IN CONTRAST to the calm on the streets as Subang Jaya’s residents opted to enjoy a typically laidback weekend at home, staunch three-on-three basketball followers generated a lively atmosphere to celebrate a good start to the fifth AND1 Streetball Challenge at the USJ Summit on Sunday.
Even before the official opening ceremony attended by the challenge’s patron Datuk Lee Hwa Beng and Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) deputy secretary-general Tan See Wah, the youngsters were already in an upbeat mood to get the ball rolling for the new season.
Besides praising the organisers for their efforts to allow the budding cagers to compete regularly, Tan also gave credit to Lee who has contributed immensely to build basketball courts in Subang Jaya during his tenure as assemblyman.
Winners three: (From left) Ahmad, Ismadi and Sheikh made it to the finals.
For the opening leg curtain raiser, previous winners from the In Search of Freestylists competitions got the participants all fired up with their appearances on court.
Joining Nabil Ra’uf Harun and Choong Wai Kit from the first edition of StarMetro In Search of Freestylists in 2006 were last season’s Milo In Search of Freestylists winners Nabil Hariz Mohd Ariff and Samuel Amoh Junior from Ghana.
The quartet entertained the crowd with their moves and also accepted challenges from the rookies.
Participants were rewarded before the competition started when the organisers continued their generosity by giving away several prizes including a half pair AND1 signature shoe through lucky draws.
In between the competition, the organisers also provided an area for the participants to embrace the trendy streetball culture.
As they caught a breather from the action on the court, they were given the opportunity to engage in the PS2 MixTape simulation game as well as to catch the action of AND1 MixTape visuals on the two plasma screens and DVD players supplied by LG Electronics.
Head-to-head: Sheikh (left) fending off a challenge from Ooi Shih Jin during the one-on-one round.
Rapper Dareyno from Rough Sound Entertainment also conducted three side contests – MC, beat box and break dance – to inject some hip-hop excitement.
Debutant Mamou Kouyate from Modern Arabic School gave a brave display in the first session of the In Search of MC competition.
“I took part in the challenge at the grand finals last year. But, it was my first time joining the In Search of MC contest. I am having fun because the challenge has always been an event for us to get together and enjoy the occasion,” Mamou, 14, said.
Last season’s In Search of MC finalist Ahmad Zaki Nawawi Azharuddin from Victoria Institution was also in the fray to earn a slot for the final showdown.
The 16-year-old student said he had been practising his rhyme and flow to make up for his disappointing outing last year.
“I had a good start today. But, I am not very happy with my performance because I choked towards the end of my routine,” he said.
Although the beat box was an introduction section, several participants rendered respectable performances.
The top three performers in each of the side contests from each leg will advance to the grand finals.
Shooting for prizes: Participants enjoying the Milo sports booth during the event.
The champion and runner-up of each contest will receive a Sony PSP and an i-Pod, respectively.
In addition, the Milo In Search of Freestylists also saw many familiar contenders showing great camaraderie as they tantalised the crowd with their ball handling flair.
In the end, the trio of Ahmad Akmal, 16, Mohd Ismadi Hamidi, 16 and Sheikh Muhammad Afnan, 20, secured their berths for the grand finals.
Business administration student Sheikh is hoping to be third time lucky in clearing the final hurdle at the season’s grand finale.
“I was a finalist for the last two seasons. I want to have another crack at being among the top three this year,” Sheikh said.
The finalists will be vying for AND1 products sponsorships worth RM3,000 as the top three freestylists of the season.
The recent challenge drew 354 teams in six categories – boys’ Under-13, girls’ Under-15, boys’ Under-15, girls’ Under-18, boys’ Under-18 and boys’ Under-21.
The next meet is scheduled at Komtar, Penang on May 18.
Before the grand finals at Berjaya Times Square on Aug 17, the two subsequent legs are at Jusco, Klang (June 29), and Danga Bay, Johor (July 27).
RESULTS :
BOYS:
- Under-13-: 1. YNI, 2. TCL, 3. The One Youth
- Under-15: 1. The One, 2. Pro Sport, 3. Yuk Chai
- Under-18: 1. Kassendra, 2. Pro Sport, 3. Kenneth Sure Win
- Under-21: 1. YBS, 2. Cincai Play Boy, 3. Team Cincai
GIRLS:
- Under-15: 1. Yuk Chai Gin, 2. Chocolate Milk, 3. DNA
- Under-18: 1. YEB, 2. J3 Syabuya, 3. Blue Sky (Devil)
