Story by REDintern Chin Chi Hua. Photos by Marvin Lowe.
Vanessa Poo from RI gives a shout of joy after winning a crucial point. (Photo 1 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Jurong East Indoor Sports Hall, Tuesday, May 26, 2009 – Raffles Institution won their 13th championship title as the team defeated Jurong Junior College (JJC) 3-1 in the National Inter-Schools’ A Division Girls’ Badminton Championship.
In the first round of singles, Melissa Leong Hui Ting from RI, was up against Zhang Xiao Dan from JJC. Xiao Dan did not give Melissa an easy time and eventually triumphed 21-14, 21-16.
Despite a good start led by Xiao Dan, JJC lost the lead in the first doubles when their pair of Zhang Han and Du Yupei lost to Sheena Tan and Loke Yun Sheng of RI. Sheena and Yun Sheng had unparalleled teamwork and won 21-3, 21-12.
With the overall score at 1-1, the atmosphere on court became more tense. Next up was the second round of singles, which saw Vanessa Poo Jill from RI facing Lu Lingzhi from JJC. It was a tight showdown with two equally matched players.
Vanessa of RI took the first set 21-15 but Lingzhi came back to win the second set 13-21 to force a rubber. Vanessa eventually took it 21-13 with a display of confidence and skills to ensure RI led 2-1 overall.
The second doubles was now vital to both teams. Cherie Cheong and Macey Tan of RI took the first set 21-18 against Gao Xuru and Zeng Jielin of JJC. The JJC pair came back to win the second set 21-16.
The last set was close and they matched each other point-for-point. Tied at 18-18, they carried on to 21-21 with aggressive cross-court smashes and clever drop shots on display. The RI duo eventually took the third set 24-22 to wrap up the championship title and send cheers ringing through the spectators’ stand.
Sheena Tan, 18, captain of the RI girls team, expressed her immense exhilaration at the win and revealed her confidence in the last doubles pair, believing that they could do it.
One of the RI duo, Macey Tan, 18, shared her thoughts on the last set. “I told myself it was now or never and to give it all at the third set. I just had to be more aggressive to bring it down." It was indeed a superb achievement, as the RI girls won the title for the 13th consecutive year.
Melissa Leong from RI at full stretch trying to get to the dropped shot. (Photo 2 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Melissa Leong from RI arching backwards to hit the shuttle. (Photo 3 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Zhang Xiao Dan from JJC delivering one of her smash shots. (Photo 4 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Sheena from RI with a powerful smash. (Photo 5 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Sheena from RI sends the shuttle cross court. (Photo 6 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Sheena from RI with a smash shot. (Photo 7 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Sheena from RI with a backhand return shot. (Photo 8 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Lingzhi from JJC gets ready to smash. (Photo 9 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Vanessa from RI with a powerful smash. (Photo 10 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Lingzhi from JJC moving backward to hit. (Photo 11 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Vanessa from RI dives to retrieve a drop shot. (Photo 12 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Lingzhi from JJC delivers a powerful smash. (Photo 13 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Vanessa from RI smashing back. (Photo 14 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Lingzhi from JJC attacking the ball that dropped shot with a powerful backhand. (Photo 15 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Lingzhi shouts and celebrates after winning a point. (Photo 16 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Lingzhi from JJC looking to return. (Photo 17 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Vanessa from RI gives a celebratory shout after winning her grueling game. (Photo 1 8© Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Cherie from RI trying to stretch and reach for the shuttle. (Photo 19 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Macey from RI smashes a return. (Photo 20 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Cherie from RI moves in to hit. (Photo 21 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Macey stretching to hit with her backhand. (Photo 22 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Macey Tan gives team mate Cherie a hug after their marathon battle in the final set. (Photo 23 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
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The Boys Captain is choonguan who played in the 1st doubles.. feel unfair for him as no recognition is given to him.
JIAYOU JJ! dun be affected by those negative/bias article!
I guess the captain of JJ must have done alot for team.. *SALUTE! It must have been tough managing a team which all speak different language. Well Done Team JJ captain=)
I was referring to the boys’ team which has a singaporean captain. He played in the doubles team but he’s not francis.
Yes the JJ Girls’ Representative Team has a captain who’s a foreigner but the Badminton Club consists of a lot of Local players.
It’s just that the local players are not up to the level YET. Instead, the foreign players can help spur them on and make them work hard.
If the local players in the team had mind about their foreign teammates, I don’t hear them complaining.
If they can be so accepting of giving their places to the foreign players and they are from JJ,
why can’t elite schools be as open-minded?
Perhaps Mr Teo Ser Luck really need to have a
“Appreciate Foreign Players” Campaign for the elite schools.
Captain of boys team is choonguan who played in the 1st doubles dude. It seems like recognition is given to raffles captain and not jj captain. I find it rather unfair? The newpaper had caused so much trouble and unrest to the JJ team.
I am not sure who is the captain for the girl’s team, the boys team captain should be Francis? Francis is the indian dude. I can’t remember now, I think it’s him cos i saw him receive the trophy. Girls team…got Singaporean? I am not too sure. We didn’t interview them because they were crying, so sad already, so don’t want to disturb them lah…
just some food for thought. put yourself in the shoes of the foreign players, (not only in JJ) who foregoed their familes overseas to come to a foreign place where they themselves STILL have to train hard and fight for a place in the team. i do know of some foreign players who come here to play badminton and for academic reasons but ended up not being in the team. it’s really not easy for them and i feel that it’s not very fair to keep puting them down. i guess why they did not mention JJ’s captain is because they were rather biased (for the new paper’s article) the JJ coach was also interviewed but his comments were not mentioned as well.
Who is the captain of JJ badminton? Why is it not reported in the reports? They only mentioned about RI(JC) ‘s Captain and not JJ’s Captain.. No hard feelings, just asking..
oh, and one more thing i forget to mention is that so what if the JJC captain is Singaporean? One can always take the position of a captain and not really know what’s going on in the team, like when training is being held and so on. its just a name. it does not show anything of the team.
well.replying to JJlover on the RI coach scolding the JJ players stupid, that’s not the whole story. in case you didn’t know, the JJC players standing beside the court during the 2nd doubles of the quarter finals were jeering at the RI players when the match was going on. After which the RI coach got angry and scolded stupid, which i agree was not appropriate. But if you want to talk about sportsmanship, why dont you review the conduct of the JJC players before doing so. That’s not all, maybe you’ll like to take a look at the JJC PRINCIPAL first. The RI coach scolded the players stupid, but the JJC PRINCIPAL was no better, scolding the school (RI) “idiot”? hello? that is the JJC PRINCIPAL while the other is just a coach.Who do you think should be more aware of his conduct? Furthermore, the JJC principal joined in the jeering after that too. and i remember exactly what he said cause i was just beside him when the RI players made a mistake in the game. He went “WAH! SO LOUSY! RI PLAYERS MAKE THIS KIND OF SHOTS? LOUSY LAH!” come on. you wanna talk about sportsmanship?
May I emphasise that JJ did not purposefully import foreign talent for the sake of their badminton playing skills? Many have been rejected because they were not good in their studies. This group is different. They excel well in their studies.
They are grateful to JJ for this opportunity given to them to come here to study.
So when they play a game, they put in their best and play for and represent JJ.
THERE ARE LOCAL PEOPLE IN THE BADMINTON TEAM ITSELF.
It’s just that our school has so many International students who are good in sports. And the local inside are not as good.
But if you interview the locals in the team, they’d say they are proud of JJ and their teammates, they know they’re not good enough and so they give the opportunities to the good players.
ARE PEOPLE SAYING WE SHOULD NOT PUT GOOD PLAYERS IN THE TEAM JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE FOREIGNERS?
They give in their BEST and are inside the team.
PLEASE GIVE THEM A BREAK.
Don’t exaggerate.
and the Captain of JJ team is SINGAPOREAN.
HAPPY NOW?
I don’t know why so many people are making a big deal out of this. And especially when these grumpy people come from good schools. It’s not like this is a competition whereby SINGAPORE has sent a group of foreign players. It’s only a JC who’s rejoicing at their accomplishment for getting into the finals. Why was RI complaining in the Newpaper when they won? Why was AC complaining when they lost?
PEOPLE this is a game of SPORTSMANSHIP.
And to tell you the truth, the RI coach actually scolded JJ STUDENTS STUPID during one of the matches between JJ and RI in the quarter finals this year (JJ girls’ team won).
If you can’t see sportsmanship in the coach,
we’d say how do we expect to see sportsmanship in the individuals from such good schools.
JJ LOST BUT THEY CHEERED RI AND MANY OTHER SCHOOLS ON DURING THE PRIZE PRESENTATION.
DID WE COMPLAIN THAT RI TEAM CONSISTED OF ALL NATIONAL PLAYERS OR PLAYERS WHO HAVE WON MEDALS AND MANY MEDALS SINCE THEY WERE FROM RGS AND SO ON??
WE DID NOT.
In this game of sportsmanship, I’d say JJ HAS WON.
@Marvin,
Traditionally in badminton (even before there was DSA) all the top girls players from various secondary schools will congregate at RJC as RJC is the automatic choice for top players from elite schools like SNGS, NYGH and even Dunman High whose school players excel in both sports and studies. For years, I don’t remember many RJC girls who had to appeal to get in.
When I was a school player, badminton is the 1 sport where many of the top players scored a perfect 6 in the ‘O’s. Badminton is also a sport where Sec School players from different schools become good friends since we all train together at the same clubs outside of school. (Like how the RI(JC) girls train together in the Nat Youth squad.) So its very normal that everyone will choose to go the same JC – usually RGS only contributes 1 or 2 players.
Tradition has been that all the top girls players in most of the elite (girls) schools in the West, North and South zones will choose RJC while those in the East zone will go to either TJC or VJC (after Mr Wong Shoon Keat took over). It is a tradition that the seniors will influence and pass down to the juniors. RJC’s coach – Mr Hamid Khan – is also very respected to begin with.
Regarding JJC, I highly doubt the P will allow foreigners into the JC just to do well for the school in sports and risk the school’s ‘A’ levels performance. So I def believe there is a minimum academic hurdle foreigners have to cross before they get accepted into JJC. Many of my “fresh-from-China” poly students speak and write in English as well as my Singaporean students! 😉
I guess for a discussion with regard to foreign talent to be fruitful, we’d need to keep the context in mind. national schools is, after all, a school tournament for locals. participation of foreign players is justified if they are accepted by the school based on merit and to a (much) smaller extent, the other talents possessed. the contention comes in when the criteria (“based on merit…”) is exploited by certain schools – i think most of us would agree that it is unjustified for schools to bring players from other countries just to represent the school in sporting events. it is not as if there aren’t enough local school players who are willing and able to compete. these are rare and precious opportunities for the locals. also, consider the extreme situation where foreign players are allowed to dominate the school scene – locals would be totally displaced and i believe no one would want that. this extreme case should not be passed off as a mere exaggeration but a realistic forecast of the future if things are left the way they are.
however, i definitely agree that jj doesn’t deserve all this blown up coverage (not ref. to redsports coverage) because it’s not specific to jj and i’m not directing this at jj since i cannot be sure if the foreign players came in by merit or not. in truth, i personally think that jj is awesome and praiseworthy – am especially impressed with their sportsmanship. but, IF (note: IF) they really, for their own interest, messed up and purposefully searched for loopholes in the system despite knowing the wider and harmful implications, then they ought to seriously consider changes, along with other similar schools.
in essence, certain guidelines/policies really need to be revamped/introduced to prevent current/potential exploitations of the system in place. foreign talent should and can be allowed but this phenomenon ought to be regulated so that the maximum amount of benefits can be reaped at both the macro (national) and micro (individual schools) level.
on a side note, i really empathize with the individual foreign players who have come a long way from home and i know it’s hurtful to be in the middle of such awkward debates. my heart is with you guys and i hope you all understand that this isn’t meant as a personal attack on any country or anyone and that such a discussion is nonetheless necessary for the long term interest of the nation, however insignificant it might seem at the moment. i sincerely apologize on behalf of any of the other singaporeans who have been making things unnecessarily difficult for you guys.
cheers
Thanks JC for explaining! My only concern was that the students that came direct from China might not be able to catch up in their course of studies. Especially when the A Level curriculum is a two year program and it’s a English based exam. But it’s good to hear that they are doing well.
How come all the local talent in RI(JC)? Firstly, they have strong feeder schools, both RI and RGS are doing very well in the secondary level competition. RI was runner-up in B Div, RGS finished third in B Div, First for C Div. So they have a good foundation and they get a through train access straight into RI(JC). Secondly, they probably take in extra talents via DSA, although I cannot verify this now.
JJC’s foreign talents came direct from various provinces of China, and these foreign talents, did very well for their A Levels, in fact, scoring at least 2-3 As in their A Levels. Give them a chance, they came here to get a good education in Singapore, and at the same time, represented their school in the tournament. Also, there are also a number of local players in the JJ team, not all are foreign talents though. How come all local talents are in RI team? hm… very strange… did something went wrong with the posting system… I wonder… In any case, the passion for badminton is always there for these schools. Hooray!!! Congras to RI for winning the A Division Championship.
Why viewer 8 asked zhong guo dui jia you? Are the foreign talents representing JJ or zhong guo?
I agreed tht it’s okay to have foreign talent but i dont understand why the school have to recuit 100% all foreign talents. What happened to all singaporean? It is very interesting to note that our government have set-up sports school and national sports programmes to encourage pure breed singaporeans to enjoy and excel in them, however schools in their own interest to score excellence performance in sports deprive our singapore sons and daughters from training, learning,completing, improving and excelling themselves mainly because their places are almost all taken over by these froeign imports.
How upsetting it will be one day that all sports will be dominated by foreign talents attracted to singapore only because we pay them, feed them, educate them and then lose them eventually to other better $ paying countries.
Singaporeans will only be cheerleaders, audiences and financiers. Goodluck to Singapore, A PLACE WHERE FOREIGNERS HAVE MORE CHANCES THAN SINGAPOREAN IN THE NAME OF RESULTS AND GLORY TO OUR MEDAL HUNGRY COUNTRY.
hmm,our school supports all athletes no matter where they come from.since they are in our college and representing us,they are definitely regarded and seen as one of us(= once anyone bring glory to the college, i think the nationality of them doesnt matter anymore because they are still our heros and we definitely feel PROUD of them!(=
I think we have to be careful not to label JJC players “foreign talent”, which has become a touchy term in Singapore. Foreign talent refers to athletes who have come over to Singapore for the PRIMARY purpose of playing sports – which I’m sure isn’t the case for these girls. Let’s not be so quick to drop labels.
They are like any other foreign student who has come to Singapore for quality education, since Singapore has labeled and pride herself as the educational hub of the region. So like every JC student, a foreign student’s primary role here is still to pass their school examinations and gain promotion in education.
Let’s not forget that JJC is a reputable JC as well. Regardless of how these foreign students got into JJC, they do have to balance sports and studies when they arrive here in order to pass the same ‘A’ levels exam as a local student would. So why can’t they have the same playing rights to represent their JC?
Whether or not this will hamper the development of our local youths, well, this is dependent on how obsessed the school/coach and other stakeholders is with winning and this has more to do with the overall sporting culture in schools and in Singapore – which is often skewed towards winning instead of participation.
But one thing for sure, foreigners will bring in good competition and challenge that will raise an individual’s standard and the overall standard of the sport. It is healthy exposure for our youths to measure up with their foreign counterparts, and perhaps through this experience, learn that sports is more than just winning.
Embracing differences have to be learnt from a young age. If these girls do go on to represent Singapore in future, well, I think it is at least heartening to know that they have been through part of the local educational system that hopefully Singaporeans will identify more with them and be more accepting towards foreign talents bringing Singapore glory. : )