The CNY Baketball Camp

I was away since last Thursday attending a basketball camp for the Cagers that spanned throughout the entire Chinese New Year holiday period together with my former teammates Nageb, Mijie, Geto and Que at none other than the sacred ground of Kuala Kangsar. We only reached Shah Alam on Sunday morning after taking a very smooth and quiet midnight drive.

Overall, it was a very delightful two-and-a-half-day experience. The five of us got the chance to mingle with each other again after such a long time, but more importantly we managed to lend our hands to the present boys who are preparing for their upcoming tournaments. I guess we are too young to contribute financially, so coming down occasionally and playing against them are our forms of contribution and payback to the team. Too bad Ayob could not make it, or else it would have been perfect for us. Nevertheless our former junior teammates Hazwan, Qassim and Rahmat were also present to add to the excitement during the camp.

It was great to see the familiar faces of the Big School Court again, notably Mr. Liew and Cikgu Jimmy. The much-upgraded basketball facility for the Cagers was another pleasant sight to watch. The juniors of our old days now make the main team, while another generation of juniors is not far behind them, getting ready to fill up the shoes of those in front once their turn to leave comes. Each year players come and go, and with the evolution of time certain things have definitely taken a twist. But if there is one thing that will not change since the old days, it is the belief in each of them that everyone will head to the exit door one day, sooner or later as an undisputed winner. You could clearly see it from their eyes.

As for our own games, well, I guess we did quite a pretty decent job in trying to compete with the boys given that none of us had actually undergone intensive training and played seriously since we left koleq. We got beaten up by the main team pretty badly, apparently due to our lack in physical fitness. Well, I actually kind of did some jogging in the few weeks leading to the camp… to no avail. I guess it never helps going with my own pace with no one doing the timing and pushing me forward, the way we used to have it in koleq.

So how actually did the basketball camp impact us? Well, Nageb, Mijie, Geto and Que and decided to only get back to their respective places late in the evening and spent the earlier part of the day hanging out together, even though Mijie and Que actually had an exam the very next day while Nageb and Geto were also bounded by their own academic commitments. Rahmat, who was still at KK on Sunday meanwhile sent me a text message in the wee hour of the morning telling us how bored they were sans our presence (though I doubt his literal intention, those of you who were there should know what I mean) while Hazwan later revealed to me how happy he was during the last few days despite playing with a bad knee. I really am not sure how the rest of them felt towards the camp, but I for one am very glad that I was part of it.