Aggressive pitching by Hwa Chong skipper Timothy Ng (right) made the major difference. Photo credit: Suresh Nair
By Suresh Nair
SIZE matters in sports, but if you really want to intimidate your opponent, your gung-ho sounding competitive voice will offer a decisive edge, says Hwa Chong Institution (HCI). That's after defeating River Valley High School (RVHS) 6-2 in an “A” Division Boys Softball group match (11 May) in Boon Lay.
Ironically, Boon Lay Avenue is the home ground to RVHS. But it didn’t really give them the much needed home-ground advantage simply because, the Hwa Chongians showed, you need to simply stay focused on yourself and play your own confident game.
Simply put as Hwa Chong skipper Timothy Ng, the match-winning pitcher, says: “Let your opponent see that you are completely unfazed by them.”
Where did we go wrong, asks the RVHS players as the match progresses. Photo credit: Suresh Nair
Hwa Chong’s early 3-0 lead proved domineering and showed that power-play and a consistent aggressive attitude, can make a major match-winning difference. The early lead bolstered team confidence and especially in the battle of the pitchers, Timothy’s leadership got the better of his River Valley opponent, particularly with more accurate and punched-packed deliveries.
“On paper, we looked bigger physically. But it may not tilt the advantage to dominate unless you show the real aggression in your match-play,” says Timothy. “My team-mates rose to the occasion with their discipline and concentration and we enjoyed the final stages of the match, where we took advantage of their poor fielding to score a convincing victory.”
Demoralised RVHS players get a post-match shelling from coach. Photo credit: Suresh Nair
Tensions ranked high in the early innings, but when it boiled down to cooler heads, Hwa Chong stood tall especially with their willingness and desire to do well. He adds: “We had the right fighting spirit from the start and we knew that we had to rise to the occasion against a very competitive RVHS team, with decisive home-ground advantage.”
Timothy’s smart post-match interview message rung a perfect bell: “Setting a psychological edge over your opponent is essential to success in any competitive encounter. In order to get that advantage, it is crucial to develop your own confidence and properly demonstrate it to your opponent.
“But if I may add, it is also necessary to maintain good sportsmanship and civility and we believe that the best method for intimidating your opponent, is by developing practices that accentuate and improve your own confidence.”
Hwa Chong coach gives match-winning sound advice to his team. Photo credit: Suresh Nair
To be fair, RVHS staged a gutsy comeback when they knew the chips were down midway through the innings. But the powerful Timothy-inspired pitching made a significant difference and tilted the match in his team’s favour.
He now believes that Hwa Chong has the mettle to do well. But the title-favourite remains Raffles Institution (RI). But as he says, the secret to his team’s success lies in “absolute teamwork and if every player follows the rules and other guidelines to achieve team-success, we believe we can spring some major surprises”.
(For all the news, post-match interview videos, stories, photos, fanzone details and much more from the 2022 National School Games, do visit our website : go.gov.sg/nationalschoolgames)
Related Articles
Related Topics
Recent Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever, BlogPost 80700409988 Strength Training for Seniors, BlogPost 137536455174 Age Gracefully, Start Strength Training, BlogPost 145856643584 FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers: Singapore vs Korea Republic, BlogPost 144608971564 ActiveSG Football Academy sets up centralised development centres to broaden base for young players, BlogPost 144605361831 Hafiz Osman & sons' love affair with the beautiful game, BlogPost 137536455236 The Golden Years, BlogPost 142676085686 Singapore crowned Mirxes Nations Cup 2023 Champions!]