“The whole nation was behind us…” – An interview with the AYG FIBA 33 Basketball boys team

Story by Koh Yizhe/Red Sports

It is not everyday that 16-year-old boys get to achieve their dream on a global stage, but four lucky young men did just that at the Asian Youth Games (AYG).

The quartet of Jabez Su, Russel Low, Larry Liew and Goh Kong Tat, Singapore's representatives at the AYG, reached their goal of the quarter-finals of the AYG FIBA 33 Basketball tournament.

But their chances didn't look good for them at the start. They were thrown into the "group of death" with basketball powerhouses China and India standing in their way for a spot in the quarter-finals. On top of that, an opening day defeat to China made the host nation’s road to their dream all the more difficult.

However, despite the defeat, Singapore's top youth basketballers bounced back with two straight victories over Uzbekistan and India to reach the quarter-finals. There, they fell to South Korea, who eventually finished third, but not before pushing the favourites to their limits. No frowns were seen on the boys' face, however, as they had accomplished what they set out to do.

When asked what their top highlight of the whole AYG was, they all agreed it was "achieving our dream of reaching the top 8".

"I think another highlight would be the fact that the whole nation was behind us, supporting us each step of the way. Making friends with other players from the different countries, namely Philippines, China and Korea, was also a highlight for me," said team captain Jabez.

"Looking at them on court, they give you the idea of arrogance, but once you get to know them, they are great people. We have the same common topics to talk about and they have a great sense of humour. We had fun with these three teams and were supporting them throughout the tournament. How ironic that we lost to two of them!"

Kong Tat also shared his highlights, "Firstly, it would be exchanging our jerseys with the gold medal winners, China. Next, it would be the feel of becoming overnight celebrities! Suddenly, everyone wants to take their photo with us, like we are celebrities! Living at the five-star Swissotel would be another highlight."

When asked if they were satisfied with their performance, Jabez said, "Yes! Very very satisfied."

But for Russel, he was not too happy with his first two performances, describing it as a "zero". However, he felt his last two displays against India and Korea were "okay".

Some might also wonder what happened to Kong Tat during the last two games as he sat both out. Was he injured?

He shed some light on this, "Nope, I wasn’t injured. It was the coach's decision. I think coach made the right decision by not letting me play, because he didn’t want to take any risks. I think he knew I couldn’t handle the pressure."

Now that the AYG has come to a close, the team looks toward next year's Youth Olympic Games.

"We will be going through another round of selection to decide the squad for next year's YOG. So far, there has been little news on that, but for now, we will have to work more on team work and communication. These, I believe, are the aspects that we are lacking," said Jabez.

Some readers wanted to know what new sport they will take up if given a choice.

"It would definitely be bowling and shooting because I don't have to sweat much or at all!” said Kong Tat.

But for Jabez and Russel, they would stick with basketball.

"Basketball is my passion!" said Jabez. Russel also felt the same way, claiming that basketball is his "favourite".

With tickets sold out on most days, the support for the team was tremendous.

Jabez had some words for the fans, "The supporters were our inspiration. We really thank them a lot!" His sentiments was shared by his teammates.

Certain readers also wanted to know if any of them were attached.

"NO!" responded Jabez immediately.

"I am not attached," claimed Russel.

Kong Tat, however, wanted to leave readers in doubt, saying, "Only 4 of us can know. ;)"