Sport Editors Abyan Memon and Joel Lim recaps Days 4 and 5 of the Varsity series.
Squash
Led by star player Youssef, KCL entered the Varsity series with a insatiable hunger to take the trophy away from UCL. In a showdown that saw 5 Women’s matches and 10 Men’s matches, UCL started the series off on a hot streak, denying King’s victories in their first 8 matches. Despite this result, the King’s athletes left their hearts out on the courts, as many of the games saw incredibly close matches that ended with a 3-2 score.
The top brackets, however, saw the Reds come out victorious in multiple games, as Men’s first team’s captain Arman and Youssef took the win in the third last and last games respectively. Despite the 12-3 scoreline, KCL Squash undeniably gave it their all and demonstrated great resilience through adversity. For that, they should still hold their heads up high!
Badminton
Despite KCL Badminton facing a challenging day at Varsity, the team fought valiantly. Amelia Ngooi, president of the club, won her game with a 2-0 victory (21-15, 21-10). In February, Amelia also secured bronze at the BUCS Nationals after getting King’s to its first semi-final. KCL also managed to keep the Women’s Doubles and the Mixed Doubles close, but ultimately lost a tough battle, looking to rebound next year.
Medics Netball
GKT netball came out swinging, scoring the first goal and pouring in seven more before RUMS scored. As RUMS settled into the game the scoring slowed down during the second quarter, with great defensive performances on display. GKT maintained their lead at the half, and despite RUMS opening the second half with a barrage of points, GKT answered and extended their lead. GKT dominated most of the game on both sides of the court and took the win 41-19. GS Clodagh Bottomley and GD Vic Robley put on dominant performances, helping GKT secure the win.
Medics Football
Following comfortable wins for both GKT Football teams as part of last year’s GKT clean sweep, RUMS continued fighting back this year. GKT Men’s managed to scrape a close 2-1 victory, whilst the Women’s team suffered a 6-2 loss. GKT will look to reclaim its glory next year.
Golf
In their first Varsity series ever, KCL and UCL Golf gathered at Teego’s simulator room in a golf battle of epic proportions. Both teams were looking to secure their first ever Varsity win, in a series that saw two different match play formats. The series started off with the alternating round, where three athletes from both teams played three holes together in an alternating fashion and ended with singles, where each athlete played three holes each.
Bay 1 saw a tie in after the first 3 holes of the alternating round that called for three more to decide the winner. Eventually, in a closely fought battle with multiple lead changes, UCL eventually took the win on the final hole. Unfortunately, the athletes in bay 2 also fell to the same fate as UCL similarly took the win.
The game then transitioned to the singles round, where KCL’s athletes showcased impressive shots. The game, however, was also won by UCL eventually, in what was a tight win. Overall, golf’s first Varsity series was marked by fun, a relaxed atmosphere and a feel-good buzz that perfumed the atmosphere!
Table Tennis
KCL Table Tennis had a great day at Varsity, with lots of commendable efforts. Whilst the overall tournament ended in a draw, the Men’s team dominated with an 8-1 finish, claiming Varsity victory for the first time in six years.
Among the ladies, the Women’s Captain, Monisa Lin, played exceptionally well, claiming the deciding point that let KCL secure a draw in Varsity. Among the men, the Men’s Captain, Kushagra Rastogi won all his matches, while Terry Yu beat the top opponent from UCL and Govind Shah made a comeback from down 0-2 to win the next three sets and the matchup 3-2.
Snowsports
KCL Snowsports also made their Varsity debut on 24 March in a skiing contest against the UCL Snowsports club. The new Varsity environment presented a challenge and KCL faced a tough defeat of 8-1. Despite this, playing in Varsity was an achievement of its own and Roar is excited to see what the KCL Snowsports club brings next year.
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