Eunoia Junior College (EJC) battled through the elimination stage of the Inter-Junior College (IJC) Ultimate tournament on their home ground to claim their first-ever championship title with a 8-2 victory over Catholic Junior College (CJC).
Under an endless drizzle on a slippery pitch, the boys from Raffles Institution (RI) retained their school’s longstanding hockey legacy after seeing off Victoria Junior College (VJC) in the A Division final, securing the school’s eighth title in the last 10 editions of the championship.
Beaten 1-3 by much-fancied Raffles Institution (RI) in the group stage, the boys from Victoria Junior College (VJC) made sure to approach the A Division floorball final against the same opponents with a renewed focus and strategy. And they executed their game plan to perfection this time round, hitting the 2018 champions twice on the counter via Ammar Harith (VJC #25) and Anas Abdullah Baeesa (VJC #87) to emerge 2-1 winners and reclaim the championship trophy their school last lifted in 2017, and its fourth since 2009.
An impressive pitching performance by Raffles Institution captain Shawn Yip (RI #1) led his team to a 6-0 victory over Eunoia Junior College in the A Division boys’ softball final. Recording 13 strikeouts on the day, his performance, complemented by strong teamwork in defense, proved sufficient for the Rafflesians to claim their first title since 2017.
In a stunning season-long comeback, Raffles Institution overcame the odds to emerge the A Division girls' softball champions, defeating Hwa Chong Institution 2-1 after an extra sixth inning to win the championship for the first time since 2012. RI previously lost to HCI in the group stage via mercy rule, with a 0-10 scoreline.
With their tag as traditional powerhouses in schools' track and field, one would think that Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) are dominant in the marquee relay events. They turned out to be, but not before erasing a few relay gold droughts in the girls' A Division and C boys' 4 by 100 metres at the 63rd National Schools Track and Field Championships.
As Harry Irfan Curran crossed the finish line first in the C Division boys’ 4 by 400 metres relay final, he raised his arms into a heart shape directed at his Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) teammates. That gesture stemmed from relief more than anything. A day earlier in the 4x100m relay final, the same quartet — the favourites having qualified fastest — got disqualified when second runner John Tan, the 200m hurdles champion, fell in the exchange zone and outgoing runner Sean Gerard Yoo picked up the baton before his teammate did.
In a heart-stopping final, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) defeated Raffles Institution by a single unconverted try, to claim their seventh straight title as their parents and friends watched from the stadium stands.
