A Clash of Wills in Mindsports - the Hwa Chong Cup

Written by: Megan Lim (24S6E), Tan Yi Xuan (24S7E)

Edited by: Tan Wen Li, Glenda (24S6K)

A group photo of all the participants

The Hwa Chong Cup 2024 took place on 6 April and concluded without a hitch, with HC Mindsports (HCMS) achieving commendable results. In contact bridge, Hwa Chong attained first runners-up, and in both international and chinese chess, Hwa Chong achieved overall champions. The achievements of HCMS and the success of this event as a whole can only be owed to the hard work of the entire CCA, from their individual training to the organising of the event.

Prior to the event, the HCMS’s ExCo had to liaise with other schools to get the necessary equipment they needed to cater to all the participants, and ensure the event could run smoothly. As HC Cup was a large-scale event, the team had to increase its attention to detail and delegate work properly to all of the members, so that the event could come together seamlessly.

Though the competition day itself went smoothly as planned, it was certainly tiring as it lasted an entire day. Nevertheless, as commented by the President of Hwa Chong Mindsports, Haw Zixuan, having the CCA host and participate in the competition was extremely fulfilling. Every member of the CCA had the opportunity to meet and play with different players from other schools. 

This was rather rare as only a few can be selected to represent the school in the National School Games, while the other CCA members would typically only play against one another during CCA sessions. Therefore, the CCA members would have a significantly more exciting experience during the HC Cup against players of varying skill levels from other schools. As for the CCA members who helped out during the event as ushers or venue officials, their HC Cup experience was eye-opening as well. Instead of playing their games in usual CCA sessions, they could catch a glimpse of the operations of a large-scale event. 

In all, HC Cup is Hwa Chong Mindsports’ most significant event on the calendar and is a milestone for the CCA members to experience. It was largely unlike National School Games, as it was hosted by the CCA itself. This experience was not only immensely fruitful, but also brought the members of the three different sections together. Hwa Chong Mindsports hopes to continue hosting the HC Cup, a rewarding and gratifying experience for all of its members.