International teams battle for the chance of a face-off with the CHC All Star basketball team.
Contributed By Jeremy Chua
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| CN PHOTO: Jason Lee |
After a scintillating morning of powerful smashes in badminton, and electrifying footwork in the street soccer tournament, the basketball hoops were finally rolled out and the high-flying elite came out to show what they were made of.
The CGI-AC 2010’s 3-on-3 basketball competition was made up of teams from Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The stakes were high in this tournament; besides the attractive prizes, pride and glory for their country was on the line as the winners would move on to a face-off match against City Harvest All Stars, led by CHC’s executive pastor, Derek Dunn.
Playing in a round robin format, the six teams faced stiff competition from one another. Right off the bat, players realized how tough it was going to be fighting their way to the top of the heap. Liu Geng Hong, media personality and leader of the team from Taipei New Life Church, was fouled but managed to make the difficult basket.
Each team represented their country to the utmost of their abilities. Even the spectators were not spared from the nail biting tension. Ang Wei Yang, 19, who is currently serving his National Service, observed, “The intensity is palpable in the atmosphere. Everyone has determination and the will to win written on their faces.”
It was no surprise that perennial favorites, Team TNLC, won all of their matches with their teamwork and individual brilliance. Team CHC, too, cruised through the competition with their superior height and shooting advantage. It was seemingly orchestrated that these two teams would duke it out, serving as a chance for Singapore to one-up Taiwan before the exhibition match against the CHC All Stars.
When the whistle sounded, Team CHC sprinted out of the gates and took a lead ahead of Team TNLC, who seemed to be uncomfortable in trying to match up their players against their towering opponents. After a couple of astute adjustments in their match ups, however, Team TNLC managed to fight their way back into the game.
Drawing on the energy of the crowd, the Taiwan cheering contingent came out in full force. Despite the excellent teamwork, Team CHC was unable to make the baskets they made in the earlier matches. Still, they fought valiantly, and did not stop battling until the final whistle was blown.
In the end, their efforts came up just short; Team TNLC were crowned the international 3-on-3 basketball champions and earned the right to take on and extend their winning streak against the CHC All Stars, in a bid to cement Taiwan’s superiority in basketball.
