A Blue is an award for outstanding achievement in sports. This tradition began in Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Achieving a Blue is considered a major achievement by the British elites. Even a near miss merits a mention. For example, Lewis in His biography on Lord Atkin informed us that Lord Atkin just missed a Blue in tennis in his final year in Oxford. (p 7).
Noel Barber in The War of the Running Dogs says that “for many years 4 out of 5 men recruited by the Colonial Office had been to Oxford and Cambridge, and generally had gained a Blue. They were advised not to flaunt their scholastic records. ” (p 44)
In Methodist Boys School KL, we have a similar recognition system. An outstanding sportsman is awarded membership of the Sportsmen Club and entitled to wear a special round badge on an all-white uniform with black leather shoes.
I was awarded for chess as Captain of the chess team and for being 3rd in the National schools’ Chess Individuals in 1982.
But as I was also a prefect, I continue to wear my prefectorial badge on the prefectorial uniform of a white shirt and dark blue pants with black leather shoes.
We wear our badge and uniform with great pride. Those were our ethos.