Written by: Irving Alexander de Boer
Edited by: Angelina Grace Pandiman
Photos by: Eusoff Works
Next up on the schedule for our EH Takraw guys was our prelim match against Temasek Hall. Despite the proximity of Temasek to Eusoff, there was no neighbourly love lost between the two sides as the match promised to be an intense one. Despite comfortably dispatching off Raffles Hall just a few days prior, the match against Temasek was set to pose a far larger challenge to our Takraw boys.
The 1st regu, featuring Captain Brandon, set the tone for the rest of the match. From the get-go, both EH and TH were going toe to toe with each other. Getting off to a strong start, they managed to eke out a lead in the first set, eventually securing it easily with a score of 15-9. However, TH were not letting the win go easily. In the second set, they got off to a strong start, surging ahead to a 3-0 lead. However, in true display of their fighting spirit, our EH Takraw players rallied and brought the score back level. What followed was an intense exchange of points until the scored reach 8-9 in TH’s favour. However, TH seized the momentum and pulled ahead, clinching the second set, with a score 9-15. Building on the momentum, TH secured one more set 8-15. The final set went down to the wire with TH edging out EH by a mere two points to take the 1st regu.
well deserved cheers after every hard-earned point!
With the 1st regu played to high intensity, one could not anticipate a match of even higher ferocity. But the 2nd regu brought just that. The first set was endless trading of points, which each time dealing blow after blow to each other. No team could build up a lead. Eusoff’s very own Keefe made a mark especially, occasionally taking over the referee’s role and audibly calling out whether certain plays were in or out (albeit with varying accuracy…). The score eventually climbed to 14-15. Yet even then the set remained close and EH only sealed the win by securing the maximum number of points, 17, pipping TH by 1 point to end the set 17-16. TH eventually clawed back the next set decisively, winning 8-15. With the sets tied, it was obvious that the skill sets were very closely matched. Yet again EH pulled ahead a set, winning 15-11 comfortably only for TH to claw back another set. Going into the final set tied at 2-2, stakes were high for the last set, as a “winner takes all” set. Despite taking an early lead, our players could not hold it and TH made a comeback, eventually securing the set 13-15 and taking the 2nd regu in the process. The staggering 5 sets played lasted over an hour and narrowly went to TH, with a score of 3-2.
CJ flies over the court with some impeccable footwork
As the match dragged on well beyond the expected end time, despite putting up a solid challenge, EH fell all three sets to TH, 10-15, 9-15 and 10-15. The loss in the 3rd regu saw TH sweep the match 3-0.
The match score unfortunately was not an accurate representation of how intense and closely fought the match was. Perhaps it was only fitting that our closest neighbors would put up such a close fight. The match lasted a whole of 3 hours. Even as it dragged on, the spirits of the EH Takraw team remained high, ever steadily cheering on their teammates on the court and never losing sight of their banterous spirit. While they might have lost, the EH Takraw team has provided us with a night of great sporting ability, indomitable fighting spirit and great entertainment, and I personally cannot wait for them to take to the courts again and face their next challenge.
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