Twins turn school rivalry into sibling showdown in the A Division boys’ hockey final

SINGAPORE –As Victoria Junior College (VJC) and Raffles Institution (RI) renewed their storied National School Games A Division boys’ hockey rivalry on May 20, the longstanding battle between the two schools took on a personal twist, with identical twins Ajit and Ajay Shanmugan going head-to-head on opposing sides.

The 18-year-olds and respective captains of the two sides – Ajay for RI and Ajit at VJC – both harboured hopes of clinching the trophy for their schools.

Ajay had the upper hand in the 2025 final, helping RI to a 3-2 victory.

But this time, Ajit, the elder of the siblings by one minute, was determined to turn the tables in what would be his final A Division campaign as a second-year junior college student.

And he did it in emphatic fashion, scoring the only goal after just three minutes to seal a 1-0 victory for VJC, sparking deafening celebrations from the teammates and fans at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium.

While the two brothers are rivals in hockey – there were moments in the final when forward Ajit and defender Ajay tussled hard for possession – the battles stay on the pitch as they share a close bond outside of it.

Ajay said: “We told each other that we are enemies on the field, but after the game ends, we’ll go back to being brothers. So we don’t give each other chances, we don’t hold back.”

That bond was on display when the RI captain, who had a hamstring injury three weeks earlier during sprint training and was subsequently moved from forward to defence, went down with an injury during the second quarter.

And Ajit was the only player in a yellow jersey among RI’s white-clad players at the side of Ajay, who was substituted after that.

“I went to him because it’s a brother’s love... At the end of the day, he’s my brother, and when he’s injured, I know how he feels because I’ve also been through it before,” Ajit said, drawing from his own setbacks, including a pelvic fracture in 2024 and a collarbone fracture in 2025 that ruled him out of both finals.

Playing on opposing teams has become the norm for the siblings, who first picked up the sport in Primary 3 before heading to different secondary schools and eventually junior colleges.

They last faced each other in a final when their schools met to decide the C Division title in 2022, when Ajit and Victoria School beat Ajay’s RI.

Ajit remarked: “I think it’s really nice to have a sibling on the opposing team. Playing against a buddy is a special feeling... As we go to different schools, we take on different roles and different captainships.

“We both learn different skills and techniques, but we can still share with each other as well.”

However, during the season, the brothers kept it “professional” and team discussions and tactics are strictly off-limits. But on the eve of the final, they wished each other well: “May the better team win.”

The match, which was delayed by an hour due to overcast conditions and lightning warnings, began well for VJC when Ajit struck the early goal to settle his side’s nerves.

RI tried in vain to force an equaliser, especially through several penalty corners, but found VJC goalkeeper Jovan Teo a major stumbling block.

On the win, VJC coach Nordin Manaff, who has been with the school since 2019, said: “I’m very happy with the outcome. I would salute the boys because they really stood their ground (especially in the second half).”

The 59-year-old also noted the added motivation of his players, who wanted to avenge not only the 2025 defeat but also had the 3-1 loss of their girls’ team to RI in the A Division final on May 18 on their minds.

Ahmad Marfi, who has coached RI for 14 years, was proud of his squad’s resilience, noting that the team still managed to battle hard until the final whistle.

RI’s Ajay, who admitted both teams were evenly matched, having fought to a 2-2 draw in the preliminary round, said: “We fought really hard today, given that three of us, including me, were injured.

“It was really a 50-50 game, we were all hyped because we knew we could come here and get the job done, to bring home that trophy. But, as I said, there were setbacks... but the team never gave up, we just couldn’t find the net today.”

With the roles reversed from 2025, Ajay said he would go home with mixed emotions but respect for the outcome, saying he would still congratulate his brother on a deserved victory.