Written By: Malcolm Rhys Lim Edited By: Valerie Chua & Jolene Wong Photographs By: Eusoffworks
The same day, our Badminton boys too had their second preliminary match against Sheares Hall (SH) in PGPH’s Multi-Purpose Sports Hall. Straight after the girls’ matches had ended, the Eusoff boys were in action against their Sheares opponents.
Badminton (M) lineup:
1st singles: Charles
1st doubles: Eldred Shaun
2nd singles: Eik Chieh
2nd doubles: Wei Zhi Jun Xian
3rd singles: Wei Zhong
First up for Eusoff was MONSTER BICEPS Charles. Charles’ game plan right from the start was obvious – use his massive biceps to his advantage. A pretty smart tactic for anybody with biceps of his size if I could say so myself. He started off well, winning the first point with a trademark BICEP SMASH. After the first point however, his opponent refused to play the BICEP game with him. Instead, his opponent looked to play the QUADRICEPS and CALF game, moving Charles around the court as he was down 11-3. Playing against such opponents who would not accept a straight up BICEP game was detrimental for Charles, who has spent his whole life working on his BEAUTIFUL BULGING BICEPS. During the interval, Charles realised his opponent would not be sucked into his BICEPS game. After closing his eyes for a while and concentrating, Charles’ calves and quads looked noticeably bigger. With improved firepower, Charles jumped back into the set both literally and figuratively. Massive BICEP smashes coupled with 60cm jumps left his opponent scrambling for the shuttle. Tied at 19 all, it looked as if Charles had momentum and was going to win the set. Alas, his Sheares opponent had more trickery up his sleeve as he pulled a few drop shots out of nowhere to win the set 21-19.
The second set saw Charles’ opponent using more trickery to beat him. His opponent knew he would be no match for Charles if it was a straight up game of strength, so he had no choice but to try devious drop shots when Charles was least expecting it. Down at the interval, Charles once again tried to will his legs to grow bigger, but it seemed as if they had expanded to their fullest size already. This proved to be the deciding factor as Charles’ opponents’ legs won him the match. Don’t worry Eusoffians, MONSTER BICEPS CHARLES will be back bigger and stronger for his next match.
Final score; 19-21, 13-21
Eusoff 0 – 1 SH
The first doubles for the boys was to be spearheaded by Captain Shaun with Eldred by his side. Just as most of the preceding matches, early proceedings were tight as both sides tried to figure each other out. Up 11-10 at the interval, Shaun and Eldred had formulated a plan, which was to target Sheares’ No.7 who appeared to be the weaker of their opponents. Smash after smash Shaun and Eldred hit to No.7. Their game plan proved to be working as they took a 5-point lead and they held onto it as they won the set 21-16.
The second set went more or less the same way with Shaun and Eldred targeting Sheares No.7. As they say, the team is only as strong as its weakest link and Shaun and Eldred were fully utilising this philosophy. With Captain Shaun’s trusty leadership, nothing could stop them as his precise sideline shots left their opponents wondering why their side of the court appeared to be larger than the other.
Final score: 21-16, 21-15
Eusoff 1 – 1 SH
The second singles match saw freshie Eik Chieh up against an IVP player from Sheares. Unfazed by his opponent’s skill level as well as a 11-8 deficit at the interval, Eik Chieh came roaring back in the second half. The key to Eik Chieh playing well was how much he had sweat thus far. As the age old saying goes, the wetter you are, the better you are. The turning point of this match came when Eik Chieh won a massive 20 plus shot rally. It set him up with a 14-12 lead which proved decisive as he took the first set 21-17.
This match was a very technical and evenly matched fight between the two. Well-weighted shots and precision were preferred over hard smashes and brute strength by both players. With such a technical match going on, the match was to be won or lost by mental strength. Eik Chieh’s Sheares opponent seemed as if he would lose this mental battle after he squandered a 18-15 lead and let Eik Chieh back into the set at 18 all. However, his opponent recovered from this minor choke and took the set 21-19.
The third set was a close affair up to the 13-point mark. After that, Eik Chieh seemed to run out of steam as his far lobs looked as if they were getting closer to the net. His opponent ultimately capitalised on this and took the third set 21-16.
Final score: 21-17, 19-21, 16-21
Eusoff 1 – 2 SH
The spectacle bros Wei Zhi and self-proclaimed Singapore No.2 Jun Xian were up next against their non-spectacled Sheares opponents. Some pre-match banter led this reporter to discover that apparently, the only reason why Jun Xian was even playing this match was because Captain Shaun was saving his secret weapon Nian Ze for the finals.
Jun Xian and Wei Zhi wasted no time as they started the match with a one shot one kill mentality, trying to kill off the point after their opponent served the shuttle. This tactic was met with mixed results as they trailed 5-3 in the early stages. Wei Zhi and Jun Xian looked to be more skilled compared to their opponents but a few miscommunications between them kept the score close and their opponents led 18-16 late into the set. However, Wei Zhi and Jun Xian’s superior skill level helped them to recover and close out the set 21-19 with a few well-placed drop shots that their opponents could not return.
The second set left the Eusoff supporters in awe as Jun Xian and Wei Zhi upped their game tremendously, serving up jump smash after jump smash. Oohs and aahs could be heard from the crowd each time they hit one of their majestic smashes. Once again, the wetter you are, the better you are. The Sheares doubles pair just could not keep up with Jun Xian and Wei Zhi’s fast hands. Solid training regime planned by Captain Shaun to train the team’s strong wrists. The strong support from the crowd seemed to demoralise the Sheares pair and they started to crack. This was a vicious cycle as Jun Xian and Wei Zhi were unrelenting with their monstrous jump smashes, probably having learnt a thing or two from Charles. By the end of the match, the Sheares pair almost looked relieved that it was over.
Final score: 21-19, 21-9
Eusoff 2 – 2 SH
The deciding match was to be played by Wei Zhong and he proved to be up to the task as he brought home the win for Eusoff. The match was a rather lopsided affair, with Wei Zhong hardly breaking a sweat as he dismantled his opponent with cross court shots that his opponent was not fast enough to return. On the occasion he managed to return the shuttle, Wei Zhong was ready for the easy smash. Eventually, Wei Zhong took home the first set with the score of 21-10.
The second set started off with most supporters unsure what was going on. Our IVP superstar Wei Zhong was actually losing. It appeared as if his opponent was possessed for a while as he could do no wrong. Perfectly placed drop shots and side line shots left even Wei Zhong wondering what was going on. However, this surge was only momentary as Wei Zhong showed that form is temporary, but class is permanent, turning a 4 point deficit into an easy 21-11 win.
Final score: 21-10, 21-11
Eusoff 3 – 2 SH
With Wei Zhong’s win, the Eusoff boys got the overall win and head into the semi-finals brimming with confidence after having topped their group. Good luck for your next match boys!
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