From the 22th to the 27th of July 2009, three ACJC athletes from various sports were chosen by the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) to take part in the inaugural ASEAN Schools Games held in Suphanburi, Thailand. 5 nations namely Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and host Thailand contested in the 10 sports offered.

In the true spirit of Olympism, Kelly from 2AA2, Jeremy Goh from 2SA8 and Oka from 2SC8 competed with excellence, respect and friendship. Kelly received a Silver medal for Discus with a distance of 35 meters, Oka received a Silver Medal for the team golf event, and Jeremy received a Bronze medal for the 50 meters Freestyle with a time of 25.14s. Competition was not the only focus of the games – immersion into Thai culture started with a heartfelt and warm Thai welcome upon arrival. Staying in the hostel of a university and having meals prepared painstaking by the hosts gave us a glimpse of the lifestyle and culture of the host country. With nights set aside for interaction outside the sporting arena, competitors from different countries set aside the competition and language barriers to come together in a common language of music, dance and fun.

Oka (centre)	Jeremy (right)

Aside from gaining invaluable experience competing at an international level, the students forged invaluable friendships which transcended sports, cultural differences and borders. This is a small step in achieving the Olympic dream of building a peaceful and better world through sports in the Olympic spirit.

 The best is yet to be.