Local duo promise to put best foot forward
Up-and-coming basketball players, Chow Ka-kui and Szeto Wai-kit, have returned from a mainland training stint better prepared to face future challenges.
They received valuable advice from NBA stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Josh Smith and Desmond Mason at the adidas Superstar Camp in Shanghai. It was held from May 23-27 at the Shanghai Sports Institute of Physical Education, where 55 players from seven Asian cities and countries received on-court training from the Americans.
During the five-day programme, Ka-kui and Wai-kit attended coaching clinics as well as a psychology course which provided them useful tips on how to prepare for games.
'Other players from the region are much stronger than us, both physically and mentally,' said Wai-kit, a Form Four student at CMA Secondary School.
'Many of them are over two metres tall and they are very aggressive and determined on court.'
Ka-kui, a fifth-former from Ying Wa College, added: 'We learned a lot from the coaches and the other players, for example, different footwork when attacking, or how to defend when two-on-two.
'These are quite different from what we have been doing in Hong Kong. We will practise more and use them in the games.'
Each participant received a certificate and a signed photograph of Abdul-Jabbar. Wai-kit also received a pair of shoes signed by Mason of the NBA side, Milwaukee Bucks.
The local duo will start preparing for the summer basketball marathon, while Wai-kit will also have to train for the Asian adidas Streetball finals in August.
Meanwhile, China's Xu Yong, 16, was named the Most Valuable Player at the superstar camp. The 2m tall Shanghainese has good ball-handling and scoring skills and pace. He also received an autographed shirt from the three NBA stars.
Xu will be joined by 10 other top Asian players at next month's superstar camp in the US city of Atlanta. They include 2.13m-tall Zheng Zhun, who at 13 was the youngest player at the Shanghai camp.
They will play for the Asian All-star team against top American teenagers in Atlanta.
