Written by Endria Tai

Black Kites win four ISSFHK championships in Season 1 of 2018-19

Season 1 sports at Renaissance College produced fruitful results from the Black Kites. With the season containing volleyball, football and swimming, the Black Kites came away from the season with a total of four championships, with all teams participating in official leagues becoming medalists in their respective divisions in the International Schools Sports Federation Hong Kong (ISSFHK).

All Black Kites volleyball teams were able to achieve medals in their respective leagues. The Under-14 boys participated in Division 2 and came away with a silver medal while only losing two games in the season. Meanwhile, the Under-14 girls surpassed that achievement: they remained unbeaten with a 13-0 win-loss record, becoming the champions of their league. “Participating in this team was an incredible experience,” Olivia Lo, member of the Under-14 girls’ team said. “It was a great opportunity for me to make new friends and learn new skills, as well as experience what it means to be a part of a team.”

The Under-16 boys went into the playoffs as the second seed after the round-robin stage of the league but were able to win both their semi-finals and finals 2 sets to 1, beating first seed Discovery College in the finals. The Under-16 girls had a ‘miracle’ season, suffering defeats in the round-robin stage of the tournament but then managing to win the third-place match against CDNIS who were originally third-seeded. “With perseverance and commitment, we were able to improve and come together as a team and win our final under-16 game,” said the captain of the Under-16 girls’ volleyball team Nandi Mintjens. “The third-place game was truly unforgettable.”

The Under-20 boys came away with a bronze medal the second year in a row after being unable to pull through in a close game against CDNIS in the semi-finals, losing in deuce in the third set. However, they won against ICS 2-0 in the third-place match, claiming bronze. The Under-20 girls had an unbeaten season, becoming Division 1 champions with a 21-0 win-loss record in the league, winning forty two sets and losing only six sets in their entire season.

Three Under-14 football teams represented RCHK in the Division 2 ISSFHK league in September and October. The Under-14 boys A team were dominant in their division and won all of their games with high quality teamwork and passing, finishing the league with an impressive 24 goal difference. Unfortunately, they fell short in the finals and lost to HKIS in a cross-harbour bout, losing their only game of the season. The Under-14 boys B team had two fixtures in the season, finishing with one win and one loss. The Under-14 Girls’ had a difficult season but pulled through to the finals, becoming the first runners-up of the league.

Furthermore, the Under-14 boys A team achieving an impressive 24 goal difference, the largest goal difference in the league. “It has been a pleasurable experience to see our young players come together and work unselfishly for the benefit of the cause,” coach of the Under-14 boys A team, Lee Burns, said. “ The best player of the season was 'us'! A growth mindset and understanding that no player was bigger or better than the rest helped us achieve our successes. I'm proud of who we are, how we competed and what we have achieved.”

The swimming team had excellent results from the ISSFHK swimming championships, with 131 individual entries and fifteen relay entries, but were unable to place in any age division.

Season 2 will see the Black Kites participating in basketball, ball hockey, football, and tennis