Memorable Sports Exchange In Kochi
Kochi-Singapore Sports School Sports Exchange
Written By
Elliot Ong
Badminton Academy, Secondary 2
From 19 to 24 August 2024, 10 students from the Badminton Academy, myself included, and 10 students from the Table Tennis Academy participated in an exchange programme with different schools in Kochi. We used a multi-purpose hall at the Kochi Prefectural Haruno Athletic Recreational Park, and the main hall which was split into two parts, to allow both academies to train in. One side of the hall was allocated for the badminton student-athletes to train, and another side was where the table tennis student-athletes set up their tables and barriers to train in.
Upon entering the hall, I was taken aback by how clean the hall was. I later found out that the Kochi students cleaned the hall with mops and vacuums themselves. Moreover, they had already set up the nets and poles for all of us and took out chairs as well as mats from the storage room for us to sit on. I could not help but notice that all of them were setting up the hall with smiles on their faces. All of them greeted us warmly when we had to gather for their coach to give us instructions before we warmed up. They even gave us shirts for us to wear immediately after the coach signaled them to do so.
The players were a very nice group of students, and a lot of them were very entertaining, which gave us an easier time to bond with them. A lot of them were also quite supportive as during some drills, they had cheered for me. Throughout the whole trip, they made us feel comfortable. Furthermore, even though they were older, they were very friendly. At first, it was hard for me to get used to their technique and skills. Some of their shots were quite hard to take, and others were very fast on the court. Personally, I felt it was very enriching to play a full match with some of the players as I was exposed to different techniques of play and trying to keep up with them through power, stamina, and speed.
Lastly, this exchange programme has really helped all of us appreciate Japanese culture even more. Visiting the landmarks of the city like the castle and the lake was an enjoyable and memorable experience, and the food we were given was healthy and delicious. In addition, the peaceful suburban town surrounded by mountains and fields as well as the bustling, lively nature of the central area provided us with a great atmosphere to train at. I never expected Kochi to provide us with so many different experiences that really exposed us to a variety of cultures and to make friends and exchange shirts with tons of people we had never met before.
All in all, I have observed that the Japanese are very respectful and friendly which made them such good hosts. They are also disciplined and focused during training and as a result, this makes them good players to train with as well as learn from. As such, it made our trip so much more memorable and fulfilling.
Written By
Elliot Ong
Badminton Academy, Secondary 2
From 19 to 24 August 2024, 10 students from the Badminton Academy, myself included, and 10 students from the Table Tennis Academy participated in an exchange programme with different schools in Kochi. We used a multi-purpose hall at the Kochi Prefectural Haruno Athletic Recreational Park, and the main hall which was split into two parts, to allow both academies to train in. One side of the hall was allocated for the badminton student-athletes to train, and another side was where the table tennis student-athletes set up their tables and barriers to train in.
Upon entering the hall, I was taken aback by how clean the hall was. I later found out that the Kochi students cleaned the hall with mops and vacuums themselves. Moreover, they had already set up the nets and poles for all of us and took out chairs as well as mats from the storage room for us to sit on. I could not help but notice that all of them were setting up the hall with smiles on their faces. All of them greeted us warmly when we had to gather for their coach to give us instructions before we warmed up. They even gave us shirts for us to wear immediately after the coach signaled them to do so.
The players were a very nice group of students, and a lot of them were very entertaining, which gave us an easier time to bond with them. A lot of them were also quite supportive as during some drills, they had cheered for me. Throughout the whole trip, they made us feel comfortable. Furthermore, even though they were older, they were very friendly. At first, it was hard for me to get used to their technique and skills. Some of their shots were quite hard to take, and others were very fast on the court. Personally, I felt it was very enriching to play a full match with some of the players as I was exposed to different techniques of play and trying to keep up with them through power, stamina, and speed.
Lastly, this exchange programme has really helped all of us appreciate Japanese culture even more. Visiting the landmarks of the city like the castle and the lake was an enjoyable and memorable experience, and the food we were given was healthy and delicious. In addition, the peaceful suburban town surrounded by mountains and fields as well as the bustling, lively nature of the central area provided us with a great atmosphere to train at. I never expected Kochi to provide us with so many different experiences that really exposed us to a variety of cultures and to make friends and exchange shirts with tons of people we had never met before.
All in all, I have observed that the Japanese are very respectful and friendly which made them such good hosts. They are also disciplined and focused during training and as a result, this makes them good players to train with as well as learn from. As such, it made our trip so much more memorable and fulfilling.
