IHG 17/18 Series 1 #chasingoalsdreamsunfold

Sepak Takraw: Sheares 2 – KR 1

The KR Sepak Takraw Boys started the 2017/2018 IHG season off with a mouth-watering preliminary tie against our very own neighbors, Sheares Hall. As with all Heng Mui Keng Derbys, throngs of supporters from both halls came down to MPSH 6 on an early Monday morning, eager to watch an intense game. And an intense game it indeed turned out to be.

The match kicked off with our first regu of Elmer Loy (#9), Nicholas Tan (#17) and Daryl Chua (#10). Both teams appeared to be rather uneasy at the start, but as the game went on, both regus began to find their rhythm and played more confidently. However, it was KR that got off to a slower start, losing the first set 15-7. The second set saw KR play with more aggression and they were rewarded with some well-won points. Unfortunately, Sheares carried on the momentum from the first set and capitalized on several mistakes made by KR, winning the second set 15-8. As the KR boys went in for the third set, they were well aware that a loss would give Sheares the first game point. Indeed, they looked like a completely different team in the third set, playing with much more composure and desire. The third set went head to head, point for point, until alas Sheares managed to pull ahead right at the end and take the set 15-11. 1-0 to Sheares.

The second game was a must win for KR, and on came the next regu of Ding Xuan (#6), Dominic Ho (#19) and David Chew (#2). Having an experienced player like David, KR was confident of taking this set easily. However, things took a turn for the worse as Sheares confidently won the first set 15-11. But KR maintained their composure, and slowly began to find their feet in the second set. Each take, set and kill was almost perfectly coordinated, and KR stormed through the second set with a dominant score of 15-3. The boys carried on the momentum into the third set, and each of David’s acrobatic spikes sent the KR supporters into a frenzy. Sheares had their moments of good play, but ultimately, they were out-played by an impressive comeback performance by KR, to take the third and fourth sets 15-7 and 15-9 respectively. It was now all tied up at 1-1, with the last regus of each hall to fight it out in the tie-breaker.

KR’s last regu comprised of Zong Luck (#8), Edmund (#18) and Wai Kit (#9), and they all had their game faces on (especially Wai Kit). Both teams knew the importance of this game, and every point was celebrated with a fiery passion. The first set saw KR start strongly but Sheares was never too far behind, as they slowly clawed back to tie up the scores. Every other point went back and forth, but Sheares was an iron wall defence that could not be penetrated, and they marginally took the first set 15-13. In the second set, KR attacked more aggressively, but yet again Sheares were difficult to break down. Every kill was somehow taken by them, and they somehow always managed to send the ball back to KR, and it was this unyielding defiance that saw Sheares claim the second set 15-13 once again. In the third set, KR began to find cracks in the Sheares defence, with Wai Kit often outsmarting the opponents with sneaky kills, resulting in KR taking a dominant 7-1 lead. However, a lapse in concentration by KR saw Sheares level it up to 7-7 and from there, it was an evenly matched game that led to a 14-14 deuce. Supporters from both halls went wild at the intensity of this set, and every rally was met with bated breath. The two teams continued to match each other tit-for-tat, sending the set to another 15-15 deuce. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be for KR as two unfortunate points saw Sheares claim the set 17-15, and win the match with an overall score of 2-1.

It was a decent game by our Sepak Takraw boys, but it just wasn’t their day today. Nonetheless, the gold medal dream isn’t dead yet, so let’s wish them all the best for their remaining matches!

8th January 2018

Reported by Nicholas Tan

Sepak Takraw: KR 3 – KE 0

In the second preliminary match, our Sepak Takraw boys played against King Edward Hall. It was a pivotal test of mental strength after the heart-breaking loss against Sheares Hall the previous day, and it was great to see the boys come back in style.

The first regu comprising of Zong Luck (#8), Edmund (#18) and Wai Kit (#9) dominated KE from the first set, strolling to a 15-4 win. However, KE came back stronger in the second set, capitalizing on some questionable mistakes by KR. However, KR remained focused and secured a 15-11 win. On to the last set, our boys carried on the momentum from the previous sets and ensured a convincing 15-8 win, to put KR comfortably ahead with a 1-0 score.

In the second game, the regu of Ding Xuan (#6), Dominic (#19) and Aravinth (#26) endured a spirited showing from KE in the first set, but managed to remain their cool to settle the set 15-9. However, in the second set, KE came back much stronger and with some solid defending, surprised KR by taking the lead mid-way through the set. But KR wasn’t going down without a fight and scraped back a 14-14 deuce. From here, two clinical headers by KR was enough to ensure a second successive set, with a 16-14 win in the bag. On to the last set, our boys put in a much better performance despite much resistance from KE, and secured a 15-7 win, to put KR 2-0 up and book a place in the semi-finals of the competition.

For the sake of goal difference, the third and final regus of both halls played one last game. KR started with Elmer (#9), Nicholas (#17) and Ryan (#13), and some good play saw them take the first set convincingly 15-6. In the second set, KR quickly stormed to a 13-0 lead and the prospect of a perfect set was in sight. Unfortunately, KE managed to claim back 3 points to end the set 15-3 to KR. In the final set, KR continued their solid performance to win the set 15-7, and take the game home with an overall score of 3-0.

With a semi-finals spot in the bag, let’s continue to cheer our Sepak Takraw boys on!

9th January 2018

Reported by Nicholas Tan

Sepak Takraw Semis: TH 2 – KR 1

In a replay of the 2016/2017 Takraw finals last year, our Takraw boys were pitted to play the top-seeded Temasek Hall in the semi-finals of the competition. Both teams were well aware of the difficult game ahead, having played each other in the IHG finals for the previous 3 years, and supporters from both halls flooded MPSH 6 to witness this exciting match up.

KR started the first set with a strong regu of Ding Xuan (#6), Dominic (#19) and David (#2), hoping to get their team off to a flying start and put the pressure on TH. In the first set, both teams started aggressively, with both killers unleashing deadly strikes from the get-go. However, it was TH that claimed an early lead, converting more kills despite an impressive defensive performance from KR. KR did win a few points from here on, with Ding delivering several powerful serves and David and Dom claiming a few kills as well. However, it was TH that was the more clinical team, and deservedly taking the first set 15-6. In the second set, KR started to find their rhythm, with David producing several unstoppable spikes. Unfortunately, the TH defence was on fire, taking many of KR’s kills back into play and converting their kills mercilessly, to take the second set 15-7. On to the third set, KR continued to step up their game and apply pressure on TH. Both teams exchanged good saves and incredible kills, but it was TH that managed to hold their nerve to secure a 15-11 win, and put their team 1-0 up.

Onto the second game, KR knew that if they lost this game, their journey to the finals would be over. They knew they had to take the game to TH and indeed they did. From the very first set, the regu of Zong Luck (#8), Edmund (#18) and Wai Kit (#9) played an almost perfect game with every take, set and kill. TH did capitalize on a few mistakes made by KR, but KR held on to secure a 15-13 win. In the second set, KR continued their impressive form, with Wai Kit converting almost every accurate set by Edmund, leaving the TH defence with no chance. TH did fight back, as they found their form again in the second set, taking KR to 14-14 deuce. However, KR’s killing conversion was too much for their defence, and KR deservedly took the second set 16-14. In the third set, KR knew their comeback was almost complete and they held their nerve to sustain their fine form. Back to back rallies and points were exchanged, but ultimately momentum was with KR as they put the second game to bed with a 15-12 win, to tie things up overall at 1-1.

The final game was the decisive tie-breaker between the two teams, and it was going to be a real test of composure and conversion for a place in the finals. Both teams knew that anything could happen and the air was full of excitement and tension. The final regu of Elmer (#9), Nicholas (#17) and Daryl (#10) stepped up, and they delivered yet another exciting game for the supporters. Both TH and KR started strongly, with well-fought points being won back and forth. Yet both teams also had their weaknesses exposed. TH couldn’t deal with Daryl’s sharp heading kills, and KR couldn’t handle TH’s precise serves or their far-court headers. However, it was TH that converted more of their chances as they took the lead with a 15-8 win. In the second set, both teams continued their impressive form, but TH proved to be more clinical. Their services became deadlier and KR just couldn’t find the killer instinct they had in the first set. As such, TH stormed to a commanding 15-3 win, edging closer to a spot in the finals. However, KR wasn’t going to go down without a fight, and they brought the game to TH in the third set, with Daryl continuing to torment their defence. Unfortunately, momentum was with TH and they closed down the game to squash any hopes of a comeback, winning the last set 15-8 to send themselves to the IHG finals with an overall 2-1 win.

It was a harsh loss for the KR Takraw boys to crash out in the semi-finals, but they gave their best and really gave TH a run for their money. Anything can happen in a mentally pressurizing sport like Sepak Takraw, and it is unfortunate that this year just wasn’t our year. All in all, our boys put up a commendable performance throughout the competition and I’m sure the hall is proud of them regardless of the result, as seen from the unwavering support they have shown in all their matches. Chin up boys, the gold will be ours one day!

14th January 2018

Reported by Nicholas Tan

Badminton Boys: KR 4 - SH 1

Our very own shuttlers in blue were off to a smashing start in their first game against Sheares Hall last Thursday with an overwhelming 4-1 victory that bolstered the hopes of retaining our IHG badminton crown. Raegan, our first singles, put up a valiant fight, but alas, was ousted by the player from Sheares leading us to trail 1-0 at the start. This being his first ever competitive badminton match, Raegan showed true KR spirit as he was unwavering in his determination to win. Keep up the spirit bro! Moving on, our first doubles of Siew Wei and Kenzi easily outmanoeuvred and overpowered our slightly weaker opponents to level the score at 1-1. Next up, was the Ace of KR badminton, the legendary Poon Jeyren. Totally outclassing his opponent, he then brought the score to 2-1 to KR. Our second doubles pair of Leon and Joshua Cheng smashed their way to a nail biting finish in two sets to edge past the opponents to seal the fate of the match at 3-1. Unbeknownst to many, Captain Leon had the hardest smash recorded in A division at 333km/h. Beast. Having left the last singles however, George, the hero of last year’s finals against Temasek Hall, showed no mercy as he demolished his opponent to bring the final score to 4-1. Let’s all show our support for our shuttlers and head down to all their matches these coming weeks! Keep smashing KR shuttlers!

Team Lineup:

1st Singles - Raegan

1st Doubles - Siew Wei, Kenzi

2nd Singles - Poon Jeyren

2nd Doubles - Leon, Joshua Cheng

3rd Singles - George Wong Reserves: Poon Jeysng, Douglas, Barathan, Joshua Chin, Dion

Reported by Barathan Sreedharan

Badminton Girls: KR 4 - KE 1

Despite the recent chilly weather, KR’s badminton girls’ surely brought the heat during their match against KE7 last Thursday. Starting their set right next to the boys’ team, the girls went head to head against their opponent right from the beginning. Starting off the lineup was Shu Zhen in jersey number 11. Powering through her singles set with calculated pickups and powerful smashes, she sealed the first win for KR effortlessly with a score of 21-4.

Taking to court next were Jing Rong and Crystal. At the helm of the first doubles match, this pair parried with expert precision and chemistry, winning the second set for KR. This consistency in stamina and strength continued on in the next two sets, a singles match by Nicole and another doubles match by Wei Yi and Sarah. Nicole kept up the enthusiasm shown by Shu Zhen, proving that she had the tenacity to power through the mid set match. Wei Yi and Sarah brought their vivaciousness on court with back to back smashes and swaps. Both of these sets were won by KR, showing off the prowess of our Badminton team. Lastly, but definitely not the least, the last singles match was fought hard by Kent Ridgean Xuan Yan, ultimately bringing the score to 4-1, with KR emerging victorious.

With the Badminton Girls clinching their first win in this IHG season, we wish them and the rest of the sporting teams all the best for their future matches. Chasing goals, dreams unfold, KR let’s get the gold!

Reported by Teri Chong

KR Softball: KR 2 - SH 0

On a very wet cold and rainy wednesday morning, our softballers were off to a sluggish start in their opening match against Sheares Hall. Missing their Coach and legend, Bara, due to an ankle injury, Captains Shamus and Xinwei stepped up to the plate to just slightly edge past to a 2-0 win over their opponents. Team jester Daniel Lim led the batting line up where he drew a walk which landed him on second base. Captain Xinwei, up to bat second, then unleashed a solid 2 base line drive to outfield, down the middle and managed to bring Danny home, bringing to score to 1-0. Our 3rd batter, Shamus, then drove a grounder down the 3rd base line where the opponent fielder made an error that forced the ball out of play, granting Xinwei safe passage home, bringing the score to 2-0. The rest of the game then went on without much excitement as both sides shut each other out with great fielding plays. Of note, Shamus, who plays the position of shortstop made a beautiful diving catch that prevented Sheares Hall from scoring, managing to keep the clean sheet. He also earned himself a shirt full of mud but a face full of pride. The rest of the team tried hard but were unable to string together hits to score any further runs against Sheares Hall. The second match of the day, against KEVII was postponed due to adverse weather and playing conditions. All in all, their spirits and performance will definitely be bolstered this weekend as they are rejoined by Barabeast so please do come down to show your loyalty and unwavering support for our softballers in their upcoming matches against Temasek and powerhouses Eusoff and Raffles this Sunday! Lets go KR Softball, Hit, Run, Score!

Team Lineup and positions : 1st batter - Daniel Lim OF (Outfield)

2nd batter - Jeff Xinwei 3B (3rd Baseman)

3rd batter - Shamus Lee SS (Shortstop)

4th batter - Sarah OF

5th batter - Sahil 1B (1st Baseman)

6th batter - Jill OF 7th batter - Jesh R (Rover)

8th batter - Rachel C (Catcher) 9th batter - Gerald P (Pitcher)

10th batter - Deanna 2B (2nd Baseman) Reserves:

Barathan, Aretha, Benjamin Lee, Brandon Yeo, David Ho, Elton Yeo, Isdiyanah, Lucas, Mervyn Wee, Nicholas Thong, Shija, Yijun, Izni, Rachel, Alexandria

Reported by Barathan Sreedharan

Special thanks to PhotoComm for the photos and to SMU for supporting our sportsmen.