Interviewer: Michelle Perera
Editor: Angel
Photograph: KE Vision (Photocomm)
A fervent excitement sweeps over KE7 with the onset of the all-conclusive Inter Hall Games: the ultimate battle of victory amongst hall-dwellers. And there’s one word that always puts a smile on KEVIIans faces when it comes to IHG… I’m talking about squash… The sunny yellow fruit… the sparkling orange juice… squash is a word that encompasses it all. But the most exciting version of the word here at KE is the one which sits on a board near a white walled, shiny floored room near the KE Main Entrance.
Part of the appeal for squash here at KE is that it is a sport with a history of victories. Having won the IHG Squash Tournament for 3 consecutive years, the anticipation that greets this year’s tournament is to be expected. We speak to Sean Ang, coach of KE7’s boy’s squash team, as well as ex- captain of the NUS Varsity Team, to get the inside story…
Hi Sean, I’m sure it must be an exciting (not to mention hectic) time for you. How does it feel to be the captain of the reigning IHG Squash Championing Team during the onset of the games this year?
It feels great! Ever since I came here, I wanted KE to win. Last year, KE won a double gold, and for me, that was like a dream come true. The guys have been winning for several years, but when the girls won against KR last year, there was a lot of hype and excitement. We are hoping to do well again this year.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Sean. What got you interested in squash in the first place? How long have you been playing the game?
I’ve been playing squash since I was 13. It began as a CCA at secondary school, because I was kicked out of badminton and the coach didn’t let me stay on to fight for my place in the team. I continued to play for my JC, Hwa Chong. I now play for KE and coach the team, and I am also playing for the NUS varsity team, as we as my squash club, New Pioneers.
I am from pharmacy, and I eventually picked KE as my hall of residence, due to its close proximity to the faculty. It’s been great to coach and train with the team these past 3 years, and my goal is for KE to keep winning. The team is extremely committed, especially the girls. In fact, last year some of the girls request for training sessions at 1am! They are a hardworking bunch, and I’m certain they would go a long way.
You have achieved great things in squash… To be the captain of the NUS Varsity Team is obviously no easy task. So did you ever consider playing squash professionally?
I haven’t thought of playing professionally, simply because it is extremely difficult to be a professional squash player in Singapore. I started at the age of 13. Professional players begin at the age of 5 and pretty much don’t do anything other than squash for the rest of their lives. Also, it isn’t that easy to earn a living just by playing squash here.
What does it take to succeed in squash?
First of all, fitness. Here we get fit to play squash, not play squash to get fit. A survey was done recently, which showed that squash is the 2nd best sport next to swimming, because it really trains all parts of the body.
Agility is also very important as the ball moves very fast and we need to be quick to react to those shots.
Other than that, you also need to develop finer skills and know where to place the ball so that it is out of reach of your opponents, so that you put them under pressure. It’s very much a “thinking” game.
Sean Ang at last year's IHG match
What makes the KE7 team so good at squash? What are the strengths of our team? Who are the ‘star’ players on the team?
The guys team is very experienced, and even a little experience can carry you a long way in IHG Squash. On the other hand, the girls team is less experienced but extremely hard working. Hard work pays off.
There aren’t any ‘stars’ in particular, but I think that is the best thing about our team. A winning team is always a balanced team, and I guess we’re fortunate that the general level of the guys team is rather commendable
Who are KE’s main competitors? Do you know the opponents you would be playing against at the upcoming tournaments, and do you use specific strategies when planning games against players or teams you have played against in the past?
Well traditionally, KR and Eussoff. In fact, may of the teams are coming up quite well, like Raffles Hall. And yes, I do know my opponents. Many of them are my friends and we play together at inter-varsity level, or I know them through IHG last year when I was the convenor.
Could you describe a typical day at squash practice?
Well, we start out with a warm up, and finish up by doing court sprints that involve running across the length of the court 20 times in one minute. We do this in sets of 1, 3 and 5. The girls are already doing sets of 5. You should ask them how strenuous it is. As I said before, squash is a game that really tests your limits and our training sessions are definitely quite strenuous.
Squash is very much an individual game, in that you play your opponents alone or with just one partner. Is there such a thing as teamwork in squash?
Well, it is an individual game. Doubles squash requires a different court size and such courts are very rare in Singapore. We don’t have them here at NUS so we play singles. And yes, the great thing about squash is that you can train individually. But it is also a team sport in that we train together and drive each other to give our best. Because if you play for yourself, you can’t go very far. Ultimately, it is the team spirit that keeps us going, and every shot we play is a shot we play for our team. That’s what drives us to train hard, test our limits and succeed. Just ask the girls team last year
Any final comments you’d like to add?
Well, I’d like to wish everyone all the best for the upcoming games – Yes, winning is important, but we must also remember to go forward and make friends. Because that is what sportsmanship is all about – challenging yourself, working as a team to support each other and reaching out to make friends. That is the spirit of IHG.
I’d also like to thank Janice and Christopher Tham for all the good work they’ve put in to the teams this year. Without their commitment, things would not be as wonderful as they are now.
Thank you very much Sean, and wish you all the very best for the upcoming IHG games and your future.
Thanks!
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