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Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lya Chua battles cramp to help Hwa Chong claim fourth straight A Div volleyball title
Lya Chua of Hwa Chong Institution continued to play on despite having cramp in both her legs. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM SINGAPORE – Leading 2-1, Hwa Chong Institution were under the cosh after squandering a seven-point lead in the fourth game in their bid to win a fourth straight National School Games A Division girls' volleyball title on May 27. That was when regular libero, Lya Chua, suffered cramp, forcing her to be substituted, as the momentum swung the way of their final opponents Nanyang Junior College. With the match finely balanced, Lya decided to brave the pain and return to the court. The vocal presence of the 17-year-old proved to be the tonic her team needed as the gruelling game went to deuce before Hwa Chong prevailed 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 30-28) at Our Tampines Hub. 'I got cramp in both my legs. But I wanted to do my part and I felt that my role at that point was on the court with my teammates, so that's why I decided to push through,' said Lya, who admitted she would have played a fifth set despite the cramp. Hwa Chong Institution's Chrystel Lim (in red, 11) and Elizabeth Chia (12) blocking a spike by Melanie Yong (in black, 3) of Nanyang Junior College. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Captai n Elizabeth Chia , 18, added: 'It feels very exhilarating (to win) because Hwa Chong volleyball is really like a family and I feel very grateful and proud to be able to play and win for this team.' Nanyang captain Loo Yu Wen was satisfied despite the defeat, after leading the team to their first final since 2019 . 'We've had quite a few injuries this year but for every set, we always pushed until the end and I'm just glad the team tried their best,' said the 18-year-old. While the Nanyang girls were disappointed, their boys took revenge by beating Hwa Chong 3-0 ( 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 ) in the final for their third A Div title in a row. Nanyang Junior College captain Renfred Eng (second from right) holding the trophy aloft. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Nanyang boys' captain Renfred Eng, 18, said: 'I'm very proud of this team because they have been so adaptable. I've played open spiker for basically my whole volleyball career but this year, coach decided to put me as a setter because he wanted me to help with the blocking. 'Our (usual) setters are not very tall. We wanted to make use of my height to block and I think it worked out because no one could stop us.' Rehan Fernando, another standout player, attributed his explosive jumps to the intensive gym training. 'Before training, we will always go for an hour or hour-and-half sessions,' said the 19-year-old. Rehan Tharusha Fernando was one of his team's best players in the final. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Hwa Chong captain Sean Yu, 17, was content despite the result. 'I think we really played as a team. Even when we're down, we help each other and lift each other up. Hopefully, this (experience) will make the (future batches) more hungry for the elusive title.' Eunoia Junior College (EJC) beat Dunman High School 3-1 in the girls' third-place play-off while Victoria Junior College beat EJC by the same score for the boys' bronze. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Familiar faces claim top honours at National School Games' cross-country finals
Nanyang Junior College's Clara Chua crossing the finish line to win the A Division Girls' gold at the National School Games cross-country finals on May 14. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG SINGAPORE – Pulling well clear of her closest challenger on a wet and rainy morning, Clara Chua of Nanyang Junior College stamped her dominance in the National School Games' (NSG) cross-country event by winning the A Division girls' individual race at OCBC Square on May 14 . It marked her third straight victory at the NSG after achieving similar feats in 2024 and 2023, the latter when she was with St Margaret's School (Secondary) . 'I'm really happy that I managed to complete my goal of (becoming) a three-time champion,' said Clara, 18, who crossed the finish line in 13min 51.595sec – the 36-second margin to second-placed Anisah Omar of Victoria Junior College highlighting her dominance. It more than made up for the disappointment of having to wait for a day to compete. The finals were initially scheduled on May 13, but had to be postponed by 24 hours due to inclement weather. Even in the early hours of May 14, a light shower caused all races to be delayed by half an hour and threatened to dampen the mood. 'It (the postponement) was very disappointing because all my preparation was for that day,' said Clara. Fortunately for her, the rain ceased. In the wet conditions, the A and B Division boys completed a 4.6km route, while the C Division boys and girls of all three divisions ran 3.6km. The starting point was the grassy section of Tanjong Rhu Promenade, with the route stretching past the Tanjong Rhu suspension footbridge before concluding at OCBC Square. 'The route was a bit hard to run because there were a lot of tight curves,' said Clara. 'The grass patch was kind of slippery. I fell down twice but it was nothing much. Just (got) a small scrape.' She managed to overcome her minor setback to complete her NSG journey with a treble of gold medals. 'I just focus on running at my own pace. I told myself that I trained hard for this and I know my fitness will show how good I am,' she added. Tabitha Ng of Cedar Girls' Secondary School also found the tight curves hard to navigate on her way to winning the B Division girls' individual race. 'The part where I struggled the most was definitely the turns at the overhead bridge because they're really sharp. Not only that, there's a slope (going) upwards under the bridge,' said the 16-year-old. The bridge also signalled the home stretch where she started to run 'all out' towards the finish line, taking first place with a time of 13:54.113, three seconds ahead of Charlotte Poon from St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School. Cedar Girls' Secondary School's Tabitha Ng running 'all out' towards the finish line to win the B Division girls' category. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG 'I was aiming for first (place),' said Tabitha after winning her fourth straight gold medal , which will also be her last for her school, having taken the top prize every year since her NSG debut in 2022. She was glad to go out with a bang, adding: 'I'm really happy and thankful because it's my last year running for Cedar. Ever since I came to Cedar, my teammates have been cheering me on. It's a very supportive environment, and all this support has inspired me to push myself even further.' There was still a sense of accomplishment among runners who might not have won, and for some, even redemption. Enoch Seow of St Joseph's Institution finished seventh in the B Division boys' individual race with a time of 15:57.699 , massively improving on his 37th-placed finish in 2024 . NUS High School's Sung Yejun retained his title in 15:00.529. 'I feel really vindicated,' said Enoch, 15. 'Last year I messed up my race and because of that, my school missed out (on the team trophy). So this year I was really happy because it was like redemption.' Enoch Seow from St Joseph's Institution was glad to improve on his race from last year, coming in seventh in the B Division boys' category. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG 'I was more relaxed. I did not let the past failures weigh me down,' he added. For the overall team trophies, Victoria JC won the A Division boys' and girls' categories, while Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) claimed both the B and C Division boys' titles. Cedar took the B and C Division girls' crowns . More on this Topic Canada crowned inaugural mixed 4x100m relay champions Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: Former MP Lee Bee Wah inspired PAP newcomer Lee Hui Ying to join politics
Ms Lee Hui Ying started volunteering at 19 and later became a mentee of PAP veteran Lee Bee Wah. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – A knock on the door when PAP Nee Soon GRC candidate Lee Hui Ying was 19 kick-started a volunteering journey that might lead the 35-year-old to Parliament, if the May 3 polls are in her favour. Outside her door was Ms Lee Bee Wah, on a house visit in the Nee Soon South ward where she was the MP from 2006 until her retirement from politics in 2020. 'She was very warm and enthusiastic… she asked me 'would you like to be a volunteer in the community?',' recalled Ms Lee Hui Ying, who had just completed her A Levels at Nanyang Junior College at that time. 'My immediate answer to her was, why not? I think it was the right opportunity and it was kind of timely. It was something I wanted to explore.' Ms Lee Hui Ying, now 35, became a mentee of the PAP veteran, a point that Ms Lee Bee Wah made at an April 29 rally at Yishun Stadium. Ms Lee Bee Wah, who was known for her colourful character and vocal advocacy for her constituents in Parliament, also said that 'Hui Ying has a bit of Lee Bee Wah in her – (she is) a straight talker, sincere and hard-working'. Does the younger Ms Lee agree? In an interview with The Straits Times on April 30, she said: 'I've seen how she has really touched the hearts of residents. I see her as a role model in how she has tried to go beyond the extra mile to help each and every resident. I definitely want to follow in her footsteps.' Ms Lee Hui Ying, who plays the piano and cello and was part of the Chinese Orchestra in JC, started her volunteering journey in Nee Soon South ward by being a letter writer at Meet-the-People sessions, before serving in various grassroots organisations . At her mentor's suggestion , she decided to join politics and informed her father of her decision in late January. She said: 'I definitely wouldn't have imagined myself joining politics when I was 19. I am very grateful that I got to meet (Ms Lee Bee Wah) at that time, unplanned... something that I never expected. That shaped me, grew me and developed me into who I am today.' She was also inspired by Ms Lee Bee Wah's character of not being afraid to speak up, and hopes to carry that spirit forward. 'She has always said 'dare to speak up and dare to express it'. I would like to echo that view. It's important and that's precisely why I'm stepping up. I could have remained as a volunteer, but... I decided to step into politics because I (want) to represent the views of my residents in Parliament, present their issues in Parliament and find a solution to improve their lives,' said the younger Ms Lee, who has been volunteering for more than 15 years. PAP's Nee Soon GRC candidate Lee Hui Ying hugging former MP for the group representation constituency Lee Bee Wah (right) after the former's rally speech at Yishun Stadium on April 29. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR If elected, she wants to be a voice for seniors in Nee Soon GRC, champion a better support system for young families, and address concerns that youths have about job security. Ms Lee Hui Ying, who is single and has an older and younger sister, spent 10 years in government communications, in ministries including the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health (MOH). She is currently the Director of Communications at non-profit organisation Temasek Foundation. While working at MOH during the Covid-19 pandemic, she and her colleagues had 'sleepless nights', often issuing press releases past midnight to update the media on the number of Covid-19 cases and cluster areas. Through it all, she kept up her volunteer efforts as she believed in its impact. What kept her going was 'getting to know people, forging friendships, engaging in real activities where it actually impacts individual residents' lives'. Ms Lee Hui Ying is one of four political newcomers that are part of a refreshed PAP slate led by anchor Minister, Mr Shanmugam, 66. They are contesting Nee Soon GRC against a team from Red Dot United led by Mr Ravi Philemon, 56, at the upcoming polls. Other members in the team are Mr Jackson Lam, 40, the head of a pest control and cleaning company; former nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, 40 and Ms Goh Hanyan, 39, a former director at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information. Despite Mr Philemon's recent barb that the people of Nee Soon 'do not know' who the four new faces are, Ms Lee said: 'I'm new to politics, but certainly not new to Nee Soon. I am fortunate that I will be contesting in the place where I first started volunteering… so it is a full circle moment.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
