Greener grass on the other side of Confucian fence

29/09/1999

A FLURRY of activities greet you as you walk down the corridors of Sekolah
Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Confucian.
It was noon and the sun was blazing hot, but already cadets were busy
stomping and forming a line for inspection.
Scouts and Girl Guides in uniforms hopped about happily preparing for
the day while other club activities were also in full swing.
The sad part is that sport is almost non-existent, at least as far as
facilities are concerned.
Volleyball was the pride of the school six years ago but the
construction of a private school where the courts used to be stifled
interest.
The students at Confucian have never had a playing field and their only
pride is the basketball court - or rather half a court.
Sports secretary Y.M. Soo, beaming with pride, pointed out that although
they only have half a court for basketball, it has something no other
school in the country has - a fibre-glass panel.
"We are poor as far as sports facilities are concerned so we make the
best out of what we have," said Soo.
Basketball, volleyball, table-tennis and badminton have a large
following while field sports like cricket, soccer and hockey are played on
the students' own initiative.
"The students love to play soccer but we don't have a field. So they
find their own means. Sometimes, we request for friendlies with other
schools so that we can play at their ground."
The longing for a green is so evident in Soo's eyes.
The Confucian boys have become the whipping boys but it has never
deterred them from playing soccer.
Even to indulge in badminton is a luxury.
"We have an understanding with those who want to play badminton that
they book and pay for the halls and we reimburse them," said Soo.
In 1907, when the school was opened it was surrounded by greenery and
lots of space for expansion, but today it stands forlorn on a hillock amid
choking traffic fumes, with Pudu Raya behind and bustling Petaling Street
somewhat by the side.
"As recent as six years ago mention volleyball and Confucian and it sent
shivers down the spine of our opponents. But no longer. Now we have to
work our way from the bottom.
"We have placed the revival of volleyball top most on our list for this
year and hopefully, with the help of the Old Boys, we will have a good
team soon," said Soo.
The Malaysia Amateur Basketball Association (MABA) building and stadium
is a stone's throw from the school.
Maba send their project players to study at Confucian but since they
have their own training programmes in the evenings, they have no time to
play school-level basketball.
The Methodist Boys School (MBS) share the same wall with Confucian.
So when the end-of-school bell rang, some of the Confucian students,
waiting for transport to return home, could only take a peek and look with
envy at the lucky MBS boys who were busy playing a game of soccer on their
lush green pitch.
For the students of SM Confucian, the grass is definitely greener on the
other side of the fence.
(END)