ACS (I) cement status as squash kings with fifth straight B Div title

Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) continued their winning streak in the National School Games B Division boys' squash as they defeated St Andrew's Secondary School 4-1 in the final at Kallang Squash Centre on April 30.

In a repeat of last season's final where they prevailed 5-0, ACS (I) subdued a spirited effort from St Andrew's to clinch their fifth straight boys' B title.

Evan Shee put ACS (I) in control in the opening match, but not without some effort, as he overcame the pressure to beat Lee Zheng Zhe 11-4, 11-5, 11-9.

"The first game was very important, especially when it would have really given the whole team a confidence boost. There's definitely a lot of pressure because it can make a difference," said Evan.

Although he went behind on several occasions, the 15-year-old demonstrated great resilience to come back and win his match.

"I trained almost every day," said Evan, who is part of Singapore's national squash team.

"Playing more tournaments and competitions helped me ease my mind and made sure that I was calm, especially when I was down. I learnt how to adapt and ensure that I am able to handle the pressure and these types of scenarios."

Evan's performance set the tone for the rest of the final. Captain Ethan Tan built on the momentum to beat Richard Allan Durrani 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 before Rehaan Singh saw off Gabriel Chew 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 to seal the title for ACS (I).

"I'm very proud of my team's performance today. It is a privilege to play for the school so being able to be a part of this and lead my team to victory was very good," said Ethan, 15.

When asked about how the team dealt with the tag of being the overwhelming favourites, he said: "From a ranking perspective, yes, ACS (I) is the favourite, but I feel like managing pressure comes with experience."

Experience is something ACS (I) do not lack when it comes to B Division squash, with this being their fifth straight title since 2019, excluding the Covid-19 stricken years of 2020 and 2021.

A clean sweep was on the cards when Ethan Kuan beat Rayhan Chirang Samtani 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 for a 4-0 lead. But Nic Tay, also a national player, conjured an almighty comeback by overcoming Hugo Tay 7-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 to prevent a whitewash, much to the delight of the raucous St Andrew's supporters.

"I could really hear the roar from the supporters. It motivated me to push through even though I was 2-0 down," said Nic, 15.

"The first two sets I wasn't really performing well and I was not that focused... But I told myself to just keep pushing, keep fighting and try to win a point for St Andrew's," he added.

The decision to field him in the last match was a strategic one, although it did not work out in the end.

"At first we wanted to play me at No. 1 (the first match), but we thought that ACS (I) would put their best players last so we changed it a bit and played me last," said Nic.

St Andrew's vice-captain Aadarsh Rao was satisfied despite seeing the team play second fiddle again. He added: "The majority of us came in having almost no experience playing squash, but we all put in a lot of effort over the last four years and we went on to consecutively get multiple medals as a team."

"(Today) none of us lacked in any department. We went for every ball, went for every shot. I'm so happy with our result. I'm proud of ourselves for how far we've gone," said the 15-year-old.

In the third-placed play-off, Raffles Institution beat National Junior College 4-1.