By Bertram Wang (26S06H) and Tan Yan Qi (26S06M) 

Photographs courtesy of Tang Xuan Joash (25A01B) from RIAC

This year, the squash team had much to lose. Having played a strong match against ACSI during the preliminary round, winning with 4 – 1, expectations were running high. Would this be the year where the team would finally reclaim their title from ACSI, whom they had lost to for two consecutive years? 

Despite their previous track record that pumped confidence into the players, there was no doubt that they still experienced jitters. “There’s no mercy once you step onto the court.” Coach Allen says plainly, “They played ACSI in the prelim round… but come to the finals, of course, [the] pressure is there, [and] the nerves still go up to their head.”

With the added atmosphere of supporters from both schools cheering them on, and the pressure of continuing their dominant winning streak, the first game started. 

The Feeling Inside the “Box”  

As the first player, Amelia Goh (26S03J) found herself in a particularly pressurising situation. Starting the game off on the right foot plays a huge role in morale – for herself, and for her teammates waiting for their turn. 

“There is some pressure on me to make sure that I set the tone well… but when I get into the court, I feel like I have to switch my mindset to just focus on the game, and I have to tune out all the cheering on the outside, just play my best and focus,” Amelia later shared. 

And she certainly did her best. Dominating the game with smart plays and confident swings, she led by a huge margin to win – 11-4, 11-3 and 11-2. Cheers erupted from the supporters as she exited the court, victorious, setting the team off on a good start for their finals. 

Smooth Sailing to Victory 

Melanie Lim (25S06S) was the second player to step onto the court. Boasting strong and decisive swings during her warm-up before the game, there was no doubt that the match would be an interesting one to watch. 

“I love playing ACSI the most because they always bring their A-game,” she shared after the game. “Their players are always vicious on the court, so you can feel the heat, and that makes it even more exciting.” 

Needless to say, with the excitement and anticipation running high from the previous game’s win, the fire in her eyes was visible as she stepped up to the game. Starting off with an explosive serve, her relentless attacks brought her to win the first game at 11-5. 

But power wasn’t all she had. Making smart plays that had her opponent running around the court and the crowd going “ooh” and “ahh”, she hopped onto the momentum of her previous teammate to win the next two games with 11-5 and 11-2. 

For her, this game felt like a redemption, after playing the decisive match against the same school last year that eventually resulted in her loss. And in a twisted turn of events, she was playing against her childhood friend, who had played squash with her for 10 years.

With only one game left to win, Saiesha (25S03G) stepped up to the challenge. With seemingly zero hint of nerves in her, she held the ball that would later on bring the school to victory.

As a national team player, the composure and confidence in her movements were truly unmatched. Leaving no room for the opponent to score, she completely dominated the game to win with a whopping 11-0 for her first game in a matter of minutes. 

Control over the game stayed tightly clenched in her hands as she carried on to win 11 – 2 and 11 – 1 for her next two games. Announcing the championship ball, loud cheers erupted throughout the spectator stands as Saiesha left the box, bringing with her a gold medal for the team.

Sitting in the spectator stands, one could wonder how she could win her final game of the season so easily, while she herself looked unfazed, handing out doughnuts to her teammates right after her match.

UNITE is usually reserved for the end of all the matches to celebrate the team’s efforts. However, with the ecstasy of having already secured the win halfway into the games, that day was an exception.

Riding the waves of victory, Anne Clarissa Wong (26S03H) now had on her shoulders the hope of a landslide victory over ACSI. And she served just that. Similarly to her teammates, she won a smooth victory over her opponent with 11-2, 11-3 and 11-3. 

The Final Match 

All eyes were on Jeanette Ng (26S06I) to cement the team’s dominance over ACSI with a grand finish. 

The first game was won easily, much like the previous games. Starting off strong by winning the first 5 points, she closed the game with a strong serve to win 11-3.

Jeanette led the second game 8 – 3 halfway into the game. It looked like another win for her, until the opponent’s 4th point came in. Then came the 5th, and the 6th. 

It almost seemed like the game was about to slip away when the score drew to 10 – 11 against her favour. But Jeanette wasn’t going to go down easily without a fight.

At the critical moment, Jeanette later shared that their coach was what helped her get back up. 

With renewed determination, Jeanette found her footing again, and closed the game decisively at 13-11 with a strong serve. And as if the whole place breathed a sigh of relief, cheers erupted to celebrate the tough win. 

There was no doubt that the shaky win of the second game was still clouding her mind as the third game started with ties at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3. But that doubt was quelled soon after, as cheers of encouragement from her teammates fuelled her to widen the score gap to 10-6. 

And as with the past two games, the game ended with a strong serve – a reminder that no matter the ups and downs during the game, Jeanette was one who would come back every time. And despite the slight fumbles, it cannot take away from the fact that she dominated the game with an outstanding 3-0 win.

The Key to Success 

Their win was perhaps expected after their 4 – 1 win during the preliminary round. But in comparison to their loss to the same school last year, it is a shocking improvement. 

There is no perfect game in sports. Mistakes will be made, even at finals. But as the coach puts in, looking at the bigger picture shows you just how impressive of a win the team has secured this season. 

For an individual sport, the level of bonding within the team across the girls’ and boys’ teams, is an astounding feat. But both the captains suggest that such bonding is of great importance in an individual sport, and was a huge contributing factor to their win. 

Indeed, for a game played in an enclosed box with nobody but yourself to rely on, knowing that you have a team cheering you on behind your back can provide unmeasurable relief and confidence. And for the squash girls’ team, that was exactly what they needed.

The (Temporary) End to a Journey

NSG finals are always bittersweet for the Y6s, who now have to say goodbye to their squash journey in Raffles. The fateful day also marked the start of the end to the team, something which many still have yet to properly register.

Tears were shed as they mourned the end of their journey – with the team, and with their coaches. Through the ups and downs, the good days and the bad days, and the wins and the losses. While the shiny gold medal is a symbol of the blood, sweat and tears put into this season, it shines no brighter than the bonds formed during its making. 

Congratulations to the Squash A Girls’ team on their win, and we look forward to the competitions to come next year!