By PHYLLIS HO
alltherage@thestar.com.my

Two Sundays ago, Taylor’s University dodgeball team – or Taylor’s Lakeside Storm – emerged champions for the second time in a row at the MAPCU (Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities) Sports Carnival dodgeball competition.

The carnival is an annual sporting event amongst private educational institutions. The event was held at Taylor’s Lakeside campus in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Dodgeball was introduced in Malaysia several years ago thanks to MAD, the Malaysian Association of Dodgeball. Since then, the game has seen an increase in popularity among tertiary students, mostly because of its simplicity.

Since Storm’s formation in 2010, they have been strong challengers in various tournaments. The highest point in the club’s history was when they represented Malaysia in international friendlies against Hong Kong and Singapore. As of last year, R.AGE has been a proud sponsor of this ambitious team.

Storm players in action

At the MAPCU tournament, Storm edged out the likes of University of Nottingham, HELP University, INTI International University and Nilai University to reach the finals, where they beat KDU University College to bag the title with a score of 3-2.

Eleven teams played in the dodgeball category, with each team having a squad of 15 players. Storm captain Yap Wei Liam said: “We were nervous but prepared to defend our title. During the game, however, we were too caught up to think about anything else!”

The Taylor’s Lakeside Storm team is the champion again.

The 20-year-old added that the win was a great for the club, as the players had worked really hard prior to the tournament.

“KDU’s dodgeball club has been around for quite some time, and they’ve got really good players. Their MVP (Most Valuable Player) at last year’s CDL (Campus Dodgeball League) was also playing so we were quite wary of him,” added Yap.

Chong Hwei Xian, a player who recently joined the club, said the team has commendable teamwork. “It’s not a game you can play solo, so a lot of chemistry is needed between the members.”

Club president Teh Ren-To says that’s exactly what Storm has. The members are a tight-knit group and they hang out a lot off the dodgeball court.

Next up for Storm is the National Dodgeball Championship grand finals, which will be held on October 28 at the MINES Convention Centre, Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

It is the most comprehensive national-level competition by far and includes representatives from all over Malaysia. Having qualified for the Central Zone Qualifiers (Kuala Lumpur and Selangor) in both male and female categories, Storm will be taking on 11 of the nation’s finest dodgeball teams.

While dodgeball can be a very fun sport, Teh said his team will be taking things very seriously ahead of the competition: “For now, we’re going through intensive training to prepare the players both physically and mentally.”