Photographs courtesy of Tay Kai-En, Othniel (27S03Q) from RAPS
This year, both the boys and the girls of the RI badminton team arrived at the OCBC Arena Badminton Courts to battle it out for 3rd place.
For the girls, it was a strong comeback after they failed to reach the Top 4 last year. For the boys, it was not the ideal placement they had hoped for. Yet, both were aiming for the same outcome.
By Prajna Girish (27S06O) and Harish Arun Prasad (27S05B)
All photographs provided by Zhu Taiwu (26S06K)
The Coin Toss
3 games against VJC this year. 2 losses for RI’s Cricket Team. But they earned their redemption just in time.
The air in Ceylon Sports Club was hot and engulfing—not just because temperatures were crossing 34°C, but because tensions were thick enough to slice with a knife.
“Everyone was charged up and ready to make a statement when it mattered the most.”
Swarit Thakur (27S05B)
After a relatively-good NSG run, both the VJC and RI players were warming up—rehearsing batting motions and lobbing balls, while spectators took to the stands for the match that would determine the 2026 champion after multiple face-offs. For the RI team, the stakes were especially high. They had to defend their title from last year, didn’t they?
The coin was tossed, RI was batting first. The first ball landed on the pitch, and the finals had officially begun.
By Olivia Chia (27A01A) and Kate Suzuki Kokomi (27A01A)
All photos courtesy of Fang Rui Shan (26S06R) and Ayyaatharan Srinivasan (26S06D) from the Raffles Art and Photographic Society
23 April 2026
The original day of the match kicked off at Hwa Chong Institution to the flashing of orange lightning alert signals and a drizzle that soaked the parade square ground where we sat with the supporters. The fate of the match dangled in the fickle hands of the rain; the game had been suspended and, if the lightning alert didn’t stop flashing by 4:30pm, would be cancelled. Suddenly having a lot of time on our hands, we descended the stairs to find the RI Touch Rugby team surprisingly coolheaded, scattered across a few canteen tables snacking on gummy cola bottles.
By Gregory Ng (27S05A) and Janelle See Jia Xin (27A01D)
Photos courtesy of Orlando Khoo (27S06F) and Cheng Yu Han (27S05A) from Raffles Art and Photographic Society, Seira Yang (26S03B) and Julia Chiyo Taguchi (27A01C)
With six short whistle blows, they prepared to mount the board. With a long whistle blow, they donned their goggles and prepared for launch with poise.
All photographs provided by Xu Fengxuan (27S03M), Zhu Jiajia Christine (27S03G) and Zhu Taiwu (26S06K) from RIAC
Pre-game
11.15am, 14 April 2026: The bus carrying classes of Rafflesians hisses to a stop at Our Tampines Hub, doors sliding open to unload the match supporters that will be cheering on the Boys’ Water Polo team at their NSG finals in minutes. Some clutch onto creative boards adorned with pictures and personalised messages to support their friends in the match.
11.28am, at the grandstands overlooking the swimming pool: The Rafflesian match supporters ramp up the noise with a hearty Rafblood cheer. Hwa Chong Institution, not to be outdone, responds with one of their own cheers. School spirit was coursing through every individual’s veins as they geared up for the NSG finals.
Some Rafflesians showing their school pride by painting themselves with the school colours
11.29am: Splashes announce the players’ entrance into the pool, filling the air with the smell of chlorine. The atmosphere instantly electrifies, and all eyes are on the fourteen players lining up in the pool: seven in white caps, and seven in black.
11.30am: The whistle is blown on the dot. The calm surface of the water is immediately thrown into a flurry as all fourteen players surge towards the centre of the pool, focused entirely on the red-and-yellow ball that has just been thrown into the arena.
