Games today:

Games tomorrow:

IHG closing

I think no SMC member is assigned to write this so I shall take over blatantly.

Last night was the 16th day after Chinese New Year according to Lunar Calendar, and u would see a full-moon ellipse if u there at SRC field. It was seriously romantic as the moon appears to be yellowish. I was in utter happiness to enjoy the moments with my fellow handball girls.

Despite the romantic scene that we could enjoy in SRC, an atmosphere of disappointment was conspicuous among the supporters as we clearly outnumbered by the other residents. Sheares hall had a concert production last night and still, their residents TRIPLED our number. Don't even need to mention about other more garang Halls.

TH and KR put up a cheer-leading performance and it was awesome. I would say KR cheer-leading presented more energy and dynamics in their performance and their techniques were relatively more mature, as compared to TH who just started their cheer-leading team. Yet TH performance was definitely impressive with their outstanding quality of male cheer-leaders who are cute, handsome and athletic, while KR girls were more appealing in their appearance with their sun-shine
smile and energetic dance moves.

KE VII put up a Wu Shu (martial arts) and Dance performance which was very elegant in nature. Unfortunately, there was a soccer match carried on between the varsity team and outsiders (not very sure) and distracted many guys who were not keen in traditional Chinese performance.

In mist of watching the performances, Clement, Raffles Sensation MM mentioned that we should have our own cheer-leading team also, or at least something more unique and special about our hall. I personally found that the proposal is not feasible because safety is the first concern, as well as limited big-size guys and experienced cheer-leaders that our hall has. Yet we could definitely establish unique nature of RH as our selling points to the new batch of freshmen in spite of the fee hike.

Followed by the performance was the price-presentation. The champion team of each sports will be awarded with medals. and this year, for the first time in my 4 years in hall, we clinched two championships concurrently. As compared to other halls, SH obtained two golds too, in male volleyball and male basketball, KE managed to get 3, both Squash male & female as well as soft-ball, KR dominated in racket games like badminton and tennis as well as track and field, Eusoff came to first in Takraw, female touch rug, and male road race, while TH girls were clearly dominating with 7 golds, and yet TH lost to EH in overall championship just by 2 points.

RH came to 6th position in overall though RH guys actually obtained one point higher than KE guys even counting their championship in softball and 8 points behind KR who is in 4th position. Yes, our girls are relatively weaker, in terms of overall standard.

Well the ultimate disappointment did not come from the results but from the people. We only have two golds this year, and yet ironically when during the prize presentation, only one handballman was present. I don't really know the full story but it left me in sheer dejection because even the handball girls' attendance was more than the usual trainings and we came all the way to SRC just to support our RH champions!! Touch Rug team's attendance is slightly better as the MM and most of the first-team players were there, but our hall Master 'complained' that Lixin never smiled during the photo-taking when Master presented him the medal.

Apart from the disappointment in the number of supporters as well as the number of awardees present, the 20 plus residents who were there to attend IHG closing did a marvelous job. Credits to Clement who lead the cheers with ardent faith in RH. SH sports sec approached him and showed strong interest to import Clement over and Clement gave a 3-words answer, indicating his strong passion and loyalty to hall. We might have the smallest number of people, but we certainly cheered the loudest and most fanatically.

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Athletics - The final event of the Inter Hall Games

As I walked passed the seemingly endless rows of spectators to the far end of the SRC field it came to me that this was the last stop on our journey of IHG. Yet it seemed as though the thrills and excitement of the past month were just as alive and pulsating today as it was for the very first games. All smiles and excitement, pains and tears were pooled in memory and every athlete participating was warming up and preparing for their last moments of glory. Glory not just in victory but glory in the spirit of sportsmanship, effort and perseverance.
Rafflesians, both athletes and spectators, had different views on the events that were about to take place. When the athletes were asked what they were thinking, replies were mixed. There were those who said they were scared, flustered or nervous. Yet others just said “normal” but the most important point was that whatever happened it was important that they did their very best. Yes, their best for themselves and RH.
There were five events scheduled for that evening. The line up was as follows.

Event 1: Women’s 4 X 100 Relay
1. Yuan mei
2. Chen Lu
3. Stella
4. He song

Event 2: Men’s 4 X 100 Relay
1. Wei Qiang
2. Tony
3. Lixin
4. Lloyd

Event 3: Women’s 4 X 400 Relay
1. Sharon
2. Joanne
3. Nyein Nyein
4. Hui yi

Event 4: Men’s 4 X 400 Relay
1. Azfar
2. Lixin
3. Wei Qiang
4. Lloyd

Event 5: Medley Relay
1. He Song (100m)
2. Tony (100m)
3. Azfar (200m)
4. Yuan mei (400m)
5. Gems (800m)
6. Phea (800m)

On your mark, Ready… And they were off. The first relay began with much enthusiasm from the crowds. Raffles sensation soared high with cheers one after another, Raffles Jiayou! Jiayou!!! A senior whom I spoke to said at the start that she had hope for the girls’ team. They seemed committed and did their best but unfortunately RH emerged in 6th position.

Event 2; the men’s relay came next. Time seemed to stand still as the athletes began their sprint. All halls seemed neck and neck. Run, RUN, RUN! Shouts rang out like explosions; screams and shrieks of Go RH, Go RH! We were almost there. A little more, a little more. GOOOOO RH!!! Sadly, due to perhaps nervousness or hesitation one baton change was fumbled, Raffles lost out and emerged 6th Place. We came extremely close to securing a lead and I’m sure everyone was immensely proud of the team.

Event 3 was another chance for the girls to show their grit. 400m required stamina and focus. Rafflesians were not giving up hope and enthusiastically clung onto the chance that RH could secure a place. After all, why not?; the girls were capable and competent and began with a steady run. In the end RH emerged 6th once again. The athletes received a pat on the back for their efforts. Completing the relay was an achievement in itself.

Now it was time for event 4. There was a slight confusion, which may have cost us an early lead. The run began. Faster and faster, RH was catching up. Rafflisians were cheering encouragingly. Jumping for joy seemed only natural when we finally obtained a lead! Faster and faster, the RH team showed determination and a force of will so strong that it was almost tangible. Yes, YES a lead. Run, run run they did and with a final dash for the finish line RH secured a well deserved 4th position, coming in only centimetres behind 3rd place. Well Done!!! We were thrilled beyond coherent expression. YES YES YES!!!! RAFFLES!!!!!

It was the final event; the Medley relay. The RH line up was strong. It was apparent that most of the Rafflesians were tired after a long day, yet as soon as the first runner began her sprint they were up and cheering once again, with smiles and grins all around. Raffles, Raffles, Raffles!!! The relay was well on its way. Rafflesians were on tiptoe screaming as loud as was possible. Shouts of “RH! RH RH!!!!!” rang out loud and clear amidst the crowd. In the end Raffles emerged a proud 5th position. Nothing seemed to deter us.

That was the end. It was all over. The Raffles spirit never seemed to falter amidst it all. When speaking to an Alumni of RH, Yee Jiun Wei, he mentioned that being there at SRC today made him reminisce about his years in RH. When asked if he missed hall on a scale of 1 to 10 he said definitely and with absolutely no hesitation, certainly a 10! There will never again be a time like the years he spent in hall. Being away from hall was no fun at all and he missed his friends from RH and the time he spent just hanging out with them. These same emotions would ring true to every Rafflisian. Another IHG is over and Raffles has stood unfailing in spirit. We may not have many gold medals, but we still have infinite respect for all our RH teams and constant faith and unwavering optimism in them. We don’t have many trophies but IHG ends with us capturing something that is worth limitless, unfathomable amounts in the memories, joys and tears we have spent with each other. We are the embodiment of Raffles Hall and we stand tall today. Well done Raffles! You have made us proud!

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RH handball guys defended their IHG title!

The day has finally come and everyone has been waiting for this moment. It is the handball male finals! One more team to beat – Sheares Hall. In the midst of the tranquillity, the burning passion to emerge victorious and readiness for battle sizzle up the court as the smell of gun powder lingers the air. Soon the whistle blows and the match commences...

RH was given the head start. Everyone shuffles as RH played on the offensive mode. Boey pass the ball to Wee Zhen and then to Jacob. Jacob barged through SH line of defence and shoots. Goal keeper of SH blocks. SH now had the upper hand. RH rushed back to their defence position as SH players swept across the court. 13 of SH twist and turn and as he reaches the 6 meter mark, he shoots but was blocked by Mingjie. Now it was RH’s turn to score. Within the first 2 minute of the match, Chong Joo rushed to the opposite end and scores undefended. Goal! 1-0. SH responded and switched to aggressive mode. 13 of SH attempted to invade into RH territory and he shoots at the 6 meter mark. Score became 1-1. RH players zoomed across the court as they pass their ball flawless to one another. The moment Chong Joo got hold of the ball, he jumps and shoots but ball rebounded. RH got hold of the ball but lose it to SH. Player 9 of SH took the chance to shoot but luck was not on their side. The ball hit the pole. Now is time for Boey to show his skill. Boey shuffled side to side and when he was give a clear view to shoot, goal keeper of SH blocked it. Ball rebound and RH players caught it. Many attempts to attack were made by Wee Zhen and Boey but were unsuccessful. But persistence pays off when Boey attempted another try and scores! 2-1. Within minutes, Chong Joo helped RH to attain another point. 3-1. SH fought back hard and fiercely and on the 9th minute, player 2 of SH thrust the ball straight into the RH goal post. The score narrowed to 3-2. Chong Joo widened the score margin to 4-2 again. SH never gave up fought even harder as they managed to whizzed through RH defence and player 13 of SH took the opportunity to shove the ball straight pass our goalkeeper with might and dexterity for 2 consecutive shots. The score became a tie 4-4. Both sides of the court fought their best, exhibiting their skills and agility movements to their optimum performance as the score became 5-5. About halfway through the 1st half, player 17 scored undefended with the tally of 5-6. RH called for a time out.

Soon the match resumed. Attempts to score were made by our players after performing multiple passes to one another. Just then, player 9 of SH grabs the ball from his team mate and shoots from the left side at the 9 meter mark. Goal! Screams and cheers roared among the SH supporters. For a moment or two, RH seemed to have a rough time when player 13 of SH made another shot unobstructed, widening the tally to 5-8. Knowing that RH was defending their title this year, all the players persisted and gritted their teeth as they move on their game. Glimpse of hope started to sparkle among RH team when Boon Gee and Chong Joo score 2 goals back to back narrowing the margin to 7-8. Subsequently, SH responded and widen the score a bit more. 7-9. It was an enthralling performance displayed by both teams as there were many instances when both sides tied in their scores. As the 1st half approach to an end, SH called for a time out. The score was 11-13. RH was trailing by 2 points. Minutes after resuming the match, SH was awarded penalty. Player 17 of SH was given the honour to shoot but he hits the pole. Sighs of relief were shown by the RH supporters on court. Attempts to narrow the score margin were made by RH team as Chong Joo scores another goal for RH. Subsequently, player 2 of SH and Wee Zhen score another goal respectively bringing the total of 13-14 with RH trailing by 1 point! The court was intense and for the first half, I realised that Chong Joo scored a total of 8 points. Power, man!

After a seemingly long wait ever since the end of 1st half, the start of the 2nd half began. Now SH was given the chance to head start the match. In this match, Mingjie was replaced by Manoj as the goal keeper. Within seconds, player 13 who seems to be the star player of SH team turn on to his attack mode again as he tries to shoot from the 9 meter mark. Manoj being the composed one, spotted the impending ball and blocked it. Well done, Manoj! For a moment, RH was a bit off form again as player 13 and 3 of SH was able to wriggle their way through to make their shots. Score was 13-16. Chong Joo never disappointing his team mates and supporters barged through SH line of defence and thrust the ball with full power. The ball slipped past the goal keeper’s hand and scores! The ball was back to SH team but the players either missed their shots of was blocked by our newly trained impregnable goal keeper. Both sides fought their best and as the score narrow to 16-17, SH called for a time out.

The match resumed. Both sides were engaging in a back to back tournament with no one giving way to anyone. Player 17 shoots from the 9 meter mark and scores. 16-18. Han Wei responded to SH calls as he boost the ball pass SH goal keeper bringing the score margin to 17-18. Morale soars high when player 13 from SH was asked to leave the court for a 2 min penalty. It was raised to the peak when June Fei brought the score to a tie at 18-18. Subsequently, the rest of the match was evenly matched with both sides scoring one goal each. With 16 minutes left to the game, RH called for their final time out when the score was 21-21. Everything seemed to go well and showed breakthrough when Ann Leong and Wee Zhen score in the next few minutes. 23-21. However good things come to a halt when midway in the 2nd half, SH was awarded another penalty and player 17 brought the margin closer to 23-22. Later, the score came to a tie at 25-25. Soon luck befall to our players as we manage to break free from the tie score and we started to distance ourselves from SH team with Chong Joo and Boey’s swift and aggressive tactical shots. 27-25. Player 17 of SH swings the team back to track when he propels his ball from the 9 meter mark and scores. 27-26. 4 minutes left to play. Tension and anxiety grew among the supporters and team players from both sides. Jacob tore down SH’s dream for victory when he threw a low end ball straight into the goal post. With 2 minutes to spare, the score was now 28-26. However, there was insufficient time and player 17 of SH managed to bring the score to 28-27. Victory for RH handball guys as they managed to defend their IHG handball title. It was an exciting match today!

Well done, guys!

Statistics of male players:

No. Name -------------------------- 1st Half--------- 2nd Half
13 Wee Zhen----------------------- 2 ------------ 2
1 Chong Joo ---------------------- 8 --------- 3
11 Ann Leong----------------------- 0 ---------- 1
82 Harrif Santo---------------------- 0 ----------- 0
25 Chen Han------------------------- 0 ----------- 0
15 Boon Gee------------ ------------ 1 ------------ 0
7 Jacob------------------------ 0 ------------ 1
14 Jonathan--------------------------- 0 ------------- 0
3 June Fei----------------------------- 0 ------------- 3
21 Ming Jie---------------------------- Goal Keeper-----
29 Han Wei--------------- ------------- 0 ------------- 4
5 Kee Han------------------------------ 0 ------------- 0
18 Manoj-------------------------------- Goal Keeper-----
79 Boey--------------------------------- 2 -------------- 1

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