| Fadhil Yunus |
BYD Alpha emerged winners of the first ever Times Square 3 on 3 under-18 Basketball Tournament 2017 after defeating Chino Lions 12-7 in an action-packed boys’ under-18 final near the atrium of the Times Square Shopping Centre yesterday.
The newly crowned winners, who have links with Philippines academy PYD, enjoyed a healthy cushion but suffered a setback when Nathaniel Geguillan could not continue the game after succumbing to an injury during the match.
The player, who enjoyed other 3 on 3 successes with fellow team-mate Asi Medina, was replaced by Gene Lim Delos Reyes III and performed well in his absence.
Jason Lim also showed top form and enjoyed a succession of fine assists by Medina in the win.
Chino Lions momentarily gave a scare but BYD regained their momentum despite the former converting a delightful two pointer to send the crowd buzzing.
The Times Square win was the third and final time for the pair of Medina and Geguillan who previously enjoyed a set of successes together at Hua Ho Manggis and Fitness Zone tournaments.
“We felt really good because it was our last 3 on 3 in Brunei for me and Nathaniel. I thanked my team-mates who did really great,” said Asi in an interview with the Bulletin after the prize presentation ceremony.
The success was made more remarkable considering that the team only trained one day together on Saturday which they participated in the last minute.
The tournament came as a last-minute decision for the duo that was already making preparations to go back to the Philippines.
“We weren’t actually supposed to join because we were saying that we were going to go back to the Philippines anyway so better not join,” continued Asi.
The Times Square 3 on 3 Under-18 Basketball Tournament top three winners in a group picture. – FADHIL YUNUS
Nathaniel also paid tribute to the team who enjoyed a close understanding with his team-mate Asi.
“BYD helped us as a lot especially for me and Asi since we trained together. We had a lot of chemistry and it helped us to improve our skills and experiences,” he said.
The quartet also paid credit to the coach for guiding them and playing an instrumental part in their success.
“Our coach is very supportive. Any decision we made he would be okay with it and if we made any mistake he would consult us,” Nathaniel said.
Some of the players also trained under Shooting Stars who meet up twice a week and have been involved with the programme for two years at Fitness Zone.
Meanwhile, Mum Bakery was crowned champions in the girls’ under-18 category after beating SSBN Bake Culture 13-7 in the final.
In the individual accolades, Adrian Azaharaini from the Chino Lions won the boys’ Most Valuable Player while Ho Shing Shing from Mum Bakery won the girls’ Most Valuable Player.
The top two from the pool standings qualified for the quarter-finals before challenging for a podium finish.
The top four in the girls’ group advanced to the semi-finals as only five teams participated.
Presenting the prizes was Kwang Ming Heng, the Chairman of the Brunei Basketball Association.
Also present during the final and prize presentation ceremony was Amal Majidah Haji Suhaili, General Manager of Times Square Shopping Centre.
Organised by Times Square Shopping Centre in collaboration with Shooting Stars Brunei and Fitness Zone, a total of 19 boys’ teams and 5 girls’ teams joined the three-day tournament.
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