"I guess we'll have to walk."

Tan Thiam Peng

In a rather sad and disappointing turn of things, Hall 4 has been kicked out of Inter Hall Games Rugby without even stepping onto the field.

For Rugby Day One, we were slated to play our group matches - first against Hall 3, then to see if we were to move into the Winners' or Losers' Pool, before a possible third group match. Hence on this day, all quarter finalists would be decided, meaning that since we were walkover-ed, we are completely out of this year's IHG Rugby.

A visibly disappointed Praga, the team manager and also captain, expressed to Publications that Hall 4 actually stood a good chance against Hall 3, and therefore we might have done better this year than last. Unfortunately, absentees, injuries and late withdrawals reduced an originally ample squad into the mere five ruggers who showed up. As the convenor rushed us to register our hall, Praga and Sports Secretary Hsi En tried their best to rally support from simply anyone available in hall. Since it was a Sunday, resources were stretched.

With the convenor put in a spot and his deadline for us looming, Praga made the hard decision to withdraw, upon consulting Hsi En as well.


Here are some shots of IHG Rugby itself, without us.

The reputable and feared Hall 2 team. They went on to blaze through their two opponents and easily advanced to the Quarters.

Halls 9 and 12 in a ruck.

IHG Rugby defending champions Hall 6 in their warm-up drills, under the instruction of their captain.

Two favourites warming up. fore: Hall 7. back: Hall 6.

Perfect line-out. Hall 3 (in yellow) went on to upset the group favourites Hall 7.

Hall 6, all ready for their late opponents. The defending champions, missing their two injured stars, went on to lose both matches and were eliminated in the group stage.

"Bat of Damocles"

The warriors of hall IV unite again this day to battle once more for the pride and glory of Ohmers.. this time its on the softball field.

This morning, the sword of damocles hung perilously over our heads. Having lost 13-8 in the previous round against hall 3, this match against hall 13 would potentially send us swirling down to the bottom end of the competition. There was no doubt, we had to win here to salvage any chance of recovering from our wounded pride.

Having trained and preped this time round, our players were looking good. We had the aura of champions. It really felt like we could win this.

But the start of the game was horrifying. It seemed like a spell was cast to make lame our arms and feet. Our batters left the field one after another 'struck out'. This was a dangerous moment. our score was a flat zero!

The turn came for hall 13 to strike. Emblazoned on the back of our opponents was the word, 'Triskaidekaphobic', meaning 'having a fear for the number 13' and concidentally, this day was a friday. Suddenly, the skies appeared gloomier than before and the ohmers felt a sudden chill graze their spines.

Amidst the gloom, a solitude figure stood adamant on the center field. Without our star pitcher, David, our replacement, Paul, had taken over the reins. The pressure building up within him must have been overwhelming. He must know that he was the only hope left.

Phobia soon turned into superstition. Paul was a miracle! Ball after ball hit the black part of the home base, sending the opposing players back where they came from. It almost appeared like he was possessed.

However, while our confidence was slowly amassing, 1 ball connected with the opponent's bat and flew right up. Our breathing suddenly ceased.

When the ball landed solidly, the Triskaidekaphobics stopped died in their tracks. Our catcher, Johnson, held the ball high up in his raised glove, tongue in cheek and smiling.

The score was now 0-0.

Having had a second chance, our players burnt with spirit. We attacked ferociously, scoring hits after hits. One such brilliant hit was from our president, Gary. His bat brought our players running back home.

A deliciously looking score now reflected in our eyes, 11-0. We were clearly victorious.

Not unexpectedly, the end score was 11-3. Good game, Ohmers!

-Ngoh Chun Rong

Bulls Eye

It was 2 days of intense throwing and waiting for our darts team. If you were there, you'll see a lineup of dart boards in the indoor hall of hall 8 and clusters of players from the different halls waiting for their round to start. I'm not the best blogger around, so bear with me.

Our team had to play a total of 7 qualifying rounds, with 5 rounds on the first day and 2 rounds on the second day. And between each round they had to wait an hour for the next group to finish their round. That's at least 5 hours spent on waiting and nearly 5 hours of game play. Praises to them for their commitment and endurance.

Our darts team

Waiting for the next round

Each of our players had their own style and proved skillful in their throws. The rotation between our players and opponents was so fast that you can't really tell the details of each of their games unless you are the umpire sitting there taking scores. Throughout, all our players were just focusing on their game to win for hall 4.

It's a classic... Look at the centre of the board. The player is Alex.

Our team conceded the first 2 rounds narrowly, with a score of 2-3 for both of them. But in the next 5 rounds, they fought hard and managed to win 2 rounds.

Here's some shots of them throwing:

Though our darts team didn't make it to the next stage, we got to cheer them for their hard fight and commitment. They are the ones who spent more than 10 hours in 2 days for this competition. Well done!

Cruise Control

Good day everyone. If you've come in search of high quality badminton, huge excitement and good commentary, then I shall quote you words of wisdom from rock legend Meat Loaf: two out of three ain't bad.

The Ohmers were up against Hall 13 today, and although the match was slated to start at 3pm, our shuttlers were in the SRC badminton hall long before for their warmup. To the uninitiated, the Hall 4 players are clad in their smart, white badminton jerseys.

On a side note, Hall 3 seemed to have brought down an army of supporters, despite it being only the preliminary rounds still. Fair play to them, though, as they served to liven up the otherwise dreary atmosphere in the badminton hall.

Our players' gear.

With a luxury of experienced players in our team, the odds appeared to be in our favour right from the get-go. Paul was sent on as our male singles player in the lineup, and he ensured that Hall 4 enjoyed a fairly smooth-flowing opening game, winning his tie in straight sets. 1-0 to Hall 4.

Paul serving to his opponent.

Next up was our female singles player, Li Si. Play began with a few uncharacteristic mistakes by the Ohmer, but her well-trained footwork gave her the upper hand in terms of movement around the court, allowing her ample time to place her shots. As the game progressed, Li Si began to capitalize on her advantage and managed to emulate Paul, with a straight sets victory. 2 points to the good for Ohmers.

Li Si in action.

With 2 points in the bag already, one might have assumed our men's doubles pairing of Zhiye and Hall 4 captain Alex would take their proverbial feet off the pedal and ease the pressure on their opponents, but it proved to be wishful thinking - almost, anyway. Employing a variety of short and flick serves, our players kept their opponents on their toes throughout the game. It must be said, however, that at times there were lapses in concentration as though our doubles pairing had contrived to commit unusual errors, and we were perhaps fortunate not to concede careless points. Luck was on our side, though, and we wrapped up the game with an overall victory in the bag. 3-0 to Hall 4.

 Zhiye fires a jump-smash as Alex guards the net up front.

Although the game was effectively concluded, both halls agreed to play the remaining two lineups in the spirit of sportsmanship. Hence, Vicki and Shuying took to the court for our fourth match. At this point, credit must be given to Hall 13's players for putting up a brave fight and giving our girls a run for their money. It was a closely-fought match, occasionally nerve-wracking for both sides' supporters, but our girls emerged unscathed in straight sets.

Vicki serving.

Oh my.

If you have read this far, I will assume you got over the above pseudo-loving photo. Right then, on to our last match for the day, featuring our pairing of Shaline and Johnson, which turned out to be the most interesting game of the day. Pitted against a 'tower of opposition' in the form of Hall 13's male half of the mixed doubles, our Ohmers had their work cut out for them.

An entertaining match to conclude the day.

Team captain giving some quick advice in between sets.

Relative to the previous four games, this appeared to be an error-strewn match in comparison, as miscommunication between partners on both sides of the court were apparent. Eventually it manifested itself in a 'killer stare' by Hall 13's male player toward his partner, as he dived across the court to rescue a shot which his partner had left for him to retrieve. His stare, though, was more funny than menacing, it has to be said.

The match ended with victory going to Hall 4. Although the scoreline read 5-0 in our favour, it would be foolish to assume our opponents were easy pickings. Our shuttlers were made to work hard for their victories, and the score was arguably flattering to our general play, but this is something we can build on in preparation for our upcoming matches.

Our victorious shuttlers.

Rock on!

clubs. diamonds. hearts. spades

For those of you do not know what contract bridge is, let me give you a brief intro to this spectacular game. It is not like an ordinary game of bridge. It is far more complicated! It requires you and your partner to communicate through bids, in certain orders and responses, in order to come out with the final bid to trash your opponents. The bids allow you to find out how good your partners cards are, and which suit he is strong in.

Yewee reading up on the game tactics on the way to hall 8
So let’s get down to today's games. Hall 4 competed against Hall 12, 7 and 1. The team consisted of 7 people, 4 of which were freshies, and thus, noobs in the sense. The games were challenging and it required much concentration.

Round one- yehwee and isabelle

At each time, 2 players from one hall will be playing north south against another hall's east west. The cards are prearranged before hand. The red colour in this picture stands for vulnerability round. This means you will lose double the points if you fail to meet the bid.

A game of four players- north south east west

To our disadvantage, Hall 12 and Hall 1 had many experienced players. After 3 rounds (24 sets altogether), guess what!

Hall 4 did not make it into the quarter finals. But, no sweat. It is not about winning, it is the spirit of learning. I'm sure the ohmers had a lot of fun defending and attacking their opponents.

Well done hall 4!

Hockey Women III: Now the good news

Boxing day special treat for Hall 4 hockey girls, and oh, hurray... Hehe
Yeap that is our team photo, except that our dear goalie wasn't donning her armour.

Shaline and the Hall1 girl standing behind seemed spellbound..

I don't know, I just don't get it. Why do the girls always win when they adopt this formation? 3 defenders stationing as still as they can be. They even stood in line for this shot upon the photographer's request.








OUCH! Whoever gets her feet hit by her stick won't be smiling. Our captain doesn't hold anything back.








This is a picture of the armchair critics. More of them on video. Okay almost forgot to mention the ending score of 2-0 Hall4 vs Hall1.

Rock on hockers!

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Hockey Men III: Friday Night Lights

This marks the end of the IHG Hockey season for the guys of Hall 4. It was difficult to see the match seal itself at the very last moment. The loss is no cause for sadness, because if you were present to watch its proceedings, you would have found plenty to cheer for.

Staying happy is the key to feeling as though you have won, inside your heart. Look at this clown, our Sports Secretary. The rest of the guys were watching the previous on-going match.








Here's one taken by Hsi En. It took him about 10 shots to get a clear one like this, providing good reason to feel suspicious about his photography skills.






From top L to R:
Daniel, Chun Rong, Hsi En, Ken Yee, Jianli, Gary
From bottom L to R:
xxx, Kelson, Jamie, Khee Meng, Hong Ming, Praga
(P.S. Whichever blogeditor who knows their name, please kindly help to fill it up. TYVM)



Our brave goalie. You should have seen how Hall 5's first goal was scored. The ball went in so hard that it knocked Kenyee's handguard off and rolled in. He did save the second shot, making the match end with a respectable scoreline.

Final score was 0-1, Hall4 vs Hall5

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Here's an ending.

Slow and Steady...

Game 2 of the guys Volleyball match was postponed on the 22nd to the 27th due to the rain and it was in a way a blessing in disguise for the Hall 4 players. One of the players were not able to make it on the initial scheduled date while another had a sprained ankle and we thought that would be the end of our journey. Lucky for us, we were back in full force today to face off with Hall 9 to qualify for the Quarter-finals.

However, things didn't seem to be promising when the first set began. We were having troubles with our receiving, coordination and service, leading to a devastating 2-12 start. After a brief time-out, we managed to slowly creep back into the game, and the opponents were slightly taken aback. We narrowed the gap to 4, but it was too late, we lost the first set 21-25.

It was like a completely different game in the second set. We had an incredible 5-0 run and things started to work in our way. We kept our composure and played the game in our own pace, eventually making a remarkable set win 25-13. It was indeed tougher in the third set, as it was the deciding set, both teams were determined to earn themselves a place in the Quarter-finals. It was a point for point game, make it or break it, any error will prove detrimental to the team. We weren't giving up that easily, hence we battled on and managed to have a slight edge over Hall 9. Over time, more and more errors were made by the Hall 9 players, we just kept our cool. With the many outstanding blocks by our centre Hsi En and spikes from our team captain Geoffrey, we gave no chance at all for the opponents and nailed the set 25-20, hence winning the game. It was a commendable effort by our players and we will definitely look forward to the next round, with many more hard battles to come.

Getting all psyched up for the game

Hsi En in action

Eyes on the ball...

Great spike from Geoffrey

The ball ain't coming over..no way.

The End of a Brave Campaign

Tan Thiam Peng

Hall 4's female basketball team was finally unleashed to play, after a couple of postponements to this impending Losers' Pool game with our neighbours Hall 5. After tasting defeat in our first game, we had to win this one to keep our hopes of making the Quarters alive. Unfortunately, the fiery spirit of our girls could not pull them through ultimately.

Team manager and point guard Jean was optimistic before the game. On our chances, she said, "I think we have quite a good chance of winning." Her optimism was admirable, and at the same time infectious, as the team displayed high spirits in the warm-up and practice. The team was confident as the opponents were not a very strong team.

Warming up and ready for the game.

The opening jump-ball.

It was evident at the start that although we had a team of sporty girls, we lacked height as compared to our opponents. But for what we lacked, we definitely made up with heart. The team had already tuned themselves psychologically for a fierce battle with a Hall that is becoming our arch-rival.

We started the game brightly, and it was also clear from the word "Go" that it was going to be a messy affair. They fouled our talented sportsgirl Liyan early and she converted one of her free throws to open the scoring. We had hoped that it would open the floodgates. But the opening quarter was to be a tight one, as both sides strove to gain control.

We were to gain the upper hand in the early stages. The starting five of Carol, Liyan, Shiyun, Yingsze and Huisze was lively and hardworking, and our reserves were actually secret weapons too. Huisze and Liyan hit two more baskets to boost our hopes.

But things went downhill from there. Hall 5 adopted the right strategy to put our girls under intense pressure and, without strong technical players in our team, we fumbled and lost the initiative.

Fortunes were not looking good and anticipating that, Jean threw herself on to try to control the game as the point guard. She was technically sound, but as our opponents quickly found out that she is our main ball-carrier, they ganged her continuously and it became tough for her.

Time-out team talk.

In a long barren stretch for us, Hall 5 went on a good scoring run while we could only reply with a basket from Yingsze. They pulled away and our girls seemed demoralised.

We then threw on the effervescent Nellie, who beefed up our aggression in the face of an opponent that was slowly descending into using cheap aggressive play. The game got worse and almost ugly, and we sent Hazel on as another layer to protect our girls. Our opponents were clearly using violent tactics to frustrate us, and our players fell victim to them. Instead of replying with good basketball, we had to focus on neutralising their violent tactics. Frustration caught up with us and we subsequently forgot to play ball, allowing Hall 5 to score easy baskets.

Nellie, who was in the thick of things throughout the time she was on-court, hit one of her free throws after being fouled, and Carol, one of the more dominant players on-court, and the focus of our offence, left it late and converted two baskets.

But it was not enough. The game ended on a sour note, both in the 12-23 scoreline, and the way it was played. It was rather wasted as Hall 5 was not a strong team. But the spirit of Hall 4 shone through. The girls never gave up the fight and that deserves respect from all Ohmers. Till the next IHG then.