By: Afia Addai (Grade 11)
In the stressful day-to-day life of a student of Tema International School (TIS), there comes a time when it becomes absolutely necessary to escape the claws of academia and ease into another realm, essentially characterized by movement: the realm of athletics. The school’s authorities, in acknowledgement of this necessity, accordingly decided to allocate an entire day (Wednesday, the 21st of October 2015) to students, to showcase their athletic talents in the 2015 TIS Athletics Carnival.
The competition commenced at 8:00 am at the school oval, debuting with a number of field events, such as high jump, shot put and later discus, as well as a number of track events involving younger competitors (mainly athletes under 13 years and those under 15).
As these events progressed, the crowd cheered, yet, with the cheers weakening by the second, it was obvious that there was something more for which the crowd yearned. Somehow, no one could figure out what it was though, but sooner than later, the reason for the dullness dawned on us: no one was winning! And it seemed as if since all colours were equally matched, the purpose of the competition was defeated because how can there be a winner if there is no loser? Luckily, this feeling that had engulfed the whole atmosphere was short-lived, because as soon as the older athletes got involved, the pace of the races quickened.
From then on, the races were more decisive. The winners became more distinct. Consequently, the crowd cheered louder. They moved closer and closer to the racetrack, only to be herded back to their seats by Mr. Dzorkpata each time. Obediently, they flocked back to their seats, only to jump out of their seats again, at the commencement of the next race. Colour leaders then meandered their way through the throng, breaking into a sprint as soon as they could, to register their athletes for one race or the other, and through all these, the unyielding cheers soared to a crescendo. Once in a while, the tumultuous spectators would quieten down, as they held their breaths in anticipation of that “GO!” During these tense moments, members of Red, Blue, Yellow and Green would gaze at their athletes, waiting…until…
Suddenly, there was a cacophony of cheers resounding from each colour. “ALLAN! GABRIELLA!” Green screamed. “TROY!” Blue countered. “SALIM!” Red chimed in, as Yellow simultaneously roared “MATTHEW!” Nevertheless, there was one question on everyone’s mind: Who is going to win?
In the end, however, this question became rhetorical, as Green, boasting TIS’ fastest girl and boy (Allan and Gabriella), emerged the winner of the 2015 Inter-Colour Athletics Carnival. Red settled for second place and was closely followed by Blue, and finally, Yellow, bringing the competition to an end.
