Playing football for the RI (Raffles Institution) Interact Club (Singapore)

Chatting (via WhatsApp texting) with a student in the Tuesday Mandarin group, now in her early 80s, about our earlier school days (hers in Lancashire, mine in Singapore) and the kind of school activities then.

    Her talking about playing hockey brought back memories of my playing hockey for the RI Interact Club (https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2026/03/playing-hockey-for-ri-raffles.html).

    I was also recruited for their football team. As I'd never played football before (having played netball at the convent school, with football being played by boys only [during my days]), they said I could be goalie, as there was usually nothing to do.

    Which was true -- until the ball approached my goal at one point. My reaction was to go towards the ball to stop it.

    When I next opened my eyes, I saw all these faces in a circle above me, peering down in concern at me lying flat on the ground.

    I had stopped the ball indeed. It'd landed on my head and knocked me out.

(Singapore, 1971)

* Googling tells me that the RI Interact Club is the oldest interact club in Singapore, formed in 1963.

(from googling)

Quote

Raffles Institution (RI) Interact Club is a service-oriented CCA, guided by the motto "Service above Self," focused on community service, leadership, and international understanding. Members participate in weekly, hands-on community service projects — including befriending seniors, mentoring youth, and food preparation—along with organizing day camps and attending, leadership training.  

Unquote

Playing hockey for the RI (Raffles Institution) Interact Club (Singapore)

I was chatting (via WhatsApp texting) with a student in the Tuesday Mandarin group, now in her early 80s, about our earlier school days (hers in Lancashire, mine in British colonial Singapore) and the kind of school activities then.

    She said she was always getting elbowed in the eye during netball, but got her revenge on a tall girl whom she particularly disliked by tackling hard during hockey.

    This reminds me of a time during Pre-U 1 at RI (Raffles Institution, 1971) when I was recruited by the RI Interact Club for their friendly inter-club competition with other schools.

(Googling tells me that the Raffles Interact Cub is the oldest interact club in Singapore, formed in 1963.)

    Being a sprinter, hurdler and long jumper, I was only able to take part in the running events as a full and proper participant.

    The RI hockey cohort had enough people for two teams. Team A won in its group, Team B "won" in a walkover in its own group, so the final game was between RI Hockey Team A and RI Hockey Team B, played on the field opposite SJI (St Joseph's Institution) on Bras Basah Road. (Maybe it belonged to them.)

    I was recruited for Team B as they were one player short, given rudimentary lessons in handling the hockey stick, and assigned the goalkeeper position, as it's the least active one, I was told.

    At one point, Spencer Khoo in Team A was approaching my goal with the ball. I ran up to intercept it, and swung my hockey stick at the ball. There was a thwack and a loud "Ow, Pheng!" (my Chinese name) from Spencer that could be heard for miles away. He collapsed onto the ground, clutching his knee in agony. My hockey stick had struck Spencer's knee instead of the ball.

    Well, I did stop him (a school team player) scoring a goal for his side.

(Singapore, 1971)

* (from googling)

Quote

Raffles Institution (RI) Interact Club is a service-oriented CCA, guided by the motto "Service above Self," focused on community service, leadership, and international understanding. Members participate in weekly, hands-on community service projects — including befriending seniors, mentoring youth, and food preparation—along with organizing day camps and attending, leadership training.  

Unquote

Read also: Playing football for the RI (Raffles Institution) Interact Club

https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2026/03/playing-football-for-ri-raffles.html