THE 2009 TWISTIES SPONSORED FIJI SECONDARY SCHOOLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MAY HAVE ENDED BUT TO ONE PARTICULAR TEAM IT IS JUST THE BEGINNING. FORMED AND TRAINED TOGETHER FOR NO MORE THAN 3WEEKS, THIS TEAM BROUGHT NOT ONLY PRIDE AND HONOUR BUT ACTUALLY AND NOT SURPRISINGLY THE U-15 GIRLS TITLE BACK HOME…

COACHED AND TRAINED BY FORMER NATABUA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PIONEER AND TEAM CAPTAIN ALAN CHIU AND BASKETBALL COORDINATOR WESTERN, EMILY CHAMBERS, THE NATABUA BASKETBALL TEAM 2009 PROVED THAT WHAT MATTERS MOST IN EACH SPORT IS NOT HOW MUCH FACILIITES ARE AVAILABLE OR HOW MUCH MONEY IS PUT INTO THE SPORT, BUT ABOUT HOW MUCH FAITH AND TEAM WORK ONE CARRIES WITH THEM.

“BASKETBALL IN THE WEST HAS LITTLE EXPOSURE AND AS A MATTER OF FACT BEEN IGNORED AND OVERLOOKED FOR MANY YEARS. IF NOT FOR THE COMMITMENT BY THE PLAYERS AND PARENTS TOGETHER WITH SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT BY THE PRINCIPAL, WE WOULD NOT HAVE EVEN MADE THE TRIP THIS YEAR” SAYS CO-COACH ALAN CHIU WHEN ASKED ABOUT HOW THE TRIP TO SUVA WAS LIKE.

“HAVING ALL OUR GRADES THAT PARTICIPATED REACHING THE SEMI-FINALS AND BEYOND IS NOT JUST AN ACHEIEVMENT, BUT A HISTORY FORMATION IN ITS OWN. WE THANK THE EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THESE 4 GRADE SQUADS, FOR THE TEARS AND SWEAT THEY HAVE SHED AND MOST AND FOR ALL THEIR FEVERENT PRAYERS TO THE ALMIGHTY FOR WITHOUT HIM, NOTHING IS POSSIBLE.”

THE NATABUA BASKETBALL TEAM CREATED UPSETS FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY THEY ARRIVED TO SUVA PLAYING MARIST BROTHERS A, THE WINNERS OF THE JUNE-JULY SUVA SECONDARY BASKETBALL COMPETIOTION IN THE BOYS U-17 GRADE AT ED’S COURT BEATING THEM 23-19. DESPITE BEEN DOWN IN THE FIRST HALF 12-3, THEY MANAGED TO TAKE CONTROL IN THE SECOND HALF AND WIN IN THE FINAL MINUTES OF THE GAME .THEY WENT ON WINNING ALL THEIR POOL MATCHES WHERE THEY EVEN BEAT LAUCALA BAY 49-3 IN THEIR FINAL POOL MATCH.AFTER ELIMINATING INDIAN COLLEGE IN THE SEMIFINAL 26-14, THEY EVENTUALLY AFTER A VERY BRAVE COMEBACK WENT DOWN 29-26 IN THE FINAL TO LATTER DAY SAINTS.

THE U-17 BOYS HEAD COACH ALAN CHIU WAS A VERY DELIGHTED MAN DESPITE LOSING THE FINALS. ”I AM VERY VERY PROUD OF MY BOYS TODAY, OF WHAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED, AND ACCOMPLISHED. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN OUR GAME, WE WERE SO CLOSE BUT WE MADE A FEW MISTAKES IN THE FINAL MINUTES AND THAT COSTED US THE GAME, BUT WHAT MORE DO YOU EXPECT FROM A TEAM THAT CAME TOGETHER IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS. BUT I GUESS WHAT CARRIED US THROUGH WAS OUR FAITH IN OURSELVES AND IN THE LORD FOR HIS STRENGTH AND WISDOM. I LOVE YOU BOYS. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS A WORTHWILE TRIP. “

THE U-19 GIRLS ALSO MADE A HUGE IMPACT PROVIDING THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO THE MUCH FANCIED LATTER DAY SAINTS TEAM COMPRISING OF 3 NATIONAL U-20 REPS. A VERY CONTROVERSIAL GAME TO EVERYONE WHO WITNESSED BUT THE FINAL WHISTLE BLEW TO LDS WAY 22-19.INSPIRATIONAL CAPTAIN CAROLINE CHAMBERS LED BY EXAMPLE SHOWING THAT NATABUA IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.

THE U-19 BOYS TOO PLAYED A VERY SPECTACULAR GAME AGAINST MARIST IN THE SEMI FINAL. DESPITE LOSING 32-11, THE GAME WAS MUCH TOUGHER THAN THE SCORELINE SHOWS.

FINALLY THE U-15 GIRLS CREATED HISTORY BEATING INTERNATIONAL 18-9 IN A VERY ENGAGING FINAL.THE COACHES OF THE NATABUA TEAM WAS AS SHOCKED AS EVERYONE ELSE WITH THE RESULT.”I AM ECSTATIC WITH THE TEAMS PERFORMANCE.EMILY AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY WHEN THE TEAM CAME TOGHETHER AND NOT ONE OF THEM KNEW HOW TO PLAY.AFTER 3 WEEKS, HERE WE ARE NATIONAL CHAMPS FOR U-15 GRADE.” LILIYAN CHAMBERS, THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF CO-COACH EMILY CHAMBERS WON MVP FOR HER GRADE.

WITH THIS SAID AND DONE, WE WISH NATABUA BASKETBALL ALL THE BEST IN THE NEXT TWISTIES GAMES, AND WE PRAY OUR MOST FEVERENT PRAYER THAT MORE EMPHASIS AND RECOGNITION BE PUT ONTO THE WESTEN SCHOOLS AS WE HAVE PROVEN THAT EVEN WITH NOTHING, WE CAN ACHIEVE SOMETHING. WE ALSO PRAY THAT NATABUA BASKETBALL MIGHT CONTINUE TO GROW AND REACH GREATER HEIGHTS. WE THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO  NANA AMY OF ST JOHNS THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE FOR THEIR KINDNESS IN PROVIDING ACCOMODATION, ALL THE TEACHERS, PARENTS, EX SCHOLARS AND COACHES EMILY CHAMBERS AND ALAN CHIU FOR THEIR PRECIOUS TIME, MONETORY CONTRIBUTIONS AND COMMITMENT IN MAKING THIS YEAR 2009 A SUCCESS AND A MEMORABLE ONE.

THE RESULTS FOR ALL GRADES ARE SHOWN BELOW:

U15 GIRLS: FINAL:  NATABUA 19-8 INTERNATIONAL                         SEMI:   NATABUA 20-18 LDS

                       POOL:  NATABUA 19-12 INTERNATIONAL                                    NATABUA 10-0 SUVA GRAMMAR

                                      NATABUA 14-18 LAUCALA BAY

U17 BOYS: FINAL: NATABUA 26-29 LDS                                                  SEMI: NATABUA 26-14 INDIAN COLLEGE

                      POOL: NATABUA 10-0 MONFORT                                                   NATABUA 49-3 LAUCALA BAY

                                    NATABUA 27-24 GOSPEL                                                      NATABUA 23-19 MARIST A

U-19 BOYS: SEMI: NATABUA 11-32 MARIST

                       POOL: NATABUA 12-40 YAT SEN                                                     NATABUA 35-43 GOSPEL

                                   NATABUA 24-14 SUVA GRAMMAR

U-19 GIRLS: SEMI: NATABUA 19-22 LDS

                        POOL: NATABUA 38-22 BA PROVINCIAL                                    NATABUA 24-28 SGS