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StarMetro sports coordinator Randeep Singh (right) presenting
the slam dunk trophies and hampers to Justin (left) and June Cheng
at the end of the AND1 streetball challenge.
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The winning teams of the AND1 men’s Under-21, 18, 15 and 13 and women’s Under-18 were announced after 342 games and after they clinched the champs title in their respective categories.
The second- and third-placed teams each received RM600 and RM300 respectively.
The largest 3-on-3 tournament in the country had just concluded its first leg at the Aeon Bandar Bukit Tinggi in Klang with more than a thousand spectators in attendance.
Also on the agenda was the slam dunk competition, easily the crowd favourite, drawing a crowd of spectators right to the special event’s court.
The dunkers gave it their best shot, each trying to out-fancy the other contenders with more and more complex moves, like spinning and going under the leg before the dunk, all to the awe and delight of the spectators.
Lee June Cheng, 16 and Justin Chan, 14, the first- and second-placers in the slam dunk competition, bagged the StarMetro slam dunk trophy along with Milo hampers and AND1 merchandise presented by StarMetro sports coordinator Randeep Singh.
In the ‘In Search of Streetballer’ event, Andrew Soong Loc Yang repeated his performance from last year’s challenge, earning himself the finalist spot and a ticket to the grand finals in Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur this November.
The 19-year-old basketballer was a finalist in last year’s challenge in the Puchong leg but was ousted by the finalists from the other legs during the final round in Kuala Lumpur.
Candidates heading into the grand finals will need to prepare themselves for the finals in November as the competition will only be stiffer when the best from other regions arrive in KL.
As for Loc Yang, he is hoping to do one better at this year’s event and fancies himself a force to be reckoned with and has set himself a goal — to learn a new trick every week until the grand finals.
“I am aiming to be one of the winners in this year’s grand finals in Berjaya Times Square,” he said with confidence.
“I didn’t prepare much this year because I was busy with studies and also, I knew what was expected, so that was not really a problem.” he added.
Using online videos, he will be analysing tricks from the top streetballers around the globe to fine tune his routine before heading to the finals.
Being 12 years old didn’t stop Liew Jia Meng from beating the other participants with his dribbling focused routine — as opposed to the older boys who incorporated stunts and acrobatic maneuvers — earning him a ticket to the grand finals.
Milo sports marketing manager Ng Ping Loong was pleased to see there was a good mix of players and not just Chinese players as is usually the case with basketball tournaments and commended them for making the effort.
“It was very nice to see their friends and families come out too, to encourage them and cheer them on,” Ping Loong said.
He also shared that this was in line with Milo’s objectives to cultivate and foster a harmonious environment for youth to mix around with.
The next leg is set to take place on June 28 in Sutera Mall in Skudai, Johor, with Penang, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur to follow suit later on.
