We are the champion, Mr Simen

SPORTS IN SCHOOLS
To sir with love, from Montfort
By Christopher Ong

Straits Times

EVEN before they started, they were confident of beating Singapore Sports School for the Pilot Pen Cup Schools National B Division Boys' badminton title yesterday.

In fact, so confident were Montfort Secondary School that they printed T-shirts emblazoned with the words 'MR SIMEN We are the CHAMPION''.

Their self-belief was not without reason as they had beaten the Sports School twice this year - 4-1 in the group stage and 5-0 in the North Zone championships.

Explained Christian Y. Christianto, 17: 'We wanted to win for our principal, Mr Simen Lourds.
'We had promised him that we would retain our title.'

Christian kept his part of the bargain, as his powerful smashes helped him to a 21-13, 18-21, 21-14 win over Wang Ding Kang.

From that first-singles victory, Montfort went from strength to strength, winning 3-0 eventually.

Their easy success was not unexpected, as their line-up included the U-16 and U-18 singles champions of last month's Pilot Pen Cup schools individual championships.

The win gave Montfort the double, as they had beaten Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 4-1 in the C Boys' final earlier.

But it was a double heartbreak for the Sports School,who lost 1-3 to Xinmin Secondary in the B Girls' final.

In fact, they had also lost to Montfort and Xinmin in the B Boys' and Girls' finals last year.
However, their B Boys' captain Gabriel Teo was upbeat in defeat.

Said the 16-year-old: 'I believe there will be lots of opportunities to win against them.
'With more training and experience, we'll beat them one day.'

In the C Girls' final, Raffles Girls' School outplayed Nanyang Girls' School 4-1.