SFL 2015 (Mens) - NUS Nemesis

Last week we interviewed ladies division – Albatross FC, and these week we move our focus to the men’s division. We have with us is NUS Nemesis, a team that is contending for the title. On paper, they are definitely a team to look out for with many young and aspiring young talent of Singapore in its team.

We interview their captain – Desmond Ho May Zhong about their preparation and journey into SFL Division 1 2015. Desmond is 28 years old and he has been playing Floorball for about 10 years since, first started playing in his Junior College days. He has been playing for NUS Nemesis for 3 years, he first started out in a Division 4 team called NUS Uncles, then he move on to play in Division 2 with NUS Saints and finally make a final move to Division 1 with NUS Nemesis.

NUS Nemesis started out as a platform to allow both NUS students and alumni to compete at the highest level. Today, although we have diversified the squad to include top players from various clubs, NUS students and alumni still form the bulk of the team. The additions of new players have certainly added fresh perspectives towards our training methods and incorporated new dimensions to our gameplay. We believe the club and upcoming NUS players will benefit from the overall boost in experience and skill level.

Currently NUS Nemesis has no coach, the coaches/leaders leading the team are player-coach and they have a team of player-coach to lead and guide the team. And they are JQ, Gary, Renji and Desmond himself. Our team comprises of a mix of working adults, NSFs and students. Despite the age difference of 10 years between the youngest and oldest player, the team works well together. We are like a band of brothers.

This is NUS Nemesis have welcome quite a number of new faces to its team. The new blood that in Nemsis are Dev (goalkeeper); Jian Hong and Chun Yin previously from Moosemen; Jatin, Nahendran, Guhen and Jian Yong previously from Piranhaz; and Wee Liang from Victoria Schools. Desmond added to keep a look out for Nahendran and Keevin. Nahendran embodies many good qualities both on and off court. Off-court, he is extremely humble despite being a well-established player. On-court, he is a magician with mind-blowing stick handling and goal scoring abilities. Whereas for Keevin, it is always a pleasure to watch him play. Undoubtedly one of the best playmakers, his exceptional vision and outrageous passes will leave you baffled. This clever player is definitely the Iniesta of floorball. We have done well to integrate all new players into the team. However, there is always room for improvement, particularly in the execution of tactical play.

When I ask Desmond which team should we look our for in the Men’s division, he replied – “ Black Wondersticks. They are fit, physical and skillful. Most importantly, they possess a wealth of experience which is a crucial factor in Division 1.”

NUS Nemesis finished off as 1st runner-up for last year tournament, it was a “so near yet so far” feeling for Desmond and team when we talk about last season. This year with them well integrated structure the team is eyeing for the championship. Desmond add on to say “More importantly, we aspire to set a good example for the youth and Floorball scene, inspiring values of hard work, humility, discipline and sportsmanship.”

When I ask Desmond to use 1 word that best describe his team, he replied, “Tenacious.”

Stay tune, as we share with you some other interviews we had with other SFL Teams….