Punctuating the beginning of CDNIS’s second athletic season, cross-country (XC) and golf student-athletes embarked on multinational journeys to showcase the dedication and skills they had acquired throughout their season’s training. The Southeast Asia Student Activities Council (SEASAC) is an international league of high schools that hosts annual competitions in various sports. Every year, a different school in the council hosts a sports meet in a location of their choice. This year, Malaysia’s Garden International School (GIS) and Thailand’s Bangkok Patana School (BPS) hosted the XC and golf championships in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok respectively.
GIS united schools of runners of all ages bringing students from all over Asia to compete on a never-before-seen course in Kuala Lumpur. After a brief stretching session, the course marshals debriefed the event’s progression. Students would run an individual 5k on the first day and a 15k relay on the second.
Congregating under Kuala Lumpur’s intense sun and sweltering humidity, the athletes lined up at the starting line. The course spanned hills and valleys, snaking through canopies of thick foliage overhead. The ground was the color of tapioca, moist earth showing the remains of the previous night’s rain.
“On your marks, get set, go!”
Running shoes spattered through ankle-deep mud puddles as racers fought to claim their spots at the head of the pack. As runners started to find their paces, the crowd thinned out. Following the path meticulously marked with a yellow ribbon, racers emerged from the first of many tree tunnels panting. Students passing each other managed words of mutual encouragement between breaths, embodying the competitive yet friendly environment fostered by the XC community.
The organic terrain was texturally diverse, unlike the paved sidewalks of CDNIS’s Nam Long Shan Road, challenging the students’ spatial awareness and coordination. Our beloved hill had, however, prepared our runners for sharp inclines. Before long, our team’s runners popped into view. Coaches and students alike erupted into cheers, yelling words of encouragement and praise at the students fast approaching the finish line. Shoes and uniforms stained with mud, our runners finished with beaming smiles and skin glistening with sweat under the bright morning sun.
Meanwhile, the CDNIS golf team faced off against 14 other schools at the annual SEASAC golf competition. BPS hosted the annual meet at Bangkok’s esteemed Vintage Club, which boasts 18 unique golf holes and a course of luscious green grass. The event attracted golfers from Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore, each carrying unique experiences with the sport. The three-day itinerary consisted of time to learn the course and two full run-throughs of the tournament.
Four CDNIS athletes were hand-selected by coaches to participate in the international competition – each with the burning desire to expand upon their existing golfing repertoire. Exchanging pleasantries with the other teams of four, the golfers headed towards the first hole. Studying the course’s intricate slopes, clubs were raised.
Whoosh. Thud.
The golf balls made square contact with solid metal club faces, arcing through the cool morning air. As the balls rolled to a stop in the grass, the athletes brandished their putters, angling their clubs toward the hole. Plonk. The ball rolled into the hole with a satisfying clunk, and it was time to move on. Making mental notes of the course’s tricks, the golfers rearranged their clubs and moved toward the next hole.
Each golfer was paired with an experienced caddy who offered invaluable advice on the course’s unfamiliar structures and strategies. Combining the caddies’ expertise with their existing golf intellect, our athletes breezed through the first round. CDNIS golfer Alex Chu notes, “When playing several days back-to-back, each round must be treated individually,” citing the importance of knowing the slopes and taking informed risks. Reflective notions like these outline the growth in not only skill but mindset demonstrated by our athletes.
SEASAC XC and golf provided a rare opportunity for our school’s athletes to travel abroad and compete in their respective sports, the first opportunity since the pandemic. Exposure to new courses and new people deepened our athletes’ interactions with the global community and pushed them to adapt and improve — a win in everyone’s books.
A special thank you goes out to the many people who made these SEASAC experiences a reality, including the CDNIS Athletics Department, numerous athletic coaches, GIS, BPS, and the student-athletes who embarked on this journey.
