Written by : Zhang Rong
Edited by : Png Ning
The female handball semi final match played against Eusoff Hall on 19th of January could only be described as exhilarating. Although we did not win, the girls certainly played with style. I was sure everyone present was deeply moved by the surge of excitement and enthusiasm shown.
Posted in handball
Having suffered a major setback from the previous day’s preliminary match, the male Handball team from KE were all set to face their next opponent, Kent Ridge Hall, especially when the female Handball team managed to end their match with a draw with Sheares Hall. In an attempt to continue the “non-losing” streak, the handball team faced KR with much filled confidence.
Posted in handball
Written by : Garrick Liw
Having its first match delayed by several days due to bad weather, it’s time for KE’s male Handball team to fight it out with Raffles Hall! A lack of strong defence strategies and perfectly executed waves from RH resulted in KE to be thrashed with a score of 14 – 33.
It was already 7.10 pm when the match started. The floor was slightly wet. A glance over at the other side of the court showed a significantly larger group of supporters compared to KE. Soon after the match started, RH scored the first point. After RH scored several points consecutively, KE’s Handball Male Captain Andy broke the streak by throwing the ball straight into the opponent’s goal, giving no chance for the goal keeper to defend.
Posted in handball
written by : Jacqueline
The Handball team
The prospect of having two consecutive nights of games did not deter the tireless KEVII handball girls. After arduous training sessions during the vacation and after Monday night’s rain which caused the game to be postponed, the girls were almost impatient to play on Wednesday.
In the court, the level of excitement mounted and it soon turned into trepidation when the team from Raffles Hall arrived. Clad in green-and-white jerseys, the Raffles girls did not seem intimidating at first sight, but we knew very well that this was not a team to mess with. While warming-up, it started to drizzle and the team prayed hard for it to stop. Handball captain, Yi Lin ended the warm-up with a not-to-be-missed pep-talk, reiterating the rules and reminding the players to stay safe. Victory was high on our agenda but having fun was no secondary to it either. The game commenced a while later. Despite the slightly wet ground and the slippery handballs, they did not slow down any players from both teams from scoring goals. The court quickly became a blur of red and green as the players swiftly moved up and down the court. The game started positively, but our luck changed when a couple of fouls committed led to 2 minutes time-out for a few of our players. It was a grueling fight. The ever dauntless KE titans never gave the Raffles girls an easy game by ending it with a score of 5 – 18.
Nonetheless, scores mattered less at the end of the day, as team-spirit and perseverance always triumph. The fighting spirit remained strong as the team faced their second game the next evening. The team from Sheares Hall may looked intimidating with their large physique, nonetheless our spirit and determination were soaring high that night. At the sides, the supporters crowded around and were cheering their lungs out. Heartening shouts of “Good Save!” could be heard as our ever-ready goalkeeper Fang Chee dived for the ball again and again. The game ended in a draw of 7 – 7, and it was indeed a game to be proud of. The team put in its utmost efforts and the seasoned seniors played remarkably, performing extraordinary skills. Seniors who have graduated and players from the male team were also ardently shouting words of advice to our players. Many goals were scored by Geraldine Teo, a nimble and passionate senior, and also by our captain Yi Lin, and Hui Ning who played outstandingly in spite of her sore ankle.
note: KE Press would like to apologise for the lack of photographs as photographs were not available at press time, and will be uploaded as soon as possible. Thank you.
Posted in handball
Handball (F), KE vs SH, 1-3
Writer: Loraine Ong
Editor: Pearly Neo
It was truly a night for the girls in our handball team to show what they were made of, what with KE and SH were up against each other that night, and no signs of relenting from either side. After getting all pumped up from with an intense warming up session, the female handball team were all set to charge on ahead.
These are the KE girls, hear them roar!
SH started the game off, and KE players were on their toes, with hands up high ready to defend any balls. The first few passes from SH were relaxed and they took it slow. Perhaps their pretence at nonchalance worked, when unexpectedly, they scored at their first turn! With anticipation building up and hanging heavy in the air by this unanticipated turn of events, KE kept their cool and remained undeterred, making numerous attempts at shooting the ball into their goal but unfortunately none of their shots met the mark.
Going for the goal
The team had Yi Lin placed strategically at the wing sideto shoot side shots. Balls were passed to her very frequently, and she made numerous excellently aimed, rapid throws. However, as we watched her opponents frequently clump around her as they tried to defend, it became quite evident as the game that SH relied more on their pivot (centre) players, sending the others to defend against players they considered the greatest threats, while KE had good players both at the centre and sides and were playing strategically, hoping to bank on this advantage.
On two occasions, travelling caused us to pass shooting opportunities to the opponent team. They failed to capitalize on these opportunities, however, and KE supporters couldn’t help but release sighs of relief at this. We had a chance!
Defence, defence!
Now that's what I call a block!
Throughout the game, we saw many of our players lift themselves high off the ground to attempt powerful shots. Hui Ning and Geraldine Teo attempted many good throws, but as it always is in handball, they were either at difficult angles, or the opponent goal keeper was too quick and strong, and managed to deflect their balls. There were a couple of times when we nearly scored, and the KE supporters’ groans of anguish were obvious when balls hit the goal post and were reflected at a steep angle.
At the 15th minute of the game, SH dropped their ball while passing – never one to pass up an opportunity, Yi Lin instinctively snatched it from the ground. After that, everything happened very quickly. The ball was then passed to Geraldine Teo who had already moved ahead on the court, and then shot over to Hui Ning who capitalized on her shooting advantage, as the opposing team did not have sufficient time to form a barrier between the KE team and their goal keeper. It was unfortunate that the goal did not materialize though, but it was really a good try and the team spirit was apparent.
Strategizing
At the 22nd minute (first third of the game), Yi Lin, determined to make up for the lost opportunity, suddenly upped her game and scored! Her quick moves and alertness enabled her to produce a shot that was powerful and accurate enough to score from the left side of the court. Perhaps picking up on the energy spreading amongst the KE players after this, it was almost immediately after this goal that SH scored their third and final point.
Although victory was not ours today, special mention must be made of our goal keeper, Fang Chee. Any ball that reaches her can be flicked accurately and powerfully, pushed to the sides or caught almost effortlessly. One could say she was born to be a star handball player. Standing by the side of the court, Aik Leong was constantly strategizing, coaching and switching the positions of our players, valiantly attempting to maximize their potential during the game. It was thanks to him as well that KE managed to play such an organized and well-strategised game.
The woman of the hour
Our defenders certainly put up an excellent show too. In the second third of the game, Julia made a sharp, reflexive move by jumping so high directly in front of her opponent (who was trying to shoot) that the girl’s view was totally blocked, and just like that, a very possible goal was prevented. When the game proceeded with SH snatching the ball and attempting to make a well-aimed throw, Fang Chee was quick to see the ball coming and lunged to save it just in time, to the hollers and cheers of the crowd!
Our Julia may look adorable, but she's downright formidable on court!
In the last segment of the game, Geraldine Foo also got her fair share of clumping from the opposing team as she tried to shoot from the centre (remember the opposing team’s defence strategy of blocking the greatest threats). Brenda tried to shoot once, but it bounced off the chest of an opponent whereupon she caught the rebounding ball and once again tried to attack, showcasing the true KE spirit of never giving up.
Closing in for the kill
The game ended all too soon, and although victory was not ours to claim this day, our players left the court with smiles on their faces, knowing they had played a good, organized, well-strategized game. Bravo, girls! We are all immensely proud of you!
The team!
Posted in handball
Handball (F), 1st Preliminary Round: KE vs EH, 1-6
Writer: Jonathan Chan
Photos: Tian Jiawei
It is with a sombre mood that this article is written, for the girls’ first handball match was overshadowed by an incident which many of us, both freshmen and veteran IHG seniors, will remember for days to come. My apologies to readers if this falls short of expectations.
“What are we going to do, girls?” yelled Captain Geraldine before the match. “KICK ASS!” roared our warriors. After months of hard training, our handball girls stepped onto the court on a humid Thursday night ready to take on old rivals Eusoff Hall. With the record over the last two years standing at 0-2 to Eusoff, the girls may have been feeling nervous, but if there was any apprehension, it didn’t show as they warmed up quickly, firing shots at Fang Chee and practising their waves, under the watchful eye of Aik Leong, the coach. On the other side of the court, the Eusoff players, taller man for man compared to our players, performed theirs.
a few pointers from Aik Leong
GO KE!!
Shortly past 8, the girls took to the court, Yi Lin and Julia, both agile basketballers, on the wings, the two Geraldines, strong shooters and runners, in the second position, and Hazel and Hui Ning, our tallest members in the centre positions. Fang Chee, arguably the best female goalkeeper in IHG, stood in the goal, a defiant figure in black ready for the onslaught. And onslaught it was.
The Eusoff wave crashed against a solid wall of red, the pivot weaving between Hui Ning and Hazel who strove to keep her down. Twice did the wave swing from end to end before a looping shot was released, hitting just inside the bar through luck or skill. 0-1 and first blood to Eusoff. The battle was firmly joined.
On came the red attack in earnest. One by one the girls raced forward, feinting to shoot and passing off, before Julia unleashed a shot. Eusoff Hall has long had a trend of employing small but agile goalkeepers and this particular specimen did her predecessors justice as she blocked Julia’s shot from the right wing time and again.
On the other end of the court, Eusoff was faring no better after the inital goal, with KE proving a bigger mouthful to chew than expected. Julia broke the next Eusoff wave with a good interception, making the yellow players increasingly nervous. This showed up by their increasingly frantic struggles to escape the KE people who tried to clamp them. Their nerves culminated in the 5th minute, when they launched a fast break but shot over the bar with only Fang Chee to beat. The handball goalkeeper’s adage of “You don’t have to save – you only have to make them miss” was certainly alive in our intimidating custodian.
defending well!
In the 6th minute we were unlucky not to score when another powerful shot was Julia rattled off the bar. Hui Ning followed up with another attempt from 9 meters, but it was Eusoff that replied, with their pivot seizing the ball, spinning beautifully and firing past Fang Chee to make the score 0-2. If anything, the defence was stronger than ever, Fang Chee plucking two shots right out of the air, Julia and Yi Lin beating away the Eusoff waves before they could be initiated.
Seeing that improvements had to be made, Aik Leong called for a time out in the 11th minute, and fresh instructions and fresh legs were injected, with the experienced Brenda and Hui Ann coming on. Brenda had immediate effect when she sent a shot JUST wide with the keeper beaten when the match was restarted. Fang Chee and Yi Lin then paired up beautifully when the former saved another shot, brought the ball down and launched a fast break to our freshman basketballer, who streaked down the line and got the ball to Hui Ann, who was charged down before she could shoot. True to form, though, she got back up to her feet and kept running, to the cheers of our supporters. A Eusoff ball floated to their pivot, who by virture of her height, caught the ball and spun around. Hazel and Hui Ning, having learnt from the last goal, leapt forward and clamped her. Teamwork beat brute strength, with the weak shot easily caught by Fang Chee.
attacking fast!
Half time was drawing near, the defence was holding strong, and we were unfortunate when Eusoff once again scored from their pivot, who struggled her way between our centres to place the ball past Fang Chee once again. The half time whistle came shortly after, with the score at 0-3 to Eusoff. Not bad against one of the strongest, tallest teams in IHG, but we had to score.
The defence had been holding well – Eusoff’s usual creativity was being stifled, with their fast breaks being closed down too quickly, their pivots being crushed into submission by people half their height (ok, for Hui Ning, maybe two-thirds). The trend continued with the start of the second half, with the first EH attack, their pivot only managing a shot which was once again breathtakingly deflected by Fang Chee.
fang chee saving spectacularly!
In the 22nd minute, the first signs of ugliness started to appear, when Yi Lin was run down by her opposite number while launching an attack, tumbling over with a shout of protest. Her yell was immediately echoed mockingly by the watching Eusoff supporters, but she never reacted, picking herself up to track back and defend. Despite the yells of “You’re too late! Cannot score! No use trying!” from the gentlemen and ladies in yellow, our girls continued to run tirelessly. The Eusoff left centre caught a fast break from their keeper, spun and crunched into Julia who had already anticipated the move. Athletically, the EH player dodged but with with KE’s teamwork, the next red player was never too far away. Geri Foo somehow managed to smother the Eusoffian who was twice her size before she could shoot.
Through sheer tenacity, Fang Chee blocked shot after shot, but the Eusoff right winger finally had a piece of luck when her shot managed to slip into the goal at the 27th minute, making the score 0-4. 6 minutes later, the Eusoff centre soared above the defence and unleashed a thunderbolt at 9 meters to make it 0-5. The girls were down but certainly not out, with everyone giving all they had.
They were still going all out when the fateful incident occurred in the 33rd minute. Eusoff’s wave was once again lashing around our thin red line. Their pivot rushed in for a shot. Hui Ning, Yi Lin and Geri Teo slammed together, a three-man wall protecting Fang Chee. Body contacted body, the ball floated free, and the red-clad players raced forward to counterattack. The Eusoffian lay where she fell, all of us expecting her to get up to continue.
That was when her teammate started shouting for someone to call an ambulance. KE Hall, smart as we are with our medical students according to an unnamed EH writer, immediately shoved me out to go and help. I ran over and what I saw was indeed horrific, beyond the help of any first aider.
The match came to a halt for 10 minutes. The casualty lay surrounded by her teammates and the referees by the 6 meter line, the KE members quiet and ashen in our substitution area, partially in respect but mostly because of the enormity of the scene unfolding before us. Those of us who played handball knew that it could have happened to any of us, and we felt sick to the stomach at the thought that this freak accident should occur here. Aik Leong quietly gathered the girls around him, back towards the scene, to continue focusing on the match, though we all knew that this scene would probably stay with us for life, a memory of hall which would be, for once, unpleasant. Mae Yue summed up the feelings with a heartfelt “Ohmygod”, not a trace of her usual bubbly personality evident.
The paramedics came and went, bringing her away. And with great courage, the Eusoff players decided to continue the match. The match resumed at a pace which was anything but restrained, the Eusoff supporters more vocal than ever.
Hiromi, after running indefatigably for so long, then was slapped with a 2 minute suspension for crossing the substitution line illegally, according to the referees, an interesting accusation for neither I nor Aik Leong had seen the incident. Still, referees being referees, we had no choice but to comply. The Eusoff players came on again, reminding each other “We’re one man up! Come on!”
One man up or not, what happened next could not be denied. The words of the Eusoffians died on their lips as Geri Teo put everything she had behind her right-handed attempt from the left side of the goal. The ball slipped between the flailing arms of the defenders, whizzed across the face of the goal, and past their keeper to make the score 1-5. We roared our delight and the girls celebrated as Eusoff came back to the halfway line for the throw-off. The Eusoff attack was even fiercer considering we were a man-short, Julia being forced to use every basketball-acquired skill she had to mark two people at one time. To her credit, not one attempt came from her side of the wing, testament to her effort.
As the clock wound down Eusoff added another though, managing to score in the dying minutes to make the score 1-6. A final KEVIIan attempt hit the bar and bounced off, before the final whistle went.
No one felt like commenting on the match after it was over. It had been a tough fight, and the 33rd minute had been a very mentally-draining experience, even for the onlookers. KE’s defence had held firm against the countless attacks, breached only by the skill and strength of our opponents, and the girls can be proud of themselves for that. We had the match against Sheares to look forward to, still.
It’s never pleasant when injuries occur, to us or to them. Despite the competition and despite the rivalry, all handballers share the same love for the sport, which makes us a special (if slightly crazy) breed. We knew Eusoff’s downed player – she had on occasion played at Braddell Heights CC with us during the holidays. Some of us had even been on the same team as her during the short games. I admire the courage the EH team had to retain their composure and continue playing their best even after the accident to take a deserved win. To her, on behalf of both KE’s guy and girl handball teams, I wish all the best in recovering from the injury. You may be an opponent, but are definitely a worthy one. May we see you on the court someday again.
the ke7 handball team!
Posted in handball
Handball (M), 2nd Preliminary Round: KE vs TH, 9-24
Writer: Adriel Leong
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
Photos: Wu Xi
21st January was a special day, a day not only where blood, tears and sweat was spilled, but a day where a group of KE VIIans made their momentous stand, against the mighty onslaught of the Temasek Hall handballers. As this reporter made his way to the sidelines, he was informed of the ferocity of the Temasek handball team, how their players had all been tall, buff, basketball players whose presence physically dwarfed many of our smaller-build players (except for Michael perhaps) but it was a day where true fighting spirit was witnessed, a day that the numerous KEVIIans who were present will never forget, a day where the true spirit of KE VII was embodied.
The match started off confidently, with the entire team lining up to take shots against Jonathan (Captain) and Hui Jin, who both looked in excellent form, continuing from their match the previous day. Jonathan was at his commanding best, barking out crisp orders of how to accurately take the shot. Soon, it was time for the match to start, and the players all lined up and shook their opponents’ hands. From that moment, the supporters who were present were well aware that beneath the friendly handshakes were the sheer ferocity of the players on the court. We were not just about to observe a match, we were going to witness a battle, with the warriors from our hall all ready to stand their ground (since it was potentially their last match) against their hulkier Temasek counterparts. Prior to the start, Jon Chan issued a war cry to our team, a cry to do our very best against the opponents and to most importantly not fall asleep, which was duly echoed by Eric (a former KEVII player) the current team manager, whose years of experience would be duly beneficial in guiding the team, who also firmly instructed the team not to give away any cheap penalties like the previous night.
The match was off to a slow start, with Temasek engaging in slow passing, an attempt to catch our defense off guard. Very soon, a ball had been thrown out of the area of play, and Temasek capitalized on this by scoring from the extreme left hand of the ‘D’, which unfortunately Jon was unable to save against. After a few quick breaks, reminiscent of blitzkriegs by the Temasek team, our team found ourself several goals down. Certain, much frustration was felt by our players during that point in time, who seemed to be unable to withstand the onslaught of furry from Temasek, which included a pot-shot from 9m out of the goal which our defense was hapless against. Nonetheless, our team did not give up, and with a few valiant efforts, Nelson, managed to attempted a few shots on goal, which unfortunately, had gone either wide by the most marginal of distances or had hit the cross bar, much to the Temasek’s keeper’s delight.
defend!
A time out was then called during which Jon and Eric both harped on the importance of communication within the match, as well as the call to not make any more silly mistakes and to hold their nerves together, to play like they had nothing to lose. Additionally, following several emotional but heartfelt bursts from some of the members in the group, everyone agreed that it was in their best interest to play a normal attack and not attempt any fanciful style of play, with an added focus on using the ‘clamp’ technique to increase our defensive capabilities.
Following the time out, it could be clearly seen that the instructions dished out had a impact on the game play, with Nelson making a few attempts on goal. Nonetheless, the Temasek players managed to catch the rebounds on the fast breaks to mount an attack on our defense, which was skillfully dealt with, with numerous perfectly-timed clamps to buy sufficient time for our defense to trod back and deny the Temasek invaders. Nelson was not to be denied the entire match, and finally managed to score the first of KE goals, which was met with much praise and approval from the spectators present. Subsequently, there was a certain ‘incident’, in which #20 of Temasek hall seemed to be fouled, which resulted in a 6m attempt from goal given by the referee against KE, which thankfully had that attempted perried away by Jon.
you are not getting past us!
Subsequently, another time-out was called, to revise the tactics and strategies. Jon again instructed the team to keep the ball, and charge in when there are numerous openings in the gaps of the temasek defense; which was echoed by Aik Leong. Soon, Andy had managed to find the back of the net, with a spectacular shot from 6m wide, which seemed to register another goal for KE, only for the referee to disallow it, as it appeared that he had infringed the area of the D, breaking the hearts of many of the spectators.
Soon, it was half time, and the entire team sat down to hydrate themselves, as well as discuss strategies and pointers for the upcoming half. Eric, with years of numerous experience, taught the team a maneuveur to use one of their free arms to constantly be in contact with their ‘marked’ player so that when the appropriate opportunity arises, they can then effectively clamp down on that player to buy the defending team more time. This was followed by another inspirational speech from Jon, raring his players to fight on, and Eric telling the team that ultimately they should enjoy the match, and not give themselves undue stress.
team talk
The 2nd half of the match began confidently for KE, a sharp contrast from the way they had played in the first half. The players played to the level best, as though they had numerous years of coordination and experience under their hands, with each pass that was timed perfectly, allowing our team to regain supremacy on the court and near-complete possession of the ball, with Yong Sheng scoring a goal, just moments after the whistle was blown. This was almost immediately followed up by another quick attempt on goal by Nelson, whose ball was destined for the top corner of the net, until the Temasek keeper managed to parry it away. Even our defense had looked much sharper and energized after the break, possibly being inspired by what Eric had said on enjoying the match ultimately. Nelson performed a few crucial clamps, which bought sufficient time for our defense to skirt back to their defensive duties, which ultimately played a crucial difference in ensuring that Temasek was denied clear scoring chances.
bring it on!
Weiqin proved to be a super-substitute for our team, coming on for Nelson whose inspired performance this far had left him extremely exhausted, showing that he had an immediate effect just like Ole Gunner Solskjaer of Manchester United, scoring a goal for us within moments of coming onto the court, much to the delight our of fans who were cheering wildly and madly. This was followed by a quick goal by Khai Loon, after capitalizing on yet another fast break.
Temasek however, managed to regain their superiority, when they launched an imminent attack on our defense, this was however equally matched by a spirited display from Jon Chan, who rose to an occasion and parried away several successive shots, with his monkey-like agility and acrobatic maneuvers. This included an extremely impressive save when he was in an one-on-one situation with #20 of Temasek hall. The shot seemed destined to go into the back of the net at the bottom right corner until Jon clenched his legs at the appropriate moment and saved the ball, prompting numerous cheers from the spectators. This was followed by 2 quick goals from Yi Fei and Pak Kin, who had managed to score from a fast break, and an excellent shot to the top left corner of the opposing net respectively.
breaking forward
However, our momentum came to an abrupt halt when Pak Kin was sent out for 2 minutes, after overcomitting to the defense and committing a foul. The spectators certainly held their breath for that 2 short minutes which seemed like eternity at that time, since the Temasek team launched assult after assult on our goalmouth. Nonetheless, due to the spirited displays and our excellent defending, and Jon Chan’s acrobatic maneveurs, they were unable to capitalize on their numerical advantage, further adding to their frustration and encouraging our players as well.
The goal of the game was then witnessed, when Yong Sheng launched a quick break from our side of the court, and ran past all the opposing defenders, to launch a powerful strike which even the opposing keeper was caught spellbound. This seemed to epitomize our team at its very best, with clever passing and perfect playing which included perfectly timed-runs from all the members of the team. Another beautiful goal was yet witnessed when Nelson launched a shot just between the legs of the Temasek keeper, performing what is commonly known as an ‘Ole’ in soccer terms, which certainly led to much fanfare and light-heartedness amongst the team in Red and their supporters.
Soon, it was Temasek’s turn yet again to attempt to hammer our defense, and on numerous occasions, when everyone had held their breath, at the possibility of a shot which seemed destined for goal, Jon Chan would seemingly pop out of no where, and pressure the opposing strikers into making unforced errors, which saw their shots either going wide or being safely deflected by Jon. Kudos to him yet again!
Finally, it was time for the last game of the play, where Temasek was on the offensive yet again. What seemed like a shot destined for goal yet again, was cleverly saved by Jon Chan, thereforekeeping the scoreline down.
At the end of the match, it was a credible 9-24 loss to our team, with our team certainly not going down tamely without a fight. It was certainly a tale of 2 cities, when our team looked like a championship winning time with their numerous inspired and spirited performances in the 2nd half, which for an occasion, saw them control the game numerous times and saw them making minimal mistakes.
a great game!
Afterwhich, the entire team sat down for a debriefing session from Jon, who shared that this year of 09/10 was certainly a transition year for the team, which certainly eminated hope for a brighter future next year, where we would certainly be in a better position to challenge for the championship. It was certainly a light hearted affair subsequently, with everyone expressing gratitude for the numerous advice given by the seniors as well as the time and dedication which everyone had put in for the preparations leading up to the IHG proper. A witty senior member of the team even shared a joke, ‘Why can’t Kent Ridge win the championships? Because they can’t reach!’. Certainly, it was a heartening to see how the freshmen had blossomed throughout the year and stepped up to join the first team, with the seniors even remarking that they had on occasion screamed at them because they felt that they had seen the freshies as one of them, senior players, without recognizing the gulf in experience between them.
a moment to reflect
In conclusion, Jon Chan shared that our team can certain rival the very best in the IHG circuit when we are at the peak of our play, and that he is extremely proud on how far our team has come. Certainly, the future prospects of handball in KE look very bright, and we can certainly expect numerous great achievements from them in years to come! Well done guys!
the ke7 handball team!
Posted in handball
Handball (M) Preliminary Round: KE vs RH, 5-13
Writer: Akhilesh
Photos by: Xiao Yao
20th January 2010 saw the Reds fighting Raffles Hall at the SRC Handball Court No 1. Raffles started slowly and patiently, but were stomped down by KE who charged forward from the second the whistle blew. One of the strongest things in the King Edward VII Hall team was their keeping. Both keepers did fantastic jobs keeping the balls away from the goal. The strategies adopted by both sides were very interesting, as they were different. Raffles played slowly and attacked in short spells. KE on the other hand was aggressive and fast in the first half, but turned the game into a more controlled and possession oriented game in the second half. RH defeated KE with a score of 13 – 5 at the end of the two halves.
The likes of Aik Leong, Wei Qing, Nelson and Pak Kin charging forward to find a hole in the RH defence was like watching the ‘Riders of Rohan’ (from LOTR) charging towards a battlefield to attack. It took less than a minute for Wei Qing to register the first goal for KE. KE started aggressively, while RH played more of a waiting and defensive game. It did not take long for RH to attack the KE goal and bring Jonathan, the captain, into the action. He dived and jumped and fell and did a number of other things to keep the ball away from the goal, but eventually RH managed to get one past him to level the score.
in the midst of a fierce game
KE continued with their aggressive play and kept attacking the RH goal. There were a number of times when Nelson could be seen jumping up mightily to shoot or Aik Leong finding his way through the Raffles defence and fiercely aiming for the goal or Pak Kin trying to sneak one past the RH keeper. Raffles despite not showing their presence in the beginning of the first half came back powerfully in the later part. Andy and Nelson received yellow cards, which sort of reduced the aggressiveness in KE’s game. It was by now that both teams started making substitutions and the intensity from both teams increased. One shocking decision that KE seemed appalled with was when Song Kai was sent off for two minutes. RH won a penalty and made full use of it. It was at this point, when KE were a man down, that RH extended the lead. Within a couple of minutes RH had scored nearly three more goals taking the score to 6 – 1. The rest of the half went without a goal to either side. There were a number of attempts on goal from each side, keepers dived and fisted the ball in all directions and the defences stood tall with their hands in the air thwarting down attacks. Towards the end of the half Jerwin was also sent off, for being a bit too strong in his defence.
aik leong going for the goal
Half time saw revisions in strategies from the more experienced players, advice and words of encouragement from the captain and senior players. “Don’t worry guys! We do better in the second half guys, the first half was just a warm up…” was what one of the senior player, Yi Fei encouraged. Aik Leong had discussed a lot of strategies with the other players, while Eric egged the players to take their time and relax.
In the second half, KE had a very different approach towards the game. They controlled the speed of the game and had a lot more possession than in the first half. There were frequent short passes as KE moved into RH’s half and got ready to attack. Aik Leong was more than often getting through the RH defence and waiting for a pass. Michael, Jerwin, Wei Qing, Nelson or Pak Kin continuously looked to create openings in the RH defence. Yong Shen and Andy were constantly prodding at the RH defence from the sides of the court. Raffles on the other hand tried to push forward in short bursts. Raffles scored and increased the lead, 7 – 1. Wei Qing quickly took advantage of a small opportunity and danced his way to the Raffles half, jumped up high and put all he had behind his throw. The ball went past the keeper, thus reducing the gap marginally (7 – 2). Raffles continued to attack in short bursts and scored two more quick goals.
weiqin on the attack
KE called for a Time-Out to discuss new and better strategies. Again all the senior players gathered around giving their advice and inputs on the game. The game started again. Jonathan egged his players on from the goal. Yi Fei charged into the Raffles half a couple of times in a short span of two minutes and took aim a couple of times, once nearly scoring. Andy made the most out of one chance he got off a rebound from a shot from Yong Shen. He slammed the ball into the goal from the left side of the court, thus making the score 9 – 3.
going all out to defend!
Jonathan was very proactive at his goal. He kept encouraging his players and at the same time made a number amazing saves till he injured himself. He dived forward to knock the ball away from the goal, but in the process managed to land flat on his chest and injure his leg. The minute this happened, the entire KE team wanted to rush in to rescue their captain, but the referee only allowed two people. They carried him off the court and tended to his injury. By the way in the middle of all the commotion, Jonathan asked whether he had saved the goal or not. He had saved the goal.
This injury allowed Hui Jin to replace Jonathan for the rest of the game. KE felt the pressure rising as the time to the end of the half fast approached and the gap in the scores kept increasing. Nelson took a wild shot from a rather far off distance and scored. This was soon followed by more goals for RH. Within the next five minutes, RH won three penalties. The first one was amazingly saved by Hui Jin, who dived towards his left to keep the ball out. RH scored of the second penalty to take their goal tally up to 13. The third penalty was the most brilliant save that anyone could have thought of. RH shot towards the centre of the goal, Hui Jin moved very little and caught the ball, not with his hands but in between his legs. Everyone stood in awe as he picked up the ball to pass it forward.
It was a quick last play that KE played and handed Nelson the ball as there was an opening for him to shoot. He made no mistake securing a fifth goal for KE. A few moments later the whistle for end of game blew. Raffles Hall had won the game 13 – 5. Despite the loss, the reds displayed good sportsmanship and congratulated the opponent.
KE Handball 2009/2010
Posted in handball
Writer: Jonathan Chan
Editor: Angel
|
Match
|
KE vs EH
|
Sun, 18/01/09
|
| King Edward VII | Eusoff Hall | |
| Handball (F) | 3 | 14 |
The KE handball girls sought to continue their fairytale advance in the handball tournament, but unfortunately succumbed to a combination of brute force, technical skill and poor refereeing.
It was another cool evening when the Handball Girls took to the SRC courts after their historical win over Sheares Hall the previous Tuesday. Lining up against them were the dauntingly tall players from Eusoff Hall, an old nemesis from the previous year. A slowly accumulating sea of red, including three-quarters of the guys’ handball team turned up to support them.
KE started with a strong line up of Mae Yue and Ann Ni on the wings, Mastura (fresh from her IVP badminton matches) and Julia in the left and right second position, captain Adeline and veteran senior Hui Ann in the centre, and finally, Fang Chee in the goal. The match started off slowly, with both teams showing signs of nerves – Eusoff made a mistake in their first attack build up, with a powerful pass sailing out of the court, KE accidentally conceded a leg ball, causing two turnovers in quick succession.
But having warmed up, EH raced to a two point lead, beating Fang Chee with two strong shots from their pivot. KE was not going to take this lying down though. The energetic and tall Mas came close in the 2nd minute, her shot blazing above the bar, and then tracked back to pick off the attempted fast break which their keeper launched, easily beating her opponent to the ball.
This seemed to rattle EH, who started to make mistakes despite their lead. One of their players, through to the goal and with only Fang Chee to beat, stepped on the goal area line as she shot, fouling herself. Fang Chee did well to stop 2 shots to the sides of the goal while on the other end of the court, Julia forced a save from the EH keeper and Hui Ann narrowly missed a direct 9 meter shot.
Mas, the only KEVIIan who was able to shoot above the tall EH players, continued to pound the opposing goal with shot after shot, but the acrobatic Eusoff keeper played her part well, turning two vicious shots around her goal, including a one-on-one which Mas unfortunately shot straight at her. But with the constant hail of attempts from our resident shuttler could only have one result and it came in the 15th minute. From the 9 meter line, Mas sent a scorching shot into the top right corner which no keeper could have kept out, drawing blood for the first time.
4 minutes later, she added another in spectacular fashion. With the Eusoff players overconfidently dribbling the ball down the centre of the court slowly, they were caught napping when a long arm snaked confidently out from the mass of retreating KEVIIans and plucked the ball casually from the Eusoffian mid-bounce. They could only then watch helplessly as Mas took off like a shot, covered the intervening distance to the goal in short order, and hammered her attempt past their keeper, left so cruelly exposed by their lack of attention. The KE crowd, of course, went wild at such audacity.
But of course, Mas was not the only one doing work. The other girls, with their quick runs, were instrumental in stopping fast break after fast break from the EH side, beating their opponents to the high ball many times, or clamping the catcher quickly before they could shoot. Fang Chee had by now stopped seven hard shots.
Then came an extraordinary situation. An Eusoff player jumped in from the wing and fired her shot into the side netting. The referee inexplicably raised her hands to indicate a goal, when every KEVIIan, including some which had played handball for multiple IHGs, never saw one. Poor positioning perhaps? Or sheer imagination? But with the referee ignoring Fang Chee’s protests, there was nothing to do but play on. If anything, the KE attack was fiercer. The EH keeper had to dive full out to stop a shot by Adeline to the top corners.
Then came another clanger. A fast break attempt was smothered by Julia who clamped her opponent efficiently. The Eusoffian pushed off the KEVIIan with a disgusted “Wah lau eh!”, to the amusement of the watching crowd, including Wuhong, who took it upon himself to comment on the action without bothering to lower his voice. To our shock, the EH girl turned and yelled “SHUT UP LAR!” to the KE crowd. We were stunned and disgusted to say the least. We had all gone through high intensity handball matches and taken a fair share of heckling from the crowd, but had never lost control like that. If there was sportsmanship in this match, it definitely was not with this particular yellow-clad player. The referees waved for play to continue.
Half time came soon after, the score at 2 – 9 to Eusoff. A quick debrief, a sip of water and quick pep talks from seniors Kim and Jia Hui, as well as JCRC president Aik Leong, they were off again.
A tackle by the KE centres brought an EH player crashing down just short of shooting within the first minute. Up leapt the Eusoff coach yelling “COME ON LAR! IT’S A PENALTY!” even though it looked tamer than some of the earlier tackles. We did not recall hearing her being so agitated when their two ghost goals were awarded. But curiously, a penalty was given. Up stepped a tall Eusoffian to take the shot. But the result justified the penalty appeal as the EH player sent the shot within reach of Fang Chee, who did not flinch even as she turned aside the poor attempt with a brilliant save.
But the best of keepers is vulnerable to the poorest of refereeing situations, and this came again in the 7th minute of the second half, the referee again awarded a goal which thundered into the side netting. We were shocked. One might have been accident, but two? Could it be poor refereeing?
Then on the 13th minute, yet another fast break was launched. Once again, agile Julia back tracked and bravely clamped the larger EH player fairly from the front as the latter caught the ball. The sudden deceleration brought both of them to the ground, right in front of the KE crowd. The referee flashed the dreaded two fingers – a two minute suspension, a decision which caused us to groan. With Julia having clamped the Eusoffian from the front, the decision was definitely a 50-50 one at least, if not an offensive foul. But once again, the refereeing went against us. There was nothing for it but to grit our teeth and play on, minus one of our best players.
But no, we did not concede in the two minutes. Mas’ long arms came to the rescue in the 15th minute, when she stopped a shot for Fang Chee, while on the other side, Hui Ann came agonizingly close. Geri Foo, in her role as pivot, did her best to occupy the EH defence despite being slighter in build than them. Julia’s subsequent re-entry boosted the attack again, and Adeline put a long shot into the back of the Eusoff net for KE’s 3rd goal in the 17th minute.
For all the girls’ fierce fighting, there was nothing else that could be done. The EH keeper got better and better as the game wore on making several fine saves which we applauded as well. But as if to remind us of the poor refereeing which had overshadowed the game, a 3rd non-existent goal was awarded to EH just as the game was drawing to a close. By this time, the patience of the crowd had worn thin. “The refereeing is a joke!”, declared a senior KEVIIan, himself a handballer, very loudly (who, to protect from assassination, I shall not name). We agreed. The latest mistake only served to confirm that the refereeing could have been better.
The final score was 3 – 14, a set of figures which will never reveal how hard the girls fought, sweated and bled against vertically advantaged opponents (The author thinks the proximity of Eusoff Hall to Fong Seng has something to do with it). Neither does it reveal the less than competent level of refereeing which was displayed by the day’s officials, a fact which every KEVIIan there, many with handball experience themselves, will testify to. It was hardly fair that our girls had to fight not only yellow, but black as well.
But no matter what the result, no matter what we may feel, the girls have done us proud in this history-making IHG attempt. Congratulations on making it so far, and may you all come back stronger in the coming year!
|
KE vs SH
|
Tues, 13/01/09
|
|
| King Edward VII | Sheares Hall | |
| Handball (F) | 5 | 2 |
|
KE vs TH
|
Tues, 13/01/09
|
|
| King Edward VII | Temasek Hall | |
| Handball (M) | 11 | 16 |
Handball (F)
Article & Photos By: Stephanie Kho
The weather this evening was great and so were the KE female handball team clad in their red jerseys. Spotted at the other end of the handball court were the SH team together with their big group of supporters. The game started off with both teams showing great determination at the blow of the whistle from the referee. Our handball team displayed skillful passes among team members. A few minutes after the first half started, screams and cheers can be heard from the KE supporters when Julia scored the first goal for the game. To the teammates, it was a good start and motivation to push boundaries in order to give the very best in this match. However, this first goal posed as a challenge to SH who has been playing very well too.
The attackers from SH were also fast and accurate in their passes. They had managed to attempt few excellent shots throughout the match. In order to counter that, our team never gave up but stood tall and high to set up a good defence. Fortunately, most of the shots from SH were successfully saved by Fang Chee, KE’s competent goalkeeper. The KE supporters cheered with a feeling of relief after each save. The first half ended with a 2-1 score with KE leading the game.
The supporters from SH offered moral support by cheering for their team members as it was not the end of the game yet – the show was still on. Following that, SH scored another goal in the second half. Excitement was mounting for both parties with a 2-2 draw. During timeouts, team members worked on their defence and attacking strategies. We could not afford to make way for trivial mistakes as this important match will determine whether we get into the semi finals.
The KE team impressed the spectators when three more goals were scored consecutively. Our defence and attacking strategies proved to be effective and left no room for the opponent to score even a goal after the initial 2-2 draw. That was how the game ended – with a triumphant and victorious win of 5-2 by the KE female handball team that persevered. Goals were scored by Julia, Hui Ann and Adeline.
It was inarguably a fantastic match where both the players and spectators had enjoyed. Good job girls! This proves that teamwork goes a long way. Best wishes from us all in KE VII Hall for the semi-finals!
TO THE SEMIS WE GO!
Handball (M)
Writer: Lam
Whoever witnessed the handball game between KE and TH must admit that our team had shown a totally different face from what we saw during the last game against SH.
7PM, the game started. Having learned several experiences from the last game with SH, this time we had some small changes in formation. TH began the game at low speed to investigate and find ways to score and they managed to do so due to our defensive mistakes at the first few minutes. Shortly after, we gained confidence and started to score the first balls. Aik Leong scored two consecutive balls to get our men back to the game. Since then, both of the teams played at very high speeds and with strategy changes to break through each other’s defences. The more we played, the better we got. There was one time when we scored three balls in a row that TH had to request time-out to reduce our excitement. However, due to limited time and a lack of luck, we were prevented from equalizing the score. Eventually, we lost to TH 11-16 but we should feel proud of our players since they have dedicated their best to playing a truly wonderful game. KEVIIans who scored in the game were Aik Leong (2), Wei Qing (4),Jun Kok(1), Wu Hong (2),Josh(1) and Pak Kin (1). Let’s put our hands together to applaud them!
Writer: Jonathan Chan, goalkeeper, Guys’ handball IHG 0809.
This article is written from the perspective of the goalkeeper during the game. The content and thoughts are mine and my own only.
We had occasion to watch Temasek Hall train before. At least half their goals came from fast breaks and one on ones so I was sort of dreading the exchange, visualizing them banging in goal atfter goal at close range. This didn’t mean that HuiJin, my fellow keeper, and I weren’t prepared. We had long trained hard for when we would have to rush out of our area and perhaps jump with the incoming attacker for the ball.
We started in the early evening. It was a cold, cold day. Wind was strong and chilly. TH started off and their first touch already wasn’t too good, with the loose ball trickling back into their own court. It was perhaps fortunate for them that we warmed up too slowly and allowed them to race to an early lead, but at 4-2 down it was a stalemate. They were neither taller than us, nor that much more skilled. Their winger jumped in and shot straight at me for a painful but effective save. A 9m shot from above the defenders was everything I had trained for since December, and though the shot was hard, I managed to turn it.
Then came the fast break we had been waiting for. Their keeper released a long ball which was very well aimed, dropping exactly on top of the running winger. But before he could secure his hold on it, dimunitive little Eric crunched into him, distracting him just long enough for the ball to spin out of his grasp and over the baseline returning possession to me. But it was a harbinger of the things to come.
The second fast break attempt came not long after. I stayed outside my area long enough to make sure no attacker would get to the ball. In fact, their goalkeeper sorely misjudged the distance, firing above everyone, and nearly over me, the shortest keeper in the IHG heh. I back tracked, dived back and up and palmed the ball clear of the goal before landing on my back, one relieved handballer. If they were going to fast break, they were not going to get their moves completed easily.
On the other side of the court, the KEVIIans were pounding the TH goal with shot after shot, each markedly improved from when we had to shoot above the Sheares blimps. The bar was rocked time and again, and more that one penetrated to the exultant yells of the KE crowd, including a spectacular 9m shot from WeiQing, who had scared me so much during IBG. The little KE wingers were doing a lot more damage than we had expected. Then one of the white-clad players brought a KEVIIan crashing down. The referee rightly flashed the two fingers for a two minute suspension just as the whistle blew for half time.
We were doing well. In fact, we could see that despite TH having a sizeable lead, they were considerably shaken. We on the other hand were high. We were playing better than we ever had before, and no matter what the result, we would just have to keep up the standard. I was very scared that the initial fire would wane and that all hell would break loose.
But no. With TH starting one man down, something was changed about them. They no longer jumped in from the wing – their attempts had been met with bruising tackles by Pak Kin, Eric and Aik Leong, their shots closed down relatively easily as they aimed for my spleen one after another. They no longer dared to initiate fast breaks from their keeper – Our wingers were playing with more than just energy. The light of battle was in their eyes and my defenders were tracking back faster, confidently, tirelessly, preventing a clear opening. There was confusion and miscommunication in the white ranks, with their members in the sidelines yelling advice, and the players yelling back arguments.
This showed up damningly in their play. Twice a KEVIIan fumbled a ball while building up to an attack, twice the TH players broke out into the sprints which I so dreaded, and twice they shot themselves in their proverbial feet by committing dribbling fouls. Such moments quite understandably did a lot for our morale too.
Curious, we thought. We WERE still trailing, and usually WE were panicking. Instead we were high, and with every time out and pep talk we got higher, raring to get back on the court. We were staring elimination in the face, but we only thought of giving a good account of ourselves, no matter what.
And go we did. Wu Hong especially, in his final IHG, performed beyond himself, throwing himself again and again through the Temasek line with little care for his self-preservation. Their keeper, though large, was slow and rather ponderous and just could not cover well. Don’t get me wrong, he was strong and most definitely brave, but slow. Having trained against the likes of Wuhong, Josh and Weiqing for the past 2 years and knowing the power of their right arms, I could almost feel sorry for him as all three of the above-mentioned crashed in shot after shot.
For the first time we scored three shots in a row (twice!). Jun Kok got his maiden goal and Captain Pak Kin added one for good measure by stealing the ball in the opponent’s half, dodging the defenders and firing a wing shot home with style. For the first time we outscored our opponents in a half. It was a beautiful sight, watching our handballers maneuvering through the crowd of white, with swift and sure movments, their passes and shots better than ever before.
And during one of the attacks, when I was hopping around in front of my goal, I heard a distant whistle and the red-clad girls in the other court running to hug each other. KE handball girls had just pulled off a blistering victory of their own.
By now TH’s offence wasn’t as intimidating as they looked. They passed, but when they had openings for their wingers, I saved both shots which came my way. After that the wingers didn’t shoot anymore. Their golden-haired centre was now their most effective player with his powerful shots, which were strong and wickedly aimed, more than one screaming past me into the goal. I remember turning one attempt onto the right hand post, but besides that cannot remember much else. They got a penalty awarded. I looked at their not-so-tall player taking the shot, decided that he woudn’t try to lob me, and then came out a meter from the goal. At the referee’s whistle he promptly sent the shot into the fence around the handball courts, at least 6 inches off target, drawing wild yells from the KEVIIan supporters.
Morale had never been higher. Every goal KE scored was met with yells for more, instead of the usual small smiles and brief nods which we had on when we were trying to do damage control. The defenders had so much confidence in me, and I in turn had so much for them. In the final few minutes, in fact, we stopped everything which came our way, and so the game ended.
We lost, but we lost narrowly, honourably, with high spirits, going down scrapping. We had been reeling TH in slowly, surely, and if the game had one more half things might have been different. Of course, credit to TH for maintaining their early lead though (our offensive strategy has some way to go yet), and for playing tough but fair. We showed IHG that given the right mentality, we could scare other teams as much as they could scare us. I can only think what the match would have been like if our first team, minus all the injuries, had been playing. With TH having been chased all the way to the final minute, the outcome could have been quite different.
Many thanks to the supporters who came down (special mention to Zichun who started whipping up the crowd within 5 minutes of the game starting, and welfare comm for bringing our dinner!), to the seniors who have been encouraging us, and congratulations to the Girls’ team for heading to the semis (and avenging our SH loss)!
