we were down with a lot of injuries.”

He went on to recount a few harrowing yet heartening tales of track members who competed with injuries and won or never gave up, against the odds. This included Jordan Chia (17S07B), who clinched 1st in the shot put finals despite having a fractured finger. Moreover, high jump competitor Justin Lee (17S06J) suffered from a Grade 2 tear on the hamstring but still managed to accomplish a new personal best of 1.93m in his event. Last but not least, Chester Lee (16S06F) persisted in his 5000 metres race even though it meant crawling his way to the finish line, quite literally. In the event, Chester was in 3rd place but collapsed with only 120 metres remaining due to heat exhaustion. Nevertheless, he collected himself and continued to run before falling yet again only 10 metres before the finishing line. From that distance, he finally dragged himself to the ending point of the race.

These remarkable acts of sheer resilience demonstrated by the aforementioned track members are certainly a testament to their personal strength, as well as an overwhelming team spirit. As Bryan Wong comments, “I guess when your teammates want it so much, we know we’ll win the fight.”

With the conclusion of the Track and Field championships, we leave you with the track motto: “It is we who will be known forever by the tracks we leave behind,” and Raffles Press wishes the whole Track team a similarly spectacular season in the coming years.

A beaming team after the championships were concluded. Congratulations, Track and Field! (Source: Raffles Track and Field

The full results of the Track and Field championships can be found here.

By Jeanne Tan (17A01B)

The small lecture theatre was silent. The finalists, including RI Gavel Club’s own Cheung Chun Jing (17A01A), filed out. I was sitting near the back with the other Gaveliers who had made the trip to Tampines JC. On my right was Manu Neethi Cholan Kapilan (16S06N), last year’s impromptu champion and probably the most nervous person in the room.

For the impromptu segment, participants were given a prompt with no preparation time, and had to speak on the topic: “There is no hardship, but workmanship, in leadership.” for no less than 1 minute, with a maximum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

There were five competitors in this round, with the first round being held two weeks earlier. The top five speakers  had been chosen between two different impromptu rounds – one with five minutes prep time, and the other with no prep time – to compete for the challenge shield in the finals. First-timer Chun Jing was the only finalist from RI, and the only girl in the mix. The pressure was on her to win back the shield that Kapilan had (very reluctantly) handed over.  

It was to be a tough challenge. With no buffer time, the winners’ fates relied on whether they could decipher the prompt on the spot. There was some degree of misinterpretation, a finalist at one point pausing his speech and asking the emcees to repeat the question. Nevertheless, VJC’s Ajay Nair gave a standout performance, using a personal example of a leader in his life. “He’s good, he’s good,” I could hear Kapilan muttering under his breath, teeth chattering. “I only beat him once,” he told me. “Granted, he only ever competed against me once, but still…”

But there was apparently nothing to fear. Chun Jing spoke with clarity and confidence, making full use of the body language and gestures that every Gavelier is trained in.

Chun Jing wowed us with her professionalism.

Afterwards, Chun Jing said that she “couldn’t even remember” what she said. “I was really nervous, but I was told to tell anyone who asked that I felt confident, and that was the attitude that I needed going into this competition.”

The second part of this competition was the prepared segment. With the broad theme of “Leadership”, contestants were given 3-5 minutes to deliver  their speech. Due to time constraints, the prepared segment would be held in only one round, making it a challenge for contestants to make themselves noticed.

And right off the bat, the bar was set sky high. Each speech was well thought through and nearly all were powerfully delivered.

RI’s contestant was another first-timer, Alexander Er (17S06S). I was personally excited to hear him, as the preparation and training had been intense for him. Alexander did not disappoint, delivering his speech entitled, “Everyday Leadership”.

Starting out by posing a 50-dollar challenge to the audience, he captured our attention right away and held on to it, pulling us in with the idea that we become leaders through our everyday actions. A story about the simple kindness his father’s mentor did for a depressed stranger through an Aunt Agony column was especially powerful in driving his message, and Alexander even adapted quickly when one audience member responded unexpectedly to a question he asked. As a fledgling member of Gavel myself, I was utterly wowed by his confidence and delivery.

Even the elaborate, old-school bell didn’t faze him.

“Being a leader is not just about titles or positions, it is not about being a Prime Minister, not about being a prefect, not about being a chairman, it is about you and me impacting another person’s life, through the little things we say or do. Everyday. “ –Alexander Er

After this, there were quite a few speeches that were impossible not to notice. Johan Ding from ACJC shared a story about leadership and team spirit on the school rugby team. Lee Wen Qi from TPJC used the traditional Chinese character 聽 (simplified: 听, meaning: to listen) – confusing the Chinese-speaking audience for a minute – to stress that a leader’s role is about speaking with a loud voice, but to keep that voice in check and listen to those around you. Neo Ling Li from Dunman High School stood out for the personal story she used, where she, as a head prefect, invited the ‘ah lian’s in her school to confront her, to motivate them through personal leadership to tuck in their school shirts. With enthusiastic gestures and a clear tone of voice, I found her to be the biggest standout of the prepared segment.

While the judges deliberated, the guest of honour, Dr Chan Mun Kitt, gave a quick sharing, during which he listed three things for speakers to remember: know your topic, know your audience, know your context.

Besides deftly making use of the tripartite rule, Dr Chan imparted this knowledge through personal anecdotes, making it something I couldn’t help but pay attention to (who can resist the story of a guy who tried to give a serious speech at a dance party?)  even when the slip of paper containing the results was passed in front of me from the judges to the emcees.

Finally, the moment arrived. I was on the edge of my seat. Kapilan was making the entire row of seats vibrate.

The emcees announced the top five winners of the prepared segment first. Despite my having taken meticulous notes, the results came as a surprise. Unfortunately, Alexander did not score a trophy. The names of the five impromptu finalists were called, one-by-one, in reverse order. The suspense hit its climax when, with only two names yet to be announced, the emcees paused to remind the audience that the winner would be presented with the challenge shield.

“Champion, Cheung Chun Jing from Raffles Institution.”

Chun Jing was presented with a golden trophy and the much-coveted shield by Dr Chan.  Kapilan cheered and sank back against his chair as she made her way back to us. The RI supporters were the loudest in the room as we all huddled around her in celebration.

“We got it back!” –Kapilan

I managed to catch Chief Judge Mr Richard Sng, an experienced speaker and a longtime judge of the TPJC competition, for his opinions on the competition.  He emphasised the importance of making your takeaway known, moderating body language, balancing the pace and tone of voice and strong language skills. He said that winners were not judged based on their charisma, but on the believability, relatability and content of their message.

All of the RI Gaveliers are proud of both contestants for giving it their best and making a wonderful effort in their first competition. It was the result of weeks of hard work, and as an audience member it was evident that it truly paid off in their performances.

As we all left the LT in jubilation, I asked Alex and Chun Jing for their feelings. Alex shared with me, “I may have not won, but it was an enriching experience and I have definitely grown as a speaker.” Chun Jing, ever humble, said, “I’m quite surprised [with the result], as I think Ajay did really well. But after all that training, I just feel really relieved that it’s all over.”

Congratulations Chun Jing and Alexander!

Winners (prepared):
1st – Neo Ling Li (DHS)
2nd – Johan Ding Kar En (ACJC)
3rd – Sean Pang Kar Xiong (NYJC)
4th – Derek Terrance Lee (VJC)
5th – Lee Wen Qi (TPJC)

Winners (impromptu):
1st – Cheung Chun Jing (RI)
2nd – Ajay Nair (VJC)
3rd – Chee You (VJC)
4th – Alvin Ben Abraham (IHS)
5th – Keltonn Lim Jing Feng (DHS)

by: Serafina Siow (17A13A)

Photos by: Guan Xin (17S06B)

This was the sixth year the RI Softball boys were in the finals and the last five times they came away winning. Eager to continue this streak of wins, the team looked determined and undaunted by the stakes as they stepped onto the field against Hwa Chong Institution.

To put it simply, softball comprises of 5 innings each divided into two halves. The first half consists of the team on offence batting to try and score runs while the team on defence occupies the field and tries to record three outs. In the other half, the teams swap their roles. The team that scores the most runs or points wins the game.

RI fielders ready for action

The first and second innings were unremarkable with RI preventing HCI from scoring and unable to score a run during their half to bat. In the third inning, the team seemed to hit their stride – as Tien Chun (16S03F) stepped up to the plate, all eyes were on him for a successful hit with a RI batter at each of the three bases. He did not disappoint and sent the ball far off into the outfield, allowing all three batters to sprint to home base, achieving a grand slam. 

Sliding into home.

RI then widened the score difference in the 4th inning and entirely shut out HCI to stop them from scoring. Separate home runs from Chow Rui Yan (17S06O) and Tien Chun continued to increase the winning margin, while Daryl Kow (16S06R) and Ong Juan Xun (17S06K) capitalised on fumbles from HCI to score runs as well.

Huddling during a timeout

The last inning saw RI playing a tight defensive game, only conceding a point to HCI when they scored a run. The pitcher, Jorell Low (16S06H), overcame his disappointment to shut out the rest of HCI’s batters and sealed the win for the team with a score of 9-1 to RI.

Smiles all around

Raffles Press would like to congratulate the Softball boys for their hard fought victory. We wish them all the best in their future competitions!

Score by inning

1st inning:0-0

2nd inning: 0-0

3rd inning: 5-0 to RI

4th inning: 9-0 to RI

5th inning: 9-1 to RI

List of players: Chow Rui Yan (17S06O), Ong Juan Xun (17S06G), Oh Ziglar (17S07B), Nigel Wong Zi Yang (17S03K), Darren Heng Chen Ka (17S06I), Li Danyang (17S06O), Andre Chia Shaw Jin (17S06S), Justin Foo Jie Hao (17S06C), Siew Jia Yang (17S06J), Daryl Kow Kai Jun (16S06R), Tien Chun (16S03F), Cher Wee Zheng (16S05A), Jorell Low Ruiheng (16S06H), Benjamin Loke Zhen Yi (16S06F), Joshua Chan Yuan Kang (16S06O), Jang Yu Joon (16S06I), Rusell Boon Wei Cheong (16S03S)

By Hari Kope (16S06H)

This was a journey defined by hardship, constant setbacks and a steely resolve to overcome all odds.

The Rafflesian ruggers started their 2016 season strongly with a win against tough opponents ACJC with a scoreline of 19-12 and went on to perform very well in the preliminary rounds winning 5 out of 6 games. This included a dominating win against arch-rivals Saint Andrews in the group stages by a score of 30-3 which sealed RI a spot in the semi-finals. After finishing second in the preliminary round-robins, RI was slotted into a bracket facing Saints again in the semi-finals. This time however, the Saints were back hungrier and with a raucous crowd behind them fought much harder in the knockout round with the first half ending 0-0.

Our Ruggers in action

Right after the second half started, our ruggers were very clinical in their moves and scored a try to get ahead 5-0. However, against the run of play the Saints levelled through an interception and the score was back at a nail biting 5-5. Our kicker stepped up to the task and scored two penalties to ensure a final scoreline of 11-5 and after a long wait of 3 years, Raffles Rugby was in the A division finals again. This victory was a bittersweet one though as vice-captain and top try scorer so far in the season Ivar Johann Lassesen suffered an ankle injury which ruled him out of the finals. This compounded the team’s already long injury list which included their captain, the other vice-captain and some of their best players.

Our ruggers went into the finals against powerhouses and defending champions ACSI who they had also previously lost to in the group stages. We started on the backfoot as ACSI took us by surprise early scoring 3 tries in quick succession and converting them all to take a strong hold over the game at 21-0. The team refused to bow down and fought back hard and had two to three near scoring opportunities which were saved in last ditch attempts by the ACSI backline. ACSI too continued to press strong and were able to consolidate their lead to 26-0 at halftime. In the second half we bounced back to get on the board through a penalty which was converted by inside centre Christopher Mak. However, the constant pressure from the ACSI attack meant that we could not get back possession enough and eventually we succumbed to a loss.

Fighting fiercely

But it was clear that the Rafflesian spirit was strong in all the spectators and the team as we gathered for a huddle to celebrate the achievements of a very special batch of ruggers. Sure there may have been some disappointment but looking back, this was truly a momentous season for them. This was a journey of a band of ruggers who came together and achieved what many thought would not have been possible.

Rafflesians unite

By Kaushik Rangaraj (17S06P)

Photo Credits: Akshay Babu (17S06O)

Scorecard:*

ACS (I): 95/8 in 20 overs (Shikhar – 37, Anirudh – 13, Dineru 2-13, Sushmit 2-19)

RI: 87/10 in 19.2 overs (Sushmit – 17, Laavanya – 17, Anirudh 3-12, Somil 3-12)

It was an early start, unlike the previous matches of the tournament, starting off at 9.15am. Due to rain last week, the match had been postponed from the 19th to 24th. Hence, players from both sides were raring to go and play the match. Despite early signs of foul weather, the match went on without a hitch. The long history of rivalry between the schools also added some spice to the build-up to the finals.

First up, ACS(I) won the toss and elected to bat first. ACS(I) openers Anish Srinivasan (#50) and Shikhar Verma (#04) walked in ready to set a strong base for the rest to capitalise on. But it was not to be. Raffles Bowlers were outstanding, turning in their best performance in the tournament to date. This surpassed even their semi-finals performance where they had dismissed SJI(I) for 24 as this time they were pitted against a much superior batting unit. Thirumoorthy Divagar, (#36, 16S06B) started off with a tight first over, conceding just a single and almost creating several chances. His spell of 3-0-9-0 upfront set the tone for the innings and was unlucky to go unrewarded as a few catches were dropped off his bowling.

At the other end, the other bowlers fed off his excellent line and length with their own pressure building bowling. Many chances continued to come but most were not taken. The opposition batsmen were twitchy and were taking risky singles to try and rotate strike so that they could start gathering momentum as well keep the scoreboard ticking. Though wickets fell here and there, they were not really frequent due to several missed chances. At the halfway mark, the score stood 37-2.

Team celebrating after another wicket loss

At this stage, the bowlers seemed to release the pressure briefly as for the next 6 overs, the batsmen started scoring freely, especially taking advantage of Mohammad Ameen Bhadelia, (#8, 16S06M), sweeping him for 2 fours. But once Shikhar was dismissed for 37 by Ameen, the tide turned again. ACS(I) gave away a strong base, scoring just 22 runs and losing 5 wickets in the last 4 overs, bowled by Sushmit Sharma (#2, 16S06P), Aahan Gopinath Achar (#3, 17S03J) and Dineru Priyalal Premasinghe (#11, 17S06C). RI bowlers returned strongly through some impressive death bowling and allowed RI to finish on a strong note. Restricting an imposing batting line-up to below par total of 95-8 is no mean feat. Ameen took a few blinders while wicketkeeper Harish Thiyagarajan (#07, 16S03F) took a high catch off the last ball of the innings emulating last year’s match by effecting a wicket off the last ball.

Sushmit Sharma (#02, 16S06P) celebrating after taking a wicket in his last match

Laavanya Kejriwal (#13, 17S07B) and Tom Joju (#6, 16S03G) started off calmly, not taking any unnecessary risks as the total was not too difficult. But disaster struck next over, as Tom was dismissed by Anirudh (#07). Anirudh proved to be the bane of RI’s top order as both Harish and Laavanya got out in his next 2 overs respectively. Laavanya did manage to entertain the RI supporters with a sweetly timed six off Vikas (#74) before he got out the next over.

Laavanya Kejriwal (#13, 17S07B) on his way to a sweetly played 17

The quick fall of wickets led to a period of consolidation by captain Ameen and vice-captain Sushmit as they combined for one last time to do the job for Raffles once again. But it was not to be as Sushmit got out for a quick 17 with the team on 47. New batsman Aahan and Ameen again consolidated but their lack of strike rotation increased the required run rate (runs needed per 6 balls). Once Aahan got out caught and bowled off an excellent reflex catch by Somil (#08), pressure piled up on Ameen as he was running out of partners and the high run-rate forced him to take a risk and this lead to his dismissal, ending his innings prematurely as he was caught on the boundary going for a big shot. Raghupathy Jaivikash (#10, 16S03N), Divagar and Dineru tried their best along with C Vignesh Subramaniam (#01, 16S06R) to score the remaining runs but lost their wickets going for quick runs. Soon enough, at the start of the final over, 13 runs were required with the last pair at the crease.  The match had come to its thrilling finale.

The responsibility of delivering the high-stakes final over was handed to Siddiqui (#10). Vignesh was on strike. Supporters from both sides were on their feet, eagerly cheering for their team to bring home the trophy. The first ball was a wide, and quick-thinking from Mustafa Kaedjohare Chechatwala (#14, 17S03J) led to a quick single. This pressured the wicketkeeper who with a wayward throw let batsmen pinch another run. Vignesh was on strike again to the good luck of Raffles. Next ball Vignesh hit it down the ground and again the batsmen stole another run. But trying to sneak in another run to let Vignesh face again, he was run out thereby ending the match in a dramatic manner. Raffles had lost a hard-fought match by 9 runs.

Captain Ameen felt that “it was a shame to give it away so easily” as “(w)e were in the driving seat the whole way”. He felt that the team was in the best of form as they went into the finals. “We started the game really well restricting ACS to a modest total of 95 and with our batting lineup, we should be chasing that day in day out,” He said. “I feel that the batsmen took it lightly and did not take responsibility when they batted.”

Vice-captain Sushmit had this to say about the whole season, “Apart from training two to three times every week, and even more frequently towards the end of the season, we’ve played a total of 18 matches. I’m glad to say that even after making mistakes, each and every player has acknowledged his weaknesses and trained hard to overcome them. Overall, I’m very proud of the lads for coming so far since the start of the season.”

All in all, it was a terrific performance by the team, with each and every player putting in their best for all the matches over the season no matter who the opposition was. The team tried its hardest but hard luck to them, they did not manage to cross the line. Let’s congratulate the team on its effort and hope they can go one step further next year.

1st Runners Up with Coaches Rex Martens and Iftekhar Haider

Team (according to batting order)

Laavanya Kejriwal, 13, 17S07B

Tom Joju, 6, 16S03G

Harish Thiyagarajan, 7 , 16S03F

Mohammad Ameen Bhadelia, 8, 16S06M

Sushmit Sharma, 2, 16S06P

Aahan Gopinath Achar, 3, 17S03J

C Vignesh Subramaniam, 1, 16S06R

Raghupathy Jaivikash, 10, 16S03N

Thirumoorthy Divagar, 36, 16S06B

Dineru Priyalal Premasinghe, 11, 17S06C

Mustafa Kaedjohare Chechatwala, 14, 17S03J

Reserves:

Sukkrivaa Vijayan, 12, 16S05A

Ashish Jayaprasad, 11, 16S03K

Akshay Babu, 99, 17S06O

M Muhammad Muhsin, 16,17S06R

Lakshminarayanan Kaushik Rangaraj, 25, 17S06P

*Scorecard format: [School]: [Runs]/[Wickets], (Top batsmen – runs scored, Top opposing bowler, wickets claimed – Runs given away)