Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category
2012: Match Report: Basketball Boys Finals
May 23rd, 2012 by CCA PROMay 18, 2012.
Basketball Boys win the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE against strong rivals Anderson JC!
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Congratulations! Here are the scores~
Overall Score: 66-53 – 15-13, 30-28, 46-42, 66-53
But the scores definitely do not reflect the action, drama and effort that went down at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall! Read on to find out more!
Game play
The match is split into 4 quarters of 10 minutes each, in between which there is a 1 break or 4 minute intermission at half time.
Scoring system
1 point—when goal scored is from free throw. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots.
Terminologies
Offense: The team with the ball
Defense: The team without the ball. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds.
Our Basketball Team
♯4 – Peter Soo
♯2 – Austin Cooper
♯6 – David Soo
♯7 – Chee Khan Liang
♯8 – Bala Tan Jun Wei
♯9 – Ang Shi He
♯10 – Raymond Loo (VC)
♯11—Lee Lai Sheng (C)
♯12 – Rolu Oyekami (C)
♯13 – Cheong Rong Hao (VC)
♯14 – Shawn Tan Kai
♯15 – Alvin Chun
The tension in the air was palpable, as our boys reveled in the atmosphere before heading down to the court to face the tough battle ahead. After a brief introduction of players and a rallying “Hwa Chong Whooosh!” cheer, the boys were ready for the much-anticipated match. Let the game begin!
First Quarter (15-13)
Our boys started the match flying, almost immediately shooting the first basket of the game and leaving the AJC team flustered. Impressive game-play, and far, accurate passes led us on a winning streak to leave the game at 4-1 to us. Knowing what they were up against, AJC stepped up their game and fought back hard, resulting in a spectacular scrabble for the ball in which players from both teams wrestled for the ball on the ground. However, this led to AJC being awarded 2 free throws for fouls during the scuffle, bring the score back up 4-3 with us still in the lead. Even so, armed with lightning quick reflexes, our bball boys thundered through the game, bringing the score to 3-11. Our boys made it look so easy, AJC was of no match! But AJC soon started raking in the points from free throws, and their momentum carried them on to score impressive 3-pointers amongst other well-played balls. Even though Hwa Chong fought back hard, the first quarter ended 13-15 to AJC.
Second Quarter (28-30)
Not willing to take AJC being in the lead, our boys displayed true blue Hwa Chong spirit and fought on hard, but AJC players’ overhead passes and quick darts between weak links of defense allowed them to continue riding their wave of continuous shots to a score of 15-24. Then after stealing the ball from the rebound, #7, Khan Liang finally breaks our dry spell with a spectacular goal, and we get closer to equalizing with a score of 17-24! AJC started to get nervous, especially after a ball thrown over more than half the court is caught by #8, Bala, who then sinks in a stunning shot even though an opponent fouled him during his attempt! Free throws by Bala then brought the score back up to 26-26. We were even! Our boys were on a roll, and sneaky lay-ups and a shot by #12, Rolu let us end the 2nd quarter 30-28 ((:
Third Quarter (46-42)
AJC started off this quarter with 2 consecutive shots to lead 30-32, but their hopes were quickly dashed by a 3-pointer by #10, Raymond that saw our score leap up to 33-32. But the audiences were kept on tenterhooks as AJC caught up again with a free throw. Probably cheered on by the enthralled and supportive audience, the HC team climbs back up 40-36 when #4, Peter, breaks away from his defenders and goes in for a shot, and #6, David, gets another 2 points for the team with his accurate free throws. The close fight between AJC and HCI continued, as each team alternately sunk shots. With time nearly up, free throws and surprise lay ups put AJC in the lead 41-42. But our players were not done yet and the game heated up, with a mad dash followed by yet another frantic scrabble on the ground for the ball that ended with #11, Lai Sheng clutching his leg in pain and leaving the coach little choice but to sub him out. Determined to fight on for their injured teammate, our bball boys steeled their resolve, which did not go by unpaid. Just before the 3rd quarter ended, our boys sink in another 2 goals to leave us comfortably in the lead at 46-42!! One more quarter till it all ends!
Last Quarter (66-53)
The boys knew that this last 10 minutes were one of the most crucial 10 minutes of their life. And they played it brilliantly. #6, David, scores yet another goal with a lay-up, setting the tone right for the rest of the game. After yet another confusing clash within the 3-point arc, our advantage was further augmented when the key player, #15, of AJC suddenly rolls over in pain and was subbed out. But the intensity of the game did not lessen the least, and the game was marked with funny moments such as one whereby the ball even ended up trapped beneath a player (who was somehow lying on the floor)! But even so, our players stole the show. We were on a winning streak! #14, Shawn, swooshed in a 3-pointer, #15, Alvin sinks another 2 pointer in easily, #6, David checks in another… Whew, would we ever stop? Really quickly, we were up 60-50! The audience was fed with exciting sequences: jaw-droppingly cool shots like a tricky behind-back pass to #8, Bala, who then dribbles it towards the goal… only to clash and with an opponent who was blocking his way… But that did not stop Bala, who picked himself up and garnered another 4 points for the team, bringing us up to 50-64. The crowd in Toa Payoh sports hall was trembling in excitement—not long more before Hwa Chong was to be crowned champions yet again, for the 7th time! AJC makes a feeble attempt to regain control of the game, but with a free throw by #12, Rolu, and the final shot by #4, Peter…. (drumroll)
With a score of 66-53….
HWA CHONG WINS THE GAME!!
Once again, History was made today. 七连霸. Congratulations Hwa Chong Basketball Boys!
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Here are some words about today’s game by Co-Captain, Rolu Oyekami:
How are you feeling right now?
It feels great to be able to retain the championship. We were provided extra motivation and a source of thrust during the game, especially since the girls lost their match.
How did you feel during the game (e.g. during the 2nd quarter) when you were behind?
I think we for we have it in our heads that after the final whistle, it won’t be us at the losing end. So we kept our morale up and kept our trust in each other that in the end, we will win.
Were there any specific strategies you all took when you were at the losing end?
Not really. The coach just kept shouting at us until we were in our normal stride and played like we normally do. Even though all of us are independent in our game, but at the same time we trust our teammates so we knew when to make the right passes to them, so it was good play in all.
Is there anyone you, or your team would want to specifically thank?
For me, I would like to thank God for giving me strength and letting me remain in Singapore so I can play for the team, Mom, Dad, who are still around to help me, team mates who gave me a lot of courage and support throughout…
The team would really like to thank our coaches for their dedication and constant belief in us. Without them, this dream would never been realized.
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Presenting to you, the Hwa Chong Basketball Team 2011/2012
2012: Match Report: Basketball Girls Finals
May 22nd, 2012 by CCA PROMay 18, 2012
The much awaited Basketball Girls Finals is finally here! At the Toa Payoh Sports Hall an hour before the game, the tension in the air reverberated through the entire hall as supporters from both sides streamed in. A great match it was, although our girls were unfortunately outmatched by the opponents, Raffles Institution(RI) 47-74 after a draining physical and mental “warfare”!
First up: The Team!
#4 Amber Tan
#5 Sing Qing
#6 Tan Yen Yi
#7 Ooi Li Wen
#8 Pamela Loh
#9 Jolie Ng
#10 Edna Lim
#11 Glenda Yeo
#12 Amanda Choo
#13 Joey Tan
#14 Ramona Wong (C)
#15 Lavinia Chu
The game is split into four quarters, each quarter lasting 10 minutes with either 1 minute or 4 minutes breaks in between quarters.
The Match!
First Quarter
The fiery fighting spirits of the players from both schools roared the game to a start! Within seconds after the ball left the referee hands, an opponent team player darted ferociously towards our hoop and scored a layup, commencing the game with a quick 0-2. After a few minutes, our team seemed to be tangled in a dry spell as RI continually scores and widens the gap to 0-5. However, our girls remained calm and composed in the face of such strong opposition and a free throw awarded to Jolie finally reversed our fate! Impressive dribbling skills, lightning-like reflexes and far, accurate passes put the team back into the game with a score of 10-8. BUT the opposition proved to be of much difficulty with their tricky runs and layups, once again pulling the gap to 15-10. Just when things seemed all too difficult, a stunning three-pointer by Sing Qing wowed the crowd. Time seemed to have stood still and silence ensued as the ball floated through the air, eventually finding its way into the hoop! At the end of the first quarter, the score is RI 18 – 13 HCI.
Second Quarter
This time round, our girls started the game aggressively with an unexpected counter attack, scoring a layup! Brilliant interceptions were accompanied with neat one-to-one passes, displaying excellent chemistry between the teammates. Along with accurate shots at goal, it was not long after that our team drew even and went in front of the opponents with a score of 20-22!
Jolie once again made the school proud with a beautiful swerve in between two opponent defenders, ending the dribble with an equally awesome layup. However, the opposition was some mean challenge, and they put a full stop to the second quarter with a score of RI 31 – 25 HCI.
Third Quarter
The third quarter of the game was marked with a series of fast game play from both teams. Good, coordinated teamwork was evident as both teams fought for the ball and tried their utmost to defend their possession.
Unfortunately, the fatigue in our team was slowly catching up with the players and the point gap soon widened. Yet, our girls displayed strong resilience and a never-say-die spirit. An astonishing three-pointer by Joey Tan put us back into the game! In spite of the commendable efforts our girls committed into the game, the RI players seemed to have slightly greater endurance.
The game slowly seemed to float away from our grasp as the third quarter came to a close at RI 54 – 38 HCI…
Fourth Quarter
Admittedly, the RI team had played well and consistent throughout the entire game. They once again started the fourth quarter dramatically with a few stunning shots, turning he score to 60-38. Although the game by now was probably out of our reach, awe-inspiring sportsmanship was displayed by each and every player on the court and the thought of giving up never crossed their minds! Underbaskets, layups and two or three-pointer shots were but examples of the school spirit our basketballers possessed as they steeled themselves. Despite a score of 70-43, Pamela continued to award the supporters with something to be proud of and something to celebrate and cheer. A silent and composed 3-pointer shot by her erupted into hoots of cheers and an uproar of “woah”s and “aah”s. However, the gap proved too wide for our team to close, and the fourth quarter ended with RI 75 – 47 HCI.
FINAL SCORE: RI 75 – 47 HCI.
While our girls did not manage to emerge as champions, their efforts are still definitely worth a round of applause. With spectacular fighting spirits and excellent sportsmanship, the team held their heads high and nevertheless swelled with pride as they were crowned with the silver medals. Good job girls, we are proud of you!
2012: Match Report: Softball Boys Finals
May 22nd, 2012 by CCA PROOn 15th May, our very own Softball Boys went all out against their traditional rivals Raffles Institution in a challenging fight for the championship title. With a final earth-shaking cheer, Team Hwa Chong was ready to face their opponents.
After 5 physically and mentally demanding innings, our guys put up a good fight but were eventually outmatched 3-0.
A peek at the team!
Pitcher–#19 Edmond
Catcher–#79 Alston
First Base–#20 Jiafan
Second Base–#12 Desmond
Shortstop–#27 Marcel
Third Base–#17 Jun Wei
Centerfield–#16 Joshua
Right–#23 David
Left–#21 Samuel
Substitutes
#2 Benjamin
#3 Kelvin
#9 Aaron Chia
And now, some rules!
Rules
There are 9 players on a softball team, who play on a playing field divided into the infield and outfield. Any ball going outside the 1st or 3rd base line is a foul ball (runners can not advance and the batter gets another try unless the ball was caught in the air, which translates to an out).
There are 5 innings (a inning is when both teams have had their turn to bat).
A run is scored every time a base runner touches all four bases, in the sequence of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and home.
Terms
Pop up – ball hit up in the air to the infield
Strike – term used when a ball is swung at and missed or is called when the ball enters the strike zone and is not swung at all.
Grounder – A ball that is hit on the ground
Now, let the game begin!
1st Inning
Offensive play (0-0)
Team Hwa Chong started off on the wrong foot with the first two of our batters striking out, after trying their best to contact the ball and send it out. They remained composed and Joshua managed to contact the ball, sending it to the Raffles shortstop. The grounder was hard and fast, causing the Raffles player to panic and overthrow, allowing Joshua to advance to second base. Alston, the fourth batter, was unfortunately hit by the Raffles pitcher. A free base was given and he advanced to one. Up next was David. He hit a high ball towards third base but the Raffles third base player caught it in the air, making the three outs and concluding our offensive play.
Defensive play (0-1)
It was Raffles’ turn to attack. Despite our pitcher, Edmond’s fast and accurate pitches, Raffles’ first batter hit a home run to left field before our players could tag him out. The second batter hit a fast grounder to our second baseman, Desmond. He fielded the ball flawlessly and threw the batter out at 1. The subsequent pitches were perfect, striking the fifth Raffles batter out after he let a tricky strike pass.
2nd Inning
Offensive Play (0-1)
The Raffles pitcher, affected by Hwa Chong’s support and the immense pressure, hit Marcel with a wild pitch. This earned him a free base! In the next play, he tried to steal to 2 with his lightning legs but the umpire’s call was not in our favour, and he was tagged out. Next batter Desmond had three strikes against him but due to an error made by the Raffles catcher, Desmond could make an effort towards 1.
Defensive Play (0-3)
This play started well with two Raffles batters striking out and a player on second base. Our players slipped up and allowed two of our opponents to reach home, scoring two more runs against us, resulting in a 0-3 score. But no matter, there was still a lot of time to catch up.
3rd inning
Offensive Play (0-3)
After two good at-bats, our players unfortunately struck out. This series of misfortunes continued when Samuel managed to foul the change up, but was called out due to the play “foul tip”.
Defensive play (0-3)
Our players, driven and unaffected by the score, proceeded to their third defensive play. Our pitcher, Edmond, had a streak of brilliant pitches once again and struck the batter out. However, the next batter managed to contact the ball and sent it back to Edmond. Fortunately, Desmond was alert and with his lightning reflexes, threw the runner out at 1. Just as Kelvin was subbed in to play, the batter hit a pop to left field, allowing Kelvin to catch the ball in the air and eliminate the batter without much effort. Our players were successful in holding the Raffles team down with the score stagnant at 3-0!
4th inning
Offensive Play (0-3)
With two more innings to go, our boys tried their best to get on base in order to reduce the score margin. Joshua had a good at-bat once again, testing the perseverance of his opponents, but the opponent unfortunately caught the ball before he could advance to first base. The opponent lost momentum and control of the ball, pitching a wild ball straight at Alston. In pain but still determined and ready, Alston sprinted to 2 once the next play started. But his slide was a split second too late and the opponent tagged him out before he could reach the base.
Defensive play (0-3)
This inning showcased the impregnability of our defense and concluded quickly as our players managed to eliminate the opponents before they could get on base. Joshua our center fielder caught the high ball batted by the opponent with impeccable judgment, eliminating the batter. Edmond had great control over his pitches and with six strikes, the next two batters had to return to the dugout without even touching the ball. Our boys continued to hinder the opponents from scoring more runs, maintaining the 3-0 score.
5th inning
This was the last chance to turn the tables against Raffles and clinch the well-deserved championship title. Jiafan judged the pitches well and left the tempting balls alone to hit a nice, center pitch. With his strength, the ball travelled great distances to left field. What bad luck it was that the opponent’s decent defense nullified Jiafan’s efforts, causing him to be eliminated after a good catch made by Raffles. In his last game for Hwa Chong, Benji provided a last glimmer of hope by batting a hard and fast grounder that the opponent was unable to catch. With him safe at one, Junwei tried his best to advance his teammate. He chose the pitches wisely and sent the ball fast and far to centerfield. Despite his efforts, the opponent clung onto their lead and ended the tough match with a good catch.
Our boys will definitely come back stronger and faster next year and will challenge the defending champions for the coveted championship title again! Their resilience and 自强不息 spirit was clearly displayed in this finals and Hwa Chong would like to congratulate them for their brilliant efforts and great sportsmanship.
Well done softball boys! We are proud of you!
Credits: Annette Wong from Softball who helped in writing the match report.
2012: Match Report: Touch Rugby Girls 3rd/4th Playoffs
May 22nd, 2012 by CCA PROHELLO ALL HWA-CHONGIANS! As the 38th Students’ Council steps down and the 39th steps up and warm up to their roles, we would like to say a big THANK YOU for all the support that you have shown us, the 38th CCA PROs, whether it was in contributing to or supporting our CCA articles, or even in your participation in the various CCA events and competitions! We hope that you will continue to support our junior CCA PROs, Zest and Jonathan, in their new term ahead!
Having given a chance to witness games at the forefront, we are sure that our sport teams would also like to extend a word of thanks to all the supporters and schoolmates for the encouragement and support demonstrated. Because when Hwa Chong Unite, We Show Our Might.
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On the 16th of May, our Touch Rugby Girls Team headed down for an exciting semi-final playoff against JJC, followed by the 3rd/4th playoff against SRJC! With an interesting showcase of skills, talents and determination amidst the blasting heat at St. Andrews’ Junior College field, our girls put up a fierce front and fought well! After a physically exhausting exchange of tactics and runs, our team was eventually outmatched by a point to JJC, with a final score of 4-3. They later played SRJC, but lost narrowly by one point again, finishing 2-1. Nevertheless, congrats on the National 4th girls!
A peek at the team!
Julia Ng (no. 1) – Captain
Gin Ong (no. 2)
Luisa Soon (no. 3)
Edeline Goh (no. 4)
Chong Xin Yi (no. 5)
Lim Rui Qi (no. 6)
Gladys Koh (no. 7) – Vice – Captain
Tan Yuan Ming (no. 8)
Samantha Tan (no. 9)
Maybelle Hoon (no. 10)
Elaine Ho (no. 11)
Rachel Khoo (no. 12)
Charmaine Ching (no. 13)
Kelyn Lee (no. 14)
Trina Chia (no. 15)
Inez Ow (16)
Basics of the game:
To win the game, a team must score a higher number of touchdowns than the opponent team. A touchdown is scored by tapping the ball down over the try line at the opponent’s half. The whole game is a straight 20 minutes, with both teams taking turns to attack and defend.
The player with possession of the ball in the attacking team can choose either to run and cover as much distance as possible or pass the ball to her teammates so that they can further advance towards the try line. However, after the player with the ball is “touched” by a player of the opponent team, she has to “roll ball” by placing the ball between her legs. The defenders will then have to move back 5 in a straight line parallel to the score line. The attacking team is allowed 6 “touches” before possession is changed. Possession is also changed when penalties such as a forward pass, touch-and-pass occur.
The defending team has to try their best to reduce the distance between the attacking team and the try line by denying them space and time. This is achieved by moving forward and “touching” the attacking team player with the ball so that a minimal distance is covered after each touch, before possession is swapped.
In today’s match,
HCI 1-0 JJC
HCI started the game with an impressive and awe-inspiring display of excellence! Barely a few minutes into the game, the mood was getting intense as players from both sides fought hard in their runs. Possession swapped rapidly among the two teams and the air was soon saturated with the fierce fighting spirits of the players! With a misplaced pass by JJC which caused the ball to drop onto the ground, possession returns to HCI. A few well-coordinated and tricky passes saw Maybelle through the defence line of the opponents. Maybelle then did a spectacular run and lunged towards the try line, touching down for HCI!
HCI 1-1 JJC
However, the opponents proved not to be pushovers and put up a brave front in the face of a strong team. They chased up in moments, leveling the score to 1-1. However, the Hwa Chong team was not demoralized and further fuelled their will and determination to take the game home!
HCI 2-1 JJC
HCI responded aggressively and in no time at all, we were once again leading in the game. A simple pass to Yuan Ming, and she was off and away with the opposition chasing behind her back! With yet another jaw-dropping dive towards the try line, she proved to be speedier than the opponents and performed a touchdown.
HCI 2-2 JJC
The fourth point of the game was captured after a long, adrenaline-pumped yet exhausting game play. Possession swapped several times and the ball can be seen bouncing up and down in the air with the sweet passes made by the team. The turning point came when Gladys made an unexpected burst through the defence, swerving through and catching the opponents off guard, covering an impressive distance! Unfortunately, the attack failed to break through ultimately and after a miscatch by a HCI player near our own try line, JJC managed to even the game.
HCI 2-3 JJC
Our team was further revved up by the turn of events and tried even harder to pull the game towards our advantage! Impressive drives (straight sprints) by Gladys and Yuan Ming quickly brought the ball deep into the opponent’s half. However, too hard a pass was made and possession was awarded to JJC. After yet again a few rounds of swapping possessions, a short pass to Yuan Ming was not caught as she seemed to be in pain. Despite this, Julia making a good “touch” near the try line, JJC touched down again, causing HCI to be at a disadvantage. Kudos to Yuan Ming for persevering in spite of the pain!
HCI 3-3 JJC
Hard defense by HCI now! JJC advanced forward rapidly but the game was soon to be stopped after a player of theirs tripped and seemed to be injured. As the game resumes, HCI provided yet another spectacular display of excellence in both defense and attack! Just before JJC could make a touchdown, a brilliant “touch” by HCI denied the opponents of this chance. HCI quickly counter-attacked, and a strong dive by Yuan Ming down the flank covered almost half the field! This moment of inspiration soon led to a touchdown by Rui Qi.
GAME OVER! HCI 3-4 JJC
The seventh and final point of the game was only to be captured after intensive bouts of sprints, touches, and passes. HCI pushed the ball into the opponent’s half with a series of succinct passes, but was stopped after 6 “touches” were made on them. JJC then forced the ball back into HCI’s half, and Maybelle did a breathtaking “touch” after a tricky change of pace by the opposing team’s player. Rui Qi made yet again another inspiring “touch” which denied the opponents. However, with an unlikely turn of events, JJC managed to push through and finally touched down. There was contention for this point as some of the players believed that JJC scored only after the full 20 minutes of the game was played, but the referee only blew the horn after this 20 minutes. Unluckily for HCI, the final ruling went against our favor.
Although the team did not emerge victorious this time round, they nevertheless provided the audience and the supporters with a brilliant spectacle of sportsmanship, respect and excellence! GOOD JOB Touch Rugby girls!
The 3rd-4th placing play-off was held later against Serangoon Junior College. Our girls emerged 4th in the end after yet another narrow miss by a single point, with the final scores at 2-1. Still, they tried their best and their efforts are definitely commendable. We are proud of you girls!
Presenting to you, the Hwa Chong Touch Rugby Girls 2011/2012 -
2012: Match Report: Softball Girls Finals
May 13th, 2012 by CCA PROThe much awaited softball girls finals is finally here! Our softball girls faced strong rivals Raffles Institution in an epic final at the Kallang Softball Pitch today. The blistering heat from today’s weather fueled the tension and fighting spirit that saturated the atmosphere as Team Hwachong completed their final warm up routine before starting the competition proper.
After a physically and mentally demanding match of five whole innings, our girls were eventually outmatched by our opponents with a score line of 6-2!
For starters, let us meet today’s first team lineup!
Dinna (No. 3)
Sue Mae (No. 7)
Jean (No. 11)
Xue Yi (No. 13) Pitcher
Nina (No. 15)
Jolene (No. 16)
Chloe (No. 17)
Ming Hui (No. 27)
Jing Wen (No. 33)
Hannah (No. 72)
To help everyone better understand the game, here are some basic rules about softball.
The game is split into five innings (sets), with both teams taking turns to attack and defend in each inning.
The attacking team aims to bat the balls pitched by the opposing pitcher as skillfully as possible (to prevent the defending opponents from catching the balls) in order to advance to another base. The attacking side scores a point when one batter has advanced pass all three bases and finally return to home base. However, a batterer can be ‘striked’ out if she fails to bat three appropriately thrown balls. However, if she pulls of a ‘good eye’ (act of spotting a foul throw and thus not swinging the bat), she will automatically advance to the next base. Batters can be tapped out if the defending players catch the ball and tap the batter before she reaches the next base. All batters will also be automatically dismissed from the field if any defending player catches the batted ball before it touches the ground.
The defending team will attempt to either catch the ball before it touches the ground to dismiss all attacking players on the field or to ‘catch’ running batters before they advance to a next base.
One attack ends when three players have be dismissed from the play area.
In today’s match, Team Hwa Chong as given the role of attackers first in each inning
With one final cheer , the girls were ready to start.
First inning
Offensive play (0-0)
Our first offensive inning started off decently as two of our batters gained ground and reached the second and first base respectively. However, a stroke of bad luck ensued and the opposing defenders managed to catch all three players on field at the same time and managed to hold us to a 0-0 score line just as our girls were getting warmed up!
Defensive play (0-2)
It soon became Raffles’ turn to attack. Once again, the round started well and all bode well for our softball girls as we eliminated two of their players quickly. However, a slip during an attempt to catch a batted ball allowed one of the opponent players through to home base. The opponents then pulled off a fine bat and managed to score another point before our defenders tapped out a third player before she could reach the first base. The score line was two points in favour of Raffles, but it wasn’t over just yet!
Second Inning
Offensive play (1-2)
In this inning, our girls got their momentum and started to threaten the Rafflesian defense with a series of successful battings and judgments of foul pitches. Finally, a breakthrough came when Jean provided a stroke of brilliance and sent the ball swishing past all the infield and outfield Rafflesian defenders. Our runner on the second base was able to sprint all the way to home base as our opponents watched on, attempting to through the ball back to the infield defenders to tap her out but to no avail.
Defensive play (1-2)
This defensive round witnessed splendid play and a tight defense from our girls as we denied our opponents from gaining a single point. The first Rafflesian batter did manage to hit Xue Yi’s pitch, but little did she expect that her batting sent the ball high up into the air that resulted in an easy catch by our pitcher herself, dismissing the opponent’s first pitcher from the field. A second offense from the opponents was once again thwarted, this time by lightning fast reaction by our defense. The opposing batter pulled of a successful bat that did hit the floor, but only bounced far enough into the glove of one of our infield defenders. She threw it to Jean on the first base, and it was game over for our opponent as she has covered barely half the distance to the first base before Jean received the ball and waited to tap her out with ease. The final attempt to gain some ground by the opponents was once again easily obstructed by a good pitch by Xue Yi and wonderful defending from our girls. The batter once again, performed a successful bat, and this time posed some threat as it was not heading directly for any defender. However, one of our girls sprinted with all her might and caught the ball just as it was about to reach the ground. With that, the second inning was over and we reduced our score deficit to just one point!
Third inning
Offensive play (1-2)
The third inning started as Xue Yi turned batter from pitcher. The opponent pitcher was unnerved under pressure and was unable to dismiss Xue Yi as four ‘balls’ from her pitches awarded Xue Yi a free walk to the second base! Next up was Jolene’s turn to bat. However, this time the opposing pitcher did pull of many good pitches and despite giving it her all, luck was not on her side as Jolene was struck out by 3 strikes by the pitcher. Our third batter in this round was Dinna. Once again, a series of foul pitches by the Rafflesian pitcher awarded Dinna with a free walk to the first base, while Xue Yi was allowed a free advancement to second base.
Next up was Nina as she came up to take the role of batter for our team. In this batting, Nina made a sacrificial bat after a few pitches by the opposing pitcher. This allowed for Xue Yi and Dinna to progress to the third and second base respectively but Nina herself was caught before she was able to advance to the first base. Our final batter for this inning was Chloe. After observing the pitcher’s pitches and tactics, Chloe finally selected a pitch that was good for her to bat and struck the ball with pinpoint accuracy into the sky. However, the opposing defenders were in time to cover the bat before it made contact with the ground. As this decent bat was negated by equally adequate defending, this catch meant that all batters on the field are dismissed from the play. In this offense, the girls showed some great effort and pushed our opponents to their maximum.
Defensive play (1-5)
The defensive portion for this inning saw a twist and turn of events that unfortunately, did not fall to our favour. Xue Yi was on good form when she was up against the first Rafflesian batter. With a series of marvelous pitches, three strikes achieved by her sent the first opposing batter out of play immediately. The following batter from Raffles came on and was outplayed immediately by our defensive player Jean as she was caught before being able to move to first base despite a successful bat. However, then came their next batter who was able to make it to second base with a good batting attempt. Unfortunately, Raffles picked up momentum from that sudden turn of events and caught us of guard. Their next better pulled off yet another good bat and sent the ball to outfield, allowing her to progress directly to second base and their previous batter at second base was able to run all the way to home base safely. Then came on their next batter, and with an almost exact replica of the previous scenario, allowed one runner to return to home base while the current batter progressed to second base once again. After this, Raffles managed another point before our girls steadied themselves and ended the Raffles offensive round. The final batter from Raffles was caught and with three outs, the inning ended with a score line of 1-5.
Fourth Inning (2-5)
Offensive play
Despite the odds being set against us, our girls are not going to give up without a fight! Our batter Jean came up first against the Rafflesian pitcher. After observing the situation, she gave the bat a swing and struck the ball, but was only able to get it as far as a Rafflesian defender before she managed to get to first base. Sue Mae then took on the Rafflesian pitcher and this time, with one cool swing, she hit the ball past the opponent’s defenders and ran to second base! Next, up our next batter came up against Raffles and showed them what the Hwa Chong spirit is all about. Jolene stepped up to the plate just when Hwa Chong needed her the most and pulled off a wonderful bat, allowing Sue Mae to complete a run of the final two bases and attain a point for Hwa Chong. Jolene herself made it to second base as well! Next up, Hannah took up the bat and once again gave us greater scoring chances as she attained a base herself. However, the opponents eventually denied Ming Hui, our next batter from adding additional advancements for our runners and managed to dismiss one of the runners on field. Eventually, although Xue Yi executed a fine bat, the Rafflesian defense covered it well to deny us of any additional points and dismissed all runners on field.
Defensive play (2-6)
Then came Raffles’ turn to stage their attack. The first batter did well to parry away Xue Yi’s good pitch and advanced to first pitch. Next up, the second batter made use of a decent batting to put their first runner onto the third base, sacrificing herself as she was dismissed after getting caught. Then came their third batter. The opponent stayed cool under pressure and pulled off a decent bat that slipped through our defense and allowed their runner on the third base to return to home base. She was able to get to first base in the process as well. However Hwa Chong pulled together after Raffles scored the point. The next batter was able to hit the ball, but our girls confined them to just an advancement of one base each, keeping them in play without scoring any point. Then came Raffles’ fifth batter. This time, they were not so lucky as our defense pulled together and caught one of the runners before she can get to another base. The opponent’s runner on the third base was unable to advance to home base either as she was in high risk of getting caught. We then successfully dismissed one more runner from the field when it came to the sixth Rafflesian batter and ended their attack.
Fifth Inning (2-6)
Offensive play
During the final inning, our first batter, Jolene was hit by a dead ball (a case when a ball is ruled out of play, and in this case happened as the pitch hit Jolene’s body). She was given a straight free walk to first base. However, our next batter Dinna was denied an opportunity to continue our attack as she was struck out of play. Nina then came on as our third batter. She kept cool under intense pressure and batted the ball, but was caught before reaching first base. On the bright side, Jolene was able to make it to second base! At last, despite further efforts from our final batter Chloe, the Raffles defense held on and ruled another one of our players out. The score at the end of this half was 2-6 in Raffles’ favour. The next half was the offensive inning for Raffles, but this was voided as there was no way an upset could occur any more.
Althought our team was unable to emerge as champions in this intense and tight fight, we are very proud of them as they never ever gave up for a single moment in the game. Well done Hwa Chong Softball Girls! We wish you all the best in future competition!
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Hwa Chong Softball Team 2011/2012
Written by,
Wei Yi Chen
38th ECACO Chairperson
2012: Match Report: Volleyball Boys Finals
May 11th, 2012 by CCA PRO“Win or lose, the Hwa Chong spirit never dies.” – Aden Ang Ming Cheng, Hwa Chong Volleyball Team, Captain.
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May 9, 2012.
Volleyball Boys wins NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE against powerhouse NYJC.
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Congratulations! Here are the scores~
Overall Score: 3-2 – 18-25, 25-21, 25-15, 23-25, 15-7
But the scores definitely do not reflect the action and effort that went down at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall! Read on to find out more!
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Game Play
Matches are played to the best of 5 games, that is, the first team to win 3 out of 5 sets wins.
The first 4 sets are played to 25 points each, while the last set is played to 15 points.
Common Terms
Ace : A serve which lands in the receiving team’s court without being touched by the receiving team, or one that is touched by only one member of the receiving team, and is not passed legally back over the net.
Dig : A defensive contact following an opponent’s attack resulting in a playable ball.
Double : A fault in which a player contacts the ball with two body parts consecutively.
Dump : A surprise attack usually executed by a front row setter to catch the defense off guard; many times executed with the left hand, sometimes with the right, aimed at the donut or area 4 on the court.
Free ball : A ball that is passed over the net because an attack wasn’t possible.
Spike : When an offensive player attacks the ball with a one-arm motion done over the head, attempting to score.
Our Volleyball Team
♯1 – Tin Jing Jie, 11S60
♯2 – Lee Han Ying, 12S6A
♯3 – Bryan Chua, 11S6A
♯4 – Max Yoong, 11S6H (Vice-Captain)
♯6 - Ong Shaw Shian, 11S78
♯7 – Yeo Wei Ren, 11S7K
♯8 – Aden Ang, 11S7N (Captain)
♯9 – Joshua Lay, 12S79
♯10 – Wong Xian Lun, 12S6H
♯11 – Soo Pang Ru, 12S7J
♯12 – Darius Seow, 12S6J
♯13 – Lim Dao Liang, 11S7N
♯14 – Wong Kan Hon, 12S6N
♯15 – Dean Wong, 11S6B
♯16 – Yao Xing Yu, 12S6H
♯17 – Oh Yong Tai, 12S62
♯18 – Nicholas Novakovic, 12S7H
*Bolded names were in the starting line-up.
With supporters down in force on both sides, as well as a humongous gargantuan “ GO FIGHT WIN” banner accompanied by mass team warmups both on and off court, our boys were ready for a brawl. And with the introduction of players from both sides, the faceoff begins…
SET 1 (18-25)
Our volleyball guys took on the early lead in the set, quickly earning us 2 points before the opponent could have time to respond. Then, Dao Liang (13) came forward with a powerful spike down the court which the opponent could not return, getting the score up to 3-nothing to us. Having found their bearings, our opponent then bounced back, proving themselves worthy of their reputation, and the scoreboard turned in their favour and resulted in a 7-6 score against our favour. A beautiful set then came in at this point of time and Shaw Shian spikes the ball down to earn us a point. Another service ace by Dao Liang also gave us another point. However, the opponent also managed to obtain 2 more points of their own, bringing the score to 9-8! A good set by Aden places the ball nicely for a spike by Darius which equalized the score 9-9. A particularly heartwarming incident was when the ball went way out of the court but had not landed on the floor and thus still in play. Our players did not let up on this and it was commendable to see them chasing after the ball, eager to keep it in play for a chance to attack. Although the save might not have been successful, the effort was nonetheless praiseworthy.
Our volleyballers then took whatever the opponent could throw at us, taking up a somewhat defensive stance while interjecting offensive plays whenever they could. Every spike by the opponent was blocked but with a series of misses, the score gap widened to 16-10 in NY’s favour. Impactful spikes by Dao Liang and Bryan ricocheted off the opposing players, earning us 2 hard-earned points. By then the score was 19-12. Our players did not feel demoralized by this and they were soon involved in an exciting heart thumping rally in which the opponent eventually spikes out of the court to 21-14. A few more inevitable blocks which landed in our own court brought the score to 23-14.
A good effort was made by Darius with a cross court spike that surprised the opponent, and with one more double (foul for making double contact with the ball) by the opponent and a crucial mistake by NY, the scoreboard narrowed to 23-17. At this juncture, an opposing player saw a slip in our defense and delivered a spike which was left unguarded because there was no time for a response. 24-17, with a point to go to win the 1st set and probably along with it the confidence and assurance for the rest of the game, Shaw Shian manages to fight back with a spike of his own to 24-18. A valiant effort was made by Bryan as he tried to go for the offense, but both tries were blocked by the defenders. The second ball landed straight in our own court and this unfortunately ends the first set of the finals against our favour, losing 25-18.
SET 2 (25-21)
After switching sides, our boys were hoping to bounce back and win this set. Nanyang got the first serve. A good block by Darius thwarted a menacing spike by the opponent, earning cheers from the crowd. NY then served a jump serve which was a risky but skilled move. The opponent then smacked a ball into their own net, giving us 1 point such that the score was now 2-1 to us. After both sides equalized the score at 3-3, a fast set was played by Aden and Jing Jie took over and spiked the ball down at a steep angle and scored. Another opportunity then presented itself and Aden sets the ball up again in an interesting play with Shaw Shian as a fake before the real spike came from Bryan from the other side of the court. Before the next ball came into play, with a nod of the head, all the players understood what the plan was. Tremendous teamwork was displayed in that play with a fast set by Aden and a spike by Darius. Following which was a series of impossible saves by our volleyballers all around the entire sports hall, but with no touches left, Darius was forced to give a ‘free ball’ (a ball not meant to score but rather to keep the ball in play) to the opponent but was immediately spiked by our opponent.
Only egging them on, Dao Liang then delivered a powerful spike that the opposing player tried without success to block, and spiraled off into the crowd instead. In the same fashion, Bryan thunders a ball straight into the arms of an opposing player, bringing the score to 10-8. A breakdown in coordination among our opponents caused them to commit several mistakes such as double contact or 4 touches, bringing the score to 16-12. We were however unable to block this particular spike by a 1.97m tall opponent which was too high to be blocked by our defenders. Then with a thunderous spike by Dao Liang that threw a defender backwards, the crowd roared. And again with a serve mistake by Nanyang, the crowd grew even louder. Pushed on by the encouragement, Bryan spikes a hard earned ball by Aden into the opposing court to bump the score up to 20-17. 5 more points to win possibly their first set!
Yet again, Dao Liang kept coming with one spike after another. After hitting one that landed in the arms of the libero, the next one scrapped past the opponent’s hand and went out. A timeout was then called by our team coaches. Apparently strategized well for the last 2 points, Aden sets a ball for Dao Liang from the left who then scores. Now eager to finish off the set, Shaw Shian sets the ball for a final drive and Dao Liang comes in to finish it off with a spike that landed right on the line, winning 25-21.
SET 3 (25-15)
Hwa Chong started off the game with a early lead with a spectacular block for the first point of the set. Dao Liang did not disappoint in this set, as he delivered a low spike that the opponent could not reach. Soon after, he spiked another ball that landed on the outskirts of the court that was initially counted to have landed right on the line, but the decision was overturned against our favour and our opponents pulled away from us on the scoreboard – 5-2. In avenging the previous point, Bryan made a comeback with a dropshot into the opposing court to 5-3. Then a fortunate series of mistakes by Nanyang brought our score together to 6-6. Soon after, the opponents spiked….BUT Bryan and Shaw Shian were there to reflect the shot back into the opponent’s court, and in a mad rush to save the unexpected ball, the opposing players crashed into each other. This got the score to 8-6 in our favour.
Another timeout was then called.
Following a ‘free ball’ given by the opponent, Aden was there to coordinate and set up a ball for Bryan across the court for a spike that the opponent could not save. Jing Jie then stole the show. Owning the court with a thunder, he then went on to block another spike by the opponent to get us to lead 11-7. In the next play, the ball rebounded off one of our players and spiraled out of the court, prompting Bryan to chase after it, hitting it back to our own court and Dao Liang immediately continues the play with a spike. Another breakthrough came at 13-10 when Dao Liang’s spike scrapped past an opponent’s hand before going out to give us a point. He then went on to spike right in between the 2 defenders sent to block his ball to a score of 15-11. And with collaboration between him and Aden, Dao Liang spiked right on the line…and again, with a spike by Dao Liang that the opposing libero could not save. By then, Dao Liang seemed to be on fire. He went on to save another ball thrown by the opponent, throwing him on his back, but this was not wasted as his teammates quickly recovered the ball and spiked it to earn another point.
Another good save by Max came through as he spotted a fake spike and was in place to save the ball, earning praises from his seniors at the stands. Evidently feeling the heat and pressure, our opponents did not manage their plays well and committed mistakes. A fast set and spike by Aden and Darius blazed the court and got us to a lead of 23-12.
However, with 2 points left in play, perhaps it was complacency or the lack of urgency, our players made a few mistakes that narrowed the score gap slightly to 23-15. But then ensued a great showing of skills and strength, with great saves and spikes in the ensuing rally, Dao Liang then stole the show with a spike towards the libero who could not return it. 24-15, 1 more point to seal the set. With a last burst of energy in the set, Aden sets the ball for Dao Liang, who leaps forward from the backcourt gave such a powerful spike that, rebounded off the opponent all the way back to the end of the sports hall, ending the set in our favour, 25-15.
Barely a breath was caught before the nail-biting match resumed. With a resounding roar of ‘Shan-ge’ behind them, our Volleyballers stepped back onto court.
SET 4 (23-25)
(One more game to win it all!)
The game begin with Nanyang taking the first serve. Barely 5 minutes into the match and with the score of 2-0, to Hwa Chong, the game saw its first epic rally. NY served. Max responded with a superb dip and directed the ball to Aden, who set the ball at just the right height for one of Dao Liang’s now famous spikes. However, NY managed to save it this time and the ball flew back into our court. Once again, out of nowhere, Max saves the ball with a dip, sending it to Aden once again, who sets the ball for Darius. Darius dumps the ball swiftly to what should have been a sure kill. But NY saves it again! But no matter! Our boys were ready to fight for the point as Shaw Shian saves a spike with an astounding dip! With extreme composure and determination to seal the point, Aden dumped the ball straight into an empty space that had opened up in NY’s defence and scores, bringing the score to a well-deserved 3-0!
A slew of combinations by Bryan-Aden-Darius, Max-Aden-Dao Liang, and spikes by Shaw Shian quickly brought the score to 8-5. It was at this point that Nanyang seemed to realize how important this match was to them. With a sudden bombardment of spikes from their 1.97m tall player, the score leveled at 8-8. Anxious, the Hwa Chong team called for a timeout. Despite the quick re-strategizing, the game continued point for point up to 12-12! It was a nerve-wrecking moment for Hwa Chong supporters as Nanyang proceeded to earn 3 straight points due to attacking errors by our own players. With the score at 12-15, another timeout was called.
Neither team seemed to be able to get the upper hand with both teams slamming the court with powerful spikes and deceitful dumps. In particular, Hwa Chong’s Bryan successfully pummeled through their wall twice with his spikes! Aden also turned defence into attack when he skillfully deflected a block back into an empty space in Nanyang’s court! With Hwa Chong catching up to 16-16, yet another timeout was called, this time by the Nanyang team.
The battle just kept getting more exciting as both teams upped their level of play. Hwa Chong’s Shaw Shian bumps passes the ball from the back court to the front to Aden, who sets the ball perfectly as usual. Dao Liang runs and jumps from the back to place yet another perfect spike deep into the back of the Nanyang formation. 17-17. Aden and Darius perform a solid block, deflecting Nanyang’s spike into their own court. 19-18. Two spikes by Nanyang. 19-20. Aden spots another hole in NY’s defence and dumps the ball there. 20-20. Dao Liang delivers a spike right on the line! 22-21. With the scoreline remaining so tight and the 25-point mark quickly approaching, the Nanyang team called a timeout again.
The intensity in the sport’s hall was at its peak, with Hwa Chong just needing 3 more points to seal the game, seal the match, and seal the CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE. But all good things must be waited for, and our time was yet to come. The strategic timeout by Nanyang served its purpose, as we committed a few attacking and defensive errors, and finally ending with a spike that flew just out of court, 23-25!
SET 5 (15-7)
(TIE BREAKER, first to 15 points wins the game!)
Nanyang scored the first point of the game. However, Max, Aden and Dao Liang once again demonstrated tremendous teamwork on the court, getting Hwa Chong in the game! Under such extreme pressure, Nanyang spiked a ball out of court. Our boys managed to keep their cool however and delivered awesome spikes, first by Dao Liang, and then one by Darius! Hwa Chong soon pulled ahead, bringing the score to 5-2. With Nanyang committing numerous errors, their coach called a timeout.
But the short break only served to charge our team up even more! A ‘free ball’ from Nanyang enabled Shaw Sian to spike it back immediately into their court, bringing the score to 6-2. Aden displayed fantastic space-awareness as he set a ball for Bryan who delivered such a powerful spike; it literally bowled the Nanyang player over. Our boys continued to dominate in this first half of the fifth game. Darius earned Hwa Chong the 8th point marking the halfway mark when he anticipated where Nanyang was going to spike, blocking it and sending it flying back into their court! With the score at 8-5, the two teams switched sides.
The second half started off on the wrong footing for both teams, as each team served out and exchanged free points with one another. A combination by Max, Aden and then Jing Jie earned us the 10th point with a sharp angled spike! An attacking error by NY brought the score to 11-6. With just a nerve-wrecking 4 points to earn, the NY coach called for a timeout.
Returning from the timeout, Dao Liang wow-ed the crowd once again with his jaw dropping spikes, quickly bringing Hwa Chong to within 2 points of the Championship Title! A long rally saw Max dipping to save the ball, with Aden setting it and Jing Jie spiking it. But Nanyang was ready this time, and answered with a spike of their own! With cat-like reflexes, Aden dived and saved the ball, deflecting it to Shaw Shian who sets the ball for another of Dao Liang’s killer spikes.
ONE POINT TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.
With utmost pride and confidence, Darius, the only J1 playing for Hwa Chong, secured the win for his team alongside Captain Aden! They successfully blocked a spike from Nanyang and deflected it back into an open space, ending the final game 15-7 
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VOLLEYBALL BOYS!
History was made today. 四连霸.
And with a final cheer of “Hwa Chong, Ace Ace Ace”, our champions left the stadium.
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Some words about the game…
1. Being the underdogs, how did you think your team overcame the odds to eventually win the game?
Today, we walked on court not to win, but rather to play so that we would leave without regrets. Everyone kept telling us that it would be a hard fight that we probably won’t win, and that they had bigger and stronger players on paper. But we realised we had nothing to lose, with this being the last game we were going to play together. And we really did enjoy our last game together, every single one of us (:
Playing the finals has a very different atmosphere as compared to other matches. The determining factor in the Finals is not so much about individual skills anymore. What really counts is teamwork and composure on court. That’s what won us our Championship Title!
2. Did the experience gained from the Semi-Finals Playoff help your team bounce back when you all were down?
Our win against ACJC in the semi-finals didn’t come easily. We had a comeback in the fifth set from trailing 13-9 to eventually winning 16-14. This really helped to build our team’s fighting spirit and taught us that it is possible to fight back! It also gave us the experience of how to do so; something our opponents didn’t have. “Diamonds are chunks of coal made good under pressure”. Just like diamonds, I believe the ups and downs we’ve gone through have made us a better team.
3. This being the last match, do you have any thoughts?
Reflecting back on how our journey begin, it is amazing how far we have come. We all came from different secondary schools and entered as strangers, but I’m glad that we all managed to bond in the end! As in diamonds, our bonds are virtually unbreakable.
4. Anything to say to your supporters?
We would like to thank everyone who came down to support us! Your cheers and shouts of encouragement really spurred us on when we were down. This extends to all the C1s, Coaches, Teachers, Seniors , Juniors and the Council! (With a quick glance at us…) Especially the Council, the cheers were fantastic and came at all the right times!
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Presenting, the Hwa Chong Volleyball Team 2011/2012
2012: Match Report: Squash Boys Finals
May 6th, 2012 by CCA PROIt was the exciting and much awaited boy’s squash finals play-off between Hwa Chong and strong rivals ACSI! The tension and anticipation in the air was palpable in Kallang Leisure Squash Centre, as our boys team readied themselves for an exhilarating competition. The prize presentation for both A girls and boys teams also occurred on this day!
However, after a long, physically-draining duel, our boys narrowly missed out to ACSI 2-3.
First, introducing the commendable Squashers:
Marcus Yeo (11A14)
Koh Jun Wei (11S66)
Chua Man Tong (11A13)
Bryan Seow (11A10)
Liang Junyuan (12S75)
Nicholas Teh Yang (12S77)
Marcus Ee (11S67)
But before you get confused, here are some squash jargon!
Boast—ball bounces off either side wall or the back wall before the front wall
Reverse boast – ball bounces off front wall and hits either side wall
Volley—to hit back a ball before it touches the floor
Drive—a shot that hits the front wall and travels deep to the back of the court
Drop—to hit the ball lightly such that it drops in the front half of the court
Let—to replay a point because you were in the way of opponent
Stroke—a point given to the person whose way was obstructed
Cross-court—to hit across the court to the other side
Decked out in their gear, putting on their glasses and in the backdrop of cheers from their supporters, the finals commenced.
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Line-up 1: Marcus Yeo (HCI) vs. William Oon (ACSI)
First game (0-1)
Marcus started the game well, scoring 7 consecutive points against his opponent, William Oon, a national youth team player. He wowed the crowds with his strong cross-courts and sneaky drops, which allowed him to rake in the points. However, after a hit out by Marcus, his opponent regained his confidence, clawing his way up to a 9-9 score. The game continued with nail-bitingly long rallies. Marcus showed off stunning cross-courts and strong drives to the back corners of the court, which had his opponent in a flounder. The game continued at high intensity past the 11 points they had to play. But his opponent out-matched him in stamina, and ACSI managed to win the first game 16-14.
Second game (0-2)
Unfortunately tired out by the energy-sapping first game, Marcus gave his all, but could not save the ball after another drawn-out rally which ended with a surprising strong shot to the back left. He succumbed quickly to his opponent 3-11.
Third game (0-3)
This game was interrupted numerous times by a photographer using flash photography, which distracted our players. Nevertheless, Marcus displayed brilliant resilience, and put up a strong fight despite his tiredness. The game ended 1-11, when Marcus’ racket hit the wall, causing him to miss his shot.
The first match goes to ACSI, but Marcus had displayed spectacular spirit. A good job well done!
HWA CHONG (0) ACSI (1)
Line-up 2: Koh Jun Wei(HCI) vs. Pang Ka Wai (ACSI)
This was the start of yet another match against a strong national youth team opponent, Ka Wai, but Jun Wei showcased true Hwa Chong spirit and battled on unfazed.
First game (0-1)
Jun Wei fought valiantly, bravely returning tricky drops and powerful drives by his opponent. He made life difficult for his opponent, catching up from 0-1 to 3-4, but Ka Wai proved too skillful, and Jun Wei eventually gave in 3-11.
Second game (0-2)
Despite having lost the previous match, Jun Wei started the second game on par with a 2-2 score. But sneaky soft drops and unexpected cross-court boasts by Ka Wai left Jun Wei unable to return the ball, and the game ended with a 3-11 score.
Third game (0-3)
Met with such setbacks, Jun Wei tried courageously to salvage the situation. However, Ka Wai proved to be too strong, and stormed through the match 11-0.
ACSI wins the second match, but WELL DONE JUN WEI for your inspiring battle!
HWA CHONG (0) ACSI (2)
Line-up 3: Chua Man Tong (HCI) vs. Joey Wong (ACSI)
Man Tong, a national youth team player scored one for the team when he defeated Joey Wong from ACSI to give HCI a valuable point!
First game (1-0)
Man Tong was off to a good start, scoring three straight points against ACSI’s Joey Wong. Beautiful cross court shots, tricky boasts and powerful drives proved Man Tong to be the better player! This exciting game continued when Joey, pumped up by the loss of points, quickly struck back to bring the game even to 3-3. However, Man Tong was fearless in the face of such a strong opponent, and with strong drives that surprised the opponent, won the game with a score of 11-6!
Second game (2-0)
Despite winning the first match, Man Tong did not fall prey to his pride and continued giving his best effort! The game opened with a tight score of 1-1, before Man Tong rapidly advanced forward with some errors made by the opponent, achieving the score of 6-2. A stunning drop by Man Tong caught the opponent off guard, and Man Tong came out of this game once again victorious, with a score of 11-4 this time.
Third game (3-0)
Man Tong was off to an excellent opening in the third game. With strong cross-court shots, he managed to stun the opponent in various occasions and earned his lead of 5-0! While the opponent made a valiant effort to strike back and scored two points in the process, beautiful boast shots by Man Tong widened his lead, and he eventually won with an amazing score of 11-2.
The third match goes to HCI! Well done Man Tong!
HWA CHONG (1) ACSI (2)
Line-up 4: Bryan Seow (HCI) vs. Darren Subramaniam (ACSI)
Our players were matched once again with a top national youth team player, but Bryan battled gave his all and fought on courageously with remarkable自强不息spirit!
First game (0-1)
Bryan started off on even footing, with a 1-1 score, but tricky shots by Darren had him lunging and diving to save shots. The game was marked with exciting, heart-pumping rallies with neck-breaking dives by Bryan to return shots. However, Darren’s crafty shots quickly had the score 8-1 to ACSI. Even so, Bryan put up a strong fight, forcing numerous outballs from Darren, but eventually lost 3-11 when a super-close fight ended with a drop shot by Darren.
Second game (0-2)
The second game saw powerful smashes and tricky volleys by Darren, which had the score at 1-5 to ACSI. Unfortunately, the score gap widened to 1-8 when strokes were awarded to Darren. The game eventually ended 1-11 when Bryan was unable to receive a cross-court shot by Darren.
Third game (0-3)
More strong drives to back court by Darren had the score at 1-6. But Bryan showed us what he was made off, with a beautifully unexpected drop shot that had the score at 2-9. The game concluded with a 3-11 score, but Bryan had put up a good fight with his impressive boasts.
The 4th match goes to ACSI, but a salute goes to Bryan for his stunning play!
HWA CHONG (1) ACSI (3)
Line-up 5: Liang Junyuan (HCI) vs. Wei Shian (ACSI)
Although our team has technically been defeated in the final score as ACSI has already scored 3 points, Junyuan refused to let his team and school down and provided us with a spectacular display of sportsmanship and excellence!
First game (1-0)
Junyuan drew first blood and stole the show with an awe-inspiring drop shot which proved too tricky for the opponent, earning him the first point to make the game 1-0! Although Wei Shian quickly chased up to draw even, a failed behind-the-back hit by Wei Shian once again awarded Junyuan with the lead. With new found confidence, Junyuan quickly advanced in the scoreboard and led his opponent 6-2. The seventh point came with a sneaky reverse boast shot that stunned the opponent. Good shot! Junyuan emerged the victor in the first game with a score of 11-5.
Second game (2-0)
The result of the second game proved to be of not much difference to that of the first! Junyuan started the game with some tricky maneuvering and speedy sprints across the court to quickly earn his lead of 4-2. Clever, strong boasts by him had the opponent slipping and sliding across the court attempting to receive the shots. However, there was only a limit to which the number of shots the opponent could receive, and Junyuan was awarded with a comfortable 6 point lead. By the 9th point, the shots by Junyuan were darting around the court in a blur and it was even hard for us to catch sight of the ball! This was the key factor that gave him the win in the second game, scoring 11-4!
Third game (3-0)
The final game of the day proved to be equally exciting as any of the previous matches. Junyuan gave the audience a taste of what the game would be like by delivering a strong drive shot which the opponent was unable to receive. Combined with powerful cross court shots and drops, Junyuan was soon leading 8-1. The coolest part of the game was when he delivered a stunning double boast, which shocked not only the audience, but the opponent as well. This gave him a lead of 10-2. Junyuan then rounded the game up, 11-2!
In spite of the team being unable to emerge victorious this time round, Junyuan nevertheless provided a spectacle of excellent gameplay and won the 5th match for HCI! We’re proud of you Junyuan!
GAME OVER!
HWA CHONG (2) ACSI (3)
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Presenting to you, the Hwa Chong Squash Boys
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The ‘A’ Boys and Girls Squash Team
2012: Match Report: Squash Girls Finals
May 4th, 2012 by CCA PRO 
Drive: Ball is hit parallel and often close to the wall so that it travels deep to the back of the court (the side with the glass wall!)
Cross court: Ball is hit to the front wall from the right side to the left (or vice versa)
Drop shot: Ball is hit softly to the front wall, dropping near the front wall or in the front half of the court.
Volley: Ball is hit before it touches the floor (ie. mid-air), usually directed at the front wall.
Let: A call made by the referee when a player is blocked from retrieving a shot by her opponent, but the degree of interference is not high. (ie. if A interferes in B’s shot, B may be awarded a ‘let’. B is not awarded a point, the ball is replayed)
Stroke: A call made by the referee when a player is blocked from retrieving a shot by her opponent, and the degree of interference is high. (ie. if A interferes in B’s shot, B may be awarded a ‘stroke’, earning B a point)
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MATCH 1
Line-up: Rachel (HCI) VS Sulin (RI)
Despite a mild back injury, Hwa Chong’s Rachel entered the squash courts with her game face on, to face RI’s Sulin whom she had faced many times before. With a quick nod, the games begin!
Game 1 (0-1)
Rachel started off the game on a good start, when a boast by Sulin towards the left-side of the court was blocked by Sulin herself, earning a ‘stroke’ to Rachel! However, Sulin, angered by what she felt was an undeserved call, quickly fought back to level the score at 1-1. The two squashers showed off how evenly matched they were, with a cool exchange of drives and saves, before they each managed to gain a point at 2-2.
Unfortunately, Raffles warmed up to the rigour of the opening match faster and earned 5 straight points, putting the score at 2-7. Two ‘let’s were awarded by the referee, before an ‘out’ by Rachel gave Raffles another point, bringing the score to 2-8. However, Rachel did not give Sulin an easy time and fought for every ball as the score slowly crept up to 3-10. In particular, Rachel converted a drop by Sulin (which she was sure would finish the game!) and turned it into a fantastic drive along the left wall to the roar of the crowd! The game eventually ended with a score 4-11.
Game 2 (0-2)
Raffles opened the second game with the first score with a commendably played drive. Both players quickly got into the game with swift exchanges of drives, drops and volleys that wow-ed the crowd! Unfortunately, Sulin got the upperhand and quickly brought the score to 1-7. Rachel then fought back with an accurately delivered volley to the right corner, catching Sulin off-guard and earning herself another point! Rachel was obviously just warming up as she delivered a stunningly accurate drop at the left corner. Unfortunately, the referee awarded a questionable ‘let’ to Sulin, denying Rachel her well-deserved point. However, Rachel did not let it get to her and earned a point for herself with a drive down the court that Sulin stood no chance in receiving! Sadly, Sulin played her fair share of drops and drives that eventually ended the game with a score of 5-11.
Game 3 (0-3)
After a quick talk with her coach and teammates, Rachel stepped back on court, ready to put up an even better fight. She quickly converted Sulin’s serve into a point for Hwa Chong with a superb drop that just caught the left corner. Rachel next sent a drive down the right wall, showing off her versatility in playing both sides of the court, and earning Hwa Chong the second point, with a score of 2-0. However, Sulin was at the top of her game and answered back with 7 straight points! Undaunted, Rachel delivered a series of drives which gave her 3 consecutive points as well. The tension was rising as the crowd cheered Rachel on. RI was now up by two games and needed one more to win! A long exchange of drops by both players soon opened up an opporunity for Rachel to smash with a volley! However, the excitement overcame her momentarily and the ball just nipped below the ‘out’ line, awarding the score to Raffles, 6-8. The battle remained close to the end, with a score difference of 1 even being achieved! Unforunately, a good cross court drive by Sulin finished off the game and the match, with 8-11.
HWA CHONG (0) RAFFLES (1)
MATCH 2
Line-up: Jessie (HCI) VS Crystal (RI)
Game 1 (0-1)
Next up, looking to earn Hwa Chong a set was Jessie, the Captain of the Squash Girls! Hwa Chong had a rough start as Raffles quickly earned 3 straight points, including a questionable stroke. Raffles put up an impressive play with a series of drives and cross courts that soon brought the score to 2-6. However, Jessie soon bounced back battling every drive by Crystal with one of her own, and even showcasing her skill with a well-placed drop at the right corner! The score quickly rose to 6-9 as Jessie slowly worked her way up point-by-point. But Crystal was on form too! With a drop shot at the left corner and a combi of a drive and a cross-court, she widened the scoreline to 6-10. Nevertheless, Jessie continued to employ her playing style with more fantastic drives! Her extraordinarily low-angled shots earned her two more points, bringing the score to 8-10. However, Raffles managed to clinch the last point before Jessie could catch up, ending the game at 8-11.
Game 2 (1-1)
Recharged by the short break and discussion, Jessie stepped back on court. Cooly putting on her protective goggles, she looked ready to earn back a game. And so she did! Jessie quickly blazed ahead early in the match, earning the first five points of the game and leaving Raffles in the dust. An unexpected cross-court by Crystal eventually put Raffles on the scoreboard, 5-1. Jessie followed with an advanced ‘trickle boast’ (sorta like a combi between a drop and a boast) and another drive, widening the gap further to 7-1. With such a magnificent scoreline, Raffles stood no chance in fighting back. Jessie gave no mercy and continued to play fantastic and powerful drives that had Crystal running all over the court to save, but to no avail. With Crystal’s last attempt at a save flying out of the top boundary line, Jessie won the game 11-3!
Game 3 (2-1)
Jessie continued her streak in the 3rd game. The score rapidly climbed up to 4-2 as both players showed grit and determination to win it for their schools. Pressured, Crystal failed to return Jessie’s serve twice bringing the score to 6-2. By now, Jessie had gotten to learn more about her opponent’s playing style. Anticipating a drop at the left corner, she quickly got into position and planted a skillful drop which Crystal could not return! In the blink of an eye, the score rose to 9-3. Mistake are inevitable however, and an attempt at a drop at the left corner just clipped the lower boundary line, giving Raffles the point. A perfect execution of a volley to the left had Crystal sprinting to save it, but she was unfortunately too slow. With the score at 10-4, the game was in the bag! A stroke to Hwa Chong ended the game, 11-4, all in the span of 5 minutes (:
Game 4 (2-2)
The fourth game got off to a slow start with the referee awarding two ‘let’s after rather long rallies were played. Raffles proceeded to open up the game, bringing the score to 1-3. An accidental slip by Crystal gave Jessie a chance to earn another point, which she did with style with a brilliant volley! However, Crystal managed to retain her composure and earned 5 consecutive points, bringing the score to 2-8. Jessie sneaked in a drop shot at the right corner, but Crystal answered with three more points! Although the score was now 3-10, Jessie never gave up and kept her cool to deliver a well-placed drop which bounced twice on the court before Crystal could reach it. However, the game ended in Raffles’ favour with a score 4-11.
Game 5 (2-3):
TIE-BREAKER! That was the thought on everyone’s mind as both players stepped back on court, to the roar of the crowd. Supporters on both sides obviously felt the tension of game. It even became possible to know who won the point by just listening to which side cheered! Amidst alternate shouts of support, the score rose to 5-5. Both players were running their opponents hard in this game, with Jessie chasing a drop shot after saving a drive at the back of the court, and Crystal trying to save a powerful drive by Jessie. This brought the score up to 6-8. Under the high pressure situation, Jessie attempted a volley which unfortunately caught the bottom of the lower boundary line. Crystal performed a drop at the left corner, earning Raffles a point. However, Jessie responded with a skilled and calculated boast which Crystal stood no chance in receiving. Another powerful drive by Jessie brought the score to 8-10, with just one more point to Raffles threatening to end the match. Everyone watched on with bated breath as the game unfolded. Whoosh! A superb drive down the court just caught the line and handed the game to… Raffles.
HWA CHONG (0) RAFFLES (2)
MATCH 3
Line up: Ling An (HCI) VS Rebecca (RI)
Game 1 (1-0):
By now, we can only win if all the remaining 3 players win their respective sets. Ling An knew this all too well, and off she went into her first game. The first point went to Raffles but it was soon recovered by Ling An with a awesome hard drive and a drop ball right in front of the wall, leading to a trail of 3-5. However, Ling An seemed to still be getting comfortable in the game and this likely led to a few mistakes committed by her that gave the opponent a few more points to 8-4. Unfazed, Ling An bounced back with a stroke given to her and skilful shots to eventually catch up with the opponent at 9-9. A crucial juncture, Ling An unfortunately makes a couple of mistakes and loses the first game 11-9.
Game 2 (1-1):
The game started off with an intense exchange as both sides took turns to equalize the score. It then seemed like history was going to repeat itself as the opponent pulled away to a score of 6-3. This precarious situation continued to a score of 9-6 against our favour! Staying focused, Ling An demonstrated her skills as she made a comeback with well-placed drop balls and a hard cross court shot to equalize at 9-9. Facing the same situation as the previous game, Ling An was sure not to end up with the same outcome and delivers. Turning around the odds, a powerful ball across the court and a drop ball which the opponent simply failed to return won her 2 points to win the game 11-9.
Game 3 (2-1):
Motivated on by the previous win, Ling An started the game with a serve. A skilful shot placed at the corner of the wall gave Ling An the first point of the game. Following which, Ling An had an incredible control of the game as she delivered shot after shot to a score of 6 – nothing. The first point was then awarded to the opponent with a warning given to the opponent to watch her gameplay as the previous ball hit Ling An. But the control Ling An held of the game did not waver because of this as she maintained her lead to 10-7. However, Ling An missed a very tight shot at the edge of the wall to lose a point. Another point was lost with a stroke given to the opponent. The score was now 10-9. But it was not a worry for her as she then delivered a ball that went cross court and dropped that right in front of the wall that sealed the game 11-9.
Game 4 (3-1):
Ling An attempted to save a cross court ball but fails to do so, losing the first point to the opponent. This however, was the only point the opponent got as Ling An then took over the show with a straight drive, a powerful cross court and a skilful boast to a score of 5-1. Battling every drive delivered by the opponent, Ling An returned shots of her own relentlessly. Her insane stamina showed as the opponent got visibly tired and started to commit mistakes while she stayed rooted in control. The game then came to the match ball, and Ling An delivered a crushing drop ball that ended the match 11-3.
HWA CHONG (1) RAFFLES (2)
MATCH 4
Line up: Rui Ting (HCI) VS Sherilyn (RI)
Game 1 (1-0):
Facing off against a senior and also the top seed in Raffles, Rui Ting showed no signs of fear as she strode in and commenced her first game. Rui Ting then drew first blood with an impressive cross court that surprised the opponent. However, the opponent then dominated the court with drives and impossible drop shots to pull away to a score of 5-1. Rui Ting then came back with a straight drive to earn her 2nd point. There was then an intense exchange of drives as both sides scored points. The game then came to the match ball with a score of 10-6 to RI. She did manage to steal 2 more points from the opponent to pose a challenge to the opponent. Alas, Rui Ting hit a ball out to lose the game 11-8.
Game 2 (2-0):
After a short break, both players returned to commence the second round. The round did not play out in our favour as the opponent proved to gain control of the game, and with a combination of deep drives, skillful drop balls, the opponent sealed the game with a score of 11-0.
Game 3 (3-0):
As the deciding game for the match and the entire finals, it seemed as though all the pressure was placed on the shoulders of Rui Ting. And she gladly accepted this responsibility and played her best. Again, the opponent was set in control right from the start, and this was the case until the score became 6-2 in their favour. However, Rui Ting demonstrated immense resilience as she drove home a few shots to narrow the score to 6-5. A last salient effort was made by Rui Ting with a cross court to obtain one more hard-earned point. Alas, the opponent proved to be too strong to handle as she took home the match and finals with an 11-6 win.
HWA CHONG (1) RAFFLES (3)
MATCH 5
Line up: Mao Shi Yuan (HCI) VS Melissa (RI)
Game 1 (1-0):
Although the championship had been lost, the last player, Mao Shi Yuan, demonstrated immense sportsmanship and respect for the opponent in her plays while at the same time having to maintain her composure to continue the game. With a combination of skill and technique, Mao proved herself to be worthy of being the top seed in her age group with skill and precision in her shots. Drop ball followed by hard drives down the court proved too much for the opponent to take as Mao blazed to a 11-3 win.
Game 2 (2-0):
With some rest, Mao was back for more action. Mao dominated the court yet again with skill and verve as she sought to end the game as fast as she could. Characteristing the game with hard drives, tight cross courts and skilful dropballs, Mao quickly reached game point with 10-3. The opponent, by then, became so tired that she made a mistake to hit the ball out, and Mao won the game 11-3.
Game 3 (3-0):
Wanting to end her match by this game, Mao went all out in this game! Mao stole the show right from the first point with a drop ball, being the first one of many to come. Denying the opponent of any chance at a point, Mao continued her streak until 5-0. However, a stroke was then awarded to Raffles. This did not deter Mao or demoralize her in any way as she continued her professional plays and eventually ended the match with a hard drive down the court to win the match 11-4.
HWA CHONG (2) RAFFLES (3)
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Presenting to you, the Hwa Chong Squash Girls 2011/2012
2012: Match Report: Table Tennis Girls Finals
April 26th, 2012 by CCA PRO
“We prevailed against all odds.” – Miss Lum Siew Chin., Table Tennis Teacher-in-charge.
It was clear how aptly this quote summed up the atmosphere that our Table Tennis Girls had to play in from the moment we entered the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. Our girls were matched against their traditional rivals, Raffles Institution. Unfortunately, the Raffles Family managed to see their teams qualifying in all 4 divisions. As the number of supporters allowed is proportional to the teams playing, Raffles had sent 4 times the number of supporters that we did! Undaunted however, our girls – the defending champions – stepped up to face the crowd…. And emerged victorious (:
Let’s take a look at what transpired! But first, some details…
Gameplay
The winner of a Table Tennis match is determined from the best of 5 sets. The sets are played with alternate Singles and Doubles players (ie. Singles, Doubles, Singles, Doubles, Singles).
Each player in the team can only play in one set, either in a Singles or a Doubles. In order to win the set, the player has to win 3 out of 5 games, and the first player to score 11 points wins a game. In the event of a deuce, or a tie at 10-10, play continues until one player is able to gain a two-point advantage over his opponent (eg. 12-10 or 13-11).
Common Terminologies
Drive: A direct hit on the ball by the player, propelling the ball forwards at a very high speed and low angle.
Smash: Literally, Like. A. Smash.
Line Up
Tay Hui Yi (11S61) (Captain, Singles 1)
Chen Dan (12A12) and Patricia Lu Chun Qi (11S60) (Doubles 1)
Wang Ying Chao (12A11)(Singles 2)
Luo Na (12A11) and Yee Si Min (11S7F) (Doubles 2)
Chen Xuan Yu (11S6D) (Singles 3)*
*did not have to play
Reserves:
Tan Lynn (11S7F)
Dawn Seow (12S61)
Deirdre Tan (12S6C)
Tay Si Yi (12S78)
Zheng Yirong (12S71)
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First Singles
Hwa Chong Player: Tay Hui Yi (11S61)
Game 1
The Table Tennis Girls Captain started the match for Hwa Chong, taking on Raffles No. 1, Hai Qing. Hui Yi was originally not meant to play as she is still nursing a back injury, and is also not a Singles player. However, understanding that this was all part of strategic plan to win the Championship, she gladly obliged!
Even though the first game ended really quickly with a score 3-11 to Raffles, Hui Yi was unfazed and with the support of the crowd, Hui Yi returned for another bout with Hai Qing.
Game 2
Warmed up, Hui Yi, decided to show off some of her moves this game. A fantastic drive straight towards Hai Qing threw the Raffles Player off-guard and scored Hwa Chong a point, bringing the score to 3-7. However, the Raffles Player soon responded with an equally powerful drive which caught the corner of the table, bringing the score to 3-8, and eventually ending the game with 4-11.
Game 3
Raffles quickly put the first point on the board. A good rally between both players was finished off with by another corner drive by Hai Qing. Within 2 minutes, the score was 1-6! Pressure building, Hui Yi tried her best to answer to Hai Qing’s drives and smashes, but unfortunately succumbed 4-11, awarding Raffles the first set.
First Doubles
Hwa Chong Players: Chen Dan (12A12) and Patricia Lu Chunqi (11S60)
Game 1
With the first match to Raffles, our Table Tennis Girls were even more fired up to win the rest of their games! We immediately came off to a strong start as our duo showed off true teamwork and skill, bringing the score to 6-2 within one minute! However, nerves running high, a few careless mistakes resulted in the score narrowing to within two points at 8-6! Our opponents then capitalized on the opportunity and fought hard to win the game 9-11.
Game 2
Having regained their composure, our Hwa Chong duo put up a much stronger fight. It was nail-biting as the score climbed up slowly, point by point, all the way to 5-5! Chen Dan and Patricia then decided to end the fun and games with a series of smashes and drives, earning 4 consecutive points! With the score at 9-6, Raffles desperately tried to fight back and got one point. However, our girls ensured that their score did not advance any further, finishing off the game with a comfortable 11-6 (:
Game 3
Eager to extend their lead, our Hwa Chong duo put up an exciting performance from the start of the match. Patricia delivered a powerful smash, which Raffles stood no chance at returning. Chen Dan followed with a spectacular save of a drive by Raffles that bounced 2 metres away the table, catching the Raffles players off-guard and earning Hwa Chong another point! With more amazing maneuvers, our Hwa Chong duo sealed the set at 11-5, with ease.
Game 4
Although Raffles earned the first point of this game, our Hwa Chong pair soon turned the match in our favour. A series of well placed drives and smashes by both sides brought the score to 7-7. It was a test of stamina and accuracy that our girls aced, with Patricia diving for a ball across the table, but still managing to place a controlled smash, bringing the score to 10-7! Patricia quickly followed with another spectacular smash, winning the match for Hwa Chong, 11-7!
Second Singles
Hwa Chong Player: Wang Ying Chao (12A11)
Game 1
After the win by the First Doubles, Ying Chao was determined to continue the streak and win the 2nd set for our school. The game started off in our favour as Ying Chao took the lead. The score equalized for a short while at 2-2 before mistakes started to show in the opponent and the score widened to 6-4. A brilliant low smash by Ying Chao took home another point and this was the trend until the score became 10-5 to us. At the game point, a well-placed shot by the opponent brings the sore to 10-6, but this did not deter Ying Chao in winning one more point and her first game in under 4 minutes.
Game 2
Blunders by Ying Chao gave the opponent a lead in this game, much to the opponent’s delight. However, it did not remain this way as Ying Chao returned a menacing unguarded smash to obtain her first point 3-1. Raffles gained momentum, bringing the score to 5-2 in their favour. Unfazed by this, a calm Ying Chao bounced back to 7-6 in our favour. Weaknesses of the opponent manifested themselves as Ying Chao got the better of her opponent, blazing to a comfortable 11-6, with no chance for the opponent to get another point.
Game 3
Raring to win the match by this game, Ying Chao displayed unmatched skill and verve, quickly bringing the score to 5-1 in her favour. Delivering a high smash that was simply impossible to defend, the score became 6-3. Another chance came soon enough as Ying Chao aimed her smash straight at the middle of the opponent, impossible to return. Notable attempts were then made by the opponent to block Ying Chao’s smashes, but they were not enough to stop Ying Chao in a rally. Then came the final straw as Ying Chao ended the game and match with a powerful smash that was blocked…but to no avail, winning 11-7. Match ended with 11-6, 11-6, 11-7.
Second Doubles
Hwa Chong Players: Luo Na (12A11) and Yee Si Min (11S7F)
Game 1
Probably spurred on by their previous loss, the Raffles duo fought to obtain the first few points of the game. But knowing they could end the finals right there and then, Luo Na and Si Min did not disappoint as they soon equalized the score at 4-4. Every point became a long-drawn battle as both sides were taking turns to take the lead, only to be equalized by the other. This carried on until a tie at 8-8 when a blunder made by Raffles brought us into a crucial lead in the game. Egged on by this, Luo Na proceeded to deliver a skillful smash to game point 10-8. The final point was also taken by Luo Na as she delivered the final blow to the opponent, winning the first game.
Game 2
Knowing their opponents better by now, Si Min took the show with a couple of smashes the opponent simply could not return. Superb teamwork and ball handling forced Raffles into one mistake after another, bringing the score to 9-2. A powerful smash by Si Min at this point of time brought us into game point. Another smash by Si Min was revoked by a contentious decision to award Raffles with a point instead. However, this did not matter as our duo kept their cool and Si Min served a skilful, what seemed to be top spin, ball that earned us the last point to win the game 11-3.
Game 3
Facing a game that would determine the outcome of their match as well as the entire finals, pressure was definitely compounded on our duo, Luo Na and Si Min, in this game. The opponent, knowing this equally well, seemed to be also determined to stop us from winning. Our players drew first blood in the game, only to be equalized by an excellent smash by Raffles to 1-1. Luo Na’s excellent smash tore through Raffles’ defense to a lead of 4-3. Raffles then stole the lead against us to a worrying 8-5. Another mistake on our part gave Raffles another point. At this crucial point, many would be nervous and lose focus, but not our duo. Luo Na went on to smash a direct hit at the opponent to earn us a point, bringing the score to 10-8, game point to Raffles, the closest the opponent ever got to winning a game against our duo. Raffles then made nervous blunders that our players utilized to painstakingly bring the score up to 10-10, a remarkable feat that is achievable by few. A tie was all our players needed as they pushed their opponent, as 2 more points are all that we need. The first point came when Raffles’ return hit their own net. The final blow was delivered by a skilful smash by Si Min which ricocheted off the opponent’s bat, and veering off in a spiral mid-air, showing the powerful spin of the ball.
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Presenting to you- The Hwa Chong Table Tennis Team 2011-2012
2012: Match Report: Canoeing Finals
April 21st, 2012 by CCA PROHaving spent many days and nights together in the past year training for this day, the Hwa Chong Canoeing Team could hardly wait for their chance to get onto the water and race, to bring glory to the school. It was the morning of the National Inter-schools Canoeing Championships Finals, where paddlers battled it out in individual races to gain points for their schools in the race for the Team Title.
The Hwachong A Div Boys’ team was looking to defend their title from their closest competitors, ACS (I), SAJC, and NJC. ACS (I) in particular was the most dangerous, with breadth and depth in their team, and had a spectacular performance in the prequel to the National Inter-schools, the National Junior Canoeing Championships.
The Girls’ team was facing stiff competition from other schools such as the traditional powerhouses NJC and ACJC who had proven themselves multiple times during previous competitions. With many challenges to overcome, such as being an almost completely newcomer team and having to face strong competitors from other schools, the pressure was on to attain even better results than what we achieved last year.
The competition started off bright and early with the A Div Girls’ K1 1000m. Finalists Kimberlyn Tjipto (12S6D) and Ethanyn Lim (11S7J) were up against experienced paddlers from NJC and rising stars from ACJC. We achieved good results, with Ethanyn placing 2nd, defeating much more experienced paddlers and Kimberlyn placing a solid 5th, giving us an encouraging start to the day.
Shortly after that, we had the Boys’ C1 1000m. Our two paddlers Bryan Ong (11S64) and Ou Yiming (12S64) went out to beat ACS (I)’s ace, Ray Peh. Even though they pushed Ray Peh to the brink of exhaustion, our boys finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, with high pressure placed on Yiming by NJC’s Seet Qin Han.
Buoyed up by the success in the C1, Marcus Lee (11S65) and Henry Lau (12S60) improved on the winning margin with an identical performance of 2nd and 3rd positions in the Boys’ K1 1000m, losing to ACS (I)’s national paddler Brandon Ooi.
But we lost our lead in the next race, when Seah Sheng Hui (11S64), Liu Jia Wei (11S6F), Cheng Li Ke (11A14) and Yang Yi (11A15) got 4th for the Boys’ K4 1000m, whilst ACS (I)’s crew got a surprise win over SAJC, who got 2nd. This allowed ACS (I) to tie with us at 21 points apiece. The fight was on.
Meanwhile, the Girls’ K2 1000m was a close battle between boats from NJC and ACJC. Felicia Lee (11S6C) and Kimberlyn did us proud by clinching 1st Placing, having only trained together for a minimal number of trainings in order to concentrate on their solo craft. Vanessa Heng (11S71) and Sarah Yeo’s (12S76) fight against ACJC kept us on the edge of our seats, winning their boat by a tiny margin, placing 3rd.
Then it was back-to-back-to-back A Div races, starting with the Boys’ C2 1000m. Bryan Tang (11S6C) and Teo Ming Yi (11S6D) had met each other at the end of 2010 when Bryan appealed to transfer from NJC to Hwachong, and the pair trained together for the past 2 seasons and were defending champions for the C2 1000m. But the pressure of being favourites did not faze them and they managed to defend their gold medal, with ACS (I)’s Alexander Craiggs and Goh Yen Hang beating our second boat of Lee Yi Liang (11S6E) and Lim Zheng Jie (11S63), who beat all other competitors to clinch the bronze.
Right after that was the Girl’s K4 1000m event. Frontman Foo Wei Yi (11S7J) led the crew consisting of Janie Anne Hui (11S6C), Charlene Tang (11S7C) and Nicole Cheng (11S7J) to put up a great fight against ACJC and knocked them off the podium, placing 3rd. Their persistence and tireless efforts training together for only a few weeks paid off, ending the girls’ 1000m events.
And following after them was the Boys’ K2 1000m, where our pairs of Joel Tan (11S6C) and Shaun Tan (12S6D), Ho Canxiang (11S6H) and Lee Leong Hui (12S77) were beat by NJC’s Wong Heng Jin and Pang Ren Hui, but managed to show their individual prowess and teamwork by clinching the remaining medal positions. And the morning session had thus ended for the A Division. At this point, Hwachong Boys were up 41 points to ACS (I)’s 26, and the Girls were in 1st place with 22 points, NJC having 21 and ACJC with 12.
After a lunch break, the 500m events commenced, in roughly the same order as the morning 1000m races, again starting off with the Girl’s K1 500m race. Our sole paddler in this race, Ethanyn Lim was up against much more experienced paddlers from NJC, having only joined in J1. She lost to NJC paddlers Wang Nanfeng and Michelle Oh, triumphing over ACJC’s Isabel Low, placing a well earned 3rd.
In the Boys’ C1 500m, with Bryan Ong this time was Jared Choo (12S68). The race played out right down to the wire and Bryan narrowly avoided losing his 2nd place to Qin Han with a perfectly timed shooting of the bow. Jared challenged many of the paddlers who were older and more experienced than him, but ended up a respectable 5th.
Next up was the Girl’s K4 500m race, which pitted our crew consisting of Foo Wei Yi, Janie Anne Hui, Charlene Tang and Nicole Cheng, up against the same crews they faced in the earlier 1000m race. The competition was fierce as ACJC was dissatisfied with their previous defeat and rose to the occasion, and despite the best efforts of the team they pulled ahead the very last second, leaving us in 4th place.
Immediately after the Girls’ K4 we had the Boys’ K1 500m, where Marcus and Henry were up once again against Brandon and the best K paddlers from other schools. They repeated their previous results of 2nd and 3rd place, with Henry having a close fight for 3rd against Wang Wei Liang of SAJC.
Like the K1, the Boys’ C2 500m was pretty much a repeat of the 1000m. Again Bryan and Ming Yi were champions, ACS (I)’s boat 2nd, and Yi Liang and Zheng Jie placing 3rd. Fortunately the many extra trainings spent on getting their coordination and technique together paid off for them.
At this point, the lead the girls had built up over the past few races was shrinking, with the next race being the T1 500m race, the pressure was on for Felicia and Melissa Low (11S63) to perform well. Facing down extremely strong paddlers from NJC and ACJC, Felicia gave us a nail biting finish, barely pulling ahead in the last few strokes to defeat ACJC, emerging 4th while Melissa Low finished with a 6th placing.
The Boys’ K4 500m race commenced a few moments later. With 4 strong paddlers in each boat, this was the fastest race of the day and the paddlers did not disappoint, providing the audience with an exhilarating race all the way. Our crew of Sheng Hui, Peter Daniel (12S73), Li Ke and Yang Yi narrowly lost the 4th position to ACJC’s crew, but put up a good fight right down to the last stroke.
With the last race for the Girl’s about to begin, every point gain from it mattered, for it could make all the difference in fighting for the 2nd placing, behind NJC’s lead in points, defending their title. Vanessa and Sarah gave it their maximum effort and were leading up until the last buoy, when ACJC’s K2 gave a last ditch effort and with that one stroke, snatched the 3rd position right from under their noses. This combined with the strong performance by their other boat meant that we were behind ACJC by 1 point, making our hopes of getting 2nd evaporate.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Tan Ying Hui (12S69) and JC1 newcomer Lee Su Lynn (12S63) never gave up, finishing the race and placing 6th in the grand finals, giving us that coveted 1 point that placed us on equal standing with ACJC, lifting us from out dire straits. This meant that ACJC and we were tied for 2nd place on points, and we had to look at the medal tally to determine the outcome.
Before we could accurately determine the Girls’ team result though, we had one last race for the Boys’, the K2 500m. NJC’s pair proved too fast to catch but our crews raced bravely against them, and eventually the pair of Joel and Shaun got 2nd, while Canxiang and Leonghui emerged 4th.
By the time they came out of the water, the team was ecstatic. Due to the gold medal clinched by Felicia and Kimberlyn in the K2 1000m, the Girl’s placed 2nd above ACJC by rule of tie breaker! This was the best result for the Girls’ team for the last 10 years, rewarding the team’s hard work through the year.
With an impressive lead of 78 points against ACS (I)’s 50, our Boys’ team defended the title successfully for the 3rd year running!
Needless to say, the team was very grateful to the coaches and teachers-in-charge, who have played an enormous role in building up the team. In the team’s debrief following the prize presentation, many mushy but heartfelt thanks were given to Mr Quek Wee Tong, Mr Justin Heng, Coach Tan Wee Jin and Coach Yosep Effendy. The team also wishes to thank our seniors, who have not only come back to train us countless times, but also had laid the foundation for our training by improving the team’s culture and training infrastructure. These people were vital and irreplaceable in our endeavours, and we owe our success to them.
The story of the 2011/12 Hwachong Canoeing team has thus ended. The JC1s and future members of Hwachong Canoeing 2012/13 will build on this success and further improve the culture and performance of the team, while the JC2s will go off to prepare for the next challenge in life, the A-levels. We wish all other CCAs the best of luck in their own competitions and we hope you can bring glory back to Hwachong!
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Presenting to you – The Hwa Chong Canoeing Team 2011-2012 (HCanoe)
Written by,
Marcus Lee and Ethanyn Lim
Canoeing Captains 2011-2012
2012: Match Report: Fencing Finals
April 16th, 2012 by CCA PROIn the 7th National Inter-school Fencing Championships 2012 held on 9th and 10th April, the Hwa Chong ‘A’ Division Fencing Team fought hard and managed to attain commendable results:
1 Individual Gold
2 Individual Silver
4 Individual Bronze
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Boys Team
Individual Achievements:
In the Men’s Epee Individual event, Ip Yuan Chang (11S73) fought hard to take home the Gold medal.
In the Men’s Sabre Individual event, Aaron Chew (12S6G) and Lee Wen Jun (11S6G) fought with valor and managed to win a Silver and a Bronze medal respectively.
In the Men’s Foil Individual event, Ong Chan Hao (12S6P) and Randy Poon (12S6E) drove through the competition for a Silver and Bronze medal respectively.
Overall Achievement:
With a combined effort, our boys emerged as the Overall Boys Champions in A Division for the very first time! Awesome!
The following boys worked hard as well to contribute to the overall GOLD award:
(In no order of merit)
Joel Chien (11S7G)
Joel Yap (11S68)
Tan Chek Han (11S70)
Tan E Teng (11S72)
Kelvin Tan (12A15)
Christopher Toh (12S61)
Ravintharan K S (12S77)
Rick Wong (12S6N)
Goh Jia Wen (12S62)
Clarence Sim (12S74)
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Girls Team
Individual Achievements:
In the Women’s Foil individual event, Pee Hai Rou (11S6J) fought her best, persevered and achieved the individual Bronze medal.
In the Women’s Sabre individual event Seah Ying Xin (11S7G) overcame the stiff competition to emerge as bronze medallist.
Overall Achievement:
The girl’s team achieved Overall Girls 2nd Placing, which is no mean feat, considering the intense competition from the national fencers of other schools. Well done girls!
The following girls fought their best as well to contribute to the overall SILVER award:
An Jiaqi (11S72)
Chen Chunni (11S7E)
Clarine Chia (11S61)
Sheranne Kwok (11S68)
Abigail Lau (11S67)
Lisa Lee (11S7A)
Li Weiqi (11S7E)
Sheryl Lim (11S73)
Stephanie Ng (11S60)
Ong Jiawen (11S76)
Justhina Thong (11S7G)
A. Preethi Devi (11A13)
Cindy Co (12S16)
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Presenting to you – The Hwa Chong Fencing Team 2011-2012
Written by,
Ip Yuan Chang
Fencing Captain 2011-2012
2012: Pre-Season: Taekwondo
April 16th, 2012 by CCA PROThe sports season is here again! Ever wondered what goes behind the scenes of your fellow athletes in the past months? And have you ever wondered what it really takes to bring home the glory? In this series of articles, we will find out more from the captains of each sport and learn just how much effort the teams put into their pre-season trainings!
In this article, the Hwa Chong Taekwondo PRO, Lin Jian, shall tell us more!
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On 23rd April, HCTKD will be going down to Toa Payoh Sports Hall to defend our double championships title in the National Inter-School Taekwondo Championships.
HCTKD at TPY Sports Hall (April 2011)
The competition will focus on the taekwondo poomsae, or pattern, which is a combination of basic actions and movements exercise with an imaginary opponent, featuring powerful blocks (such as high blocks, inward blocks and knife hand blocks) as well as kicks (such as side kicks and front kicks). Although it may seem easy and basic, poomsae is anything but; practitioners have to keep in mind important factors of a good pattern such as rhythm, flexibility and strength, which require many months of hard training to attain.
This year, our club also trained hard for and took part in the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Taekwondo Open Championships, in which our members achieved commendable results despite being pitted against players from universities and polytechnics. Ang Wee Shuen (11S6D) clinched the coveted gold medal despite an injury to achieve overall first for the Sajang (green belt) individual category, and two other teams also did swimmingly and received bronze medals for their efforts: namely, the Female Ojang (blue belt) team and the Female Sajang team. The Sajang team consists of Amanda Ong (11S7C), Priscilla Kong (11S70) and Foo Li Ting (11S78) and the Ojang team consists of Chua Li Ying (11S6J), Teo Min Shuen (11A12) and Victoria Tan (11A12).
Medalists of the NTU TOC with the instructors and seniors
Late January, we were all devastated to hear that the poomsaes we had been training for were not to be used for the competition. As a result, we had to go through an extra gruelling round of relearning and perfecting new and alien patterns. However, determined to not let months of prior training go to waste, we worked even harder and our members have since then been training relentlessly for the upcoming competition in April, and will definitely strive to do Hwa Chong proud for all the competitions to come. HCTKD; JUST TaekwonDO IT!
2012: Match Report: Shooting Finals
April 15th, 2012 by CCA PROWhile the rest of the school were busy with homework, PW (starting on it for the juniors and getting results back for the seniors), our shooting team, comprising Air Rifle shooters and Air Pistol shooters for both ‘A’ Boys and ‘A’ Girls were quietly having their own battle at the 2012 National Inter-School Shooting Championships [3rd April to 11th April] at the shooting range in SAFRA Yishun. Let’s see how well they did!
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A Div Rifle Boys
A Division Rifle Boys event took place on 9th April at SAFRA Yishun Shooting Range.
The team comprises of:
Wesley Leong (11S6E),
Quah Jun Zhi James (11S7K),
Soo Guo Sheng (12S6C) and
reserve Yap Zhe You Ryo (11S7K)
Being one of the top favourite teams to place top 3 across Singapore, the Hwa Chong A Div Rifle Boys fought to retain the 2 year gold streak put in place by their senior batch.
However, it was not meant to be as they fought against arch-rivals Raffles, whose team comprised DSA shooters of national calibre. They tried their best, with Wesley Leong even hitting his personal best of 586/600, beating all others to the title of A Div individual Champion,and Soo Guo Sheng shooting his way to an impressive score of 581/600, attaining 4th for individual placing.
While Wesley Leong tied with RI shooter Glenn Tay, and Soo Guo Sheng tied with RI shooter Kai Siong, Captain James Quah tried to match up to their third shooter in the same detail, unfortunately hitting a 573/600, individual 8th, a mere 4 points behind Daniel Toh of RI (577/600), despite having more inner tens. However, as the saying goes “you win some, you lose some.”, while the A Div boys lost their title this year, managing National Team 2nd, the B Div boys shot their way to Team Champions, ending the 7 year gold drought and definitely showing us their potential in regaining the A Div Rifle title next year.
A Div Rifle Girls
The A Division Rifle Girls event took place on the 5th of April at SAFRA Yishun Shooting Range.
The team comprises of:
Jacqueline Koh (11S7K),
Yang Jianing (11S7J),
Teo Zhi Ping (12A15) and
reserve Ong Wan Li (12S6B)
Again, one of the top favourite teams to place top 3 across Singapore, the Hwa Chong A Div Rifle Girls faced intense adversity this year, facing off against powerhouse RI and AJC, both teams which featured national shooters. Being the underdogs, the homegrown A Div Rifle Girls who starting training together since being in Nanyang Girls High Shooting Team, blazed their way to National Team 3rd, losing to Anderson Junior College (2nd), and Raffles Institution (1st).
Jacqueline herself shot an impressive score of 389/400, while Jianing tried her utmost effort, hitting 378, a score below her normal training standards. Teo Zhi Ping on the other hand, shot her way to a commendable score of 383.
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A Div Pistol Boys
The A Division Pistol Boys event took place on 10th of April at SAFRA Yishun Shooting Range.
The team comprises of:
Dominic Cheong (11S7F),
Kenneth Lim (11S7F),
Teo Wen Song(12S60) and
reserve Poh Wei Xuan (12S73)
This year’s A Boys Pistol event was probably one of the toughest matches in this shooting championship, with every school sending their best veterans to compete for the gold medal. The Hwa Chong Team, who were the winners of this event last year, had to face national shooters from Raffles, one of whom currently holds the Pistol overall record, as well as traditionally strong opponents like NJC and ACS.
So this was not much of a test of skill, but rather a competition of who can control the stress and persevere till the end. Kenneth Lim obtained a decent score of 546/600, but this only earned him an individual 6th placing. Dominic and Wen Song fought hard till the last shot and the last few minutes of the competition and managed a score of 528 and 526 respectively. The team eventually settled for a 4th position overall. Our pistol shooters are determined to train harder to clinch back the A division Pistol Boys title from RJC next year. 自强不息！
A Div Pistol Girls
The A Division Pistol Girls event took place on 3rd of April at SAFRA YIshun Shooting range.
The team comprises of:
Phua Ler Woon (11S7J),
Teo Chin (11S7J), and
Lee Ping Zheng (11S77)
The A Div Pistol girls team, trained hard and shot their way to a National Team Placing of 11th. Being relatively new shooters who starting learning the ropes only just last June, the A Div Pistol girls showed us the meaning of perseverance as they strived against all odds just to put up a good show against other seasoned shooters of 5-6 years in other Junior Colleges.
Captain Quah Jun Zhi James is proud of them, and their ability to compete at the National Level, and shooting scores that were well above our expectations of them.
Phua Ler Woon, shot an impressive 353/400 and attaining individual 8th, while Teo Chin scored a 332/400 and Ping Zheng hitting a 322/400. It takes courage to join a new CCA with no prior experience, and it takes character to strive for results. While they may not have reaped any medals or trophies, the Hwa Chong Shooting Team is proud of them for clocking 4-5 trainings a week for the past months.
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Presenting to you – The Hwa Chong Shooting Team 2011/2012
Written by,
James Quah & Dominic Cheong
Shooting Captains 2011-2012
2012: Match Report: Trampoline Finals
April 14th, 2012 by CCA PROOn April 11 2012, Kah Kee Hall at High School side was flooded with throngs of competitors from different schools taking part in the National Inter-school Trampoline Competition. Throughout the day, members from our Hwa Chong Gymnastics Team wowed both the spectators and our competitors as each one of our members showcased their skilful and precise routines.
And so, after months of trainings, our lean, mean flipping machines were ready to face the judges and impress them. Words simply fail to describe what really transpired on the competition day, so let the photos do the talking!
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A Division Guys team:
Individual:
Daniel Wong (12S7F)
Lee Zonghan (11S66)
Tan Chor Hian (11S6A)
Chua Hou Zheng (12S66)
Joel Wong (11A10) – Individual bronze medal!
Heng Yi Xiang (11S6D)- Individual gold medal! (Champion!)
Overall:
Team Champion, after triumphing over traditional powerhouse Raffles by a good 3.00 points to retain our title and have been team champions for for the 3rd year running!
A Division Girls team:
Individual:
Zest Ang (12S75)
Soong Huiling (11S7K)
Cherie Lee (11S7C)
Trudy Sih (11S7H)
Charlene Tang (11S7C)
Stephanie Seow (11S66)- Individual gold medal (aka Champion!)
Overall:
Team Champions also overcoming traditional powerhouse Raffles by a fair margin to retain their title of champions for the 5th year running!
And…….here’s a picture of individual champions Heng Yixiang (11S6D) and Stephanie Seow (11S66) turning the worlds of their opponents upside down, literally 
Written by,
Cherie Lee and Heng Yi Xiang
Trampoline Captains 2011-2012