By Ian Chew
Royson Quek of Peirce attempting to hook a shot past Jabez Su of Catholic High. The South Zone all-star team boasts a stellar cast of players including Ng Zhao Feng of Gan Eng Seng and Wang Jia Cheng of Raffles Institution. (Photo 1 © Ian Chew/Red Sports)
Catholic High School, Saturday, March 14, 2009 – Despite missing key players like Ng Zhao Feng of Gan Eng Seng Secondary and Wong Kam Seng of Catholic High at their only training session, the South Zone all-stars are the team to beat at this year’s zonal all-star basketball championships.
Newcomers to the all-star scene Wang Jia Cheng of Raffles Institution and Chong Ming Xuan of Catholic High combined effortlessly with their South Zone teammates in a formidable team line-up which also included 1.95m tall Fong Jia Jun of Queensway Secondary. This resulted in an impressive average height of more than 1.8m for the team!
This year’s all-star basketball competition promises to be more exciting as talented foreign students are included in the zonal teams for the first time. Fans can now look forward to non-local athletes like Lor Weng Siang of New Town Secondary strutting their skills on the highest competitive stage alongside local ones. The combined schools selection committee will then select a maximum of two non-Singaporean in the final draft of twelve players for the combined schools squad.
Yet winning the competition seems to be the furthest thing away from the mind of South Zone teacher-in-charge Teo Siang Yang.
“My aim for the squad is for everyone to have adequate opportunities to showcase their talents fully on the all-star stage and for the selection committee to choose the best twelve players possible for the combined schools squad,” he said.
Similarly, the selected players seemed to have differing aims apart from winning.
“I hope to be able to make new friends through the all-star competition!” said Jabez Su of Catholic High School, who was also designated as the captain of the South Zone all-star team.
The all-star competition will on 18 March (Wed) for the girls and 19 March (Thu) for the boys. All matches will be played at CCAB, Evans Road starting from 8.30am in the morning.
List of selected players for south zone all-stars (boys)
1. Jabez Su Ming Rong (Catholic High)
2. Dominic Lim Wei Jie (Catholic High)
3. Wong Kam Seng (Catholic High)
4. Goh Kong Tat (Catholic High)
5. Chong Ming Xuan (Catholic High)
6. Ng Wei Sin (Gan Eng Seng Sec)
7. Ng Zhao Feng (Gan Eng Seng Sec)
8. Lowell Leong Jia Hao (Peirce Sec)
9. Royson Quek Qi Hao (Peirce Sec)
10. Jeremy Ng Quan Wei (Queensway Sec)
11. Fong Jia Jun (Queensway Sec)
12. Johann Yeo Zong Han (Queensway Sec)
13. Wang Jia Cheng (Raffles Institution)
14. Wu Shurong (Yuying Sec)
15. Yeow Yong Chin (Yuying Sec)
An average height of more than 1.8m makes the south zone team a formidable opponent for the rest. (Photo 2 © Ian Chew/Red Sports)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxMIm6RkXCs
last year they take all singaporean and they lose.. now they wan take non singaporean to play.. abo dont open youth cup la.. BAS scare lose la.. noob.. like the YOG 3on3 like tat ! alot reason la BAS..
Let me clarify a little. There is some changes in the system this year and everyone of us is still trying to adjust to it. I have submitted a list of 25 players but I was surprised with the the final list I got.
Its time for me to speak and I hope to make things transparent. All Star Coaches are teachers. Teachers hardly find time to go down to games, unless their schools are playing. Ideally, selecting the best players require coaches to be down for many sessions but that will not happen. On the average, these coaches select players based on 1 game, usually semi-finals, as its the best in the zone. It is made worst this year as some coaches are not in the zone that they are coaching. They will also consult other coaches for opinions. You can counter that since teachers can’t find time, why let them be. However, National Schools belongs to MOE and will not be allowed to be given to an external coach.
For those of you who are playing in the South Zone, you should have noticed that I have been at many games. I aim to give everyone a chance, even for those who were out in the first round. However, I am not the only one choosing. I submitted a list of 25 players but the final list I got also surprises me. I have communicated this to those present during the training so they can vouch for me.
I believe I have done what I could do for the game. For those who question my qualification, I am a registered NROC coach, with Level 1 Technical and Level 2 theory from BAS and SSC. Frankly, I can see from the SZ squad who will make it and who will not. Those few minority that will make it into National Schools team are there. Those who are not selected in the All Star squad should not stand a chance to get into the 12 representing National Schools even if they are playing in the All Star Game.
Thanks for reading and the comments. I hope this reply clarifies things. Its heartening to see so many of you who are passionate about basketball!
Oh come ON you sound like you’re a sore loser who didn’t get selected. 🙂
So it is the administration selecting the warriors for the general.
If they lost the war, the general bears the blame instead. 😛
Or they think the south zone coach don’t know how to select players? Or they want to get an excuse if lose? Is the south zone coach a qualify coach btw? Or south zone very confident they sure win one?
I think it is a flaw system that unable to get the best out of our youth players.
Coach should be the only one selecting the players.
can i ask whu is in the committee?
I need to correct that view, David. The Yuying teacher is the coach and not part of the selection committee. The selection committee for South Zone picks those they feel would fit into the South Zone team.
Yuying teachers are the one who select all star players. So what you think?
RI got 2nd place!!! only 1 player selected? the rest RI players not good?
Yuying got knockout in the first round by Piece and Kent ridge, and two of the yuying players selected? Does it mean the rest of yuying players can’t play, that’s why yuying got knockout in the first round?
Something is wrong, who is selecting these players?!!!
South got the Cat high players and zhaofeng
North got Gerald russell qingde etc.
West got wengsiang and the unity players.
East got adam ,scott and the ahs players.
Looks good !
Mind giving the Jersey numbers if possible?
Thanks everyone for pointing out the correct info. To zzz, no offence taken – the article is just my view:)
nice ! south zone with cat high main 5 + strong pg in zhaofeng n C in jia jun .
east zone all stars also strong . like kenneth from manjusri . khairul from temasek
wow. i tihnk west zone will be strong too. people like lor weng siang , ng wei xiang , peter soo, david soo , teo yu jian , randy ng .
i see the irony in your language use, zzz. your tone in the first two questions don’t match that of your next statement.
u made an error, 17 march is tuesday, 18 march is wednesday
really ar? or u think they got the standard only? no offence
I think that South Zone will most definitely win.
Royson quek qi hao and lowell leong jiahao are also in the south zone all-star