Fractured nose doesn’t stop Gabriel Teoh from scoring as Raffles Institution bag B Div hockey title

SINGAPORE – When Raffles Institution’s (RI) B Division boys’ hockey team qualified for the National School Games (NSG) final by beating Victoria School 4-0 on April 13, not all the players on the winning side were on cloud nine.

RI forward Gabriel Teoh suffered a fractured nose in that game after being hit by a ball and had to be treated at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The 15-year-old was then told that he had to don protective gear before he could play.

Exactly a week later, he wore a mask and played a starring role as RI retained their title with a dominant 4-0 victory over Seng Kang Secondary School in the gold-medal match at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium.

Gabriel, who scored his team’s third goal, said that he had been nervous during the past week while trying to cope with the pain in his nose.

The Secondary 3 student added that he and his parents had “looked all over” to find a suitable mask but ultimately decided to order a custom-made one online.

“We didn’t know if it would arrive on time,” said Gabriel, also a national Under-15 player. “But it arrived on Saturday and I was so relieved.

“I was actually really sad when I was told that it was a fracture, but I told my parents and coaches that I really wanted to play. We have fought hard to get here and I wanted to be involved.

“This win means so much for all of us and I am sure I will remember this moment for a long time.”

Gabriel added that losing to Seng Kang in the C Division final in 2024 had given him extra motivation to play through the pain.

He said: “When we lost that final, I remember just being in tears. I think whoever was involved then and is now in this team really wanted revenge badly and we prepared like it.

“It was overall an enjoyable game. It was very evenly matched at the start but after we scored the goal, the picture changed and we were much more motivated.”

After an end-to-end start, RI controlled proceedings and took the lead four minutes before the end of the second period as Garren Ong slotted in following a well-executed penalty corner.

They doubled their advantage before half-time when Keaen-Seth Tan converted from a penalty stroke.

In the third period, Gabriel got his name on the score sheet when he swept the ball in with a drag flick following another well-worked penalty corner. Gokulram Nimalan then made it 4-0 with about a minute left on the clock.

RI’s back-to-back titles came after finishing fourth in 2024 and consecutive runners-up placings in 2023 and 2022.

Their coach Ahmad Bakri said that Gabriel’s resilience was an example of the strong determination within the team.

Ahmad said: “One of the things we always drill into the players is to never give up no matter what the situation is.

“When we were told that it was a fracture, I spoke to Gabriel and asked how he felt. Without hesitation, he told me, ‘Coach, I want to play’. That is a very positive mindset and today he played without fear. I respect that.

“I am proud of him and all the players.”

For Seng Kang, their runners-up finish was an improvement after they finished third in 2025.

Coach Mohamed Ali said he was pleased with his charges’ journey to the final.

He said: “The boys played their hearts out till the final whistle. We made some mistakes and the opponents scored from it – we must accept that.

“Our target was a place in the final and so I would say it is an achievement for us and I am proud of all the boys for training hard to get here.”

Meanwhile, Victoria School finished third after a 1-0 win over St Andrew’s School (Secondary) on April 20.