Story by REDintern Jessica Soo. Photos by Iman Hashim/Red Sports.
In a tight race, Raam Kumar Muthukumaran (#148, far right) of Singapore Sports School snatched the gold in 52.52s, just a tenth of a second ahead of Ho Zhe Xi (#288) of Raffles Institution. (Photo 1 © Iman Hashim/Red Sports)
Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Friday, March 15, 2019 — With only 50 metres left to go, Singapore Sports School’s (SSP) Raam Muthukumaran pushed with all his might to clinch the first gold medal of his schools track career in the B Division Boys’ 400m event.
Raam finished with a winning time of 52.52 seconds, followed closely behind by Ho Zhe Xi of Raffles Institution (RI), who clocked 52.62s.
“I feel very happy as I have just won a gold medal for my school,” said Raam. “I feel like it is a big achievement, as for two to three years I felt like I have never done much for Sports School. Now that I’ve won a gold medal, I feel very proud.”
In addition to scoring his first gold, Raam also managed to achieve a new personal best, finally meeting the expectations that he had set for himself. He attributed his exemplary performance to the pillars of support in his life: his parents, Ms Jenny Lim (senior general manager of SSP’s track and field academy), and SSP head coach Pedro Acuna.
While he felt nervous before the race, he shared that the support he received had calmed him down immensely.
He said: “My mentor and teacher-in-charge, Ms Jenny, really motivated and encouraged me. She taught me that we should always believe in ourselves whenever we run.”
With the top four finishing with timings below 53 seconds, the race proved to be a tight one.
Nevertheless, despite missing the gold by just a tenth of a second, runner-up Zhe Xi showcased commendable sportsmanship even though it fell short of what he aimed for.
“I am quite contented with my placing as I had quite a hard week this week,” said the athlete from RI. “While I was close to the gold medalist, he pushed harder than me, and honestly, he is the better runner.”
Both boys are slated for other events in the Championships, with Raam competing in the 800m final on March 25 while Zhe Xi takes on the 200m final. Both will also compete in the relays on the final day at the Sports Hub.
B Division Boys’ 400m Final Results
1st Raam Kumar Muthukumaran (#148, Singapore Sports School) — 52.52 seconds
2nd Ho Zhe Xi (#288, Raffles Institution) — 52.62
3rd Julian Chew Mingjun (#196, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)) — 52.81
4th Samayamuthu Dhevaraj (#224, Gan Eng Seng Secondary School) — 52.90
5th Or Yong Hur (#570, Hwa Chong Institution) — 53.15
6th Irsyad B Mohammad Said (#137, Singapore Sports School) — 53.44
7th Sharad Selvam Ramachandra (#209, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)) — 53.52
8th Damien Koh Chengjun (#547, Hwa Chong Institution) — 54.17
More photos next page
Well done to all the student athletes and thank you Red Sports for this coverage and sharing these precious photos with us. They mean a lot to parents like me.