Friday, May 25, 2007

I haven heard of the word match support until J1...pls dun laugh at me... I haven went for any match support (not that I dun wanna to) until the previous wednesday, 23/05/2007. The Tennis Finals. It was at Kallang Tennis Centre, very ulu...like Ulu Pandan...I wonder why not at the newer, nearer Yio Chu Kang which is much closer but well...I sort of understand why now...Match Support. It was at this ulu place where more people could gather and cheer their hearts out, scream their lungs out and do everything they could with their voice to spur the team on. I realise match support was a very important event by itself. We din have match support for 3A-3B soccer match after GP...and guess wad we were trashed flatly with a pathetic scoreline of 1-5,6 or 7? too many that we lost count...the only solace was that ronaldhung scored one pass them to break their clean sheet...yes no doubt it was hero Hung. (actually 3B also no match support la lol but I cannot believe that we lost so badly...sore loser I am...gave our best we did not) Lets -rm.(re-match)
Alright back to tennis lest Xiong gets bored or anyone not interested in our lil skirmish with 3B. It was an breath-taking galore of skills, strategy and determination. First up we won the first singles thanks to Christine who overcame her opponent, a master of the top spin according to jun yang. (sorry if I spelt wrongly I dunno her...) But HCI did not give in either, winning the second single...aiya I thought Shuying (once again if i spelt wrongly...) was gonna win it with her high velocity shots but apprently they got the better of us. Next up was first doubles which we won...nonetheless not an easy match...By the way if u r wondering abt the guys...haha i din watch them except for a guy who looks like hung's friend Samuel. The samuel-like Daryl who overcame the opponent yea.
Next, was the most important match. The doubles in which we fielded our captain Xiong and Xuyan. The double X! I remembered it started at around 1500h...under the tormenting sun. Meanwhile the last singles started and we lost that one too yea...so the important hting u have to know now is...the doubles games was the DECIDER! A victory that will let us hav a taste of a Gold finally, or a loss which well...I dunno wad it will mean to them. We fought hard. Very hard. We screamed hard. Extremely hard. There was this senior with a 20,000 Hz scream which if we were indoors, would hav shattered the glass. I was totally amazed and inspired by her cheering. Everyone was laughing at her. Even some RJCians but she din care. She din care if those irritating Hwa Chong ppl was trying to mimic her and scoffing at her (to my HCI friends, I am just stating the truth...some of ur ppl were ... disgraceful? well just take it w a pich of salt and take some water if u happen to see this yea..dun sue my class. Thanks=) She wasn't afraid. So were ppl like El and Cheese. Zomg...wonderful cheering from both of you. I assure you i could hear them when i went to refill my bottle...
Back to the Tennis match...we won the first set...again it was a hard battle where both sides made plenty of mistakes nonetheless we edged them 7-5...I think...I dunno how to count the score even though Ms Fiona Lio had explained it to us. Then came the second set.
HC showed some signs of weakness as they continued to double fault and finally...ronaldhino cramped...cannot rmb clearly if it was second match or third...Now, who is Ronaldhino?
Letme intro her to you. She is the HCI gal the shorter more soft spoken one who plays mostly upfront. She was smiling all the time thoroughly enjoying wad may be her last career match, or even one last game b4 she hangs up her racket. She was smiling and encouraging her sort of black-faced teammate all the while and probably that was why the won the second set. But more remarkably, she smiled even when she, according to El, sprained her ankle and even after a cheek cramp. Smiled too much perhaps but it din stop her. For that staunch, stoic determination, I salute her. Respect.
Now, it was 1-1. Last set. and the overall matches won was 2-2. Winner takes all...
0-1. We trail. Well don't mind we'll get the next one.
0-2. Looks like we are in deep troubled. Alot of mistakes and hits and misses. Just very suay... Xiong was quite nervous too. So Eugene and I tried to shout SpongeBob says, " Don't give up!" Hoping it will relax the atmosphere...well of cos everyone stared at us like we r some... Everyone too, El, Cheese, JY, Fufu, all of RJC cheered and cheered, trying to win HCI in our cheering and hopefully help the team boost some morale. It became... 0-3///
Never give up. Double X was determined not to let HCI take any point any more. Xuyan was like a wall returning virtually all shots sprayed at her while Capt Xiong was hitting returns to the baseline with extreme precision and engineering attacks and openings. Finally, we took one. 1-3
Their tenacity saw them to 2-3, 3-3 and 4-3! Finally we over took them! Nonetheless, Ronaldhino was working her magic and her partner calibrated her serve control and they got one back 4-4. Double X continued to seek their first Gold and pull the margin wider to 5-4. HCI did not give up. Ronaldhino became yet another wall and return all the smashes and shots bombarded by double X and finally, a cross court drop volley from Xuyan saw HCI caught off guard...the other HCI gal lunged forward but was unable to return the ball...
After 3 Hours of heat and sweat, 3 Hours of screams and shouts, 3 Hours of physical and spiritual battle, the score reads 6-4. RJC 3 (2 doubles 1 single) HCI 2 (2 Singles) We won!
It was a wonderful feeling. I felt great to be there. It was as though you were just an insignificant part playing a significant role. Congrats once again to all those who put their best out.
Capt Xiong also proved why she was the capt as she was virtually everywhere cheering and encouraging her teammates before her match and did the school proud by winning the all important decider. Xiong rox!
Well, all well's ends well.
But i wasn;t the case for Bball...couldn't believe we lost...The gals put in so much effort yet it wasn't really paid off...saw them train in the rain, broke their leg for training, yet they were flagrantly fouled in the game...Referee Kayu...Nonetheless maybe the VJ team trained so much harder as well...
Whether one train as hard...does it really matter? What if one did everything they could but is still unable to achieve what they want?
After this long entry...you must be wondering, why am I writing all these? Well cause these are wonderful memories. These are what makes me able to call myself a Rafflesian proudly(not arrogantly ok got dif.)
I haven heard of the word match support until J1... I haven went for any match support until the previous wednesday...but I haven realise that I am sort of attached to the school, and am proud to be part of it, until I went for match support. I have learnt something, found something. I hope you do too.

*Disclaimer: This is a factual recount from an individual and thus may not be accurate nor precise. Please take everything here with a pinch of salt and take some water as salt is salty...

P.S. Keep the courts clean. Trash your ...