ACS (I) achieve three-peat in B boys’ squash competition
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SINGAPORE – Going into the B Division boys’ final against National Junior College (NJC), the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) squash team had a psychological edge as they had won 4-1 in an earlier meeting in April.
But they refused to let their guard down in their hunt for a three-peat. The defending champions dug in and made sure that complacency did not set in as they retained their title by the same score at the Kallang Squash Centre on Wednesday.
They had also won the title in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic led to the suspension of the competition in 2020 and 2021.
“I think we played well. We pushed ourselves hard from the first to the last game, and I’m proud of the fact that we gave it our best to take the win today,” said ACS (I) captain Sujen Kandasamy, 16.
The Secondary 4 student, who was also part of the side who won the 2022 title, said: “Compared to last year, our opponents have got stronger. They kept us on our feet the whole time.
“I think we can’t be complacent and we still trained hard, no matter whether we win or lose.
“After all the hard work that we’ve put in, we’re really proud to have taken the trophy again.”
ACS (I) seized the initiative by winning the first two singles, with Andrew Kim defeating Henry Soh 11-1, 11-7, 11-4, followed by Sujen’s 11-0, 11-5, 11-3 win against Gabriel Sze.
Their school’s supporters, who formed the majority of the spectators, made sure they were heard.
Their booming cheers at every break and applause at every ACS (I) point boosted the players’ spirits.
But just when it seemed that they would bulldoze their way to the crown with a perfect score, their progress was stalled in the third match by Jethro Chua.
In a gruelling five-setter, Jethro managed to wrest a point for NJC by beating Keith Lee 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7.
B Division debutant Jethro, 15, said: “During the match, I was just thinking about how I would win the point, instead of thinking about how many sets I needed to win. I didn’t count the points... After every point, I was only thinking, ‘How do I win the next point?’
“I felt that I gave my team hope because, even though we were 2-1 down, I think my win gave us enough hope to push ourselves throughout the next two matches.”
ACS (I) eventually sealed the title in the fourth match when Li Yuan Xin beat NJC captain Lin Hao Yang 11-3, 11-2, 11-1.
In the final match, Saarvaish Ramu won 11-1, 11-1, 11-1 against Lam Kai Xin.
Yuan Xin, 15, said: “It was pretty nerve racking because (the seats) were filled with people from our school.
“But I managed to calm myself down and just put the right shot in and managed to win... It felt satisfying.”
ACS (I) coach Victor Koh, 60, who has been helming the team since 1997, said: “I think they played hard. They deserve it. They maintained calmness and avoided unforced errors.”
