Denise is RI squash's Captain Marvel

Good captains are known to lead by example and inspire their teammates when the chips are down.

A select few, like Raffles Institution's (RI) squash captain, Denise Lim, make sacrifices for her mates.

The 18-year-old passed up on the opportunity to represent the Singapore Combined Schools team earlier this year so that more junior players could take her place.

Lim, who captained the RI girls to the National A Division title this year, attended the Combined Schools trials in March.

There, she found she was seeded, along with some of her teammates - based on their performances for Raffles Institution - and were therefore picked without having to undergo selection.

"After us, there were about 20 players vying for two more spots, so we decided to give up our places," said Lim, who picked up her first racquet at 12.

"We had a few reasons.

"One was that we had already played in district tournaments before, and the younger players should be given a chance.

EXPOSURE

"Squash is not a very popular sport in Singapore, so it's better that more people gain exposure."

It was a move that didn't surprise her coach Allan Chang, who testified to Lim's leadership qualities.

"She's a soft-spoken and a kind person, but when it comes down to business, she becomes a lioness," Chang said.

"Once, I mentioned to her that the team's fitness level was not good enough.

"Without a word, she took the initiative of taking her teammates running at MacRitchie (reservoir), outside of training. That's the kind of captain she is."

Two months after the trials, Lim played captain marvel again; this time on court during the National A Division squash championships.

She led her team to a 4-1 triumph over Hwa Chong Institution, winning her match that sparked a comeback after RI had lost the opening game.

It was a sweet revenge for Lim, who lost to Hwa Chong in last year's final.

"I lost my match last year because I was super nervous," said Lim.

"This year, I was more confident.

"I didn't want to disappoint anybody, neither my coach nor my teammates."

Lim, who played for the national youth team for two years after she turned 13, is not planning to take up the sport professionally.

"I have other ambitions, like studying healthcare in the UK," she explained.

"But I won't ever stop playing squash."