By Georgia Ong (26S03O) and Teo Kai Xu (27A01B) 

For many of us, having CCA once, twice, thrice a week may already be incredibly taxing. With the mental and physical strain it brings on us, we still have to deal with many other things—a mountain of lectures and tutorials, various volunteer projects, and our social and familial relationships. 

However, there are some Rafflesians who are just that serious about their sport. Meet Ahmad and Fazil, two high-flying Rafflesians athletes that go above and beyond in their efforts to nurture and pursue their sporting talents, all while juggling the commitments that come with being a JC student. 

Ahmad Munthaha Sriwaluya (25S03E) 

Last year, Ahmad went through a roller coaster ride juggling between his football career and his studies. Walking into the interview room on the day of the A Level results collection, he greeted us with a bright yet slightly nervous smile—it was time to see how he fared. 

The Y7 student, who has been featured in the media for signing a professional football contract with Geylang FC, has been playing the sport for a majority of his life. His interest in the sport started early on playing with his family and friends, before it grew into a tangible talent. A football DSA from Victoria School, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and join RI. Rather than going to VJC, where Ahmad noted he would be surrounded by many people he was familiar with, he wanted to challenge himself in a new environment. 

Throughout the interview, we could feel the love that Ahmad had towards his family, and the love that his family had towards him. Ahmad noted how crucial his family, particularly his parents, has been in his sporting journey, giving him strength to push on through the toughest of times. He recounted how his parents would always “look on the positive side” after a not-so-good game, reassuring his doubts about himself. 

Ahmad also didn’t shy away from the struggles he had towards juggling football and his studies—recalling his lowest moments during the middle of J2, where he was struggling with the intensity of NSG training season, club training, and his studies. His TP grades were dismal, to say the least, being no higher than “Us, Ss, and Es”. He was also struggling in his football performance. He doubted his abilities in managing both commitments—should he go all in for football and drop his studies, or drop football to focus on his studies? 

Once again, it was his parents who talked him through it, encouraging him to just give it his all. Their small actions helped him: they’d fetch him from school to club trainings, saving him precious time and energy. His sisters, who had also gone through A-Levels, also provided him study materials and tips to balance his time. Comfort was found in studying after school with his classmates before club trainings. Cumulatively, these helped Ahmad find the strength to push on. 

“You have everything to prove but nothing to lose.” 

Ahmad’s parents, when he questioned giving up his studies or football to focus on only one thing. 

Currently in NS, Ahmad will fulfill his contract for Geylang FC once he completes his service. Looking towards the future, Ahmad notes that the chance to pursue a professional sports career is an opportunity that doesn’t come by often, and he’s keeping that door open—it’s his dream to eventually represent Singapore on the international football stage. Aside from that, he harbours an interest towards the medical sciences, particularly in the fields of sports science and physiotherapy to help younger players like him. 

Additionally, Ahmad is incredibly excited to potentially give back to the football community as a football coach in the future. Recounting how his Raffles Football coach, Mr Iqbal, would ask him to help out during football trainings while he was still on the team, he expressed his openness to come back to conduct trainings if ever needed. 

One piece of advice from him? Make more friends, and spend his time more meaningfully. Ahmad said that it was easy to doomscroll during breaks (which we authors completely agree with), but he would have definitely tried to spend his time studying with various people instead given a second chance. He also provided an interesting quote: “No mud no lotus”, citing that lotuses grow in the mud. 

“If I’d chosen to stop football, if I’d chosen to focus all my time on football, I think I would’ve regretted it.”

Ahmad looking back on his journey 

One shouldn’t be scared to fear, for it’ll all work out in the end. There was no point living life with regrets, and with the bravery and confidence Ahmad has looking towards his future? He certainly has no regrets. 

Fazil Olayemi Olaniyan (25S03P)

When we asked Fazil about what he enjoyed the most about his sport, rugby, he immediately addressed the elephant in the room – the highly contact-driven and physically demanding aspect. Your first reaction might be shock at how someone could enjoy bumping into other sweaty guys during a game. However, Fazil explained:

“I think it develops a strong sense of trust and brotherhood…when everyone is willing to put their bodies on the line to win.” 

Fazil on his favourite part of rugby.

Only a true rugger would answer this.

Fazil’s adventure in RI began when he entered as a Rugby DSA and faced the challenge of balancing studies and sports. Part of his day would be devoted to tutorials, completing worksheets and revising for upcoming tests, while the rest of the day would be spent on training sessions with his rugby team. Even though training would be physically exhausting on some days, Fazil always found it a joyful experience.

When asked about his most memorable match, he mentioned the 2025 Singapore vs Hong Kong Men’s 15s friendly. It was his debut for the Singapore Men’s 15s team, and more so, going up against an international team. Not only that, but he also got to play alongside his rugby coaches, who have guided him since he was 14.

For Fazil, that full-circle moment from being a student to being a teammate made it unforgettable. He later recalled his experience scoring and how his teammates swarmed him to celebrate. It was being able to share the moment with the people he loved that made it all worthwhile.

In school, Fazil had to juggle his academic commitments. As a student offering H1 Chinese on top of his other subjects, Fazil sometimes had to prioritise studies over training or find spare time between matches during competitions to revise.

At times, he would wonder how different his life would have turned out had he chosen a different path. However, it is in these moments that Fazil is reminded of his community again.

“My teachers were always willing to help. Additionally, as my other classmates were student-athletes going through the same struggles as well, it reassured me that I wasn’t in it alone.”

Fazil on the support from his community

Back on the pitch, Fazil faced many challenges. Not only does he have to cope with the physical demands of the sport, but he also has to deal with the performance pressure that comes with any competitive sport. During group stage games, Fazil is usually calm, largely due to his years of experience in the sport. However, it is often during finals that he feels more obligated to perform, driven by a desire to do well for the team.

Fazil with his rugby team at Graduation Night 2025.  (Image provided by Fazil)

He recalls feeling significant pressure during his first international tournament, where he struggled to control his breathing on the pitch. Over time, however, he has managed to cope with this pressure through mentally reassuring himself of the hard work he had put in to earn his spot in the competition.

“I would also visualise the game in my head, anticipating different in-game scenarios. It helps me feel more prepared, calm and confident when the match begins.”

Fazil on mentally preparing himself for the tournament.

Ultimately, having to manage both the academic rigour of school and the physical demands of rugby is no easy feat. To cope with the stress, Fazil volunteers with Youth Corps Singapore, finding it a good way to socialise and take his mind off his commitments. He often does outdoor volunteering as he finds it a good opportunity to reconnect with nature. 

Now that his journey at Raffles has ended, he looks forward to the next chapter of his life. When it comes to future career paths, Fazil is making use of his NS term to contemplate what he would like to pursue. As for sports, he mentions that he might consider being a part-time national athlete. 

Looking back, if Fazil were to give one piece of advice to his juniors, he would draw upon his own experience and say:

“If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice.” 

In their two years in RI, Ahmad and Fazil have walked the tightrope of sports and school to successfully nail the balancing act of finding joy in all that they do. No matter the paths that they choose in the future, the quiet strength these two have will surely take them far.