PROGRAMMES | LUMEN
9
The
Triumphant Overcomers
By Marc Koh
From 1st - 4th of April , the SJI Artistic Gymnastics team participated in the National Inter-School Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2014 . Our boys went in with high hopes and an indefatigable spirit , after putting in immeasurable amount of effort and energy into training sessions .
The C Division Novice Team comprises : Zon Liew ( Lawrence 103 ), Zac Liew ( Lawrence 102 ), Iain Lim ( Lawrence 102 ) and Wesley Lim ( Marcian 101 ), and another two members taking part in the C Division Optional Event : Toh Pei Qi ( Lawrence 202 ) and Ethan Low ( Marcian 201 ), while the B Division Optional Team : Keefe Cheong ( Michael 402 ), Marcus Teo ( Michael 203 ), Jotham Tan ( Fintan 303 ), Ryan Lee ( Lawrence 302 ), Han Guang ( Fintan 404 ) and Marc Koh ( Fintan 401 ), the gymnasts fought against formidable opponents such as defending giant , Hwa Chong Institution .
The odds were stacked against the SJI team . Having faced the lack of a proper training venue a year ago when the gymnasium at the Malcolm Road campus was converted to house the Senior School students , Captain Keefe said , “ We were worried that we weren ’ t prepared enough as the current training ground was lacking some of the essential equipment .”
However , SJI like the proverbial dark horse , emerged victorious , upsetting the odds and the sceptics . The C Division Novice Team won a total of 9 medals : 6 Bronzes , 2 Silvers and 1 Gold . The C Division Optional boys clinched 2 Bronzes , 4 Silvers , and 1 Gold .
It ’ s the first time that SJI has ever won the B Division title , it has really been an honour to be part of this team and to have done SJI proud .
This page ( bottom ): Our jubilant gymnasts
Han Guang
The B Division boys produced the most outstanding results of all , winning all 8 possible Gold medals , including the Division Title , along with 4 Silvers and 2 Bronzes . Individually , Han Guang , Marc and Jotham brought home the overall 1st , 2nd and 3rd respectively , with scores of 57.084 , 56.201 and 55.817 . “ It ’ s the first time that SJI has ever won the B Division title ,” Han Guang commented . “ It has really been an honour to be part of this team and to have done SJI proud .”
SJI had beaten HCI by a distinct margin of 19 points . “ Things worked out perfectly for us , as we tried our best to get minimal deductions for our routines to make sure we stayed ahead in the competition ,” quipped Jotham .
Such a victory was not just a historical moment for the gymnasts but a testament of their sheer determination and tenacity to overcome the unfavourable circumstances that they faced and their impeccable teamwork .