We broke new ground this year when our OVA Recreational Soccer (OVARS) team went to play against VIOBA (Victoria Institution) in the inaugural Daniel’s Cup tournament on 5th April 2008, in Kuala Lumpur.

We came back with the Cup and more importantly, established friendship and alumni relations with our Malaysian ‘cousins’.

We are expected to host them next year and hopefully turn it into an annual event to develop the new friendship.

Reflections from Zan

 

 

All of us really enjoyed ourselves, despite some, reaching Kuala Lumpur as late as 6am on Saturday morning and having only 2 hours of rest before preparing for our Game at 10am.

We reached KL on Friday at 3pm and being the good Victorian footballers, we checked out the Victoria Institution ground, which was only about 15 minutes walk from where we were putting up. Upon reaching there, we were welcomed by the VIOBA Sports Secretary, Mr Rashdan himself personally.

Well, I can personally tell you that the pitch was HUGE !!! and HUMONGOUS !!! but knowing the fitness level of my fellow Victorians, and after discussing with OVARS Manager, Mr Ken Loy, all of us, ya-ya only, agreed to the proposal of playing 3 halves of 40 minutes each! Of course, we did not tell our host that it was for our benefit, so that we could have more rest time in between !!!

(The score !!! The score !!!)

Well, if I were to give you the commentary in writing, minute by minute, I guess, I would have to take another 2 days leave. One to write it up and the other day, to check my spelling, my grammars, my tenses, my participles and even my exclamation marks!!!

Ok, here goes !!!

9.15 am

The entire Team, all 28 of us, reached VI Grounds in a state of uniformity.

First half Game plan

9.45am

11 OVA Players warmed up vigorously by jogging 2 full laps of the entire VI ground, which was the size of Farrer Park, in the 1970s, followed by 1 lap, of doing the hurdles and then another lap, of warming down. All these were under the scorching hot sun, with the sole intention of impressing our Opponents that we are fit, so as to get that psychological advantage.

Of course, when the 11 players, finished their 4 full laps, they went back to our designated area and were ranting incoherently

9.55 am

The next 11 eleven Players, who were happily sitting under the shade, captained by Ivan Loo Teck Thiam, immediately, put on the sweaty and salty Jerseys from the incoherent Players and went down to the Pitch

After the formalities, of exchanging name cards, phone numbers and asking about each other’s golf handicap, the Referee blew for kick off at 10 am sharp.

First Half

Minute 1

I really don’t know what happened, coz I was one of the Players that was still incoherent and ranting and raving about wanting to go home !!!

Minute 20

GOL!!! GOL!!! GOL!!!GOL!!! GOL!!!

Scored by Captain Ivan, with his head (dun’t know if he close his eyes or not)

Minute 30

GOL!!! GOL!!! GOL!!!GOL!!! GOL!!!

Scored by Chern San, who comes from a true Victorian family as his father is a Victorian and his younger brother who is also a Victorian. And it’s confirmed, that once he’s settled down, his Son and Daughter WILL be Victorians.

Minute 35

GOL!!! GOL!!! GOL!!!GOL!!! GOL!!!

Scored by Dexter Chua with his good nose… I mean the Ball hit his face… I mean the Ball hit his nose… I mean… argh!!! You all know what I mean…

End of First half

Pep talk by Team Manager Ken Loy

You guys are doing well, but don’t be doing too well, lest we won’t be well… or something like that lah !!! remember… I was still incoherent and was NOT speaking or understanding English!!!

Second Half

The next fresh 11 players, still putting on that, sweaty and salty jersey but by now had also become grimy, braving the Sun.

Minute 55

GOL!!! GOL!!! GOL!!!GOL!!! GOL!!!

Scored by VIOBA, off a good bar counter attack as our Keeper, was still calculating the distance that he managed NOT to cover, before the start of the Game

Minute 65

A penalty was awarded to VIOBA by the Referee, when our veteran player, Tan Tek Chua, who happened to be 60 years plus 3 months, accidentally sneezed without having the time to cover his mouth. The Referee, being very well-versed with the Laws of The Game, had no other alternative as under Rule 1322, Section 1132, By Laws 5015, it was an offence of the etiquette act.

K Kumar, our Goalkeeper, steadied himself… on the Goal Line, in between the 2 vertical post, under the horizontal crossbar… and horrors of all horrors he took out his Mathematical Log Book, to get the Cosine of the Wind, the Tangent of the Ball and the Sine of the Sun. He then signal to the Ref and the VIOBA striker, that he was ready. And then wonders of all wonders, he save the Penalty by palming the Ball away… well actually, later on, he told me that he had an itch on the left side of his back, so he stretches out his left hand and uses his right hand to scratch that itch on his left back…

Minute 75

Another penalty was awarded to VIOBA, as our Player, Lee Kheng Whatt covered his mouth when he was about to sneeze, just as the ball was about to cover it for him…

Well, this time it was a

GOL!!! GOL!!! GOL!!!GOL!!! GOL!!!

to the opponent as our Keeper, Wan Abu Bakar, had a One Ash Burn on both his arms.

End of Second Half

Pep Talk by Team Chef De Mission, Tay Swee Sze

Being a Chef, I naturally like to cook, with this and that and that and this… or something like that lah !!! remember, I was still incoherent and was NOT speaking or understanding Singlish!!!

Third Half

A mixture of Players, some incoherent, were given 10 minutes to play football and the next 30 minutes to act like as if they are playing football. This strategy, being widely used worldwide, includes some other exotic sports like skiing, running, swimming and diving.

Minute 89

At long last, the Referee realizes that this Game where 22 players, wanting to have a touch of the Ball does makes sense when exotic sports are included.

Yours truly, who was still incoherent on the pitch out there, under the blazing sun, saw a mirage where, there’s this great big bathtub with lots of soap bubbles decided to do dived into it…

Next thing, I know, the Referee, who I think was about a couple of hundred feet away, blew his whistle and pointed to the spot.

Salim confidently took the shot with his deceiving toe-poke and it was…

GOL!!! GOL!!! GOL!!!GOL!!! GOL!!!

Minute 120

Game ended and all Players, including the 3 officials, quickly run towards the VIOBA Clubhouse, to take cover from the scorching sun…

(At long last the score… 4-2 to OVA!!!)

VIOBA, hosted us lunch at their Clubhouse and of course group pictures were taken and a lot of Name Cards were again, given.

Before the plaque was given to them, our Chef De Mission, Tay Swee Sze, gave a speech, on, how to cook, what to cook and when to cook, BUT on a more serious note, our host were very grateful that we had this Game to build up the friendship and in fact, they proposed to renew the Golfing and other Sporting friendlies with us and will be looking forward to come to our Victoria School, the next year. VIOBA, too were pleasantly surprised when we gave them the 3 Victorian Hip… Hip… Hooray!!!

On a final note, on behalf of the OVARS Committee, I’m proud to say that OVARS has achieved its mission and that is to ” Build up friendship with our Neighbours, our Victorian cousins and we wish to thanked OVAMC for the support shown, VIOBA for hosting us and especially, to all the Players for their sacrifice, their sportsmanship and their Victorian Spirit !!!

Malaysia Singapore
2008 2 4

By: Roshaizan Bin Sapan

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