IHG Week 8 Round-Up by Yeo Ying Tong

4 Feb 2014, Tuesday

Sepak Takraw vs Hall 6
WON 2-1

Our Sepak Takraw team beat Hall 6 in the Final Pool game today to qualify for the quarterfinals.

First up was the trio of Wong Zi Hao Billy, Parthiban Mathevanan andFadli Amin. They made short work of their opponents in a lopsided victory to draw first blood.

The next game, however, was rather close and a lot more nerve-wrecking. Kenneth Gan, Terence Cheng and Brendan Liang fought tooth and nail before earning 4 match points at 17-20. With the quarterfinals only a tantalising point away, nerves got the better of them as our opponents managed to claw the score back to 19-20, but they eventually secured the win with a score of 21-19, much to the delight of the crowd.

In the final dead rubber tie, Satyajeet Akhilesh, Arun Vinoth and Blven Chan gave their all despite it being a game of no consequence. They lost this 3rd tie in the end, but this failed to dampen the mood of the team as they had qualified for the quarterfinals.

6 Feb 2014, Thursday

Water Polo vs Hall 5
WON 16-1

The Lion RisesToday’s Polo match brought a little surprise to all the spectators watching by the pool side as they managed to see a very rare sighting of the ‘water lion’, there forth known as Qingguo Chua. His majestic mane was swept to the side as the rose from the water to attempt his very first shot in a competitive match. He was aiming for the stars, but alas, the ball ‘flew over’ the keeper and reached the moon. Thank the heavens for our Darker Knight Vinoth who managed to score the goals needed to put us in a comfortable lead.

After an intense first half against ‘Bai Kai Shui’, the scores were 5 – 1, none scored by our ‘water lion’. Captain Francis ‘The Shark’ Koh decided on a massacre, and fielded none other but The Chosen One, Toh Zhi Hong The scores quickly pulled apart, and the massacre ended with a final score of 16 – 1. 

Despite the fact Hall 2 had 4 sports going on that night, we still had a healthy crowd of spectators cheering on the Polo Team. We are really appreciative of your support and without your loud cheers, we would not be able to dominate the match. Although we know everyone there was just looking for abs. Perverts.

Credits to Yuan Pin Chua

Table Tennis vs Hall 11
Lost 2-3

Our table-tennis team lost 2-3 to Hall 11 in their first game of their season. Hall 11, with several IVP players in their roster, were the firm favourites from the start and despite the best efforts of our team, a massive upset was not on the cards.

Nevertheless, our team's performance was highly encouraging, and the match would have proved an invaluable experience for our fledging team.

Sepak Takraw vs Hall 12
Lost 3-0

What do you do if your opponents refuse to postpone your game in order to capitalise on the absence of your key players?

The right answer, as our takraw team has shown, is to channel your anger and try your best to win it anyway. And it so nearly proved enough, as our team gave them an almighty scare before falling just short.

Yuzheng Peh, Dalston Leong and Terence Cheng took to the courts first. They lost the first set, fought through 5 deuces to win the 2nd, but unfortunately fell just short in the 3rd after another long bout of deuces to lose the 1st game.

This was the cue for the lights at the SRC to go out, so players and supporters alike had to relocate to the unfamiliar surroundings of Hall 3 to continue the action. Arnold Wee, Parthiban Mathevanan and Fadli Amin tried their best, but were soon overpowered by hall 12's strongest trio in straight sets. Simultaneously, Arun Vinoth, Satyajeet Akhilesh and Blven Chan raised hopes by taking the first set, but the earlier conclusion of the other game rendered their eventual defeat a mere afterthought.

Hall 12 may have won this tie, but the circumstances surrounding their victory has rendered it a pyrrhic one, as hollow a victory as it could possibly get. It is not the fact that we lost that rankles, but rather the depths that our opponents have stooped to that leaves a very sour aftertaste. What is the point of sport of one can only win in the absence of your opponents' strongest players?

Having said so, the aforementioned players gave their all and were really only this close to securing the victory that would have been the perfect riposte. We hence wish hall 12 the best of luck in their upcoming takraw match; a fish so out of the water, it's fried.

Netball vs Hall 3

Lost 25-16

Today, despite putting up a good fight, the netball girls conceded defeated to a team with players significantly taller than ours.

From first quarter to the last, the team progressed and played better quarter by quarter. The slow and shaky start did not deter the team from giving their best every time they put their bib on and get back on clock. But time waits for no man. Should the team be given another quarter, the tides would turn and the ship would be sailing in the direction we set out to go.

Enough said about the loss suffered today. The team of very committed players with excellent fighting spirit promise the hall and their dear president that next year this time, Hall 3 will only be getting the ayam penyet that they are supposed to bring back today, and nothing else.

Till then, the netball team will train hard and come back stronger next year.

Credits to YiHui Low

8 Feb 2014, Saturday

Track Heats
4x100m M 1st
4x100m F 1st
4x400m M 1st
4x400m F 3rd

Hall 2 breezed through today’s Track heats as the team finished as the fastest qualifiers for 3 out of 4 events.

The 4x100m men’s team gave Hall 2 a great start to the day thanks to a superb anchor leg by Fadli Amin, possibly due to the immense amount of care and love he received from the crowd. It looked to be a similar story with the 4x100m women’s relay but Hall 3’s 100m SEA Games sprinter managed to close up the huge lead we have built to leave it very tight towards the end, with Mainisah Buang finishing just ahead.

The 4x400m men’s quartet simply stole the show, however. Captain Shukri gave them a great start with a superb first leg, providing the foundation for which the team built on to extend their lead. With a lineup that includes Sports King Emmanuel Chia and Hall King Clinton Chua Ming Kian, this is also most probably the best-looking quartet since The Beatles.

With such an impressive showing today, we hope the track team will built on today’s performance to fulfil the potential that they so obviously have in the finals.

Touch Rugby

WON 5-1 vs Hall 8
WON 5-0 vs Hall 10

Soon after at the SRC Field, it was mission accomplished for our touch rugby boys as they made little fuss of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

In the first game against Hall 8, the team was noticeably a little tense, with passes going astray and the general play tending towards the messy side. The afternoon heat was also getting to the players as tensions threatened to boil over, but the resilience of the team, as well as the quality of the opposition, meant that Hall 2 still managed to run out 5-1 winners.

It was in the 2nd game, however, that the beauty of Hall 2’s play really shone through. After scoring an early try via John Foo, the team spent the next 3-4 minutes getting penned back in their defensive 3rd, a result of a combination of silly fouls and careless passes. But their defence was dogged and superb, and as much as they had the ball, Hall 10 simply had no way past, despite several half-decent attempts. Eventually, Hall 10 failed to capitalise on their one period of dominance, and Hall 2 responded with 4 unanswered tries, sandwiched between some solid touch rugby sprinkled with a little stardust. One such try by Captain Jonathan Wong, or “Eggy”, came at a cost of an square-inch of skin, exemplifying the team’s determination to give their all.

I suppose there must be a price to pay for victory, but it is one which they are all willing to pay.

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IHCC Team Awesomes

On Wednesday, 5 February, our very own Team Awesomes took to the stage at the annual Interhall Cheerleading Competition (IHCC).

Backed by a very supportive Hall 2 crowd, Team Awesomes put on a show that was the culmination of months of hard work. The crowd was expectant, and in the case of many, it added on to the stress of performing in front of such a large crowd for the first time. But not once did their smiles falter. Not once.

Behind the vibrant mix of colours and smiles is actually a story of much blood, sweat and tears. Never has such a clichéd phrase contained such literal connotations. Trainings were anything but a breeze, and with learning routines of such difficulty, mistakes and failures were unavoidable. Each failed attempt threatens to destroy the spirit; every bruise, cut and sprain freshly sustained is one more reason to throw in the towel and call it quits.

But no. They try, they fall, they get up. They try again. They try, they fall, they get up. They try again. Rinse and repeat, till they are physically and emotionally drained. But still they soldier on. They are doing it for themselves, they are doing it for their teammates, but they are also doing it for Hall 2.

And for that, Team Awesomes, Hall 2 thanks you. When you train dead into the night, we are not there to witness it and share your pain. But we want you to know that we know, and we really appreciate your sacrifice. When the official results are released tomorrow, remember that it is all inconsequential.

For deep down in our hearts, Team Awesomes are already champions.

Photo Credits: Neo Sian Yin

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IHG Week 7 Round-Up by Yeo Ying Tong

27 Jan 2014, Monday

Sepak Takraw vs Hall 4
WON 2-1

Today’s Sepak Takraw game against Hall 4 got off to a great start with an exciting display of fancy headers and nifty footwork from our players. However, despite scoring the first few points and leading the game, our team of Arnold Wee, Christopher Gan and Parthiban Mathevananeventually started trailing behind, leading to the disappointing first loss of the day.

Fortunately, Game 2 saw a swift turn of events as our players proceeded to dominate the game. Despite Hall 4’s best efforts, nothing could be done to stop our team’s solid performance. After a few near misses, the trio of Wong Zi Hao Billy, Kenneth Gan and Fadli Amin went on to close out the game for the win.

Game 3 - the tiebreaker. Hall 2 and 4 went neck to neck, with things growing increasingly heated by the second; this being the decisive game. This nail biter of a game saw points being scored by both teams one after the other, with the outcome still unclear. With Hall 2 leading by only one point, things started to look up when our trio of Blven Chan, Arun Vinoth and Satyajeet Akhilesh stepped up their efforts with a burst of adrenaline, ultimately clinching the victory.

With this match won, Hall 2 has qualified for the final pool, giving them the much-sought after chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals. We can definitely be rest assured that the team will do us proud in future games.

Courtesy of Ying Ying Phua

Tennis vs Hall 8
LOSE 2-3

Our tennis team today bowed out at the quarterfinal stage with a hard-fought 2-3 loss to Hall 8.

With 3 IVP players in their lineup, Hall 8 were the favourites from the very start. For our team to stand a chance, we had to get the matchups right and play our very best; and we so nearly did it.

In the men’s and ladies’ singles, Eugene Tang Wei Da and Michelle Neoboth gave their all and put up a great fight, but their IVP opponents’ class told in the end as they fell to defeats.

Sim Yuh Harn and Adelle Tang were up next in the ladies’ doubles. Their opponents were an IVP tennis player and an IVP squash player, whose tennis skills were noticeably questionable. Despite one of their opponents being vastly superior, leading to some nervy moments in the game, they came through in the end to record a win for Hall 2.

In the men’s doubles, Ong Zi Quan and Jian Ming Phua had a reasonably easier time, making quick work of their opponents. The game was noticeable for some dubious umpiring as well as Zi Quan’s outbursts of exasperation whenever he had to run a bit more than expected.

Finally at 2-2, it was down to the mixed doubles to decide which Hall would progress to the semis. Ruey Yi and Adeline Seah were more than a match for their opponents, but, blame it on luck, blame it on form, the points just would not fall for them, as they fell to their Hall 8 opponents.

In spite of their disappointing defeat, our tennis team can take pride in their performances over the past few weeks. In a sport where victory is largely decided by how many IVP players you have in your lineup, our team has done exceedingly well to come so close to a semi-final berth. We hope that they take pride from their performance to come back even stronger next year.

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IHG & IHRG Week 6 Round-Up by Yeo Ying Tong

20 Jan 2013, Monday

Sepak Takraw v Hall 7
LOSE 0-3

Against the formidable opponents of Hall 7, our Sepak Takraw boys fought hard and strong. Exemplified by powerful headers by Parthiban and a valiant dive from Arnold Wee in an attempt to save the ball, every member on the team did not give up against the strong competition. Unfortunately, they were unable to clinch the first game of the season.

However, the members kept their morale high even as they played the last set having gloriously lost the first two. Stay tuned as they fight their way through the next two rounds of the preliminary stage and be rest assured that they will play their hardest for every set of every game!

Courtesy of Melody Tai

Contract Bridge
v Hall 7 LostOur Contract Bridge players were unlucky to fall to Hall 7 in a close first game of the season but will leave no reservations in making a comeback in their next round.

21 Jan 2014, Tuesday

Contract Bridge

v Hall 10 WIN 15.23-4.77
v Hall 15 WIN 20-0

Despite convincing wins over Halls 10 & 15, our Contract Bridge team was unexpectedly knocked out of the preliminaries today, after results elsewhere did not go in their favour.

Had Hall 7 won Hall 10 as expected, then a quarter-final place for the team would have been secured, especially after today's results. But an unexpected turn of events meant that qualification would depend on the amount of victory points, which we lost out on to Hall 10 by the narrowest of margins.

This defeat is especially hard to take if you consider how the Contract Bridge team often practices not just late into the night but early in the morning in the Rec Room. Nevertheless, life often throws us unexpected hurdles when we least expect it; all we can do is to get up and get on with it.

22 Jan 2014, Wednesday

Waterpolo v Hall 3
WIN 19-4

You know they say if you fail, try and try again?

Well, our legendary talisman did not fail us this time round. The SEA Games gold-medalist finally scored with his head, as well as in our hearts, as Hall 2 decimated Hall 3 with an imperious score of 19-4. Hall 3 may boast of a couple of IVP players but Hall 2 boasts of 12 unstoppable players, as well as our favourite (and only) SEA Games player, Toh Zhi Hong.

A special mention goes out to The Darker Knight, Arun Vinoth. A mean-looking beast on land, a behemoth under water, his shots were completely unstoppable and the keeper from Hall 3 had to tape his fingers after the match.

No joke.

Without the support of Kenryu Wang, Ng Kah Leong, Jordan Ang, Alvin Kuek, Ray Lim Ng, Chua Hong Qian, Eugene Tang Wei Da, Yuan Pin,Tong Xu Le, Francis The Shark and our very own waterpolo mascot, Ong Zi Quan, dubbed 'Homer Simpson', the scoreline would have been vastly different.

The Water Polo team would like to extend our thanks to all the supporters for coming down despite a tiring school schedule. Join us at our next match and watch us destroy our opponents.

No joke too.

Courtesy of Chua Yuan Pin

24 Jan 2013, Friday

Squash v Hall 1
LOSE 2-3

Our squash team fell to a highly unfortunate 2-3 loss to Hall 1 in this Loser Pool tie, bringing their IHG season to a premature yet undeserving end.

Despite wins by "Harry Potter" Yuzheng Peh and Jordan Low, an unlucky matchup meant that SEA Games gold-medalist Toh Zhi Honghad the tough task of facing Hall 1's strongest player. He may a beast in the pool, he's certainly a pretty legit squash player, but this time it proved a bridge too far. Both Angela Ng and Michelle Neo also fought hard in very close ties, but luck just wasn't on their side.

On another day, with a more advantageous matchup and slightly better luck, it could so easily have been a win for Hall 2. In spite of this setback, I am sure the Squash team will recover from this setback to come back next year and bring glory to the Hall once again.

25 Jan 2014, Saturday

Road Relay
4th

Our Road Relay team did us proud today as they put in a superb effort to finish 4th overall at NIE.

With the weather cool and breezy without being extremely sunny, it was as close as it could possibly get to ideal running conditions in Singapore. However, as anyone who has taken the Campus Loop would tell you, the terrain around NIE is anything but a stroll in the park. Runners had to run out of the NIE triangle of buildings, make a loop around NIE, before climbing the extremely steep upslope along Halls 3 & 16 to finish their 2.2km route inside NIE. This meant that proper race planning and lactic acid endurance assumed a greater importance; anyone guilty of starting off too quickly would find him or herself paying a painful price later on this sadistic route.

Our runners have been training hard all season, but they have only tried this race route a few times previously and it was understandable that there was a slight air of apprehension just before the race. Nevertheless, they all planned and executed their race plans to a tee, adapting to the conditions seamlessly to all run close to their season’s best.

Sports King and recent birthday boy Emmanuel Chia showed no after-effects of any overzealous birthday celebrations whatsoever, giving our Hall a good start after starting off. The end result was dependent on the combined time of all 10 runners rather than the finishing positions, but a good start that placed Hall 2 in the lead chasing pack was important in giving us that slight psychological edge that may have made the difference.

What definitely made the difference though, was the persistence and perseverance our runners showed not only today, but throughout all their training sessions, and today was simply the culmination of all their effort.

 

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IHG & IHRG Week 5 Round-Up by Yeo Ying Tong

15 Jan 2013, Wednesday

Waterpolo v Hall 15
WIN 19-2

Hall 2 Water Polo won with a convincing score line of 19-2 against Hall 15 for the first preliminary round of the IHG season. The legendary SEA-games gold medallist, Toh Zhi Hong, was a beast in the pool. Not satisfied with simply scoring routine goals, he set a personal goal of trying to head the ball in. The effort was close but the ball rolled off the post and the keeper pushed it out. Before he could try his overhead kick, he was taken out of the match for fear of the opponent team giving up and leaving the pool before the time was up.

In the team of 13 selected, majority of the players were new to this sport. However, their performance in the pool was of no novice level. Several of the goals were scored by Van Myran Neo and Tan Yuan Song. A special mention goes out to the amazing Kor Kiat Yao, who scored a new personal best of 3 goals in this match. He will no doubt be scoring another hat trick in his room.

The Water Polo team would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the supporters that came down. Despite the utter dominance of this match, it would not have been possible without the loud cheers from the sides.

Courtesy of Chua Yuan Pin

International Chess
v Hall 13 Lost 1-4
v Hall 16 Lost 1-4

Despite the best efforts of our Chess team, we were unable to overcome superior opposition in the form of the other halls, and hence did not qualify for the semi-finals. Nevertheless, the experience of competing against stronger opponents would have stood our players in good stead, as they strive to better their performance in next year's IHRG.

17 Jan 2014, Friday

Squash vs Hall 13
Lost 3-2

Our squash team was highly unlucky to fall 2-3 to last year’s finalists Hall 13. The team lost both men’s singles ties but won both women’s singles ties to leave the overall score delicately poised at 2-2. “Harry Potter” Peh Yuzheng stepped up in the deciding tie to try and complete an unlikely underdog victory, but alas fell just short, as he lost both sets by close scores of 9-11.

Nevertheless, such performances against the seeded team are highly encouraging, and provide a steady platform for our team to perform even better in the next game.

Netball vs Hall 6 
Lost 22-14

Despite fighting tooth and nail, our netball girls ultimately lost out 14-22 to rivals Hall 6 in the first game of the IHG netball season. The match however was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests; both sides were fairly even in open play, with the difference between the 2 sides eventually boiling down to Hall 6’s efficiency in front of goal.

As a whole, our girls can still take pride from the way they developed the play; their methodical pass-and-move style will surely reap them their just rewards before long.

Boggle
vs Hall 3 lose 5-0
vs Hall 13 win 4-1

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