Just a few minutes past 9am, the doors to the tournament room at Buona Vista CC flung open and eager Othello players from all over the country poured in for registration. With the opening speech given, and the cue taken from the Tournament Director, 7 rounds of Swiss Pairing excitement unfolded through the Saturday afternoon.
The latest tournament by the Othello Organisation (Singapore) achieved unprecedented success! The Singapore Schools Othello Championships 2010 saw some 65 participants from more than 10 different educational institutes coming to vie for Top Honours at the prestigious National schools tournament. Consequently, this event smashed the standing record for the number of participants in previous tournaments!
The encouraging growth in numbers from year to year has given a much welcomed boost in confidence to the team of the organising committee. With positive results, there is more motivation which would spur the local Othello community to greater heights.
After a grueling 7 rounds battle, a few rising stars emerged victorious!
Low Wee Hao Eddie upset the current National number one player, Alex Koh and overcame the standing World Top Female, Joanna William to deliver a 7 of 7 perfect sweep, clinching the Top Tertiary Player title. He is also the first person to win a title in straight wins this year. He will be looking to break into the World Rankings this August at the Nationals. Congratulations to Eddie!
The Junior College (JC) Champion this year is Kwan Kin Wain. He scored 6.5 points to lead Catholic Junior College to their ultimate team victory. Kwan has been around the local Othello scene these few years, bagging his very first Top JC player award in 2010. He is currently one of the best Junior College players in Singapore. With the free ticket to the Nationals incentive, he should be able to gain valuable experience playing there at the highest level in Singapore. Congratulations to Kwan Kin Wain!
Clara Heng Li Ying came up tops and clinched the Top Secondary School Champion award to guide Team Nanyang Girls High School to a second Top Team Trophy this year. At the age of only 13, she has become the youngest ever Othello Champion in Singapore! With her vast potential displayed, she would be having her sights set on the top Female award in the coming National tournament. Congratulations to Clara Heng!
For more detailed results, please visit our competition page.
Please visit our gallery for more photos.
