Soccer Fellowship is ON this Saturday, 18th July at East Spring Secondary School. The session will be from 3 - 5 pm.
We will split the teams according to DARK and BRIGHT jerseys for this session , so please bring BOTH just in case we need to balance the teams out.
See you on Saturday and please pray for good weather!
*Please be reminded that the entrance to the field is next to Block 362. If you are driving, the multi-storey car park you should park at is at Block 359A. If unsure, please check the street directory map.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Agape Cup 2009 - Pandas Match #6 .vs. HMC [12th July]
Pandas arrive at Hiding place with, once again, excatly 11 bamboo sticks to fight on the pitch. Weather could not be any better and the referee in the centre was once again a familiar face, especially to *cough*.. Our opponents HMC, at first glance looks more or less the same as the Pandas physically, lead the singspiration followed by a short testimony.
HMC kicked off the first half but loose passes gave the Pandas easy possesion. The opening 10 minutes saw the Pandas pegging HMC in their own half. A cross from the right by Daniel was knocked to Jingzhong and he scissored it beautifully into the top right corner. HMC, clearly woken up by that goal, start to play better and send their attack through the wings, but Pandas defence were able to limit them to just long shots outside the box. As the game goes on, poor control and passing by HMC forwards brought about their own internal conflict and shouting at 1 another can be heard. Towards the end of first half Pandas had afew more shots: a snapshot straight at the keeper from Sam and a header wide from Darren while HMC continue sending 'ballon crosses' from the right, threatening more on the left with their speedy winger against Daniel. No further goals came and referee called it halftime.
Score at HT: Pandas 1 HMC 0
Pandas kick off the 2nd half, playing the same as the first half while HMC brought on another fast centre-mid. Intensity was high the opening 10 minutes as HMC went in search for their equaliser. Play was quick, physical pushing everywhere and lunging tackles were flying at every 2nd ball as the referee was kept mouthed busy with all the blowing. In the space of 5 minutes Pandas saw 3 freekicks given to them at the edge of HMC penalty box, 1 of which Denial beautifully smashed it into the net. HMC were clearly frustrated being 2 goals down, and started to try and play down Pandas high morale with aggitating words and hard challenges. A scuffel involving Daniel and HMC left winger in which punches were involved, left the referee no chioce but to send both of them down the tunnel with 2 red cards. Play only resumed around 10 minutes later as both sides cooled down and reorganised. Striker Sam Eyo then covered Daniel's position at RB with only David alone upfront pressing. HMC clearly spotted the new weakness and send their attacks down Pandas right and 1 cross from HMC left saw HMC glanced a header into Michael's bottom right goal. With around 5 minutes or more still to play for, John was brought down as right back, and Sam into centre back along David and Maurice. Frustrations were still in HMC as they are being restricted to wild long shots. Finally referee blew the whistle and Pandas managed to cling on their precious 3 points.
FT: Pandas 2 HMC 1
Starting 11: Michael(GK), Daniel(RB), Maurice(CB), David(CB), Nigel(LB), Jeremy(DM), David(CM), Darren(CM), Jingzhong(LM), John(RM), Sam Eyo(ST)
HMC kicked off the first half but loose passes gave the Pandas easy possesion. The opening 10 minutes saw the Pandas pegging HMC in their own half. A cross from the right by Daniel was knocked to Jingzhong and he scissored it beautifully into the top right corner. HMC, clearly woken up by that goal, start to play better and send their attack through the wings, but Pandas defence were able to limit them to just long shots outside the box. As the game goes on, poor control and passing by HMC forwards brought about their own internal conflict and shouting at 1 another can be heard. Towards the end of first half Pandas had afew more shots: a snapshot straight at the keeper from Sam and a header wide from Darren while HMC continue sending 'ballon crosses' from the right, threatening more on the left with their speedy winger against Daniel. No further goals came and referee called it halftime.
Score at HT: Pandas 1 HMC 0
Pandas kick off the 2nd half, playing the same as the first half while HMC brought on another fast centre-mid. Intensity was high the opening 10 minutes as HMC went in search for their equaliser. Play was quick, physical pushing everywhere and lunging tackles were flying at every 2nd ball as the referee was kept mouthed busy with all the blowing. In the space of 5 minutes Pandas saw 3 freekicks given to them at the edge of HMC penalty box, 1 of which Denial beautifully smashed it into the net. HMC were clearly frustrated being 2 goals down, and started to try and play down Pandas high morale with aggitating words and hard challenges. A scuffel involving Daniel and HMC left winger in which punches were involved, left the referee no chioce but to send both of them down the tunnel with 2 red cards. Play only resumed around 10 minutes later as both sides cooled down and reorganised. Striker Sam Eyo then covered Daniel's position at RB with only David alone upfront pressing. HMC clearly spotted the new weakness and send their attacks down Pandas right and 1 cross from HMC left saw HMC glanced a header into Michael's bottom right goal. With around 5 minutes or more still to play for, John was brought down as right back, and Sam into centre back along David and Maurice. Frustrations were still in HMC as they are being restricted to wild long shots. Finally referee blew the whistle and Pandas managed to cling on their precious 3 points.
FT: Pandas 2 HMC 1
Starting 11: Michael(GK), Daniel(RB), Maurice(CB), David(CB), Nigel(LB), Jeremy(DM), David(CM), Darren(CM), Jingzhong(LM), John(RM), Sam Eyo(ST)
Friendly Match (Panthers .vs. KKMC) Report [11th July]
It was a wonderful day for soccer. The usual 3pm heat was non-existent. Instead, it was cool and breezy. It was a tough task getting enough players for this friendly match. Originally intended to keep the Panthers on their toes during their 'off week' from the Agape Cup, insufficient participation and last minute withdrawals meant that the match had to be opened to the Pandas, as well as players from our 'original' opponents FIOFAFI. On match day, the mixed team comprised 8 Panthers, 2 Pandas (David Lim & John Chia) and 2 FIOFAFI players (John S & Tim C), making a total of 12.
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Players from the '3-in-1' team: John S (FIOFAFI), Mark (Panthers), John C & David (Pandas)
Joel & Jeremy joined us for the 1st time since enlistment
After a brief welcome to the players from Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (KKMC) and opening prayer by Kevin, Coach Ronnie briefed us on the formation and line-up for the match. With newcomers and the need to play in unfamiliar positions (e.g. John Chia and Joel in centre midfield), we lined up like this:
The 1st 15 mins of the game was entirely KKMC's. With much speed in their midfield and forward line, every ball played forward meant that we were chasing back to clear and protect the goal. It was fortunate that Felipe was not too troubled with whatever came his way and we managed to survive unscathed. The defensive quartet held firm and as best as possible, tried to play the ball to the midfield for them to build on offensively. Unfortunately, possession was not always well kept and the ball was usually lost after 2 to 3 passes. Marcus, Tim C and Rusydi were working hard up front to create chances but they were few and far between. A direct free-kick from Rusydi and an attempt by Tim C both found their way above the crossbar. On KKMC's part, their speedy attacks were either broken down on the wing, or ended by a stray pass. The half-time break was welcomed by both teams.
Coach Ronnie gave simple instructions to improve the team's performance in the 2nd half- #1: communicate more & #2: make better use of the ball. David Lim came on for John Chia and started on the right wing, with Rusydi dropping to right centre midfield in an attempt to control play better. The team started the 2nd half positively, mounting wave after wave of attack. Both Marcus and David had many touches of the ball on the wings, but support was lacking. Kee Min was running box-to-box in order to break up KKMC's play and support our attack. On our best chance to score from the right wing, a cross found its way to Kee Min but his effort was blocked by a defender. The rebound found its way to David who let fly a screamer but it cannoned off the right-hand post of the goal. The 2nd rebound fell to Marcus on the left but his effort from 6 yards out was too high.
KKMC kept their shape a bit better at this point and again used their speed to break into the Panthers' half. On 2 occasions, we came close to conceding. 1st, a stray backpass from John S to Kevin went straight to a KKMC player who only had Felipe to beat. Felipe again showed his quick flexes by denying KKMC their goal. On the next attack down our left, a KKMC player let fly from just inside the penalty box but his effort hit the right-hand post and back into play. It was clearly a case of missed chances by both teams. With fatigue starting to kick in, both teams focused on defending and holding out until the final whistle, which finally arrived.
The players trudged off the field, shaking hands in the process. There were no goals, but the match was played in good spirits. Benjamin from KKMC closed us in prayer and thanked us for hosting the friendly.
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Players from the '3-in-1' team: John S (FIOFAFI), Mark (Panthers), John C & David (Pandas)
Joel & Jeremy joined us for the 1st time since enlistmentAfter a brief welcome to the players from Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (KKMC) and opening prayer by Kevin, Coach Ronnie briefed us on the formation and line-up for the match. With newcomers and the need to play in unfamiliar positions (e.g. John Chia and Joel in centre midfield), we lined up like this:
The 1st 15 mins of the game was entirely KKMC's. With much speed in their midfield and forward line, every ball played forward meant that we were chasing back to clear and protect the goal. It was fortunate that Felipe was not too troubled with whatever came his way and we managed to survive unscathed. The defensive quartet held firm and as best as possible, tried to play the ball to the midfield for them to build on offensively. Unfortunately, possession was not always well kept and the ball was usually lost after 2 to 3 passes. Marcus, Tim C and Rusydi were working hard up front to create chances but they were few and far between. A direct free-kick from Rusydi and an attempt by Tim C both found their way above the crossbar. On KKMC's part, their speedy attacks were either broken down on the wing, or ended by a stray pass. The half-time break was welcomed by both teams.
Coach Ronnie gave simple instructions to improve the team's performance in the 2nd half- #1: communicate more & #2: make better use of the ball. David Lim came on for John Chia and started on the right wing, with Rusydi dropping to right centre midfield in an attempt to control play better. The team started the 2nd half positively, mounting wave after wave of attack. Both Marcus and David had many touches of the ball on the wings, but support was lacking. Kee Min was running box-to-box in order to break up KKMC's play and support our attack. On our best chance to score from the right wing, a cross found its way to Kee Min but his effort was blocked by a defender. The rebound found its way to David who let fly a screamer but it cannoned off the right-hand post of the goal. The 2nd rebound fell to Marcus on the left but his effort from 6 yards out was too high.
KKMC kept their shape a bit better at this point and again used their speed to break into the Panthers' half. On 2 occasions, we came close to conceding. 1st, a stray backpass from John S to Kevin went straight to a KKMC player who only had Felipe to beat. Felipe again showed his quick flexes by denying KKMC their goal. On the next attack down our left, a KKMC player let fly from just inside the penalty box but his effort hit the right-hand post and back into play. It was clearly a case of missed chances by both teams. With fatigue starting to kick in, both teams focused on defending and holding out until the final whistle, which finally arrived.
The players trudged off the field, shaking hands in the process. There were no goals, but the match was played in good spirits. Benjamin from KKMC closed us in prayer and thanked us for hosting the friendly.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Running Events and Races
There are many running events, and unfortunately, most are on Sunday mornings. The good thing is that most races start early, and there's a good chance that we can still make it for the 11 am service if we don't hang around to chit chat after the race.
Here are some races that you may wish to consider:
Singapore Bay Run (Aug 16, 2009): 21 km, 10 km and 6 km.
Many of us will be taking part in this event, purportedly the biggest running event of the year (coz many army boys are forced to participate!).
Yellow Ribbon Prison Run (Sep 6, 2009): 10 km and 5 km.
Running through Changi Prison. That's cool. Given PMC's commitment to the prison ministry and our fund raising effort earlier this year, we should support this run!
GE women run (Nov 1, 2009): 10 km and 5 km.
For ladies only, although every year, some guys will gate crash.
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (Dec 6, 2009): 42 km, 21 km, 10 km.
This is Singapore's premier marathon event. Some friends have indicated that you are keen to do the full 42 km and targetting the SCSM. Not cheap, but register early to get good discounts.
It should be noted that there's nothing wrong with recreational running without taking part in any races. However, experience tells me that there's nothing like signing up for a race to motivate oneself.
The analogy is this: It is one thing to practice soccer with friends, but another thing altogether to participate in a soccer tournament. Signing up for a race provides milestones to work toward. Before you know it, you'll be gunning for an ultramarathon! But that's another story for another time.
Here are some races that you may wish to consider:
Singapore Bay Run (Aug 16, 2009): 21 km, 10 km and 6 km.
Many of us will be taking part in this event, purportedly the biggest running event of the year (coz many army boys are forced to participate!).
Yellow Ribbon Prison Run (Sep 6, 2009): 10 km and 5 km.
Running through Changi Prison. That's cool. Given PMC's commitment to the prison ministry and our fund raising effort earlier this year, we should support this run!
GE women run (Nov 1, 2009): 10 km and 5 km.
For ladies only, although every year, some guys will gate crash.
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (Dec 6, 2009): 42 km, 21 km, 10 km.
This is Singapore's premier marathon event. Some friends have indicated that you are keen to do the full 42 km and targetting the SCSM. Not cheap, but register early to get good discounts.
It should be noted that there's nothing wrong with recreational running without taking part in any races. However, experience tells me that there's nothing like signing up for a race to motivate oneself.
The analogy is this: It is one thing to practice soccer with friends, but another thing altogether to participate in a soccer tournament. Signing up for a race provides milestones to work toward. Before you know it, you'll be gunning for an ultramarathon! But that's another story for another time.
Top 5 Tips to Train up for SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009
Received this email from SAFRA, and thought it would be useful to share with our running community:
Top 5 Tips to Train up for SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon 2009 (SSBR & AHM 2009)
Training up is the vital thing we have to keep in mind for the SSBR & AHM 2009. How do we exactly train ourselves up for the big day?
We are letting you in on some tips what you can do to really train yourself up in order to emerge the hero during the SSBR & AHM 2009.
1. THE HAUNTING WALL
The one thing that spooks every participant is the Wall – that “lovely” point late in the race where glycogen, which is your preferred fuel for your muscles, is used up and thereafter you will slow dramatically. Or, at best, struggle dramatically.
Training for SSBR & AHM boils down to one thing - pushing out that point at which we hit The Haunting Wall. If we push it out far enough in training, we will not smack into it in the race. You can try to accomplish this by first building endurance with long runs, and then as SSBR & AHM approaches, “sharpen” with shorter and faster intervals.
2. BUILD YOUR ENGINE
The goal of training is to improve the power of the human engine, so that you can run faster. The goal of training for SSBR & AHM is to reduce the consumption of fuel at race pace. When you become more efficient at marathon pace, you burn less glycogen and theoretically have enough to maintain your goal pace to finish SSBR & AHM.
First, build the engine with shorter, faster workouts. This is to keep your mileage up, then fine-tune the efficiency of your engine with lots of running at marathon pace.
The benefit of this approach is that you get your body as fit as you can, then you get as efficient as you can. In the three weeks before SSBR & AHM, it is hard to get much fitter, you make only small improvements, but you can get your body used to working within a certain zone that efficiently improves how your body burns fuel during the SSBR & AHM. This approach makes you very strong, so that a sub-maximal effort like SSBR & AHM feels easy.
Workouts should be spaced out, rather than be done on consecutive days.
If you feel overly fatigued or have acute soreness in a particular spot after the first week of training, this is a sign that you are not ready.
Use the first portion of long runs to warm up, then spend the rest of the run at the prescribed pace. The honest pace on these long runs will increase your fuel-burning efficiency, but it is not so intense that it will kill you for the rest of the week.
When possible, do your runs on terrain that mimics that of your marathon.
3. RUN JUST ENOUGH
It does you no good to train hard and then get sick or injured. It is better to be slightly undertrained, but feeling strong and eager, than to be overtrained. The trick, of course, is to find the fine line between the two.
Fill in the rest of the week with easy running. As your hard days get harder and increasingly focused on sustaining marathon pace, the pace on your easy days should get easier. One way to ensure that you are truly recovering on your easy days is to wear a heart-rate monitor and not go above 70% of your maximum heart rate.
Plan to do 10x100m pickups after one of your easy runs each week. These strides which are short bursts of controlled, fast running will help you to run in a better form at all paces. To do a stride, accelerate to near full speed while staying as relaxed as possible. Take as much rest between strides as you need to run the next one with good form.
4. DO YOUR LONG RUNS
The newer you are to SSBR & AHM, the slower and the more important your long runs. You simply have to get accustomed to being on your feet for 3 or more hours. There is no magic length. You can stop at 2.5 to 3 hours. You can also choose to run further, but include walk breaks. All systems work, as long as you get to the starting line healthy and strong.
Many runners hate to taper; but a taper can gain muscle fiber strength – fast aerobic muscles that can adapt to improve your performance.
5. RECOVERY
How fast you run between sessions, that is the pace of your recovery running should be steady training pace. As your workouts get easier, increase the pace of your recovery efforts, not the pace of the training segments. The longer you work at your training sessions with short rest, the more prepared you will be to hold that pace for SSBR & AHM.
You do not have to train hard seven days a week. You just have to train smart three or four days a week.
Training up for SSBR & AHM 2009 may not be as easy you have perceived, but it will all be worth it.
The above information is in adapted from Army News (Issue 154: May/June 2008, Issue 155: June/July 2008) and “50 Tips for Healthy Running”(2008) by Raffles Medical Group.
Top 5 Tips to Train up for SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon 2009 (SSBR & AHM 2009)
Training up is the vital thing we have to keep in mind for the SSBR & AHM 2009. How do we exactly train ourselves up for the big day?
We are letting you in on some tips what you can do to really train yourself up in order to emerge the hero during the SSBR & AHM 2009.
1. THE HAUNTING WALL
The one thing that spooks every participant is the Wall – that “lovely” point late in the race where glycogen, which is your preferred fuel for your muscles, is used up and thereafter you will slow dramatically. Or, at best, struggle dramatically.
Training for SSBR & AHM boils down to one thing - pushing out that point at which we hit The Haunting Wall. If we push it out far enough in training, we will not smack into it in the race. You can try to accomplish this by first building endurance with long runs, and then as SSBR & AHM approaches, “sharpen” with shorter and faster intervals.
2. BUILD YOUR ENGINE
The goal of training is to improve the power of the human engine, so that you can run faster. The goal of training for SSBR & AHM is to reduce the consumption of fuel at race pace. When you become more efficient at marathon pace, you burn less glycogen and theoretically have enough to maintain your goal pace to finish SSBR & AHM.
First, build the engine with shorter, faster workouts. This is to keep your mileage up, then fine-tune the efficiency of your engine with lots of running at marathon pace.
The benefit of this approach is that you get your body as fit as you can, then you get as efficient as you can. In the three weeks before SSBR & AHM, it is hard to get much fitter, you make only small improvements, but you can get your body used to working within a certain zone that efficiently improves how your body burns fuel during the SSBR & AHM. This approach makes you very strong, so that a sub-maximal effort like SSBR & AHM feels easy.
Workouts should be spaced out, rather than be done on consecutive days.
If you feel overly fatigued or have acute soreness in a particular spot after the first week of training, this is a sign that you are not ready.
Use the first portion of long runs to warm up, then spend the rest of the run at the prescribed pace. The honest pace on these long runs will increase your fuel-burning efficiency, but it is not so intense that it will kill you for the rest of the week.
When possible, do your runs on terrain that mimics that of your marathon.
3. RUN JUST ENOUGH
It does you no good to train hard and then get sick or injured. It is better to be slightly undertrained, but feeling strong and eager, than to be overtrained. The trick, of course, is to find the fine line between the two.
Fill in the rest of the week with easy running. As your hard days get harder and increasingly focused on sustaining marathon pace, the pace on your easy days should get easier. One way to ensure that you are truly recovering on your easy days is to wear a heart-rate monitor and not go above 70% of your maximum heart rate.
Plan to do 10x100m pickups after one of your easy runs each week. These strides which are short bursts of controlled, fast running will help you to run in a better form at all paces. To do a stride, accelerate to near full speed while staying as relaxed as possible. Take as much rest between strides as you need to run the next one with good form.
4. DO YOUR LONG RUNS
The newer you are to SSBR & AHM, the slower and the more important your long runs. You simply have to get accustomed to being on your feet for 3 or more hours. There is no magic length. You can stop at 2.5 to 3 hours. You can also choose to run further, but include walk breaks. All systems work, as long as you get to the starting line healthy and strong.
Many runners hate to taper; but a taper can gain muscle fiber strength – fast aerobic muscles that can adapt to improve your performance.
5. RECOVERY
How fast you run between sessions, that is the pace of your recovery running should be steady training pace. As your workouts get easier, increase the pace of your recovery efforts, not the pace of the training segments. The longer you work at your training sessions with short rest, the more prepared you will be to hold that pace for SSBR & AHM.
You do not have to train hard seven days a week. You just have to train smart three or four days a week.
Training up for SSBR & AHM 2009 may not be as easy you have perceived, but it will all be worth it.
The above information is in adapted from Army News (Issue 154: May/June 2008, Issue 155: June/July 2008) and “50 Tips for Healthy Running”(2008) by Raffles Medical Group.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Soccer Fellowship Report [4th July]
It was raining quite a fair bit just before 3pm and I'm sure many Soccer Community members were wondering if the session was going to be cancelled. However, God proved faithful once again as the rain stopped the moment the clock came to 3pm and the sun came out to greet us as we gathered at East Spring Secondary School. About 16 were there from the start, with Bevan joining us about 15 minutes into the session.
Choon Heng and Joel, who was joining us for his 1st session since enlistment
Kevin started off Soccer Fellowship with a devotion based on the story of Job. He related how God's conversation with Satan revealed the righteousness of Job, and God's confidence in Job not succumbing to sin, despite the many 'losses' he faced around him. Kevin shared how many of us could be proud of people around us or behave in a way that make others proud, but the most important person that we should hope to be proud of us would be God. He encouraged all to lead a life that would make God proud of.
The game started off with the Whites against the Colours in gung-ho fashion with the 16 players opting to play 'full-field' with 8-a-side. Of course, we played without goalies and scoring allowed only in the 6-yard box. There was much running and enthusiasm and the scores started to favour the Whites. It was only after a while that the Colours pulled a goal back. The 1st half ended with the Whites down 4 - 1 and everyone lapped up the match needed break.
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Kee Min, Darren & Samuel taking a much needed rest
Choon Heng and Joel, who was joining us for his 1st session since enlistmentKevin started off Soccer Fellowship with a devotion based on the story of Job. He related how God's conversation with Satan revealed the righteousness of Job, and God's confidence in Job not succumbing to sin, despite the many 'losses' he faced around him. Kevin shared how many of us could be proud of people around us or behave in a way that make others proud, but the most important person that we should hope to be proud of us would be God. He encouraged all to lead a life that would make God proud of.
The game started off with the Whites against the Colours in gung-ho fashion with the 16 players opting to play 'full-field' with 8-a-side. Of course, we played without goalies and scoring allowed only in the 6-yard box. There was much running and enthusiasm and the scores started to favour the Whites. It was only after a while that the Colours pulled a goal back. The 1st half ended with the Whites down 4 - 1 and everyone lapped up the match needed break.
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Kee Min, Darren & Samuel taking a much needed restThe 2nd half started with much wiser heads. The players opted to shorten the field by placing goals marked by cones on the edge of the 2 penalty boxes. The Colours organised themselves well and ran riot in the 2nd half, pulling away with numerous goals and going up 7 - 4. The Whites tried not to give up and mounted their own comeback, equalising the game at 7 - 7. With time ticking down, it was 'last goal wins', to which the Whites scored to take the enjoyable game 8 - 7. The players gathered for Bangshi to close in prayer and thank God for his wonderful blessings and provision!
Trinity Cup 2009 [28th June]
The PMC girls’ netball team was formed in 2008 and the members were from the youth ministry. We started off with only a handful of girls and as of 2009, the strength of our netball team is about 20. Last year, we took part in the inter-church Grace Cup alongside with COA, AMC, TTC and COS and we came in last. However we played our very best in this year’s Grace cup with a mindset to win and have fun as we have split the netball team into 2 categories, competitive and recreational teams.
This year, our competitive team took part in the Trinity Cup on 28th June and emerged champions with the help from the elite players and experienced coaches who also attend PMC. For each game, we fought hard and consistently have different goals in mind as we were playing with different teams. Out of the 5 teams we played against, we only lost a match to the stronger team from Trinity Christian Centre. As the final score from the scoring system and the score difference was tied, we won the cup by the total number of goals scored.
The girls had a lot of fun playing the game and also gaining experience by playing with the different teams who took part in this competition.
Reported by: Jacqueline Phua
Monday, July 6, 2009
run4COSI@Streetwise Run July 5, 2009
Sunday 3 pm, Singapore River, Grand Copthorne hotel lobby. A group of runners from PMC met in the hotel lobby for the first Angels run4COSI event held in conjunction with the Streetwise Run.
Angels run4COSI is a run organized by the PMC running community to raise funds for the tertiary education of youths graduating from COSI Cambodia. Last month, an awards ceremony was held in COSI for seven graduates. Today, kids from COSI would be doing a synchronized run to demonstrate their appreciation for the support provided by generous donors and enthusiastic runners from PMC.
More than two dozen runners signed up for this event. Andrew, PMC missions chairman was also present with his children to lend us their support. Some PMC runners wore a tag that says "Angels run4COSI: I run for Tola" or "I run for Boran" or some other kid from COSI. This was how some chose to remember why and who they were running for.
After a short prayer, we headed for the start line at Zuok. The sky was dark and gloomy - the forecast was for rain, which would be a welcome change from hot afternoons.
Indeed, less than 1 km into the run, the sky opened with showers of blessing for the participants. It is always nice to run in the rain, but how about a heavy downpour? It's nicer!
By the time we reached the turnaround bridge, it was pouring cats and dogs. It was fun splishing and splashing. The water stations were under-utilized, and supporters had to urge runners to drink! And best of all, the supporters were braving the rain to cheer us on! Talk about the spirit of encouragement. We couldn't help but smile and cheer for the enthusiastic supporters!
Ella (9) was probably the youngest member of PMC to complete the run, chaperoned by Stephanie, Ruf and I. Her sister Alexandra (4) was the youngest to start the race, but her mum wisely brought her back when it rained. We could see that they both enjoyed the race tremendously. So did every PMC runner!
Eric, who was our oldest participant, had this to say, "Many thanks to Daniel who accompanied my 60 year old pair of legs from start to finish. Altho we did it in thirty mins I am convinced Daniel can do a much faster time but he would rather chaperone me to make sure there is no mishap. Appreciate it man." Bravo!
It was a 4 km run, and by the time we reached the finish line, we were all truly drenched. But the heavy rain did not dampen our spirit whatsoever, as you could tell from the following pictures!
Stephanie summed it up well:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TOWARDS COSI! This is the 1st race, and there will be more races in the future - looking forward to running with you all again ;-)
Angels run4COSI is a run organized by the PMC running community to raise funds for the tertiary education of youths graduating from COSI Cambodia. Last month, an awards ceremony was held in COSI for seven graduates. Today, kids from COSI would be doing a synchronized run to demonstrate their appreciation for the support provided by generous donors and enthusiastic runners from PMC.
More than two dozen runners signed up for this event. Andrew, PMC missions chairman was also present with his children to lend us their support. Some PMC runners wore a tag that says "Angels run4COSI: I run for Tola" or "I run for Boran" or some other kid from COSI. This was how some chose to remember why and who they were running for.
After a short prayer, we headed for the start line at Zuok. The sky was dark and gloomy - the forecast was for rain, which would be a welcome change from hot afternoons.
Indeed, less than 1 km into the run, the sky opened with showers of blessing for the participants. It is always nice to run in the rain, but how about a heavy downpour? It's nicer!
By the time we reached the turnaround bridge, it was pouring cats and dogs. It was fun splishing and splashing. The water stations were under-utilized, and supporters had to urge runners to drink! And best of all, the supporters were braving the rain to cheer us on! Talk about the spirit of encouragement. We couldn't help but smile and cheer for the enthusiastic supporters!
Ella (9) was probably the youngest member of PMC to complete the run, chaperoned by Stephanie, Ruf and I. Her sister Alexandra (4) was the youngest to start the race, but her mum wisely brought her back when it rained. We could see that they both enjoyed the race tremendously. So did every PMC runner!
Eric, who was our oldest participant, had this to say, "Many thanks to Daniel who accompanied my 60 year old pair of legs from start to finish. Altho we did it in thirty mins I am convinced Daniel can do a much faster time but he would rather chaperone me to make sure there is no mishap. Appreciate it man." Bravo!
It was a 4 km run, and by the time we reached the finish line, we were all truly drenched. But the heavy rain did not dampen our spirit whatsoever, as you could tell from the following pictures!
Stephanie summed it up well:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TOWARDS COSI! This is the 1st race, and there will be more races in the future - looking forward to running with you all again ;-)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Agape Cup 2009 - Panthers Match #5 .vs. RiverLife Church [28th June]
As the H1N1 situation continued to develop in Singapore, days preceding the match were filled with trying to get a squad to play the match, especially with concerns surrounding our opponents' church as a local cluster and the implementation of new measures to keep all players safe.
We started the match positively, trying our best to string good passes and move the ball as quickly as possible to the forward line. However, one of our glaring weaknesses continued to haunt us within the first couple of minutes. We needlessly conceded a very soft goal. A long ball down our right flank saw Felipe delay his run to meet the ball. This allowed the opposition forward to tap it into an open goal. Kevin's attempt to clear the ball off the line failed as another forward followed through. Not being dismayed and keeping our heads up, we pressed on for an equaliser. Many good moves were strung involving Ronnie, Rusydi, Derrick and Marc. Bevan as well, had a long shot on goal, but it went wide.
It was starting to get frustrating, especially with the referee needlessly brandishing the yellow card to Bevan when he asked for the wall to move back the correct distance on one of our free kicks. As we pressed and kept possession, our opponents were left to do counter-attacking. On one such move down the middle, Kevin tackled the ball to safety, but was judged by the referee to have followed through on the RLC forward with his trailing leg. A free kick was awarded just outside the box and from it, an RLC player stepped up to fire a stiff shot into the roof of the net, with James on the line trying his best to head it out. With almost 65% of possession, it was ludicrous that we were 2-0 down. We continued to press for a goal and it finally arrived when Marc took a pass in the middle, swiveled and sent a through ball to Derrick on the right, who chested it down and volleyed it first time into the far corner of our opponent's goal. It was a goal worth waiting for! Half time soon followed.
The 2nd half resumed with Ronnie sending a simple message to us - don't concede silly goals and challenge for the ball. We did this and continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession but a goal from open play was not arriving. Soon, another through ball from Marc found Ronnie in space. He controlled the ball well and was heading towards goal from the left wing when an RLC stopped him unfairly. The referee awarded us a direct free kick, from which Rusydi stepped up to send a curling shot into the top left hand corner. It was another 'goal of the season' contender.
With the score at 2-2, it was all to play for and we gave everything to win the game. RLC also tried to win the tie, but we had a safe pair of hands in Felipe, who saved numerous shots. Unfortunately, and not the first time this season, indecision with the ball at our feet saw possession given away cheaply and in a dangerous position on the left. Mark tried to stop the winger, but he too quick. James stepped up next with Kevin just behind to cover but the winger jinxed his way into enough space to fire an unstoppable shot past Felipe and into the near post. We were deflated after mounting a good comeback, but still pressed out. In the final minutes of the game, Derrick was felled by the opposition defender. We give credit to our opponents for getting water and 'magic spray' for Derrick as he stood up to recover. To our surprise (and our opponent's) the referee blew for full time almost immediately after this incident, apparently shaving off at least 5 minutes from the match!
We learnt another painful lesson in tournament play on this day. This time, even scoring was not enough. We need to continue to protect the ball when we have it and not give it away cheaply. On the positive side, we starting to gel as a team, with numerous good moves made during the match.
After 5 matches played, the Pentecost Panthers are 8th in the 10-team group they belong to.
We praise God that on match day, we had 12 players who turned up to compete. Before the 5pm fixtures, Kee Min and Jonathan led the teams in a time of singspiration with 'Pass it On' and 'In His Time'. A player from Bethesda Bedok-Tampines Church then shared on the need to know Christ, especially if we don't know when we are going to 'expire'. He used the sudden deaths of soccer players and famous personalities such as Michael Jackson to illustrate this.
As we walked onto the pitch and prepared to huddle, a rude cry by the referee jarred us. It would be the start of a very unhappy experience with a referee who managed the game in a rather biased and unreasonable fashion. With only 12 to choose from, the Panthers lined up as follows, with the lone substitute Jonathan cheering us on.
We started the match positively, trying our best to string good passes and move the ball as quickly as possible to the forward line. However, one of our glaring weaknesses continued to haunt us within the first couple of minutes. We needlessly conceded a very soft goal. A long ball down our right flank saw Felipe delay his run to meet the ball. This allowed the opposition forward to tap it into an open goal. Kevin's attempt to clear the ball off the line failed as another forward followed through. Not being dismayed and keeping our heads up, we pressed on for an equaliser. Many good moves were strung involving Ronnie, Rusydi, Derrick and Marc. Bevan as well, had a long shot on goal, but it went wide.
It was starting to get frustrating, especially with the referee needlessly brandishing the yellow card to Bevan when he asked for the wall to move back the correct distance on one of our free kicks. As we pressed and kept possession, our opponents were left to do counter-attacking. On one such move down the middle, Kevin tackled the ball to safety, but was judged by the referee to have followed through on the RLC forward with his trailing leg. A free kick was awarded just outside the box and from it, an RLC player stepped up to fire a stiff shot into the roof of the net, with James on the line trying his best to head it out. With almost 65% of possession, it was ludicrous that we were 2-0 down. We continued to press for a goal and it finally arrived when Marc took a pass in the middle, swiveled and sent a through ball to Derrick on the right, who chested it down and volleyed it first time into the far corner of our opponent's goal. It was a goal worth waiting for! Half time soon followed.
The 2nd half resumed with Ronnie sending a simple message to us - don't concede silly goals and challenge for the ball. We did this and continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession but a goal from open play was not arriving. Soon, another through ball from Marc found Ronnie in space. He controlled the ball well and was heading towards goal from the left wing when an RLC stopped him unfairly. The referee awarded us a direct free kick, from which Rusydi stepped up to send a curling shot into the top left hand corner. It was another 'goal of the season' contender.
With the score at 2-2, it was all to play for and we gave everything to win the game. RLC also tried to win the tie, but we had a safe pair of hands in Felipe, who saved numerous shots. Unfortunately, and not the first time this season, indecision with the ball at our feet saw possession given away cheaply and in a dangerous position on the left. Mark tried to stop the winger, but he too quick. James stepped up next with Kevin just behind to cover but the winger jinxed his way into enough space to fire an unstoppable shot past Felipe and into the near post. We were deflated after mounting a good comeback, but still pressed out. In the final minutes of the game, Derrick was felled by the opposition defender. We give credit to our opponents for getting water and 'magic spray' for Derrick as he stood up to recover. To our surprise (and our opponent's) the referee blew for full time almost immediately after this incident, apparently shaving off at least 5 minutes from the match!
We learnt another painful lesson in tournament play on this day. This time, even scoring was not enough. We need to continue to protect the ball when we have it and not give it away cheaply. On the positive side, we starting to gel as a team, with numerous good moves made during the match.
After 5 matches played, the Pentecost Panthers are 8th in the 10-team group they belong to.
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