[SCMP Archive] A potential clash of basketball titans
Coaches have eluded to the possibility of a match between HKIS and Newman College.
[First published on Nov 23, 2004] The Hong Kong International School (HKIS), crowned Hong Kong Island (Division One, Grade A) inter-school basketball champions last week, could take on Kowloon's top team, Newman College, in a friendly match.
HKIS coach Jerry Markin said a game against Newman College, regarded as the strongest team in school basketball after comfortably winning their district title and the Super-X inter-school competition in September, was a possibility.
HKIS beat St Joseph's College 59-53 in last Friday's title-decider, thereby booking their place in the All-Hong Kong (Jing Ying) tournament next month. The Jing Ying, which pits the best sides from Hong Kong, Kowloon and the six New Territories districts, will be held from December 19-23. But HKIS will be missing from the line-up because most of its students will be on holiday during that period.
St Joseph's, who finished third in the division, and runners-up Queen's College will represent Hong Kong Island at the event.
"All our players will be gone by December 17," said Markin after seeing his boys clinch the honours in both the Grade A and Grade B age groups. Newman team manager Cheung Chui-ting said he would welcome a match with HKIS.
HKIS were too strong for St Joseph's in both matches at Western Park Sports Centre. The Grade A and Grade B teams from HKIS ended their seven-game campaigns with unbeaten records.