| James Kon |
DESPITE having trained for only a month, Brunei Men’s National Basketball Team put up an improved showing at the 19th Borneo City Invitational Basketball Tournament taking place in Miri after winning against Kota Kinabalu 55-45 in their second match of the tournament yesterday and losing only a point to Miri 55-54 on Friday night.
Brunei’s men’s team are represented by a good mix of senior and young players namely Lim Aik Hock, Benjamin Lim, Choo Yung Jian, Ahmad Termizi, Soon Kian Leong, Khoo Chin Kai, Darren Yap, Samuel Jong, Ching Wei Ming, Lim Jia Hom, Cheong Yan Shing and Yeo Chun Kiat.
Coach Xavier Fong Yen Leong of the Brunei team in an interview said, “I am very proud of our team because despite training only a month, our team played well in this tournament.”
On the Miri match up, he recalled, “Brunei were actually leading all the way until the last quarter where we got a number of bad calls and lost the game. Our team played with a heart of a champion and never gave up.”
Coach Xavier Fong also acknowledged that the team will need to improve their shooting form and be prepared for next year’s tournament.
In the winning game against Kota Kinabalu, he said, “Despite the disadvantage in height, our team managed to get the crucial win because each of the players were in good form and played well. Our players worked hard on defence with man-to-man defence as well as deployed fast break strategy.”
Touching on the last game against Labuan, he said, “I wish that we would be victorious against Labuan and if we win and Miri lost to other team, we still have a chance to be the champion for this year’s tournament. We will need to play our best against Labuan.”
In other results, Brunei women’s team were winless in both their matches in the tournament after being defeated by Miri 49-34 in the first game on Friday and then losing to KK 92-34. The Brunei veteran men’s team lost to Labuan 54-46 on Friday.
Group picture of Brunei Men’s Basketball Team at the 19th Borneo City Invitational Basketball Tournament currently taking place in Miri. – JAMES KON
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