![Kang Zi Quan from the Yellow sports house participated in three races and won three gold medals. [Photo by Saw Eng Kiar]](/images/Articles/JY/2023/KL20230715_syj02_285.jpg "Kang Zi Quan from the Yellow sports house participated in three races and won three gold medals. [Photo by Saw Eng Kiar]")
On July 15, 2023, Tzu Chi International School Kuala Lumpur held its annual sports day for its secondary school. With this year’s theme, “We Unite through Sports”, it is hoped that students could experience the real power of teamwork and unity through their participation in the sports day.
In order to give every student the opportunity to participate in the sports day, teachers at Tzu Chi International School (TCISKL) put in a great deal of efforts in the planning. Besides the sports games and competitions like marching, cheerleading, photo areas, and tent design for sports houses, a sports week was organised from July 10 to 14.
Throughout the sports week, the campus was abuzz with activities as various games took place. Meanwhile, the design teams worked hard on posters, costumes and props for the marching teams, photo areas, tents and so on. The marching and cheerleading squads raced against time to practise for their best performance, while another group of students actively participated in station games to earn points for their respective sports houses.
The heat of competition climaxed on July 15. On that day, although the sky was still dark in the early morning, the field was already illuminated and alive with the arrival of teachers and students, one after another. Those in charge of designs arrived even earlier to decorate the tents for their respective sports houses before the big day began. Soon, the tents for all four sports houses were ready, standing out in their distinctive blue, green, red, and yellow colours.
As daylight gradually set in, the school principal and heads of departments arrived at the sports field. Teachers took their positions, and students formed orderly lines, while parents in the spectator area raised their phones to capture precious moments for their children.
The scouts confidently paraded onto the sports field, carrying the national and school flags. Then, the marching troop, cheerleading squad, and athletes of the competing sports houses of Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green, took turns marching in to the rhythm of the music, exhibiting high spirits. The team members dressed in heroic costumes used their creativity to catch the attention of the judges – some shouted slogans in unison, some danced, and others imitated the aura of heroic warriors. The audience responded with continuous applause and cheers. Notably, the Green sports house’s marching troop won the first place in the march-past competition with their extraordinary African dance element.
◎ Cheerleading squads with teams’ spirit
The cheering squads put on fantastic shows with their rhythmic movements, impressing the audience. It was the result of their hard work for over a week, and their performance exceeded all expectations.
Among the cheerleaders, Phua Shang Zhe, a Grade 10 student from the Blue sports house stood out with his lively dance steps and body movements, attracting lots of attention. Initially, Shang Zhe had considered joining the design team, but his friends saw his potential as a cheerleader due to his outstanding dancing skills. Hesitant at first, he eventually decided to sign up, only to find that all the places were already filled. Later, another member dropped out, granting him the opportunity to participate.
Once he joined the team, he thoroughly enjoyed practising and discussing dance moves with his fellow members, which led to the formation of strong bonds of friendship. To improve his skills, he even searched the Internet for relevant dance videos as references.
Their chosen dance routine was challenging with a fast tempo, requiring numerous practice sessions. Shang Zhe emphasised the importance of teamwork and a serious attitude for a successful performance. He said, “When every member practises diligently and dances in synchronisation, the team’s spirit will naturally arise.”
Shang Zhe was relieved when he heard the loud applause from the audience. He expressed gratitude for the meaningful and enjoyable times he had shared with fellow team members.
The exceptional formation of the Blue sports house’s cheerleading squad earned them the first place in the competition.
◎ Total trust – A key to winning a relay race
In the opening remarks, Principal Khoo Li Lin said, “Sports teach us life values. It instils in us discipline, teamwork, resilience, and persistence. Today is the day that you showcase your skills, your talents, and also your showmanship.” She hoped that the students would unite through sports and create wonderful memories for their schooling journeys, regardless of the competition outcomes.
The sports field was bustling with life, with various events such as field track races, shot put throwing, high jumps, long jumps, and other games taking place. The teachers also joined in by competing in the 60-metre track race and a 500-metre relay race. The atmosphere was further enlivened with various performances like diabolo, taekwondo, and rope skipping.
Kang Zi Quan a 10th-grader from the Yellow sports house, participated in the 100-metre, 4x100-metre, and 4x200-metre track races. He loved jogging from a young age, and motivated by the desire to win the race for his sports house, he had undergone rigorous training, practising three times a week, with each session lasting 1.5 hours. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and an injury he sustained last year before the sports meet, he did not have the chance to participate in a competition for the past three years. This time, his training efforts paid off, as he won three gold medals for his sports house.
After the race, he Zi Quan felt immense relief and was delighted with his results. He shared that the relay race had taught him the importance of mutual understanding and trust among team members, especially during the baton exchange. Trusting his teammate without looking back during the handover allowed him to run forth without wasting any time.
For Zi Quan, besides the three gold medals, his biggest takeaway was realising that when everyone in the team fulfils their responsibilities and unites as a cohesive unit, they can earn points for the entire team.
◎ Do one’s best, leave no regrets
The atmosphere was filled with excitement as the tug-of-war event was about to begin. Competing in this intense battle were the Green sports house against the Red sports house for the male category, and the Blue sports house facing the Red sports house for the female category.
As soon as the whistle was blown and the rope was released, the supporters erupted in cheers and shouts, mimicking the action of pulling the rope, as if their spirited encouragement could grant additional strength to the participants.
Kong Chern Jun, a 10th-grader who represented the Green sports house, was the popular captain of the sports house. He promised himself to play his role well and lead his team to victory. As the captain, he appointed a few subgroup leaders to assist and care for all the groups within the Green sports house. He made a conscious effort to pay attention to those not participating in the sports event, approaching each one individually to understand their concerns and offer help. When he noticed that his teammates were losing points in one of the station games due to neglecting the importance of defence while attacking, he promptly reminded them to adjust their strategy and strike a balance between attacking and defending.
He shared, “We also arranged for a few experienced teammates to stay at the station game area and share their own experiences with every Green team member who came to participate, in order to increase our sports house’s chances of winning. Everyone cooperated, and I truly loved the atmosphere where everyone was putting in efforts for their respective sports houses.”
Chern Jun greatly appreciated the mutual support demonstrated during the games, saying, “During the tug-off-war game, our teammates who did not participate cheered us on while we exerted all our might. Their companionship and encouragement were our greatest source of support. The feeling of ‘oneness’ was an important factor in all events, motivating the participants to fight on.”
Chern Jun had indeed given his best as a captain. Besides actively participating in field games and taking care of his team members, he also encouraged them to participate in station games by setting an example himself. To him, regardless of the final outcomes, they would have no regrets as long as they had given their best efforts.
◎ Champion trophy for unity
The captain of the Red sports house, Lim Jia Yi, revealed that his team had secured third place at the previous sports meet, but this year, they aimed to become the overall champion. As a 10th-grader, he knew that next year he would not be eligible for important positions due to school regulations requiring 11th-graders to focus on examination preparations. Therefore, he cherished the opportunity to be the captain this year and was determined to lead his team to realise their dream of becoming the overall champion.
To rally the entire Red sports house, Jia Yi, along with several other members, visited all the classes to encourage their teammates to actively take part in the activities and competitions, as their chances of winning would greatly increase if every member participated.
Since the team members came from different classes and might not be familiar with one another, Jia Yi and fellow team members made every effort to foster unity. They acted as the cheering team whenever a member from their sports house participated in any competition, providing support and motivation. This approach proved to be effective in boosting the participants’ fighting spirit and morale.
When the Red sports house was announced as the Overall Champion for the annual sports day, the ground erupted with shouts of excitement and joy. Their hard work and determination had paid off, and they had managed to rise from third place to become the Overall Champion, achieving a remarkable feat.
Jia Yi expressed his gratitude to the court games team leaders, who had chosen their players carefully, trained them up, and planned for play strategies. The Red sports house’s excellent performance in court games significantly contributed to their overall victory. He also thanked all members of the Red sports house for their teamwork and mutual support, as well as the teachers for their moral support and guidance.
Jia Yi pointed out that their success was gained through a tough fight. Their unwavering determination and refusal to give up were the key factors that led to their triumph.
He further reflected that although all sports houses aimed to win, the spirit of friendship and camaraderie was more important. That was why the Red sports house emerged as the Overall Champion without losing friends from other sports houses.
◎ Happy parents cheering from the spectator area
For the parents, the sports day was an important occasion as well. Carol Chong’s son had just enrolled in TCISKL Grade 7 this year. She revealed that it was her son’s first participation in a sports meet, as he had never been outstanding in any sports event.
She shared, “When the teacher asked the students to choose their preferred sports events, my son was unsure as he had never participated in a sports day before. I suggested that he joined the marching team, and encouraged him to have confidence in himself and explore new things. Since he lacked confidence in sports events, he joined the Green sports house’s marching team and the rowing team.”
The sports day gave her son a strong sense of involvement. During the sports week, he discussed with his family about using eco-friendly materials to build the boat for the rowing competition. Carol shared, “Our whole family took the competition seriously. My son said that as part of the team, he wanted to learn to cooperate with his captain and contribute to his sports house.”
Carol observed the excellent team spirit displayed by the students and praised all sports houses for their commendable performances. She believed that the teachers, team leaders, school, and everyone involved had put in a lot of efforts in the preparations, and she was deeply moved by their dedication to creating a positive learning environment for the students.
Another family, Aw Sze Wei, Koh Bee Kim, and their 7th-grader son, cheered for all the participants from under a large sunshade. Their son enthusiastically participated in various events, including marching, basketball, station games, and running. Bee Kim informed that her son decided to participate in as many events as possible because he noticed a lack of participation initially. He wanted to contribute by earning points for his sports house.
Throughout the sports week, their son shared with the family a lot of news from school about the sports and competition results. The parents took the opportunity to teach him the importance of team spirit and sportsmanship, which can only be truly experienced through personal involvement.
The parents highly appreciated the school’s thoughtful and fantastic arrangement of a dedicated sports week, as it allowed the children to immerse themselves in sports activities without the burden of their studies, and provided them with a great opportunity to make new friends, develop deeper friendships, learn from one another, and experience the significance of teamwork and cooperation among group members. They also believed that such social group experiences will be beneficial for the children’s future transition from school to society.
◎ A memorable sports meet in spite of challenges
Teacher Chuah Yu Tian, who joined TCISKL as a Physical Education (PE) teacher last year, had to take charge of the secondary school sports day just 15 days after assuming the position as the PE subject lead. She admitted, “I hesitated when I was recommended for the subject lead position. However, I accepted the challenge two days later, as I believed I could do it.”
The greatest driving force behind organising the sports meet came from the students’ anticipation. It was the only week throughout the academic year when they could put away their books, step out of the classrooms, and wholeheartedly engage in sports and related activities. In fact, students had been asking about the following year’s event even after the previous year’s sports day.
She shared, “During the five-day sports week, the students accepted many challenges, including some ball games that were not their strong suits. However, they courageously participated and actively learned, unexpectedly developing an interest in these activities. Some even requested the teachers to include more ball games in their PE lessons.”
Teacher Chuah was glad that the programmes for the sports week went smoothly and felt grateful for the favourable weather on the sports day. Despite the stress caused by some schedule delays due to her high expectations for herself, she was touched by the students’ joy when receiving awards and the high-spirited cheers from the teams.
The creative designs of the students, particularly the posters and designs at the photo areas, greatly surprised her. She remarked, “Many of them have great potential and talent, but they may not have the opportunity to showcase their abilities. Actually, every one of them has strengths in certain aspects; we only need to provide the platforms, and they could excel.” She hoped that the 2023 sports day would be truly memorable for the students.
(Arranged by Gan Chian Nee)
