Written by: Gladys Loo
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: EusoffWorks
Overall score: EH 4-1 RH
For the final IHG preliminary match before the semis, the male badminton team faced Sheares Hall in their home ground. The lineup was not entirely in their favour but nonetheless, our team managed to bring home a win with an impressive score of 4-1 overall.
1st singles - Oscar
Oscar as usual brought his A-game on court and made his opponent run in a frenzied fashion… (It was exhausting to watch and props to his opponent for lasting both sets) He made a total of 8 mistakes, and won both sets with scores of 21-5 and 21-3. There is nothing much to say really… I would say his focus was 50% on his match and 50% on the doubles game happening in the adjacent court. Good job to Mr Jam and Hop for winning the team their first point! Man said he did not really sweat and that he is “going to febreeze his shirt a little and wear it again on Thursday”...
1st doubles - Zi Kai and Si Zheng aka. the minions
A beautiful side lunge by Zi Kai allows him to return the shuttlecock easily
The doubles match was happening concurrently with the first singles but it was definitely much more attention-grabbing than Oscar’s match. The freshie pair fought hard in their first match and caught up
eventually, even after lagging behind at interval (with a score of 9-11). They bagged their first set with a close score of 21-18. They unfortunately made a few more errors than usual as according to LYLC Shaun Tay, “they played in the less desirable half of the court, Sheares chose the better side.” Apparently it was harder to see the shuttle from the boys’ POV, resulting in a few unusual errors. They conceded the second set to Sheares with a very very CLOSE SCORE of 23-25. Finally, in the rubber set, tensions were high as the minions HAD to win their final set. They were doing very well and leading at interval. At 13-7, Zi Kai leapt into the air and MISSES the shuttle completely. It was pretty hilarious given all the crap he gave his partner the previous day for missing a shuttle in training! :D They eventually won their match 21-16. Good effort!
Second singles - Charles
Charles was the underdog in his match as he was up against an IVP player. At the beginning, the net suddenly went LIMP and flopped onto the ground. Despite the interruption which ensued for a while, Charles remained unfazed. He gave his very best and fought hard for every single point, lagging behind by a point after interval with a score of 11-12. Every rally was long and tedious. Unfortunately, he conceded both sets with scores of 11-21 and 10-21 to the (tall) IVP player. Nonetheless, his spirit and performance on court were commendable. He made the very huge court seem very tiny as he covered every corner as best as he could. Great job Charles!
2nd doubles - Huan Zhang and Wei Zhi
Wei Zhi flying up so high...his stomach says peekaboo!
The second pair similarly played three exhausting sets, just like the first. It was a very close fight between our players and Sheares in the first set, with the score being 12-16 at one point in time. Thankfully, they managed to catch up with Huan Zhang’s swift returns and Wei Zhi’s powerful attacks, clinching the first set with a score of 21-19. They unfortunately lost the second set with a score of 17-21 as they were not faced with easy opponents. However, they maintained their composure and fought back in the final set, winning with a score of 21-17! They were even tied at 16-16 at one point in time, so to have been able to overcome their nerves and bring home Eusoff’s third point was definitely commendable.
3rd singles - Jie Rui
Finally, we have our star player of the day, JR! Ask anyone present and they would without a doubt say that JR performed very well throughout both sets. He was up against a formidable opponent, but with his smooth footwork and quick intercepts, he glided across the court and his way to victory! His opponent was visibly panting at many points in time, and JR never let the shuttle touch the ground once, forcing his opponent to commit errors, winning both sets with scores of 21-15 and 21-13. Man’s service was super impressive, consistently flying 9 million feet into the air, making it harder for the opponent to give good returns. When his match ended, everyone echoed fan chants and commended him on his well-deserved win.
And with that, our male badminton team is in the semi-finals! Impressive performance by the players so far, with great chemistry displayed within the team. Definitely look out for their upcoming matches as they face other halls in semis and (hopefully) finals! :) Rest up everyone!
Bonus pic:
He kinda looks like sailor moon posing like this ngl
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