Youths compete in street games at T-Net Sports Fiesta

Contributed by reader Zatan Tan.

Ngee Ann City, Sunday, 28 December 2008 – Some 800 sporty teenagers flocked to the heart of Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza for the annual sports event of the year – The T-Net Club Sports Fiesta 2008, a 4-in-1 multi sports competition specially organised for the youths by the People's Association T-Net Club.

The T-Net Club Sports Fiesta featured the three most popular street sports - Street Soccer, Street Basketball, and Street Netball as well as a Pulse Hip-Hop dance competition.

The street sports was separated into different age group categories, namely the Under-14 and Under-17 boys and girls for Street Basketball, Under-12 and Under-18 boys for Street Soccer and Under-17 girls for Street Netball while the Pulse Hip Hop dance competition had only an Open Category.

In street soccer, the eyes of many were fixated on favourites Clementi Juniors and T-Net Club @ MacPherson B, winners of this year National Street Soccer League (NSSL) 2008 school category champions and the latter, the Under-17 category runners-up.

Shortly after, small boys in their over-sized jerseys, accompanied by their teachers and coaches, registered for the Under-12 category. Small size they were but they definitely played with a big heart, as always. These kids never failed to wow the passer-bys and in the process, putting some older boys to shame.

Over at the basketball courts, the referees and match officials from the Basketball Association of Singapore were busy testing their electronic score boards and whistles, making the final checks before tipping off the games.

One could literally feel the intense competition and sparks flying as familiar faces who made a name for themselves in the National C and B Division Inter-school competition drew much attention from rival teams as the teams to defeat.

Just when the screams from players, sound of the buzzers and whistles were rocking the early morning quiet streets along Orchard Road, girls in sporty netball outfits were making sure not all the attention would go to their counter parts over at the basketball and soccer courts. And when the umpires from Netball Singapore finally whistled the start of the first two matches, the girls certainly impressed the on-lookers with their dexterity and team play.

Back at the soccer court, the boys from Sembawang dominated the Under-12 category. Whizzcats narrowly defeated Nanyang Niners in the semi-finals before despatching Nee Soon Central with ease in an all Sembawang final to clinch the Under-12 title.

With so much passion and intensity from the Under-18 category, the two favourites, Clementi Juniors and T-Net Club @ MacPherson B, were knocked out from the tournament in the early stages. Trademark English FA Cup style, where the Davids sending off the Goliaths were no more fairy tales but reality.

However, as they say, class is permanent, form is temporary. One of the stars from the recently concluded T-Net Club Premier League dominated the Under-18 Street Soccer segment. Muhd Fairuz, aged 18, the golden boot winner of T-Net Club Premier League 2007, led his Young Dolphins to victory with an assured display of skill in front of the defence.

They defeated Spartan 2-1 in an end to end action final. The Spartans had been the one of the tournament favourites, and they looked the most impressive team entering the final. Muhd Raihan, aged 18, could feel the loss, as his 20-yards screamer was controversially ruled out, but the Young Dolphins no doubt deserved their win with a composed display of football.

Street Netball started off with a total of 16 teams. Jocelyn Ng, aged 17, the Most Valuable Player for Sports Fiesta 2008, playing for Grad Girls from Yio Chu Kang Secondary School, certainly couldn't wait for the action to start.

After three hours of round robin games, eight teams made it to Round 2, where they had to fight for the final top four positions through a single knockout system. Inevitably, Grad Girls topped the tables for their group, with a 100 percent win record. No surprise as they eventually eased past every team that came their way into the final.

The match for the 3rd and the 4th placing was no slouch either. So close was the contest between GW@Coral Calisto and School Girls, no one could tell who would emerge winner, not till the final whistle. Kudos to the girls' spirited display but there could only be one winner, and the 3rd place went to GW@Coral Calisto.

The final showdown featured favourites Grad Girls and PLUS. However, one would feel sorry for PLUS as the Grad Girls dominated the match with so much supremacy that early in the 2nd half, they were already leading by more than 10 points. Needless to say, the Grad Girls were crowned the champions for the competition.

Under the searing heat, the games over at the four basketball courts were coming to a climax.

T-Net Club @ Sembawang Steven Teo, aged 17, made two wins in successive years, as he led his 360 Degrees team to another Under-17 Boys win after a whole day of gruelling matches.

Elated faces and excitement filled the stage as all the winners received their well deserved prizes from the Guest-of-Honour, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC and Adviser to Tanjong Pagar GRC Grassroots Organisations.

T-Net Club Sports Fiesta 2008 – Winners

Street Basketball
U-17 Boys
Champions: T-Net Club @ Semb (1) – Sembawang Secondary School
Second: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (3) – Queensway Secondary School
Third: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (1) – Seng Kang Secondary School
Fourth: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (2) – Seng Kang Secondary School

U-17 Girls
Champions: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (8) -Yuying Secondary School
Second: T-Net Club @ MacPherson (1) – MacPherson Secondary School
Third: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (6) – Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Fourth: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (3) – Yishun Town Secondary School

U-14 Boys
Champions: T-Net Club @ AMK (2) – Mayflower Secondary School
Second: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (6) -Yuying Secondary School
Third: T-Net Club @ AMK (2) – Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
Fourth: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (4) – Queenstown Secondary School

U-14 Girls
Champions: T-Net Club @ BM (1) – Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Second: T-Net Club @ BM (2) – Dunearn Secondary School
Third: T-Net Club @ Bukit Merah (4) – Unity Secondary School
Fourth: T-Net Club @ MacPherson (2) – Bedok View Secondary School

Street Netball
U-17 Girls
Champions: Grad Girls! – Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
Second: Plus - Greenview Secondary School
Third: GW @ Coral Calisto – Coral Secondary School
Fourth: School Girls! – Yio Chu Kang Secondary School

Street Soccer
U-18 Boys
Champions: Young Dolphins
Second: Spartans
Third: Team Admirals
Fourth: Bukit Merah 2

U-12 Boys
Champions: Whizzcats
Second: Nee Soon Central
Third: Nanyang Niners
Fourth: Bukit Merah Junior