This Wednesday, we had our first House competition of this semester – tug of war – and also the first official competition at our new campus. Unlike past semesters, it was a bright and sunny day, a great time for tug-of-war. The new field and the increased number of participants definitely brought more excitement to the competition.
As the first game of this academic year at Antuo Hill, each house was well prepared. Enthusiastically registered and trained, everyone wanted to win the first game for their houses and have a nice start for the rest of the year. Unlike previous years, this semester we have three teams – A-level, G2 and G1. The newly formed house division set up the rules and assisted the PE department to organize the whole competition. When the bell rang at four o’clock, students gathered by the basketball court, main stairs as well as the bridge on the first floor, cheering for their house. Many students wore brand new house uniforms, red, blue, yellow and green t-shirt looked especially nice under the sunlight. The competition started immediately, and the slogans rang out from the sidelines, “Hydro power! Burn them all! We grow together! Golden glow!”
A-level girls kicked off the match, Water met their old rival Fire. After discussing their strategies, the red flag waved down and the whistle blew, the game began. Compared to last year’s spike, this year’s battle was much more intense. The game started with a stalemate, with Fire gaining the upper hand. But soon, Water found a way to power up and turn the tide, winning the first game. On the other side, the match between Wood and Metal was canceled due to lack of player, and wood qualified for the match with Water.
The A-level boys’ competition was followed. In the first match, Water met Fire. It is clear that the captain of Fire was not happy when he drew Water before the match, and Water finished the game and qualified for the next round easily. The next match was between Metal and Wood, who were evenly matched in the tug-of-war. The A-level matches ended in the finals round while Water and Wood would fight for the first place and Fire and Metal battling for the third place.
The G2 match started soon. With last year’s experience, our G2s had many wonderful strategies to show this year. As usual, Water vs Fire and Metal vs Wood. The girls’ match started with Water beating Fire, and Wood also won Metal. As the match heated up, the shouts on the sidelines got louder and louder. All the house students seemed to have found a knack for tug of war, shouting “1,2,1,2,1,2”. The result was the same as A-level, while Water and Wood went to the finals, Metal and Fire will fight for 3rd and 4th.
The last match in this round was for G1s. As this would be the first house competition for most of them, the freshmen enjoyed the atmosphere of the competition a lot. Water and Fire were finally separated, as we got Water vs Metal, Wood vs Fire. Fire got their victory as expected, meeting their old rival Water in the final round. In the following G1 Boys competition, when everyone was wondering if Water would be able to make it all the way to the final, Metal took the pressure and easily defeated Water to meet Wood in the final.
3-4 Final
After the semi-finals, the 3rd/4th competition started immediately. Fire got the 3rd place for A-level Boy & Girls, Water won the 3rd place for G1 boys, and Metal won the rest.
Final
At 5:00 pm, the sunlight was getting dim, but the enthusiasm of the students did not decrease as all of them were quietly waiting for the final round. The G1 final started first, after winning the first round, the students had a deeper understanding of the tug-of-war and became more skilled. Water won the G1 girls’ group championship and Metal got boys’.
The G2 match was followed, and the first match was between water and wood, which was much tougher than the semi-final. In a deadlocked match, the students held on to the twine and never backed down, pushing hard to the end. After a fierce competition, Water won the G2 Boys and Girls 1st place.
And finally, we reached the climax of the competition – the A-level finals. As the whistle blew, both teams used all of their energy to pull the rope, the powerful pulling force on the rope made it squeaking and the cheering from the sidelines was deafening. After a while, Water finally found a chance and won the game. The boys’game was much more relaxed. They are still using the same strategy they used in the semi-finals. As Water got so many strong guys in their queue, the competition finished quickly. In the end, Water took all of the championships for A-level.
As the tug of war comes to the end, we want to congratulate the winning house again and thanks for the effort of everyone. See you next Wednesday!
- Article / Elaine, Alan
- Photo / Raymond, John
- Revise / Alan, Atlas
