Table Tennis Review

By Teo Ngee Yong-Vice-Captain

As the scenes of the past flow by our minds as memories, the challenges of the present emerge from beyond..... Last year was an unforgettable year for the whole table tennis team because of the unbelievable fact that all 4 teams namely, the 'C' Division Boys and Girls together with the 'B' boys and girls qualified for the national table tennis championships. It was an incredible moment for us as whole team stood united throughout the competition and cheered one another on during matches, which was actually a historic achievement for both the table tennis team and the school. Like the army rangers once said:' no one will ever be left behind in the scene of battle', which proved to be true for a cohesive team like ours.
Unfortunately, this year due to poor planning among the teachers and coaches, our boys ('B' Division) only managed to secure a bronze medal, barely qualifying for the nationals after an amazing triumph over Victoria School in which the match lasted 4 hours, from 2pm all the way to 6pm. It was a close shave for us as all the matches were closely fought with both sides winning 2 matches each, and the fate of 12 members of the team fell in the hands of our ace player, Lee Chang Sheng. He was chasing the opponent, who was VS's strongest player who was 4 points ahead of him in the final match. At that crucial moment, the score was 9-5. At that point of time, even the coach gave up and any hopes of qualifying for the nationals, but I had faith in him because miracles often do happen during competition. Seemingly, we were all shocked as he called for a time-out by himself without any apparent reason. It was the turning point. After losing 4 points in a row, he suddenly realised that he had to break the momentum of the his repeated losses and calm himself down to regain his composure because he believed in himself and wanted to win so badly that he nearly broke down in tears. Fortunately, in spite of the fact that the coach conceded defeat, he refused admit defeat and with his utmost determination, perseverance and concentration, he focused fully on his game and let his instincts and natural style take over him. Thereafter, he started winning 1 point...2 points...all the way until he won 6 consecutive points in a row and emerged victorious. Emotions were running high as the jubilant crowd of supporters and team mates jumped in joy, with triumphant screams and warm hugs followed, even the coach could not believe her eyes and nodded her head in disbelief. Chang Sheng shouted gaily as tears of relief filled his eyes, crowds of people swarmed in to have handshake with this living miracle. He was prided as a hero then, with repeated chants of his name from the crowd. Meanwhile, the Victorians left the hall discreetly while we were busy celebrating our victory, in their hearts were filled with anguish a sense of disappointment as they were so close to victory but it was the spur of the moment that changed the fate of the 2 teams, which was why it was extremely memorable for him and the team.
In the mean time, the other teams were putting up their own fight for the trophy and the championship title. Let's thank those who supported us throughout this tournament and the players who spent countless days training. Finally, let's hope for the best and last of all I cordially invite those interested parties to come and support us during our nationals. Thank you.