Photos by: Gabrielle Jeyaseelan (15S06A) and Hee Xin Wei (15S03I)
Raffles Street Dance’ s annual show never fails to draw big crowds.
The first arrivals had started to stream in slowly, and it wasn’t long before the entire hall was packed with an eager audience. As the thick curtains winched its way open, the excited chattering quietened to faint whispers of anticipation, before erupting once more into resounding cheers to welcome Raffles Street Dance on stage. An exchange of sallies between the emcees quickly set a light-hearted, somewhat humorous mood that would underscore the performance throughout.
Its premise was simple: four dance crews, four different dance styles, one really big battle of the dances (Did we also mention one spectacularly entertaining performance?).
“I’m extremely thrilled,” exclaimed Mark Wee (16S03S), “I’ve been looking forward to this for a really long time,” It wouldn’t be a long shot to say Mark’s comments reflected the high hopes of his peers and a broader atmosphere of excitement.
When the show commenced, RSD, true to their style, began their highly-anticipated lineup with a classic showing of fast-paced hip-hop complete with a generous share of locking and more. Their stage presence was later challenged by an equally energetic showing of street jazz, though they themselves soon had their spot in the limelight snatched away as affable funk dancers grabbed the audience’s laughter and attention easily. Combining various elements of milder styles with the abstractions and intense expressiveness of contemporary styles, RSD’s final group performed an emotionally-evocative lyrical dance to Bastille’s “Pompeii”, holding the audience in silent awe. There was more to come, with an even more eye-catching treat afterwards, when RSD’s full roster filled the stage to present a combined performance as the narrator described their journey to overcome disagreements as a united Street batch. Besides the remarkable dance routine, charming characters as well as a relatable storyline infused with a good amount of comic relief helped keep the entertainment factor going strong throughout a very magical quarter of an hour.
RSD’s crew takes the stage to roaring applause.
Showcase was nothing short of a successful showstopper, with positive responses all around. Members of the audience especially lauded the diversity of dance styles displayed, exciting choreography, neatly topped off with evidently well-practiced routines. Manika Hennedige (16S03P) applauded the performance to be “Quite crisp. Crisp to the maximum. The variety of dances was great; but it’d have been better if the performance was longer, and if the dancers by the side played a bigger role instead of just cheering.” Another audience member, Tan Rhe-Anne (16A01A), who had rushed over immediately after lessons just to catch the dancers at work, echoed the same sentiments, “I liked how they showcased different dance types, and the dancer archetypes were very amusing. Obviously [I was] left feeling very inadequate with my own fine motor skills and coordination, but still really enjoyed the performance!”
Well, you can’t call those motor skills fine, Rhe-Anne (Though RSD’s dancers most definitely can).
RSD’s dancers strike a quick pose.
Beyond providing great entertainment and laughter to tired students struggling by the term, Showcase was just as much a poignant iteration of RSD’s own core values and an affirmation of their camaraderie. Gwendolyn Oh (16A13A), a Year 5 street dancer, described the performance as something that “really brought our entire CCA together. In the lead up, we did meet with quite a few challenges, and that was really when our entire batch, our entire CCA had to step up as a collective unit, to rally each other on. The spirit was really unforgettable,” No doubt that very same spirit was accentuated through RSD’s dedication and whole-hearted dancing, something the audience could clearly discern every step of the way. “It was well-choreographed and very heartfelt,” commented Andrea Low (16A01A), “If anything, the only pity is that it wasn’t longer,”
By the end, we too weren’t entirely convinced a mere fifteen minutes was enough to do the dance crew’s incredible effort any sort of commensurate justice — the crowd was positively enthused by an amazing performance and clearly in demand for more. But what we can be definitely sure of is this: the dancers’ extraordinary display of harmony in movement and synergy at Showcase 2015 wasn’t their first, and most certainly wouldn’t be their last one as Raffles Street Dance continues to impress.
By Agatha Lim (16A01B) and Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E)
Photos by Chang Po Chun (16S03K) and Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E)
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Press was only able to cover the finals on 22/4, and was unable to attend the heats and finals from 16/4 to 21/4.
The Swim Team banner, flying highStudents’ Council (and their trusty drum), rallying the supporters
“And there go the drums from Raffles Institution!” It was a lively scene at the Singapore Sports School pool, with all three Raffles schools enthusiastically cheering on the Raffles Swim Team with every event. Months of gruelling training and intense preparation—an incredible 11 times a week for some—culminated in this one moment: the final leg of the swimming school nationals.
Raffles Swimming 2015 celebrating their victories: Girls A Division Champions and Boys A Division First Runners-Up
Boys 200m Individual Medley
The day’s A division events began with the Boys’ 200 m Individual Medleys, which are effectively four sprints (one per stroke – butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle) done back to back—a gruelling test of all-round competence. With that in mind, our swimmers’ strong showing of 2 medal positions was all the more impressive: Damian Chong (15S03J) led all the way and came in 1st, finishing with a time of 2m 17.63s, and Puar Yue Hong’s (15S03G) timing of 2m 24.47s took home the bronze.
Damian and Yue Hong, congratulating one another after their impressive swims
Girls 100m Breaststroke
The 100m breaststroke event was the first A Division girls event of the day. Both our finalists had participated in the 50m breaststroke the day before, and they were put to the test once again. Though neither emerged as medalists, our girls did us proud by fighting hard to contribute points to the team: Rachel Lee (15S03K) clocked a time of 1m 20.52s at 4th place and Jeannette Some (16S07A) came in 8th at 1m 30.37s.
Boys 100m Breaststroke
Three of our swimmers took part in the 100m breaststroke finals in a fast-paced race of two laps. Russell Tang (16S03R) appeared to lag behind in the first lap by one whole second, but managed to overtake his opponent to clinch the silver medal at 1m 09.03s. The other finalists also fought hard and Ngampakdeepanich Phuripong (16S06C) finished 6th at 1m 15.31s while Puar Yue Hong finished 8th with a time of 1m 19.40s.
Girls 50m Freestyle
For the Girls’ 50m Freestyle, Song Ai Vee’s (15S07A) 27.85s swim and Richelle Ang’s (15S06B) 28.83s won the gold and bronze medals respectively. Our other finalists also did well, with Nicole Ong (15S06D) in 4th place and Teo Ee Lynn (16S03S) finishing 6th. Of note is how all four managed to improve on their already impressive heats times, a clear testament to their commitment to the sport.
Boys 50m Freestyle
Ben Yeo (16S06Q) and Nathan Wong (16S03K) competed in this race, and it was a close one with the swimmers giving their all, making huge waves and splashes as they raced. Ben came in 8th, at 25.36s, a valiant effort, especially considering that he swum against older J2s. Nathan finished 3rd, with a timing of 24.26s, just threehundredths of a second shy of silver — an intensely close finish.
Girls 4x50m Medley Relay
As for the medley relay, four competitors each swim one lap in the following order of strokes: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. In the exciting last event of the Girls’ A Division, we got off to a good start as May Chua (15A13A) and Rachel Lee led the first two laps, with Anglo-Chinese Junior College trailing behind by a mere fraction of a second. Unfortunately, they managed to overtake us in the third lap, and our subsequent swimmers Chan Fang Yi (16S06R) and Song Ai Vee attempted to make a comeback but eventually emerged as 2nd by 0.33 seconds with an overall timing of 2m 05.22s. The team left with their heads held high knowing they did their best.
Relay teammates Rachel Lee (left, in black) and Song Ai Vee (in blue), there for one another after their narrow loss
Boys 4×50 Medley Relay
To finish off the swim meet, Jerome Kwang (16S06M), Russell Tang, Andrew Toh (16S06C) and Nathan Wong participated in the medley relay. In a close race, the boys trailed behind the 1st position by one second, and fought neck and neck with Temasek Junior College for a hard-won 2nd place. With Nathan Wong swimming freestyle, he bested the 50m Freestyle meet record of 23.71s by 0.01s. With their strong efforts, the boys managed to clinch the silver medal with a timing of 1m 50.66s.
Overall the Raffles Swim Team won a total of 155 points for the Boys A Division, narrowly losing to Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) by 22 points. The A Division Girls managed to defend their title against strong opposition from other schools with a whopping 185 points. On the whole, they certainly performed very well; as captain Damian Chong said, “it was one of [their] strongest showings in recent years” and he was “really excited about the direction that RJ swimming is taking”.
Indeed, Damian shared that it was the annual swim camp and centralised trainings (which began this year) that helped them forge a sense of unity so evident in the finals. Many swimmers faced injuries and personal problems, but ultimately pushed on, and “broke through a lot of their personal bests because they knew that they were swimming for something greater”, for one another. Watching the swimmers as they cheered for their teammates and swum alongside each other in events, one could see and hear, and ultimately feel their team spirit.
The swimmers cheering on their teammate in the closely fought last lap of the Girls’ 4 x 50m Medley Relay
We usually think of swimming as an individual sport, but Raffles Swimming showed us another side—it is not merely an individual sport, but a team effort. Every point won by the swimmers is one won for the team. Their support for one another was commendable and heartwarming, and evidently, to them the team mattered as much—if not more than—the trophies won.Team captain Damian summed it up nicely: “I’m really proud that the team stuck together, we cheered as a team, and we competed as a team, and I think that the bonding element of Raffles Swim Team was incredible this year, and I’m really really proud of how the swimmers performed.”
Congratulations to the A Div swim team, and indeed to all of the swimmers from the three Raffles schools! They truly swum as one out there, and we at Raffles Press would like to wish them all the best in their future meets!
Photos by: Joel Lim Kuan (16S06B), Tan Rui Xuan (16S06B) and Red Sports Singapore
Rafflesians cheer loud and clear under the rallying of Trackers and Councillors.
The humid Wednesday afternoon may have been typical of your average Singapore afternoon, but there was anything but the usual happening at Choa Chu Kang Stadium; for it happened to be the fateful day on which Raffles Institution’s Track and Field team was due to compete in the final leg of the national Track and Field Championships. The stadium itself, even before the races had begun, was already full of the hustle and bustle of competitors from various schools preparing for their various events, as well as their eager supporters arriving in droves.
Our Track and Field team did not need to be reminded that they would be challenging some of the best athletes their age in the whole nation,. The pressure had also been brought about by the CCA’s history; In 2013, the A Division girls had won 1st Place in the championships, by beating other schools by as much as 70 points. The A Division boys had however lost and come in runners-up; as such, they were feeling the weight of hope this year to do better. As Chung Yew Weng (15S06B) from Track and Field had expressed, “We [were] currently losing to Hwa Chong, our close rivals, by 20 points; so we hope to gain on them during our ‘strong events’ later.”
While our athletes were busy warming up, an undercurrent of tension was coursing throughout the stadium. There soon came a growing sense of anticipation among the feisty supporters in the Rafflesian audience, when it was time for the races to begin.
Sprints Events:
Laura Tan in a close fight for 3rd place. Unfortunately, after the neck-and-neck race, she ended up fourth.
The first event was 100 Metres in Sprints. After a close dash in which all participants finished under 14 seconds, Laura Tan Ling Ying came in 4th place with a timing of 13.22 seconds, just a mere 0.2 seconds after Jerrinne Lim from Anglo-Chinese Junior College. Laura was also the Champion for 100m hurdles event.
Next up was the 100 Metres (A-Boys), in which Kennard Chin earned 2nd place with a timing of 11.18 seconds. Lee Jun Lei was 7th with a timing of 11.62 seconds, and Poy Meng Han Ian came in 8th just 0.1 milliseconds after Jun Lei.
Kennard Chin (2nd from left) sprinting past the finish line behind the first-place runner from Millenia Institute.
The 800 Metres (A-Girls) race saw Team Raffles clinching the top two positions. Having run at the front of the pack throughout the race, Haidah and Natalie established a considerable lead in the last 300m. The duo got off to a long kick, with Natalie ahead of Haidah. Unfortunately, a stumble near the finish line saw the pole position handed over from Natalie to Haidah, who finished just 0.12 seconds ahead with a timing of 2 minutes 26.58 seconds.
What made her achievement more admirable was how, as Natalie commented, she had been exposed to a new pace this season.
As for Girls’ Captain Haidah, it was a happy ending for her. Since this was her final race in A Division, she “went all out”, and her effort eventually paid off as her timing was the fastest in six years. Because she had come in 2nd for the same event last year, she wished for this year to come in “fighting for gold, and thankfully, did it with the support of teammates, coaches, teachers, and parents.”
Natalie and Haidah congratulating each other after their victory.
Next was Marianne, who also gave her all for the race, coming in 7th with a timing of 2 minutes 44.79 seconds.
Marianne, fully in the race.
In the next event, the 4 x 100 Metres Relay (A-Girls), Team Raffles was closely overtaken by HCI team at the third runner. Eventually, they came in 3rd with a timing of 52.09 seconds, a little more than 1 second behind first place HCI.
Laura Tan from RI trailing closely behind ACS(I) and HCI runners during the final 100m of the relay.
Team Raffles did well in the 4 x 100 Metres Relay (A-Boys). They came in 1st, achieving the season’s overall best timing of 43.30 seconds. The runners, Damien Kee, Ian Poy, Kennard Chin, and Lee Jun Lei, expected a tough fight from Hwa Chong Institution, since the latter had qualified the fastest in the heats, but our team still tried their very best, achieving a laudable result. The first half of the relay saw the first two runners obtaining a good head start. It was a pivotal turning point in the race as Kennard caught up to the first-place runner at the bend, while Jun Lei gave his all in the sprint and won it for the team. The team confessed that they were “very stressed over the race,” but “support from their coach, Mr Melvin Tan and teammates gave them the confidence to press on.”
Jun Lei, with baton in hand, speeds ahead for the team.
By then, ominous clouds had gathered in the Westward sky. Still, the events continued. All the Rafflesians present, from Year 1 to 6, cheered vivaciously for the trackers and kept spirits up.
As said by Choo Qian Ke, (15S03M),”Match support is always integral in giving our competitors the strength they need… because it [lets them know] the school is behind them in whatever they do,” and as such she was “happy to be able to cheer them on because it gives athletes the drive needed to perform.”
Sprints Events Results 100 Metres (A-Girls)
Laura Tan – 4th (00:13:22)
100 Metres (A-Boys)
Kennard Chin – 2nd (00:11:18)
Lee Jun Lei – 7th (0:11:62)
Poy Meng Han Ian – 8th (0:11:63)
800 Metres (A-Girls)
Nur Haidah Bte Ahmad Kamal – 1st (02:26:58)
Natalie Soh – 2nd (02:26:70)
Marianne Elizabeth John – 7th (02:44:79)
4 x 100 Metres Relay (A-Girls)
Raffles Institution – 3rd (00:52:09)
4 x 100 Metres Relay (A-Boys)
Raffles Institution – 1st (00:43:30)
Jumps Events:
Bryan after clearing a jump attempt.
High Jump (A-Boys) was the event next in-line, in first place was Wong Jingkai Bryan, with a stunning height of 1.95m. Zong Sim Hao from HCI also attained the same height, but a count-back determined Bryan’s 1st place. Outside this championship, Bryan had previously achieved a height of 2.01m, hence, it was understandable that afterwards, despite his first placing, Bryan felt there was room for improvement with his sub-2 metres result. However, he was determined to do better the next time round.
Blazer, triumphant as he completes a jump attempt.
Blazer Quanjie James Challander (15S06G) secured 4th place with a new Personal Best height of 1.87m. He was happy about his performance: “I had not been doing as well as expected for the past one year, and I was working hard to get back to my best… But today, I just wanted to ‘give God the glory’, and I’m proud because my result reflected what I had put into it.”
The stellar showing by our team also marked the first time Rafflesians clinched the high jump gold medals in the boys’ C, B and A divisions.
Jump Events Results High Jump (A-Boys)
Bryan Wong – 1st (1.95m)
Blazer Challander – 4th (1.87m)
Cross Country Events:
Shohib (extreme left), also a Crosser, is accustomed to running long distances.
Due to the imminent downpour, the last event of the day was the 1500 Metres (A-Boys) event. Shohib led from the start while Glen Palmer and Paxton Hong of Victoria Junior College trailed 5 metres behind, along with the rest of the pack. Shohib continued to widen the lead in the second round. His teammates, Larry Law and Chester Lee, followed his lead and overtook Glen and Paxton.”It really boiled down to the last lap.” Larry remarked. By the third lap, Shohib had sprinted ahead to establish a 15m lead and eventually finished almost five seconds ahead of his teammate, Larry. Thus, Shohib B Abdul Wahab Marican finished in 1st place, with Law Ann Liat, Larry concluding the race in 2ndplace. Shortly after, Lee Zhong Kian, Chester followed past the finish line in 4th place.
Prior to this event, Shohib had won the champion titles for the 5000m event and March Cross Country events. He also led the Raffles Institution team to a podium sweep last year.
For Larry, this was an emotional victory as this was his first medal in 6 years. “I’m very happy. The plan was to set a fast race … and [Chester and I] did. The race was almost perfect for me.”
Larry, emotions running high.Chester shows no signs of stopping during the 1500m race.
Cross Country Event Results 1500 Metres (A-Boys)
Shohib Marican – 1st (4 min 18.56 seconds)
Larry Law – 2nd (4 min 23.29 seconds)
Chester Lee – 4th (4 min 29.09 seconds)
Onset of Bad Weather
Unfortunately, the 4 x 400 metres relays for both the A Division Boys and Girls were called off due to the rain, and carried out on another day. After the completion of all the events, Raffles Institution’s A Division Boys had come in 2nd Place, while the A Division Girls had come in 3rd Place.
The news that the school team had lost the title of 1st Place (and by a mere 2 points for the A Division Boys) was demoralising at first. However, the fortitude and courage exhibited by our athletes was undeniable. When quizzed about his thoughts on the results of the Championships, Teacher-in-Charge Mr Melvin Tan offered a resiliently optimistic view: “You can’t change the past, but you can do something about the future.” He also imparted a few words of advice that he wished to communicate to athletes: “You should embrace what lies ahead and do something [about it], such as working on weak areas. Continue [striving for] the common goal your team has, because months or years of training can go to waste if you are not motivated.”
After the competition, the Captains of the Girls’ and Boys’ teams also had many important insights to share.
Girls’ Vice-Captain Gabrielle Ong (15S06A) professed that it had not been easy for the trackers. “This year’s nationals was challenging, because [our competitors] had a lot of injuries and some people underperformed in their competitions, but today’s finals truly made up for everything.”
Girls’ Captain Nur Haidah (15S03E) shared that, “Our A Division girls are in the top three positions [currently], and stagnating there. (laughs) Considering we had no DSA trackers this year, it was a good result for us.”
As for the Boys’ Captain Joash Tan (15S03K), he had been impressed by the perseverance that some of his fellow Rafflesian trackers had demonstrated: “There were instances where athletes persevered to compete [though they didn’t have to], just in order to gain 1 point for RI.”
Among the many eye-opening and exhilarating happenings the audience witnessed today, the strength and bonds within the Track and Field team itself was one of them. We found that besides general moral support from fellow teammates or team relays (4 x 100, 4 x 400), even in singles’ races, which are perceived widely to be the fight of only individuals, there is an uncanny tendency to pace yourself with your race-mates and finish the race together. About its team spirit, Mr Melvin Tan maintained that despite impressions of Track as a fragmented CCA due to the separation of members into different event groups, “there is sharing of a common vision, which is what brings the CCA together,” such as “striving to do our best in competitions, not always for a title, but for ourselves.”
The Championships’ results may not have come out as planned, but ultimately, as long as there are lessons learned, there are no losers. The team had done well, as said by Nur Haidah: “Today, I saw that everyone truly gave their all, and I’m very proud of them.”
Raffles Press would like to commend the Track and Field team for their laudable performance despite the odds stacked against them. May everyone continue to persevere with ‘their teammates beside, and their limits behind’!
The results of the 2015 National Inter-School Track and Field Championships can be viewed here.
By Qiu Kexin (16A13A), Naomi Koh (16A13A), Sean Lim Zhen (16A13A), Agatha Sacha Lim (16A01B)
Additional Reporting by Stella Soon (16A01C)
Photos by Amy Goh (16A13A)
No lack of excitement at the venue!
On the 21st of April, for the first time in history, the Raffles table tennis players achieved a clean sweep in their finals, securing Gold medals for all 6 categories. Despite the fierce competition from powerhouse and traditional rival Hwa Chong Institution, the A division players persevered to win 3-0 in the boys’ category and 3-2 in the girls’ category.
In Table Tennis, the format of scoring for the competition is as follows:
In both the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, teams play up to 5 matches against each other, and the team which wins 3 matches out of 5 emerges victorious. These 5 matches played are: 1st singles, 1st doubles, 2nd singles, 2nd doubles and 3rd singles.
In each match, players play to the best of 5 sets, meaning that the first player/pair to win 3 sets wins. In each set, players/pairs have to win 11 points to win the set, but minimally by a 2 point difference. That means, players cannot win a set 11-10; when the score reaches 10-10, players play to 12, and when it reaches 11-11, they play till 13 and so on.
A DIVISION BOYS:
Liu Tian scoring a point
The championships opened with a match between Liu Tian and his competitor, who both exuded skill and an ardent resolve. Although the first set was won by Raffles with a score of 11-3, the Hwa Chong competitor did not let this faze him and fought back valiantly in the next set, winning it 4-11. However, Liu Tian regained his composure, and secured victory in the following set 11-9.
In the last, and most exciting set between Liu Tian and his opponent, both fervently pitted themselves against the other, and the match score quickly equalised at 4-4. Both players went neck-to-neck; whenever one player seemed to be gaining on the other, the other player would make a return and equalise the score. The pressure mounted – both players refused to yield in the heat of their back-and-forth exchange. However, in the last few seconds, Liu Tian scored a point and secured a 2-point edge, winning the 4th set with a score of 12-10, bringing a first win for Raffles.
Following Liu Tian’s valiant efforts, it was time for the boys’ duo, Daryl Tan and Heng Kai, to take over. They got off to a good start, winning the first set for Raffles 12-10. However, they conceded the next set to Hwa Chong with a score of 3-11. Luckily, Daryl and Heng Kai quickly found their momentum, combining skilful defense with calculated aggressive play to easily win the third set 11-6, and race to a quick 7-1 lead in the fourth set. Some uncharacteristic errors from the Hwa Chong side brought us to match point at 10-3, but we suddenly seemed to face some difficulty closing the match. Nevertheless, even while our competitor’s moral was slowly rising, our resolve remained: the pair called for a timeout to regroup and focus, and after a short chat with their coach, Daryl and Heng Kai finally managed to decisively secure the match on the next point, winning 11-8 in the fourth set.
The power duo, Daryl and Heng Kai.
With Raffles comfortably up 2-0, it was up to Yin Jing Yuan to win a third match against Hwa Chong Institution and secure victory – which he did in a convincing fashion. Winning the first set 11-5, Jing Yuan continued his momentum to sweep the next two sets, 11-2 and 11-4. With that, Jing Yuan won the overall 2nd Singles round, helping the A Boys conclusively clinched the title with a score of 3-0 over Hwa Chong Institution.
The competitors who represented Raffles Institution were as follows:
1st Singles – Liu Tian
1st Doubles – Daryl Tan and Heng Kai
2nd Singles – Yin Jing Yuan
A DIVISION GIRLS: While the boys may have had a relatively fuss-free course on the way to their title, the girls did not quite have a similar walk in the park. Those who had thought that they were on course for an effortless victory were sorely mistaken; the Hwa Chong contingent, backed up by an enthusiastic bunch of supporters, refused to back down.
There was a sense of suspense and tension evident even from the opening match, played by Melissa Tan against her Hwa Chong contender, which was rife with passion and competition. Despite losing the first set, she eventually rallied to win her overall match 3-1.
Melissa Tan – a steadfast player.
This triumph set a precedent for the next match, the girls’ first doubles, in which Charlene Koh and Liao Fang won 3-0 with ease, sweeping aside their Hwa Chong opponents who never won more than 5 points in each set, putting Raffles up 2-0.
Charlene Koh and Liao Fang, playing together for their doubles match.
The 2nd singles match which followed was arguably the most emotionally charged of the afternoon, pitting Li Jiaxin against a feisty Hwa Chong opponent. The two players were noticeably aggressive from the get-go, trading the first 2 sets evenly. More spectators began to gravitate towards their table to catch a glimpse of the enthralling encounter.
Li Jiaxin just after sending a good serve.
Jiaxin’s opponent stepped up a notch in the 3rd set, pulling off a series of aggressive plays and shots that pulled Jiaxin from side to side, which helped her take the set comfortably with a score of 11-4. In the 4th set, Jiaxin started out strong, racing off to a 4-0 lead. However, her opponent struck back by winning several tight, extended rallies which had the crowd leaning on the edge of their seats. With the score tied at 8-8, tensions ran high – both players were furiously pumping their fists after each point. Yet, despite a valiant fight, Jiaxin eventually lost 11-9. However, she never gave up and fought fervently throughout the match against an equally-spirited opponent in a laudable show of her persevering attitude.
The score thereafter was now 2-1, in favour of Raffles. Was Hwa Chong mounting a comeback?
The next match involving Cheryl Tang and Tan Qi was similarly fiery, consisting of many long rallies and constant switch-ups in style, with the girls on both sides rapidly switching between offense and cautious defensive play that ensured the match never lost its entertainment value. Every time one team appeared to have gained momentum, the situation soon swung back dramatically in the opposite direction, resulting in a battle that was neck-and-neck throughout almost 45 minutes. However, despite a spirited fight, the Raffles pairing lost in 5 close sets (5-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-7, 7-11).
Hocus focus. (Cheryl Tang and Tan Qi)
With both schools tied at 2 wins each, victory boiled down to the result of the final singles match which fielded Xue Qi, who was Captain of the girls’ team. Faced with the arduous task of bearing the pressure of defending the school’s A Girls title on her shoulders, one would have expected Xue Qi to crumble under the pressure. She was momentarily fazed at the beginning of the match, where some concessions caused Xue Qi to fall behind 3-7 in the first set. However, admirably, she soon composed herself and fought back with a series of well-crafted manoeuvres to tie the score at 7-7. The next few points were nail-bitingly close; however, a couple more errors resulted in the Hwa Chong player claiming first blood, winning the first set 12-10.
Ng Xue Qi just after winning a set in the 3rd Singles round.
The next set was a case of deja vu, and Xue Qi was behind 1-4. Still, she never gave up and persisted in levelling the score. Then came a crucial point midway; at 8-10, the Hwa Chong player had 2 set points to win the match, a lead that she seemed likely to gain. However, Xueqi maintained her composure and played the next 4 points brilliantly, staging a dramatic comeback to take the second set 12-10. While the momentum may have clearly been on Hwa Chong’s side, it was clear after the end of the second set that Xueqi had gained confidence whereas the morale of the Hwa Chong contingent took a slight blow, becoming more subdued. With newfound confidence, Xueqi easily took the 3rd set 11-5, putting Raffles one set away from a complete sweep of titles.
The final set appeared incredibly one-sided in favour of Xue Qi as her constant aggression persistently troubled her opponent, helping her gain an 8-3 lead. With victory on the horizon, the Raffles supporters erupted into a frenzy, almost tasting victory on their lips. Yet, the Hwa Chong player refused to give in, fighting back in an unbelievable fashion to claim the next 5 points, thereby levelling the set at 8-8. This evidently shook Xue Qi as well as many of the Raffles supporters who thought Xue Qi might have been experiencing a ‘choke’, which is a situation where a player lets a position of clear advantage slip from his/her grasp. However, Xue Qi was able to regroup during a short time-out, after which she claimed 3 consecutive points to close the enthralling match in style. The cheers became even more memorable with our RI and RGS counterparts joining us in supporting Xue Qi in the relentless back-and-forth volleys. As soon as her opponent’s final shot sailed long, Xue Qi’s teammates burst from their spectating spots to entrap her in a warm group-hug. Tears flowed and cries of joy erupted from the girls, and many of the spectators could not help but feel pride for them.
With that, Raffles Institution successfully completed a clean sweep of the A Division, B Division and C Division titles, a feat which had not been accomplished by them in recent times.
Throughout the course of the afternoon, the volume in the Pasir Ris Indoor Sports Hall had noticeably amped up with the tension, with the hall resounding all around with the sound of spectators cheering their hearts out for their team. Spectators from the 4 school bodies – Raffles Institution, Raffles Girls’ Secondary School, Hwa Chong Institution and Nanyang Girls’ High School – were collectively cheering their loudest for their schoolmates; there was a veritable cacophony when the two schools attempted to drown each other out. In all, the spirit displayed by all students as they enthusiastically spurred their fellow schoolmates in the arena, from both the Raffles and Hwa Chong side, was commendable.
Many Rafflesians left their seats to crowd as close as they could to the fray, to shout words of encouragement to the competitors.
For Team Raffles, in the intensely apprehensive moments of the final, decisive match, the persistently energetic cheers embodied the high hopes of the schools present that day. In such raw moments, we caught true glimpses of the genuine pride we felt for our schools’ players. Perhaps this was what had, as Li Jiaxin (16S07D) later remarked, “inspired [the team] to give our all and put up our best performance.”
Winning 6 titles was definitely not easy, as Li Jiaxin maintained: “The opponents we played against were formidable for all the 6 teams – but still, we’re glad that our dream came true.” Indeed the atmosphere in the Centre felt surreal after news broke of Raffles’s victory, but the tears of joy and heartfelt hugs shared between members of the Table Tennis team were real, a mark of a team who had given their all, and for it, emerged ever stronger and ready for the road ahead in the future.
The competitors who represented Raffles Institution’s Girls Team were as follows:
1st Singles – Melissa Tan
1st Doubles – Charlene Koh and Liao Fang
2nd Singles – Li Jiaxin
2nd Doubles – Cheryl Tang, Tan Qi
3rd Singles – Ng Xue Qi
For Sale: One Chair Only was a collection of one chair plays (with one dialogue segment) put up under The Humanities Initiative (THI) as part of its efforts to raise awareness about Human Trafficking. Organised by Year 6 students of the Humanities Programme with support from Emancipasia and Hagar, its remarkable commitment both to the aesthetics of the piece as well as the worthy cause it advocated for were evident from start to finish. Notably, the performative pieces were followed with a presentation and question-and-answer segment by Dr Michael Hakim (executive director of Hagar) and Ms Ng Wei Chern (Head of Programmes for Hagar, head of the Trauma Recovery Programme for trafficking survivors in Singapore), a testament to the organisers’ efforts to educate as well as entertain.
The lights came up on a clean and minimalist set –a single stool set off against plain white flats –, starting the show with a monologue by Syafiqah Nabilah (15A01B). Beginning with a disquieting introduction to her character’s current plight, the monologue proceeded to bring us through a quick succession of events which showed off Syafiqah’s versatility. Disquietingly naive and innocent as she marvelled at the luxuries on her first flight, Syafiqah was also odiously manipulative as Susie (a cousin who convinces her character to ‘clean tables in Singapore’) and menacing as a Singaporean pimp. No wonder, then, that it was almost with a sense of bitter relief that the audience reached the end of her piece.
This was followed by a dialogue between a Singaporean employer of a construction company, played by Myko Balbuena (15A01B), and his exploited foreign worker, played by Sarthak Panwar (16S05A). At turns quietly taunting and explosively ferocious, Myko put up a strong performance matched by Sarthak who, crucially, was no pathetic victim to Myko’s tormentor. While predominantly fearful and uncertain, Sarthak’s performance was underlined with a strong sense of his character’s strength, courage and love for his family, rounding out the piece nicely.
Next up was a monologue by Rachel Koh (15A01A). Also exploited and pushed into prostitution, Rachel’s character was notably different from Sya’s on multiple points. Content-wise, it addressed the issue of her character’s struggle to re-adjust after having returned home and mounting sense of helplessness. This was reflected in the overall tone of the piece, which was significantly more concerned with the lasting psychological trauma she faced. Rachel’s performance was deeply compelling and elegantly controlled, lending voice both to the complexities of her character’s mental struggle as well as her raw anguish.
Finally, the performance closed with a monologue by Katrina Jacinto (15A13A) who played a domestic helper from the Philippines. Just as thought-provoking and heart-wrenching as the preceding pieces, this monologue was perhaps especially notable for its treatment of a subject many might perhaps never consider part of ‘human trafficking’. Indeed, the writers made a deliberate and respectable effort not to paint an exaggerated picture of the character’s plight; at the same time, the vulnerability of her situation was made clear to the audience, as was Katrina’s portrayal of the adverse effects it had on her character’s emotional well-being.
With a strong cast, dedicated organisers and talented directors, it is no wonder that For Sale: One Chair Only was a successful performance both in terms of production value as well as thematic depth. Crucially, it was not an easy performance to sit through and multiple audience members remarked that it was emotionally draining. Yet this was rightly so considering the nature of the subject matter as well as its presentation -with minimal characters and stark sets, the performers made it clear that there would be no relief offered from their characters’ stories. Overall, the production was commendable for its aesthetic value and maturity, as well as the sensitivity with which it explored larger issues through personal stories. In the words of producer Lee Yoonji (15A01B), “We see them not just as victims, but as people –with anguishes, desires and inhibitions –who have become reduced to nothing but expendable commodities. We laugh, cry and fear with them, and from this, turn our attention from individual tragedy to the global system that allows human trafficking to take place.” As a work of theatre, the performance was certainly worth it for its refined production value. As a work of advocacy, it was insightful in its treatment of the subject matter and certainly worthy of greater support.
For Sale: One Chair Playswill be having one more show on 3rd May at the Esplanade. Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/onechairplays.
The EmancipAsia series is one that aims to raise awareness of human trafficking in Singapore, and call for reflections on the treatment on foreign workers in our nation. To read more articles from this series: click here.
