Big splash by Queen's
IT was like a festival even though it was just a swimming meet.
When Young Post attended Queen's College annual championships last week, the setting was one of a sea of flags and deafening roars.
When the Queen's College boys set their minds on cheering for their swimmers, everything that could make some sound and make a scene was summoned.
You name it, they had it - loud-hailers, bamboo sticks, cardboard boxes, flags and eye-catching outfits.
But fearful of disturbing nearby residents in Victoria Park, the cheering teams from the eight Houses - Stewart, Wright, Tanner, Crook, De Rome, Kay, Dealy and Williamson (names of former principals) - spared the drums.
Some say that you can tell the school spirit by the volume of the cheering on occasions such as the sports day or a swimming gala.
If that is true, the sense of belonging among Queen's College boys was, to say the least, impressive.
Both Grade A and B individual champions Ho Hon-wing and Sun Man-kit respectively set new records at several events while the slightly less impressive Grade C champion Paddy Ng Ping-hei did similarly well in all the breast-stroke events (50 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres).
Paddy, 13, of Stewart House said: 'I chose breast-stroke events because it's a long shot for other swimmers. It means less competition.' For Man-kit, 16, setting records in the 50 metres freestyle and 200 metres individual medley, was not enough.
'I expected myself to break three but I only did two. I guess I was burned out,' Man-kit said.
He powered to gold in the 50 metres butterfly but failed to break Choi Kam-fung's record (29.63 seconds) set in 1990.
The strongly-built Ho, Grade A champion, said that even though he broke the 50 metres freestyle and 100 metres breast-stroke records, he felt weary.
'I was tired from the inter-school swimming competition held two days earlier and I haven't really recovered.'
