Written by: Jared Lim
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: EusoffWorks
Intensive, aggressive and contact-ridden, Handball is not a sport for the weak. In a game of Handball, two teams of 7 players consisting of six court players and a goalkeeper are pitted against one another. In each game there are two halves of 20 - 30 minutes each, with the aim to score as many goals as possible by shooting the ball into the opponent’s goal post. The rules are simple, when in possession of the ball, players have to dribble, or take up to 3 steps. Whilst stationary, players can only hold onto the ball for a maximum of 3 seconds. No attacking or defending players other than the defending goalkeeper are allowed to touch the floor of the goal area; in other words, goals must be scored from outside the zone (within 6 meters) or while “diving” into it.
In Eusoff, our handball team is supervised by two Eusoff alumni coaches. Under the restrictions of the pandemic, a typical training for handball is 2 hours in duration, once weekly. It consists of specially devised training plans to develop player skills as well as improve the synergy of the team. Some of the workouts include wave drills (to create gaps in opponents defense to cut and shoot), positional shooting drills, fast break techniques, basic footwork and defense training.
Leading the teams this year are our Captains Yusoff Kim and Foo Shi Yun.
First, we have our Captain for the male team, the one and only Yusoff Kim. Ask around about Yusoff and you will hear nothing but words of praise. Apart from his talent in Handball, Yusoff is also known for his active participation and contributions to a myriad of other hall activities — Bash, DP and even as the Head of HPB. However, life for Yusoff was not a bed of roses. Due to his cheerful nature, many were unaware of the challenges he went through in order to get to where he is now. One of the challenges included the time when he was on the verge of quitting Handball because the seniors kept scolding him in training. When asked what made him persevere and push on, he said that “they asked me to go IVP training and I was like wah cool can wear NUS shirt”. Inspiring, right? In addition, when asked what he enjoys about Handball, he mentions “when the before play goes right, the balls will slide smoothly in then we just have to work on our good D”. Indeed, who doesn’t enjoy the satisfying sight of balls sliding into goals?
Nevertheless, Yusoff’s goal for the team this year is to “just chill guys handball very fun one” and he thinks that the key to victory is simply just “chill more”. On a more serious note, an inspirational quote he would like to share is from a character in Avatar, Iroh — “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again”. Despite whatever failures and hurdles the Handball team faces, he believes that it is simply a chance to try again. With that, he hopes the team can overcome their opponents just like how he overcame the scolding from his seniors, by looking at the bright side.
Next, we have our Captain for the female team, Shi Yun. An uncommonly known fact about our Captain Shi Yun was that she had asthma when she was younger. As a result, she was unable to participate in sports despite having a strong passion for it.
She started Handball with no prior experience in the sport and rose through the ranks through sheer grit and perseverance, as well as love for the sport. While most people have the impression that handball is an overly aggressive and dangerous sport, Shi Yun thinks otherwise. “I find the sport very therapeutic, just ZHAM the ball, it is a stress reliever”. Apart from that, she also enjoys the intensity of the sport, having to be quick on her feet when analysing decisions on court and in execution of game plans.
Her goals for this IHG this year are to allow her LYLCs to play the season without regrets, whilst at the same time allow freshies and newcomers to have the opportunity to shine on court. In contrast to her “chill” male captain counterpart, the ambitious female captain hopes to devour the competition and achieve GOLD.
To her teammates, she hopes that they “Be aggressive and do not be afraid” and she believes that “A strong defense is the key to victory”.
To end off, a quote from our Captain Shi Yun is “It is not whether you get knocked down, its whether you get up”. Just like how her asthma used to knock her down, Shi Yun continues to take our breaths away on court, never failing to continue getting up.
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