Fighting spirit I

校际越野赛四德重新称霸女丙
（2008-04-24）
● 郭嘉惠, 邬福梁（摄）
　　凭着顽强的斗志，四德女中在昨天的第49届全国校际越野赛中，结束了九年的等待，重夺女丙总冠军。

　　在两名主力选手何敏和刘绳喜协助下，四德以总成绩40分勇夺冠军。新加坡体育学校以52分获亚军，季军归立化中学，成绩为76分。

　　四德田径队负责老师郑荣伟受访时说：“能有今天的成绩全靠队员不懈的努力。她们从去年11月起开始备战，到了今年2月农历新年后，每星期一、三和五的上午7时坚持跑步14分钟。

　　此外，校方也安排前队员回来给这批选手进行心理锻炼。值得一提的是，1999年全国校际赛女丙个人冠军梁淑芳还在今天特地到现场为学妹打气，让参赛队员大受鼓舞。”

　　谈到明年的展望，郑老师说：“我们不能预计到时将交出怎样的成绩单，但期待能包办女丙和女乙两组总冠军，而最大的对手将是美以美女中。”

　　郑荣伟特别赞扬刘绳喜的表现。他说，绳喜在场上斗志非常旺盛，相信是明年个人赛的有力竞争者。13岁的刘绳喜首次参加全国校际赛，取得第10名，14岁的何敏也发挥得比去年出色，从第19名跃居第五。

　　两人对能协助四德重登总冠军宝座感到无比兴奋。刘绳喜说：“我高兴地说不出话来了。”何敏说：“我很开心，这意味着我们所付出的努力没有白费。”　

昨天的比赛首次在教育部课程辅助活动中心举行，过去三年赛事都在马城展开角逐。谈及这次比赛环境，何敏说，比起马城，整个赛道上坡路比较多，而且还要上下楼梯，所以比较危险，但所幸没有发生任何意外。

体校夺男丙总冠军

　　另外，体校在上届赛会横扫男丙和女乙两组总冠军，但昨天却只带回男丙总冠军。幸好，13岁的哈里山克和16岁的廖嘉慧在男丙和女乙个人赛中扬威。

　　哈里山克以14分39秒90率先抵达终点，廖嘉慧的夺冠成绩为13分45秒43。

　　哈里山克说，他去年排名第八，今年在教练伊兰戈文的细心指导下，成绩突飞猛进，实现夺标愿望。 廖嘉慧说，她要感谢上帝、教练、父母和全部队友的大力支持，让她终于圆了冠军梦。这是她最后一年参加乙组赛，所以希望能跑出最佳成绩。

April 24, 2008

SCHOOL SPORTS
Former sprinter Ashley bags cross-country gold in A Div
Haarishankar, who is built like a Kenyan runner, wins C Div crown
By Christopher Ong & Valerie Chia

SHOWMAN: Boys' C Div champion T. Haarishankar urging the crowd to applaud as he approaches the finish line. He clocked 14min 39.90sec for the 4.1km route to win the race by about 100m. -- ST PHOTO: ALAN LIM

SHE had been a sprinter since secondary school, but made the switch to cross-country two months ago. The move paid off for Victoria Junior College's Ashley Ang as she won the Schools National cross-country championships in her first attempt at the Botanic Gardens yesterday.
Said the new A Division girls' champion: 'As a sprinter, I managed to make it to the finals, but never had a medal placing. 'Now I can't help wondering if I should have run cross-country all along.'

The 18-year-old explained that a knee injury had led her coach to ask her to switch to cross-country races. At the start of the race, Ashley felt 'quite tired' just thinking about having to run the 3.5 kilometres. The boys have to complete 4.1km.

But she stayed with the leading pack from the start, and managed to win with some positive thinking. She said: 'I kept telling myself, 'I can do it'.'

While Ashley fell into cross-country by chance, T.Haarishankar appears to have been made for it. With his lanky 1.72m, 45kg frame, and sinewy limbs, the Singapore Sports School student looks like any of those Kenyan athletes who have stamped their mark on distance running worldwide.

Said the 13-year-old: 'People always say I look like a Kenyan. I just treat it as a joke.'

But he certainly ran like a champion as he clinched the C boys' title by a 30-sec margin, finishing some 100 metres ahead of second-placed Zachary Ryan Devaraj of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

Haarishankar took the lead at the 400m mark, and never looked back, clocking 14min 39.90sec for the 4.1km route. In the process, he helped the Singapore Sports School retain their C boys' team title. Said his coach G. Elangovan: 'Last year, he finished eighth and this inspired him to do well this year.

'He already has the natural physique for running. By giving 101 per cent in training all year, he truly deserved his success.