Donning colourful T-shirts with the words ‘Just Play’ printed on them, participants at JUMPSHOT Play Grounds really only had one goal in mind: to give their best shot in the game. Literally, just play.
That was the atmospheric spirit on 8 November at Kampong Ubi Community Centre where the street basketball battle of the year took place. JUMPSHOT Play Grounds, organised in the name of local basketball lifestyle magazine JUMPSHOT, saw throngs of enthusiasts coming forward for the 3on3 match-up.
It all started out with a wet morning. A long-lasting yet light shower seemed to steal the excitement of the day away as games were delayed due to bad weather. With dismay, everyone could only cram under neighbouring void decks and wait for nature to give its cue as to when the matches could proceed.
Then just as the rain came to a halt, it became obvious that many could not wait to get their hands on the ball. Players voluntarily came forward, got to the ground and used newspapers to help dry the courts. Talk about a determination to play. As the skies brightened, games got underway and some fast-paced court action took over.
Boys U17
Stay at the Boys U17 court for a while and you’d realise that age really, is no indication of skills. A tough fight was put up by teams and there were no limits to how the boys played. Youngest male category they may be, nonetheless their skills cannot be undermined.
In fact, take a look at team Tao Nan Primary and understand why. This is a team made of three brave 11 year-olds whose pint-sized physiques didn’t stop them from playing against bigger, older opponents.
In a simple sentence, Tao Nan Primary’s captain Shaun Goh summed it up well, “We love basketball because it is really fun.” We couldn’t agree more.
Boys U20
Moving on to the older boys, differentiation between them and participants from the Men’s Open category was greyed. Players from the Boys U20 category were well-built and throughout the day, athleticism shone from their matches. Many interviewed had been playing basketball for more than a decade, since their primary school days.
Such high calibre of games reflected not only the hard work put into practice but also the boys’ determination to give their best during every match. There were even cases of injured players who, not wanting to give up, persevered on to play till the very end.
Men’s Open
All eyes were fixed on this court, especially since teams here were typically more experienced and of bigger physical build. Brilliant ball-handling skills, superb shooting accuracy and excellent team work were on display; truly an eyeful to watch.
Players ranged from qualified veterans with years of training to average working adults just set to play basketball and attempt a win. Never mind the disparity, everyone played their hearts out and fought tooth and nail for every game point. No wonder the supporting crowd at this court was the largest.
Interestingly enough, the champions of this category, team A to Z, consisted of members all still below the age of 20. They should have been playing for the Boys U20 category but instead made a mistake of indicating the wrong category when signing up for the event. Not bad that they managed to emerge as winners in the senior category…
Girls U17
The feeling is very different when watching males and females play. Generally, guys tend to be more aggressive while girls are more graceful and play ‘smart basketball’. This means they think before acting, and level of strategy and teamwork is high. It’s a whole new experience watching the females in action.
That’s what happened for the Girls U17 category as their refined yet agile movements exuberated from the courts. It was interesting to see such a varying type of dynamism on display even as the girls attempted to climb up the round robin system ladder.
Women’s Open
Most teams in the Women’s Open category were made of competent players from school teams or clubs and that was probably the reason why level of play at this court was electrifying. At some point, it almost seemed like a professional game when some of the teams’ coaches made a cameo and gave advice during matches.
Nonetheless, it was obvious that the players themselves had commendable basketball skills and were able to face off opponents well enough.
Event Highlights
Aside from playing basketball per se, players had a taste of what NBA players go through at the Ball-handling Challenge of JUMPSHOT Play Grounds. This challenge consisted of a basketball obstacle course consisting of cones, markings, goal posts and of course, the basketball hoop. It acted somewhat like the NBA’s All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge segment which can be seen in every NBA season.
Players had to dribble past obstacles, do lay-ups, make bounce-passes and two-point shots in the shortest clocked timing possible. It was definitely no simple feat but thankfully, many were up for the challenge.
The ultimatum came when special guests Singapore Slingers arrived at this court to show off their skills. Point guard Shane Mcdonald and shooting guard John Fitzgerald won the hearts of many as they went through the obstacle course and even faced up with a few of the best from among the crowd.
Eventually, the winner for the Ball-handling Challenge was Wong Wei Long, who clocked a fast speed of 21 seconds – such outstanding dribbling skills and shooting accuracy all within a short span of time!
When asked about his win, the humble guy said, “Just lucky.” We hope we are that lucky next time too.
Kudos to all players whose never-say-die attitude made this event such a success – despite the rain, despite the hot sun. It was indeed, basketball at its best.
Competition Results
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Category/
Placing
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Boys U17
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Boys U20
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Men’s Open
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Girls U17
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Women’s Open
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1st
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Act Cute
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Ji Tao Cui
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A to Z
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DMN
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Stackers 8
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|
2nd
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Zee
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Long Bin Quan
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Wu Suo Wei
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UBC
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CJR
|
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3rd
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Noobster
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Movie Three
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Angels
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Beholders
|
Kembangan
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Behind-the-scenes, The Organiser
JUMPSHOT Play Grounds is organised by Ash Media Asia Pte Ltd, which is also the publisher of basketball lifestyle magazine JUMPSHOT. The event organiser-cum-publisher has one goal in mine: to expand the local basketball scene and help realise the fullest potential of players in the sport.
One of the avenues to achieve that goal is through an event like JUMPSHOT Play Grounds and much effort has been put into making it a success. This is especially since it’s termed as the ‘street basketball battle of the year’ – such high expectations set sure means a lot of hard work!
From sourcing for sponsors, event publicity, registration, logistics and manpower allocation and the eventual event execution, the staff at Ash Media Asia got busy months before the actual day. Nonetheless, they enjoyed themselves planning for it.
“We were very excited and constantly thought of new ideas for the event; that’s how the special ball-handling challenge came about. We wanted players to experience something new at our streetball matches,” said Esther Quek, the Managing Director of Ash Media Asia.
Indeed, much thought has been put in to enhance the event for its participants. Initially, the organisers had also wanted to include other special basketball segments like an endurance dribbling challenge and free throw shootout. Eventually, only the ball-handling segment was executed so to better empower players in the new game.
“We really hope that this new segment will bring joy to the players as they can display some of their dribbling and shooting skills here. The main aim is really for everyone to enjoy themselves!” said Esther.
With the event having successfully taken place, it seems that the organisers’ thoughtful efforts and hard work have not gone to waste. Players can also be looking forward to an even more dynamic JUMPSHOT street basketball event next year!
Ash Media Asia would like to thank the sponsors of JUMPSHOT Play Grounds: Singapore Sports Council, Tote Board, Singapore Pools, Smith Optics, Counterpain, Hirudoi, Ellesse, Sportslink and AE Lifestyle outlets.