Written by: Irving de Boer
Edited by: Rishika Ghanamoorthy
Photos by: Eusoff Works
The EH Takraw faced their next challenge on their journey to the finals, Kent Ridge House. With KR the only obstacle standing between them and a clear shot for the IHG 21/22 title, the match promised to be intense, both on and off the court. After a quick warmup and traditional team huddle and cheer, the match soon got underway.
The 1st regu soon took to the field. From the get go, the match was closely fought, with KR taking an early lead in the first set by going 2-5 up, before EH managed to claw back the set to 5-5. Every point was celebrated by both teams like a win and the intensity of the match was soon reflected by the off-court antics as each team increasingly did their best to irk the other team, rubbing in every point won to inflict maximum emotional damage on their opponents. Eventually, despite the stiff competition in the first set, our boys managed to claw ahead to 15-13 and clinch the first set. The second proved an even more exhilarating experience. Going toe to toe, the teams traded point after point, with neither side able to build a solid lead. KR eventually clawed their way up to 14 points to EH 12, expecting to clinch the set. However, with EH Takraw captain Brandon on the field leading the way, the team refused to go down without a fight. They slowly but surely eroded away the lead and eventually pipped KR to the set, winning 17-16 after a nail-biting final point. Due to the supreme athleticism of our players from the 1st regu, the KR team began to wear down and started committing simple blunders and could no longer match the pace of the game, eventually being beaten soundly in the third set 15-11.
The 2nd regu began tensely as the off-court players continued to take subtle jibes at each other(ok not really subtle it was just BM). KR got off to a flying start in the first set with fast pace and thunderous shots, clinching the first set 11-15. However, they appeared a shadow of themselves just a set later. As our players began settle into the match and get into the roles, with Eusoff’s very own Shawn Yip delivering a superb aerial performance, with Ronaldo-esque jumps and pinpoint accuracy in his headers, set up excellently by his other two teammates on the court, CJ and Keefe, allowing to move ahead, eventually winning the set comfortably 15-11. Going into the third set tied on sets, both teams knew that whoever won the next set would have a significant psychological advantage and a major leg up to take the 2nd regu.
The next set saw KR seizing the early momentum and forging ahead 1-5. Despite this, our three players on the court stuck to their strats and slowly but surely reeled their opponents in, going level at 5-5. From there, each point was closely contested with either point going either way with the score reaching 13-13. The match intensity rose to a point where the KR players had to take a short pause to wipe their sweat off the floors, clearly feeling the heat. Despite the close match in skills, our players stayed cool and pulled ahead to secure the set 15-13 and gain a significant advantage to take the match and proceed on to the finals. As the third set began, the cheering from both sides grew as each team willed their side on, eventually drawing the attention of campus security who was sure we would start an omicron cluster (but he left as we all followed proper SMM!). EH took an early lead, going 9-3 up before the KR team called for a time out in a last-ditch attempt to save the match. The time-out proved beneficial as they chipped away at the lead, pulling the score back to 10-8. However, despite this second wind which KR found, our dauntless players calmy stuck to their game plan and finessed the final few points, winning the final set of the match 15-8, giving them enough to win the match and proceed on to the finals.
The journey so far following EH Takraw has been intense and close-fought over all matches, and it is only deserving that their final match in this IHG season should be in the finals. With the displays they showed today, they can be confident that they will show up in the final and give one heck of a fight. Let’s all give our support to them as they face in their final challenge in becoming IHG champions of 21/22!
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