Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) retained their A Division boys' and girls' titles at the Schools National Canoeing Championships yesterday, seeing off a strong challenge from the National Junior College (NJC) teams.

Both titles were decided in the last event. HCI's Zhang Tianjiao and Loh Xin Lin pipped NJC's Tan Xiao Wei and Jamie Lian to the girls' K2-500m title to help ensure that the overall team title goes to HCI.

In the boys' competition, NJC teams finished first and second in the boys K2-500m, but it was not enough to overturn the advantage that HCI had going into the race.

In the other divisions, the Temasek Secondary School girls' team retained their title in the B Division, but lost their C Division crown to Crescent Girls' School. St Joseph's Institution (SJI) clinched the C Division boys' title, while the B Division boys' title went to Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

Eight of the canoeists were also awarded the Singapore Schools Sports Council Sportsmanship Award on Thursday.

Raffles Institution's Elise Low, Nur Liyana, Shermaine Ang and Jazell Leong of Raffles Institution received the award for helping their inexperienced Anglo-Chinese Junior College opponents who had capsized on the way to the starting line during the A Division girls' K4 1,500m race.

SJI's Brandon Lim, Bedok Green Secondary School's Johnny Wong and Damai Secondary School's Lim Yan Quan were the other recipients.