By Ian Chew
Mernard Lee from Woodlands Pri aims to be a scoring force in the Combined Schools U12 team to Canberra. (Photo 1 © Ian Chew/Red Sports)
Kranji Primary School, Monday, 10 November, 2008 – The cream of Singapore’s 12-year old basketball boy talents gathered under the tutelage of Mr Ong Yam Huat, a teacher in Chua Chu Kang Primary School with a singular purpose in mind – to win the Pacific Schools Games Under-12 competition held in Canberra later this month.
Asked why they were training so hard despite it being the school holidays, Mernard Lee from Woodlands Primary explained that this was a rare opportunity for him.
“I hope to get to make new friends, learn new things and gain a good experience from this trip… and make Singapore proud!”
Indeed, that last statement was a common theme for all the players, including Myron Lim from this year’s national runners-up team Holy Innocents Primary.
“We are going into the competition to win,” adding that he hopes that this will be a springboard for him to improve his skills and hopefully make the Singapore national team someday.
The Singapore U12 boys team will have their work cut out for them though, as they face formidable opponents in their trip down south from 27 Nov – 7 Dec. Teams from Western Australia and New South Wales make up a total of nine competing teams vying for the Pacific Schools U12 title.
Yet there is no underestimating their potential, especially with much improved players like Mohd Zulhaziq from Kranji Pri and Ridzuan from Telok Kurau Pri strengthening the team’s depth.
“I hope to develop on-court leadership skills like Sun Yue or Kobe Bryant (both in the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team) during the trip and go on to represent Singapore someday,” mused Haziq, who added that he has had experience playing in the power forward position since primary four.
However the trip would not have materialised if not for the hard work of a few teachers behind the scenes, according to Mr Ong.
“Teachers like Mr Tan Thong Howe from Kranji Pri and Unity Sec’s principal were instrumental in pushing for the trip as our basketball team had recently toured China last year. It will definitely be a good exposure for our boys,” said Mr Ong.
Whatever the outcome, the trip will definitely push the level of basketball among our youth to a higher level.
Players in the team:
Guards
Jian Fu (Holy Innocents Pri)
Leong Heng Wei (Kranji Pri)
Zhuang Bao Kun (Kheng Cheng Pri)
Tay Wee (Chua Chu Kang Pri)
Alvin Yuen (Chua Chu Kang Pri)
Tui Xi Beng (Chua Chu Kang Pri)
Forwards
Mernard Lee Kun Ye (Woodlands Pri)
Mohd Zulhaziq (Kranji Pri)
Ridzuan (Telok Kurau Pri)
Liau Ming Shun (Changkat Pri)
Centres
Danny Kew (Chua Chu Kang Pri)
Myron Lim (Holy Innocents Pri)
The Combined Schools U12 team trains regularly twice a week for the upcoming tournament at Kranji Pri. (Photo 2 © Ian Chew/Red Sports)
Almost all the players in the U12 squad are assured of Direct School Admission places in secondary schools of their choices. (Photo 3 © Ian Chew/Red Sports)
Related story:
U-18 basketballers to play in Pacific School Games at the end of the month
mryon currently in north vista sec same goes for
jian fu both nvss mryon is not dating btw … as for smoking and body piercing i don think it is truth
eh boy dun anyhow say myron la, he also nv smoke u dun come tok rubbish la. u wan his reputation become bad than say la, who are u, u no guts to write yr name out ah? are u a scaredy boy?
-moderated-
erm, but if you get to know myron his quite a nice guy , his not those Ah Beng material . So you sould’nt judge the book by its cover 😀
Hi Guys ! Wish Ur Guys Make This Trip a memorable trip ! It is a rare opportunity too . Remember to be focus . Look them in the eye . Bye bye
Good luck for the games in Australia ! BonVoyage .
See you guys at the airport 😀
On one level, I’m glad Myron is dating a girl from the girls team rather than a boy from the boys team.
Smoking can be stopped and body piercing removed but some things can’t be changed so easily.
myron should not be representing the team at all. he has piercing and he smokes too. whut a disgrace to singapore. and i heard he is dating a girl from the girls team.
Pioneer primary not bad too .. won quite some matches for seniors during past years
[…] Related story: Combined Schools 12-year old basketball players gear up for Pacific School Games […]
Jorathan of Tampines North,Jonas tay,Benadi ong,Darren tan of Anderson primary ae in the u12
lol…
sharifa u also come redsports ar?
Where is myron going nx yr? i heard there is as many as ten top basketball schools after him.
Myron’s in P6 (: A friend of mine.
That myron lim from holy innocent pimary…..whats his age arh?anyways,congrates to those who are given dsa admission to the school of their choice….lols
LOL,we played with u before.TKPS.Anyways Jorathan should be inside the team too.Tampines North.Not all weaker teams have weak players ^^.
I was a national 3rd in 2007, Which was Nan chiau Pri.
I hope this time 2008 the U12 will bring more miricles and make the impossible possible.
YEAH RIDZUAN =).good luck ^^.