Latest news with #NationalSchoolGamesADivision
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
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Hwa Chong regain girls' A Div basketball title; ACJC complete three-peat for boys
Eunoia Junior College's Gweneth Low (left) attempting to block a layup by Hwa Chong Institution's Eda Kong (right) in the National School Games A Div Girls' basketball final at Jurong East Sports Hall on May 23, 2025. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM SINGAPORE – A strong defence was the key as Hwa Chong Institution's girls' basketball team regained their National School Games A Division title by defeating Eunoia Junior College 53-36 at Jurong East Sport Hall on May 23. In the process, Hwa Chong, who had lost 57-44 to Nanyang Junior College in the 2024 final, also claimed a record-extending 14th title. When asked what was the key factor behind their success, Hwa Chong coach Neo Beng Siang replied: 'Defence, always emphasise on defence. We needed to match our opponents' intensity and play good defence. 'I need to thank all the players for their effort and intensity and, of course, our opponents and their never-give-up mentality to keep fighting, although they were down by 20.' His captain, point guard Madelin Lock, who scored a game-high 18 points, said: 'I felt that the team was really nervous at first, but our fighting spirit and our team camaraderie allowed us to push through, even though we were missing our shots. 'We fought for everything, and for me personally, they (the team) really lifted me up and they kept encouraging me.' Hwa Chong Institution's Madelin Lock sinking a free throw in the National School Games A Div Girls' basketball final at Jurong East Sports Hall on May 23. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Both teams got off to a scrappy start and it took two minutes before Hwa Chong opened the scoring via a free throw from Julia Sim. But they soon got into their stride and held a commanding 18-6 lead heading into the second period. Eunoia coach Allen Lee said: 'We didn't play according to our game plan. In the first quarter, Hwa Chong managed to pull ahead and open a lead against us. 'So from then on, it was an uphill battle, but I'm very proud of the girls, because we never gave up.' Hwa Chong further extended their advantage in the second and third quarters, leading 31-15 and 48-25 respectively. Eunoia fought back in the final quarter, outscoring Hwa Chong 11-5, but it was not enough to overturn a 23-point deficit. Eunoia captain and power forward Allysa Lidya Bintang said: 'In this final, we had really a lot of hope to win. 'Throughout the game, our level of fight was really there, but unfortunately, we didn't get the result we wanted, but it's okay, I'm really, really proud of my team, because they really fought all the way until the end.' Anglo-Chinese Junior College captain Eshan Kaul holding the trophy aloft as his teammates celebrate their win over Raffles Institution in the National School Games A Div boys' basketball final at Jurong East Sports Hall on May 23. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM In the A Division boys' final, Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) overcame a slow start to beat Raffles Institution (RI) 64-57 and claim their third consecutive title. RI flew out of the blocks and quickly gained a 10-5 lead over the defending champions. But ACJC eased into the game and finished the first quarter 15-14 up. 'I think we came out of the gate with a very strong belief that we could have done it,' said RI captain Ignatius Lau, a shooting guard. 'That was probably the best start we could have asked for. We knew that they were going to hit us back. But I feel like my team has responded really well, we still kept in the game and made sure that we gave them a good fight.' RI coach Kua Hiong Yong added: 'To reach this final and then post such a big fight to the team that has two consecutive championships... I think they have done whatever they can, so I'm very proud of my boys today.' Raffles Institution's S Adityah (in white) attempting to block a reverse lay-up by Anglo-Chinese Junior College's captain Eshan Kaul (in dark blue) in the National School Games A Div Boys' basketball final at Jurong East Sports Hall on May 23. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM ACJC then turned up the heat in the second quarter, going into the half 32-23 up, before maintaining their lead despite RI outscoring them 15-14 and 19-18 in the third and fourth quarters respectively. ACJC coach Lee Boon Hian, who was very animated throughout, shouting instructions from the sidelines, said he believes this helped 'the players to push further, because I think they were kind of lost'. He added: 'Being vocal will lead them to the championship.' His captain, power forward Eshan Kaul added: ' Our coach is always like that. That's his way of encouraging us and motivating us. And through training he's like this, and it's a lot of pressure, but it trains us for this moment exactly, so that when the time gets tough, we can execute his plan. 'The feeling is great, we train super hard and have had a lot of problems, but to come back and win it, it's an incredible feeling.' Melvyn Teoh is a sports journalist at The Straits Times. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Raffles Institution learn from past mistake to win first A Div cricket title since 2018
SINGAPORE – During their previous meeting in the National School Games A Division boys' cricket competition on May 13, Raffles Institution (RI) were confident they could outscore the 114 runs in 20 overs accumulated by defending champions Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). Confidence soon turned into complacency however, as RI, batting second, fell just short, amassing 113 runs in the same amount of overs, losing by just one run. As the two schools squared off again in the final at Ceylon Sports Club on May 23, RI were determined to not repeat that mistake. Keeping their focus in the sweltering heat, they won by eight wickets. RI captain Shreevathsa Chihnan said: 'That loss (by one run) helped us realise that we shouldn't be complacent at any moment of the game, regardless of whether we're leading or when we're losing. 'That's what we learnt from that game, and we won today because of that loss. It was a really needed loss.' Captain and wicket-keeper Shreevathsa Chihnan (centre) celebrating with bowler Sehgal Aarav (left) after bowling out Anglo-Chinese School's (Independent) captain and batsman Bhatnagar Aditya (right). RI recovered from their earlier loss to ACS(I) to win the title. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM The win marks RI's first A Division cricket title since 2018 and ended ACS (I)'s run of four straight titles from 2019 to 2024, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. 'I think if any batch could do it, it would have been our batch because it's not about the skills or the talent. It's about how much chemistry we have and how well bonded we are. And I think truly for the last six, seven months of training, we deserve this really much,' added Chihnan, 18. There was immediately a sense of deja vu when ACS (I), just like in their last meeting, won the coin toss, elected to bat first and racked up 125 runs in 20 overs . Shree Bhala Raj, 17, who contributed 46 of those runs, said: 'I batted well and bowled well. Even when you're not on the right side of the score, it's important that you (still) get a (sense of) self-satisfaction that I've given my best.' It gave RI an even bigger mountain to climb when the teams changed hands between innings. What followed was a stellar batting performance from the Rafflesians, in particular, Nikhil Arora . In extraordinary circumstances, Nikhil found himself out on the pitch for the entirety of the inning, having not been caught out. In that spell, he greatly contributed to his team's score, slamming the ball out of bounds without bounce five times, a hit typically known as a six. Nikhil Arora (centre) scored five 6s during his time batting. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM RI went on to overcome ACS (I)'s 125 runs in emphatic fashion, scoring 126 in 18.5 overs, resulting in them winning by eight wickets. 'I think for every batter, hitting a six feels magnificent,' said Nikhil. 'But you have to tell yourself to not get carried away. In the game against ACS (which they lost by one run), we lost right at the end. So I just made sure that this time I had to be there to finish it.' The 17-year-old admitted that he got tired during the second inning, but 'all the adrenaline' kept him going. He added: 'We've really had such a shortage of trophies in the past. I hope my team has influenced the younger generation to carry on a tradition of success.' ACS (I) captain Aditya Bhatnagar had mixed emotions about his side's loss in the final, but they were not 'entirely negative'. 'We didn't panic today, nor did we choke. If you go to all 11 people who played, we all consider each other brothers. Everybody was calm and composed until the very last ball. That's the way it should be,' said Bhatnagar, 18. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Hugo Gauthier's extra-time winner helps SJI claim maiden A Div football title, beating Nanyang JC 2-1
After losing in the final against Victoria in 2024, SJI claimed their maiden A Div football title against Nanyang in 2025. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO SINGAPORE – A session on how to bounce back from setbacks proved to be an ideal tonic for St Joseph's Institution (SJI) ahead of the National School Games A Division boys' football final on May 22. With their 2-1 loss to Victoria Junior College (VJC) in the 2024 final still fresh in the memory, they wanted to be mentally well prepared in the title-decider against Nanyang Junior College at Jalan Besar Stadium. SJI, who took the lead through midfielder Darius Lim in the 18th minute, were pegged back just six minutes later as Nanyang equalised through winger Atheeq Mahbub and took the game to extra time. But if they panicked, they did not show it as SJI kept their nerves to win 2-1, with centre-back Hugo Gauthier scoring the winner with six minutes left in extra time to lift their first title. SJI's football co-teacher-in-charge Syaifudin Ahmad admitted that the 2024 final loss was 'always at the back of the mind'. He said: 'It was a wonderful end to what was a very long and arduous National School Games season. 'Most importantly, the boys bounced back from last year's final loss… Today's game, we really had to fight very hard. It went all the way to extra time. At the end of the day, it's how much they wanted to win. And thankfully, the outcome was in our favour.' Hugo, 18, whose father is French and mother Singaporean, said: 'Last year was very disappointing, especially because we had such good momentum. (In extra time) I knew that we had to do something to score, otherwise it would have gone to penalties. And when the ball came to me, it was at the perfect height, I snuck behind the defender and headed the ball in. 'My mind went blank and I couldn't believe my eyes, but I couldn't contain my excitement and I had so much energy that I just decided to take my shirt off. 'It definitely is a full circle and I think we owe it to everyone.' St. Joseph Institution's Darius Lim, who had also scored in the 2024 final, opened the scoring against Nanyang JC in the 2025 final. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Applying early pressure, SJI set up camp in the Nanyang half for the opening 15 minutes. And it paid off in the 18th minute after a long ball from Hugo resulted in a mistake from Nanyang defender Dwayne Goh, allowing Darius to fire past goalkeeper Khrist Chua. But Nanyang responded just six minutes later, against the run of play. A cross from right-back Ang Kiat Han caused a mix-up inside the box and Brandon Ng's shot fell into the path of Atheeq, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner. SJI nearly restored their lead four minutes later when Lim Kai Sheun found himself in acres of space in the Nanyang box. But the midfielder skewed his shot wide with only Khrist to beat. Several crucial saves from Khrist after the restart kept the scores level as neither could find a breakthrough. The Nanyang players looked spent as the game wore on, with several players collapsing due to cramp. With six minutes to go in extra time, Hugo delivered the sucker punch, rising highest at the back post to head home captain Kieran Tan's corner, sending the SJI supporters into raptures. Hugo Gauthier (right) celebrating with vice-captain Soong Jan Tze, after scoring the winning goal in the National School Games A Division boys' football final against Nanyang Junior College. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Kieran, who has two appearances for BG Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Premier League this season, said: 'When they equalised, to be honest, I was a bit stressed, because they had all the momentum, and I thought we may have lost the final (again).' Nanyang teacher-in-charge Geoffrey Swee praised Kieran's 'well-taken corner', adding: 'There was a lot of talk before the game that we are the underdogs. What we really want was for both teams to play their best, so that they can push each other to reach their maximum potential. Unfortunately, maybe towards the end, there was a bit of loss in concentration and a well-taken corner by the opponents, and that's how we lost.' Nanyang captain Darius Khoo, 17, shared his sentiments, adding: 'We came into the game as everyone said, as underdogs, but today we showed why we deserve to be here. 'Some people had doubted us, but we fought to the end and I couldn't be more proud of how the team played today.' Meanwhile, VJC overcame Raffles Institution 1-0 to claim third spot at the Jurong East Stadium on May 20. Melvyn Teoh is a sports journalist at The Straits Times. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Raffles Institution hockey boys reclaim A Div title amid penalty controversy
SINGAPORE – With the score finely poised at 2-2, both Raffles Institution (RI) and defending champions Victoria Junior College (VJC) knew only too well that there was little margin for error. The National School Games A Division boys' hockey title hung in the balance and any mistake in the May 22 final at Sengkang Hockey Stadium , no matter how small, would be punished. With 10 minutes remaining in the final quarter, the balance was tilted in favour of RI, who were awarded a penalty after a foul inside the shooting circle. Facing off against goalkeeper Jovan Teo in the VJC net, RI's Jaydon Poh stepped up and stroked the ball home to make it 3-2. It proved to be the winning goal, as RI reclaimed the title they lost to the same opponents in 2024. Speaking after the game, Jaydon said penalties were something he had been working on tirelessly. 'Usually during breaks (in training), I would just put the ball at the penalty spot and practise a few strokes against the 'keeper. I think such training paid off. (Today) I scored a crucial goal,' said the 17-year-old. RI's Jaydon Poh (right, in black) scored a crucial penalty that turned out to be the winning goal. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR He added: 'In the second half, VJC was on the ball more. They had more chances. So to score that goal really calmed the pressure down.' The penalty was given against the run of play, much to the frustration of those in the VJC dugout, who thought the decision was a controversial one. 'Our player got the ball first, very clearly,' said VJC coach Nordin Manaff . 'Then his momentum went into the defender and they clashed, but we have to respect the umpire's decision.' Despite the contentious circumstances, he was glad to be a part of a highly entertaining game after missing last year's final as he was overseas with the national women's indoor hockey team. 'I have not seen this kind of intensity in 10 years. Both teams played very well. I thought our players played better in the second half, just that we couldn't get the goal,' said the 58-year-old. Both RI and VJC played out an entertaining final. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR RI opened the scoring just four minutes into the game when Noor Adli Raimi stretched to stroke the ball into the goal and give his team an early lead. 'I thought it was a far effort, back stick. But then I suddenly heard everyone scream and that's when I realised I scored, and I was over the moon after that,' said Adli, 18. RI were pegged back when VJC's Pradeeban Krishnamoorthi latched onto a deflected through ball and smashed the ball beyond goalkeeper Sarthak Basak for the equaliser. But RI regained their lead before halftime, with Ajay Shanmugam lashing the ball into the net following a penalty corner in the 22nd minute. VJC restored parity with a goal from a penalty corner of their own. Their relentless second-half pressure was rewarded as Maheswar Chandramohan made it 2-2 before Jaydon's penalty nudged RI into the lead for the third and final time. 'I'm very proud of the team. Everyone gave their all. We fought for the past two years together, some of us for the past six, really,' said RI vice-captain Raynard Lim , 18. 'Most of the time they (VJC) end up being our toughest opponents and we face our toughest difficulties against (them). We always somehow inevitably meet, so winning this one really made us proud,' he added, acknowledging the fierce rivalry between the two schools in this competition. VJC captain Joven Woo n shared the same sentiments. 'It's always back and forth. They win one year, we win one year,' said the 18-year-old. VJC's Joven Woon (far left) fighting for the ball against RI's Ethan Wong. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR 'They were hungry to win following their defeat last year, and I think they were the better team today. (But) I'm proud of my team for pushing so hard to try and get a result that we wanted.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
