WATER POLO

National ‘A’ Division Boys
Hwa Chong Institution vs Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
Raffles Junior College vs Anglo-Chinese Junior College
Monday, April 2, 2007 at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Story by Lee Hwee Cheng. Pictures by Leslie Tan. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures

The Red Sports squad has finally stepped up our own game and stomped into the ‘A’ Division tournaments! 

And what better way to kick off the excitement and feel the heat of a long-time rivalry between four Water Polo giants than to hang out by the pool with them as they face off for the first time this year?

The HCI waterboys getting a pep talk from their coach between quarters.  The boys all sported the same look with their closely shaven heads.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports.

Very interestingly, we received an anonymous request over the chatter-box on our web site Sunday evening that we simply couldn’t resist:  "Will you guys be down tomorrow for ACS(I) vs HCI A Div polo match?  I’m sensing an upset of mega proportions." We suspect that it was from an ACS(I) supporter and since it sounded like too much fun and action to miss out on, we decided we had to check it out for ourselves on Monday afternoon.

We got to the pool just before the first quarter ended, and in time to see a goal from the Hwa Chong side that brought their lead to 5-1.  There must have already been much fiery emotions in the first quarter, because by the second quarter, one side’s morale was clearly boosted while the other was starting to display signs of a breakdown as tempers frayed and confidence eroded.

The more composed and coherent Hwa Chong team went on to finish the second quarter with a 9-1 lead, and by the middle of the third, they were up 12-1.  Hwa Chong went on to win the game 20-3.

Well, so much for the upset of mega proportions.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

ACS(I)’s goalkeeper reacts but is too late to block a shot that whizzes into the goal. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports.

ACS(I)’s no.11 protects his possession.  © Leslie Tan/Red Sports.

An HCI player fights off the challenge from an ACS(I) player (right). © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

HCI’s no.7 swings back for a shot at the goal while an ACS(I) player tries to foil it. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports.

ACS(I)’s goalie makes a determined effort to block the shot. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports.

But the real exciting bits of the afternoon probably took place when long-time rivals Raffles Junior College and Anglo-Chinese Junior College fought it out – figuratively and almost literally – in the pool this time, in the second game that followed.

An excited spectator sitting right behind me mused rather aloud sometime in the second quarter of the game, "A fight is going to happen anytime, I tell you."

I wouldn’t have bet on that, though the game did turn out rough and aggressive.  There were more whistle-calls on both sides, so much more shoving and pushing amongst the players, that I’d have liked to know exactly what might have been going on underwater.  Water polo is indeed an interesting sport where, ironically, most of the real action takes place beyond the visibility of the spectators.

Both sides did not find it easy to put the ball into the net, as they faced intense defence and excellent goalkeeping that made shot attempts as hard to come by as the goals themselves.  Luck was on neither side that afternoon as well, as both sides saw many shots rebound off the goal post.  But the RJC side made good of more opportunities and by the end of the second quarter, they were leading 4-1.

The RJC boys balanced their own aggressiveness with a good dose of cool-headedness, as they remained steadfast in their own game in spite of the unsporting and taunts of the ACJC supporters.  With less than two minutes left in the game, leading 7-2, RJC did not seem unfazed by the increasing aggression from the opponents as they slowed the tempo of their game whenever they had the ball in possession, taking shots only when opportunity allowed.

The ACJC boys, however, never let up.  They defended hard, and fought for every goal attempt.  At the very last second of the game, ACJC’s no 8 roused the crowd with a buzzer-beater that skipped past the RJC goalkeeper. 

Raffles eventually won the game 7-3.

Once again, we cannot identify most players in these games.  So, if you do recognize yourselves or your friends, please do let us know the names and we’ll update the captions accordingly.

More action pictures are in the picture gallery.