From the Head of PE and Sport 12.11.2022
KIS Vipers ‘Strike Back’ at the U15 FOBISIA Games – PART I
Having left on Tuesday morning after a breakfast of champions at McDonalds, the 22 strong Vipers Team journeyed to Thailand to Pattana Sport Resort for our first FOBISIA Games and overseas trip since February 2020. For many of the squad, it was their first time competing at FOBISIA having missed it through Primary and U13’s during the Covid hiatus. As a result the team was incredibly excited to find out what was in store for them
After a tough day of travel that involved two delayed flights and a long bus ride from the center of Bangkok to the venue, Pattana Sport Resort, the students barely had time to get comfortable in their beds before they were woken up to prepare for the first day of competition that see them take part in both swimming and athletics events in the same day.
Day 1 – Swimming and Athletics
Replicating that Olympic Games Opening Ceremony feel, the students assembled behind our KIS Vipers banner before marching into the sports area. Isabella and Daniyal as the flag bearers led the team in, welcomed by games organisers, officials and other spectators.
Following the warm-up, students were ready for the first events of the games. A great way to start with the medley relays, and even better way was to see 3 of the 4 teams medal with 2 Gold medals in the ‘B’ relays and a bronze in the Girls A Medley!
From there, the exciting races and close finishes just kept coming, and so did the medals! The constant vocal support certainly motivated the team as Viper after Viper visited the Medal podium, making it hard for the photographer to keep up! Sophie, Juah, Isabella, Sebastian, Jayden, Mathew, Yi Chen, Amanda, Keira, Leroy and Ken Zi all picked up individual medals with some great swims.
Beyond the physical improvements to sports skills and fitness, involvement in competitive sport has tremendous potential to develop strength of character and resilience when undertaking personal challenges. It was wonderful to see those qualities in so many of our students, such as Miky completing the 25m Front Crawl as a less experienced swimmer, or, Leroy taking on one of the toughest programmes to support the team going up against the best swimmers in the ‘A’ categories as one of the younger athletes in the squad. Or Keira, having suffered an injury during the warm-up bouncing back to also get in the pool and in doing so overcoming her anxiety.
All of these phenomenal performances were made that little bit easier with the support of the rest of the squad hanging onto the rails and screaming for their teammates as they dived in and dug deep in each and every race.
Finishing with the Freestyle relays, KIS made sure to finish how they started with yet more medals for the Boys B relay team and two silver medals for the Girls A and B relays.
All together, the team amassed a total of 23 medals: 4 x Gold, 7 x Silver, 11 x Bronze. A mighty effort and wonderful start to the competition!
If you thought just reading that was exhausting, the team then had to head back to the hotel for a quick lunch, change of clothes and grab their running shoes for athletics in the afternoon.
The high jumpers started first and again, it didn’t take long for KIS to enjoy that winning feeling and gain our first medals for athletics. In a tight ‘A’ competition Pui San tied in second place, while Isabella in the ‘B’ event easily walked away with the gold medal after a very strong performance.
The track events followed next and during the heat of the day, Pui San again stepped up and showed what an incredibly versatile and talented athlete she is by running an amazing 1500m to win the Girls A race. Yi Chen must have taken some motivation from that performance as she then backed up after a busy morning in the pool to take 3rd in the ‘B’ race. There were some tough battles in the boys races and both Leroy and Ken Zi did a great job of getting some points in their races.
Following on from the 1500m it was time for the sprinters to light up the track. After a superb start Daniyal, just missed out on a medal but Jayden managed to sneak a 3rd place in the ‘B’ heat. Whilst competing as individuals, points are accrued as a team and it was encouraging to see so many Vipers step up and complete races that were not necessarily of their choosing in order to support the team effort. Ian, Sebastian, Myko, Ana, Haylie and Sofia all chipped in where needed to score valuable points and gave it their all in the process.
Always exciting, the relays on the adjusted 300m track were incredibly close. KIS just missed out on medals finishing 4th in 3 races. The Girls B Relay did well to sneak a bronze medal in their race to conclude the track events.
Moving onto field events, students were busy moving between jumps and throws, still trying to put in their best performances at the end of a long and tiring day. Unfortunately, due to some delays during the day, the athletic events and medal presentations could not be completed before we lost the light, so it was back to the hotel and finally a chance for the students to fill up at dinner on chicken nuggets at the buffet dinner as well as to mix and mingle with some of the new friends they had made that day.
…stay tuned for more details from the U15 FOBISIA Games in the coming weeks!
(Other) FOBISIA News
It was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance at our FOBISIA Games Information morning held on Monday. As you read above, our Under 15 students had a truly wonderful time and are already asking about more opportunities to stay involved in competitive sport. It is fantastic that we are likely to be sending 3 teams to each FOBISIA competition in this first year since the games have resumed. Please check below for important reminders for both the U13’s and Primary FOBISIA Games.
U13 FOBISIA Games –
- 2nd Payment of RM1500 is due on Monday 21st November.
- Please make sure we have a copy of your child’s passport for booking flights.
Primary FOBISIA Games
We are close to completing our squad for the Primary FOBISIA Games and have reached the maximum number of boys we can accept on the trip. However, we are still a few girls short of reaching the minimum number of 10 that we need for the trip to proceed.
I am therefore extending the registration deadline until next Friday 18th November for JUST girls in Year 5 and Year 6.
If you are interested in your daughter taking part, but still have some concerns, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. I am always available to answer any questions parents may have.
KIS CUP – Kicks off next week!
Our lunchtime KIS Cup commences next week, with games for Years 3 and Year 4 taking place during Monday lunches and the Year 5 and Year 6 competition being held on Thursdays.
Students are encouraged to wear either their PE uniform for the games, but will be allowed to play in their school uniform or a change of clothes provided they are wearing sports shoes. Please note, students are not allowed to wear football boots for the competition. They can wear shin guards with long socks if they wish, but these items are optional.
Year 3 and Year 4 will play in 4 vs 4 matches. You can see the teams below.
Year 5 and Year 6 will play in 6 v 6 matches. You can see the teams below.
The tournament will run over the next 4 weeks with results for all games published in the Newsletter each week.
Judging by the loud cheer in the assembly yesterday when it was announced the tournament would start next week, it is sure to be a lot of fun and another beneficial learning experience for all involved.
Miss Catriona Watt
Head of PE and Sport
