Netball powerhouses CHIJ Toa Payoh reclaim B div title that they last won in 2018
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The CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) netball team after winning the National School Games B Division girls’ netball finals, held at the OCBC Arena on April 26, 2023.
ST PHOTO: RYAN CHIONG
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SINGAPORE - Four years is a long wait for redemption, but that was what CHIJ Toa Payoh Secondary School had to endure as the school netball powerhouses defeated Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) 34-23 in the B Division final at the OCBC Arena on Wednesday.
Having taken the national title 12 times since 2000, including four in a row from 2015 to 2018, CHIJ were eager to reclaim their dominance after failing to retain the title in 2019. But little did they know the chance will only come in 2023.
In 2020, the National School Games (NSG) were halted and cancelled the following year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, while only zonal finals were held in 2022.
In front of about 300 boisterous supporters, CHIJ bounced back with a vengeance, storming to a commanding 18-7 lead at first half and then holding off a spirited fightback from MGS.
Goal shooter Keira Baptista, 16, who scored the lion’s share of CHIJ’s 34 goals, said: “It’s finally come, it feels like our time has finally come. It’s so sad that last year we were unable to have the national finals and, now that we do, I’m so proud of how far our team have come.”
Keira, who was in the team who won the south zone final in 2022, added: “We needed to win this for our school and for each other because there’s really that sense of, our school has won so many, we can do it, too.
“We have to live up to it. And we’ve worked so hard as a team and wanted to win as a team. We weren’t going to let anything stop us.”
For CHIJ captain and goal defender Tng Hui Qing, 16, it felt good to make amends.
She said: “I’m definitely very proud of my team because we worked really hard.
“Even though they (MGS) pushed, we still stayed strong. We really, really wanted to do our best and win a national championship.
“Yeah, we were very nervous. But we supported each other and we feel very safe, like we can just do our best to win the game.”
CHIJ coach Kok Mun Wai, 54, who has been coaching the team since 1996, said: “It was great.
“I think they were focused right from the first whistle.
“And they were calm and composed in attack and, in defence, they fought for every ball.”
MGS captain and wing attack Lim Ruici, 16, said: “I’m really proud of my team, honestly.
“They fought really hard (despite the loss).”
