By Georgia Ong (26S03O), Tomi Peh (26S06P) 

Photographs courtesy of Sriram Tharaneetharan (25S06Q), Fang Rui Shan (26S06R), Chew Rui-Yan (26S03N), Aarika Soin (26S03H), Poh Le Yang (26S03F) and Zhu Tai Wu (26S06K) from RIAC unless otherwise stated.

They were knocked out in the Preliminary Group Stage last year. 

And the year before that. And the year before that. 

The Raffles Basketball Boys’ Team last won the A Division Championships in 2016, and they had been no favourite to win this year. Being one of the shortest basketball teams in the A Division, they opened their 2025 season on 9 April with a loss against ACSI. 

Yet, the players did not let this get to them. The small-sized team played match by match, getting each and every ball through the hoop. They pushed forward with each dribble, each pass and each shot made, fighting their way through the Preliminary Group Stage, before working their way through the Quarter Finals. 

And on 20 May, close to two months after their first match against ACSI, they stood proudly in front of the masses who had come down to support them. The tide had turned in their favour — they had won the semifinals against ACSI. The team was now enroute to the finals with a 7 point win over their competitors. 

D-Day 

23 May 2025. The day of the finals: RI vs ACJC. Who would take home the championship this year? RI, the team that had defied all odds to come to the finals, or ACJC, the team that had been dominating A Division basketball for the last two years? 

The stage was set for a match to be remembered. The stands were filled with supporters from both schools; the ACJC side a sea of red, blue and gold (well, technically yellow) clappers; the RI side filled with students proudly donning faces streaked with green, black and white. 

Players #2, #3, #7, #11 and #22 took the stage first. 

The Starting Team 

Player #2 — Huang Junxiang (26S06O), the Y5 DSA and incoming Captain that had stunned the crowds in the Semifinals with his multiple 3-pointers. 

Player #3 — Ethan Tan Yi Feng (25S03G). The Y6 Vice-Captain of the team, and also the only DSA player of his batch. 

Player #7 — Lau Le Xiang Ignatius (25S03K), the Captain. The team’s small forward, with the brightest pink shoes and socks. He held the heart and soul of the team, with the number 7 always present on both ends of the court as he tore across to catch each and every pass.

Player #11 — Gao Zijun (25S05A). The other Y6 Vice-Captain. Small in stature but big in impact, his ability to jump and dodge his opponents heads taller than him sent both the writers awe-stricken. 

Finally, Player #22 — S Adityah (26S06K). The tallest member of the team, he stood at a towering height of 1.94m. Playing centre, he was a hustler at core. Grabbing boards and swatting attempts at the rim was a constant throughout their games.

The Gameplay

ACJC took the first tip-off. Roars of “DEFENCE, DEFENCE”, echoed throughout the crowd of RI supporters. The ball was passed back and forth on both ends of the court, eventually making it into the hands of #7, then #2 and finally #22 for a floater at the rim. RI scores the first points of the game! 

Subsequently, RI took a commanding lead of 10-5 despite ACJC’s suffocating defence consisting of double-teaming and full court pressure. But ACJC was not willing to back down, and quickly closed RI’s early lead. Ending off the first quarter with a bang, #7 nailed a 3 pointer with just seconds to go on the clock. 

“Raffles Dynamite, don’t mess with dynamite!”  

The crowd was alive — ACJC and RI supporters both battled to out-do each other in cheers. ACJC also began adopting the “defence” cheer, boosting their team’s morale as they pulled away from the narrow score margin that RI had been maintaining. However, RI remained unfazed, tightening their defensive measures as they put ACJC’s offense under immense stress, gaining multiple crucial possessions that lead to scoring opportunities for RI. 

The third quarter started off with shots flying everywhere as ACJC missed a number of shot attempts from the perimeter. RI took advantage of the opportunity, rebounding and driving to the basket for quick layups. They made smart passes in tough situations, including when #7 made a pass out to #2 for a clean 3 pointer, psyching out two ACJC defenders. 

The pressure was mounting. Fouls were called on both teams, with player #3 even racking up 4 fouls. Both teams fought hard, and RI managed to cut ACJC’s lead down to 8 by the end of the third quarter, including an unbelievable contested 3 pointer by #22 over an ACJC defender at the buzzer.

Down to the final ten minutes of the game, tensions peaked as RI watched with eagle eyes for an opportunity to break through ACJC’s defence, while ACJC laser focused on maintaining their formation. The classic paradox, spear versus shield — will RI’s offence best ACJC’s defence? Once again, pressure seemed to affect both teams, as shots rained down from both sides with few successes. 

Yet as the minutes ticked down, it was as if RI’s spark had ignited into flame. The boys were on fire, blazing as they pressed closer and closer into the margin with ACJC, unrelenting till the very end. In particular, this quarter was different for player #2, as he made three 3 pointers to boost RI’s score, and sank the concluding floater of the match. 

RI put up a spectacular performance against the reigning A Division champions, ending the game trailing behind by just 7 points (RI 57 – 64 ACJC). It was an undeniably groundbreaking performance from the undersized underdogs of the A Division.

Post-Match Thoughts

As the team’s supporters gathered at the courts to congratulate the players, we were privileged to talk to some of the people who played a part in the team’s journey. 

Mr Carlsen Tay, one of the Basketball Teacher ICs, shared with us how their finals’ opponents, ACJC, had never lost a single match in the last 3 years, with margins of 15 to 20 points each match against their opponents. Yet, this year, RI had managed to “keep them in”, shocking ACJC with tough plays to conclude the A Division season with a mere 7-point loss. 

Even the boys’ coach, Coach Kua, hadn’t expected the team to come so close against ACJC. Throughout the interview, he repeatedly expressed his immense pride for the team, noting that the school’s support on that day had definitely helped push the team to go on their “crazy run” to narrow the margin against ACJC. 

Additionally, he noted that the Taiwan trip was an important part of the team’s journey, as the boys played against local teams with stronger defenses, and also had the chance to improve their relationship with their teachers, coaches and each other. 

The boys had a stunning run this season, playing with immense courage, heart and fighting spirit. Even with giant odds stacked against them, they never failed to prove their prowess, wowing supporters with their phenomenal plays. With many talented basketball DSAs and juniors coming up in the future, we are sure that the squad will continue basking in resounding glory. 

Congratulations to the RI Boys’ Basketball Team on their NSG journey this year! 

Image Credits to Ms Kristine Ong (Basketball Teacher IC)  

Basketball Boys’ Team: 

#7 – Lau Le Xiang Ignatius [25S03K] (Team Captain) 

#3 – Ethan Tan Yi Feng [25S03G] (Vice-Captain) 

#11 – Gao Zijun [25S05A] (Vice-Captain) 

#1 – Lo Josiah Kuo-Jiun [26S06Q]

#2 – Huang Junxiang [26S06O]

#4 – Muhammad Raziq Coules [26S06A]

#5 – Muhammed Fawwaz Bin Mafrudy [26S06L]

#8 – Chua Chok An [25S06A]

#13 – Joel Koh [26S03L]

#17 – Chen Shijie [25S06P]

#21 – Ryan Pranata [25S06N]

#22 – S Adityah [26S06K]

#23 – Li Xuanheng [26S06A]

#25 – Kong Fan Hao [26S05A]

#33 – Zhu Mingbo Kevin [26S06E]