Finale with Fortitude: Boys’ Hockey NSG 2024

Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Glenda Hua (24A01C), Iman Talia (24S03E), Rhea Sharma (25S06A)

[Featured Photo: Nathaniel Tan #10 and Noor Adli Bin Raimi #56. Photo Courtesy of Amanda Huang]

15 May 2024: The murmur of the supporters, packed closely at the stands, grew louder as the sky darkened. Lightning and rain threatened to disrupt the schedule, the scoreboard reading ‘lightning risk until 1715 hrs’. Thus began the extended wait for the most crucial match of the season.

An hour of waiting passed, spectators from both Raffles and Victoria growing increasingly restless in the humid afternoon air. Students, teachers, friends, and family dressed in green, black, and white waited in anticipation to cheer for the Raffles team. Meanwhile, the team members sat together in the locker room, meditating in silence—one of their longtime pre-game rituals. Finally, the players emerged and began their warm-up.

Right off the bat, both sides put their all into their fifteen-minute practice—it was clear that neither team was lacking in their spirit. Effortlessly clean goals, strong passes and fantastic saves wowed the audience, but this was only a glimpse into the next one-and-a-half hours of stunning plays and strong sportsmanship.

Not long after, the whistle blew. The crowd went silent. All eyes were on the ball as it was passed back and forth, players scaling the length of the pitch. Raffles played as carefully as possible from the start, skilfully drawing Victoria’s players away before making accurate, quick passes down the pitch. Their endless practice shone as they made decision after decision that brought the ball down the line towards the goal.

In Victoria’s possession, the ball became a weapon wielded swiftly, flying into their attacking 25-yard at an impressive speed. Raffles, however, used this as an opportunity to demonstrate their defensive might, snatching the ball away and turning around seemingly unstoppable attempts by Victoria.

Right at the 24th minute, Victoria ramped up their aggressive play, hitting the ball into the goal and bringing the score to 1-0. The Rafflesians were daring and passionate before, but now they played almost as if set ablaze, rushing at the ball and smashing it halfway across the pitch, powerful as an inferno. Their efforts paid off: in the fourth quarter, Raffles sent the ball into an opposing player’s legs, earning them a short corner.

The supporters’ once deafening chants and cheers were instantly silenced. Everyone at the stands held their breath as the umpire blew the whistle. A perfect push and a solid stop laid the foundation for a stunning drag flick by Nathaniel Tan (Vice-Captain, 24A01C), sending the ball whooshing past Victoria’s defence.

The thud of the ball against the back of the goal—the most exhilarating sound in hockey—was closely followed by cheers of utter joy and relief. In the 50th minute, Raffles had brought the score to a tie. Under the darkening late-afternoon sky, the boys on the pitch had their faith renewed. There was still a chance.

Undaunted by Raffles’ goal, Victoria proved that they were no easy foe. Earning a short corner just 3 minutes later, they pressed ahead with all their might. Raffles refused to back down, consistently deflecting their opponents’ shots.

Unfortunately, the dangerous nature of the game almost guaranteed a casualty. In the 56th minute, Ethan Wong was seen lying on the pitch, clutching his knee with a pained expression after the 160-gram-heavy hockey ball was powerfully whacked straight into his knee. A stretcher was brought in to lift him off the pitch and bring him to safety to get treated.

The team’s worry for their teammate could not overcome them now—with only four minutes left, it was up to them to score again and break the tie. Throughout the tense final minutes of the game, however, neither team was willing to yield, and the long and exhausting finals match entered a penalty shootout.

Every attempt at a goal by either team compounded the supporters’ anxiety. Some frantically discussed the odds of their team winning, while some clasped their hands together, fervently manifesting goal after goal for their hockey boys.

Soon, it was the final shootout. Tied at 2-2, everyone remained frozen in place, waiting with baited breath for the final outcome. A swift hit. And half of the stands erupted in applause while the other saluted their players for their spirit.

The penalty shootout ended 2-3, with Victoria winning their final match of the season.

Overwhelmed by emotion, the Raffles boys were seen with tear-streaked cheeks as they walked together towards the stands to thank their supporters. In the face of defeat, the players were not alone: family and friends surrounded them, pulling them into firm hugs, encouraging them and reassuring them. Some players were even given handmade boards with cutouts of themselves and witty nicknames.

As the sun set, the Raffles’ hockey boys ascended to the podium to accept their medals. Thus came the end of ends to their final game of 2024.

Leaving a Legacy

For these boys, hockey really is in their blood. Captain Thievyan Koban’s older twin brothers, Harshen and Hiren, also served as the Raffles Hockey Captains in 2022. They are both current members of the Singapore Men’s team. Thievyans’s passion stemmed from playing with his brothers. Playing alongside them has always been a motivating factor for him to strive to do better in every game and and rally his teammates. As Team captain, Theivyan took on the responsibility to gel the team together, especially with the new Y5s to better their performance for this year.

Nathaniel Tan, our Vice-Captain, is a 3rd generation hockey player, having picked up the sport at age four from his grandfather. His father, Mr. Tan Keng Siong, played for the Raffles Hockey team as well from 1984 to 1989.

Along with Thievyan and Nathaniel, Dany Ilyas and Ethan Wong are all Singapore Under 21 players. Goalkeeper Mohammed Ezeckiel as well as Joash Lim have also previously trained with U21. These experiences have afforded our players with invaluable wisdom and deep-seated skills that greatly elevates their performance on the field.

Ethan shared his sentiments about playing for the U21,” Although the U21 team trains at a higher level with older people of more experience, in my opinion, nothing beats training back at the clocktower with the team.” More than a team, they have become brothers. The bonds forged and fun they have together is what makes Team Raffles truly special.

Being the last game that the Year 5s and Year 6s will play together, emotions were certainly running high. Most of the team had played together for six years since Year 1. Interestingly, some members have even been on opposing teams in the past; Nathan Ball played for St Andrew’s Secondary School against RI in the 2022 B Division Finals. Thievyan, Nathaniel and Sanjay Karthikeyan were rivals for the Junior and Senior Divisions as well.

These boys are far more than a JC sports team competing in NSGs—they are a family, bound not just by the games they play but by the unbreakable threads of brotherhood, cheering through each triumph with the fervour of shared souls, and shouldering each challenge with collective strength.

“I’m very proud of my team”, a team member shared at the end of the game. “Even though we didn’t get the result we expected, everyone did their best—and that’s what this is about.”

“We had a lot of fun in the game,” says Ethan goodnaturedly, who is recovering from his injury. “We have no regrets”.

As the team looks ahead, incoming Vice-Captain Raynard shares about the team’s drive to strive for greater heights. “The outcome of the recent finals has left our team disappointed for a period of time, however we are just as motivated to fight harder and come back stronger next year.”

Indeed, even more than the results, the team’s positive and resilient attitude was what really shone through. They displayed an honourable show of sportsmanship,camaraderie, and heart.

This season has been a fruitful one for our Boys’ Hockey team. They had played against the Hong Kong National Under-21, which they won 3-0, as well as clinched first place at the 2024 National Junior League in March. Several members were also down to play for the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in June. We wish them the best in all their future endeavours.

Congratulations, Hockey boys of 2024!

List of players:

1. Nathaniel Tan #10

2. ⁠Noor Adli Bin Raimi #56

3. ⁠Nathan Ball #9

4. ⁠Anuj Pathak #99

5. Mohamed Aafif Bin Mohamed Jahir Hussain #44

6. ⁠Seth Tan Jiexing #22

7. Lim Joash #11

8. ⁠Mohamad Ezeckiel Bin Mohamad Irwan #13

9. Ang Hong-Ren #29

10. ⁠Thievyan Koban #7