By: Benjamin Oh Zheming
It was a
bright, sun-kissed morning on the 23rd of February when the
basketball team of Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) arrived at
Ibnu Sina Residential College, Universiti Malaya, for the Avicenna
Inter-Medical Varsity Debate and Sports convention.
A total of
ten tertiary institutions were represented at the tournament, having sent teams
of their best players. We fielded two teams of five players each, with three
players on the court and two as substitutes. With speed, teamwork, and fluid
coordination, our players outmaneuvered the opposition and both teams gained a
clear victory in the first round.
Things got
complicated soon. One consequence of our dual victory was that, as both teams
were in the same group, they would have to confront each other. Hence, only
half of our players would proceed, and our team members would have to now wage
a ‘civil war’ against their comrades. Nevertheless, our Team Captain, Gregory
Low, was adamant that we put up a good fight regardless, with no holding back;
sportsmanship and fair play were more important than any tactical advantage we would
gain from ‘choosing’ our winning team before the match. The team led by our
captain emerged victorious to enter the next stage, as the other team retreated
to the sidelines to cheer their compatriots.
The heat
was up during the finals once the NUMed Nukes went up against Melaka Manipal
Medical College (MMMC). It was truly a whole different ball game in every
way—while our team threw in every modicum of effort and fought tooth and nail
for the court, the opposition wasted no time in maximising the advantage of
their larger physiques and their superior shooting skills. Though we put up a
valiant fight, MMMC gained the crown. Our disappointment was tempered by our
satisfaction at having lost to a worthy opponent; having given our best, we
gained much experience in the process. We finished third out of ten—a worthy
achievement.
Our team
captain Gregory Low summed it up that ‘we put up a good fight, but we could
have done better.’ He acknowledged that the winning team was superior; however,
pleased with our first taste of success, he is confident consistent training
and committed effort will carry our team much further on our next attempt.
We boarded
the bus that evening, weary but satisfied. We had shown spirit on that court,
and our performance put NUMed on the map. With more committed training and
effort, we hope that our next attempt the coming year will also put NUMed on
the prize podium.
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