Monday, January 25, 2010

Q-4-G 7th AGM


From Left: Riza Beg (Q-4-G President), Mr. Liew (Coach), Cikgu Jimmy (Manager)

The attendees


The attendees


The attendees and in attendance

The Quest-4-Glory Club had the 7th annual general meeting on the 25th January 2010.  The President, Riza Beg '76, Coach Mr. Liew, Manager Cikgu Jimmy '91, Coordinator 80' and family attended the meeting together with Cagers 2010.

Cagers were reminded to put in a different approach to their trainings after a disastrous 2009.  They have to double up their effort and commitments, especially the Form 5s.  They have to redeem themselves to regain the glory and the trophy back to KK.

President helped the Cagers to identify their problems and  steps to overcome it.  Hopefully the session will help them to be committed and focussed during their trainings.

Monday, January 11, 2010

PHT Champions

Piala Hamdan Tahir
Tahun
JOHAN
NAIB JOHAN
1974
SDAR
RMC
1975
SDAR
RMC
1976
SDAR
RMC
1977
MCKK
RMC
1978
RMC
MCKK
1979
MCKK
RMC
1980
RMC
SMS Selangor
1981
MCKK
RMC
1982
MCKK
RMC
1983
MCKK
RMC
1984
SMS Selangor
MCKK
1985
MCKK
SDAR
1986
RMC
SDAR
1987
RMC
MCKK
1988
SMS Selangor
STAR
1989
SMS Tg. Abdullah
SMS Selangor
1990
SDAR
SMS Labuan
1991
SDAR
SAS
1992
MCKK
RMC
1993
MCKK
SAS
1994
RMC
MCKK
1995
SAS
RMC
1996
SMS Tg. Abdullah
SMS Dungun
1997
SMS Dungun
SMS Lahad Datu
1998- 1999 no tournament
2000
SMS S. Ahmad Shah
SMS Dungun
2001
SMS Dungun
SMS S. Ahmad Shah
2002
SMS S. Ahmad Shah
SMS Dungun
2003
SMS S. Ahmad Shah
SMS Dungun
2004
MCKK
SESMA
2005
MCKK
SMS Tg Faris Petra
2006
MCKK
SMS Machang
2007
MCKK
SMS Seremban
2008
MCKK
SMS S. Muzaffar Shah
2009
SMS Kuching
SDAR

Sunday, January 10, 2010

3-on-3 Hoops Station in USJ




Training in SS18 court


Photos from Ikram Badar

We sent 4 teams to play in the 3-on-3 tournament hosted by Hoops Station in the Summit, USJ.  2 teams lost in the first round. The Form Four team lost in the second round and one team lost in the quarter final.

It was a good exposure for the Cagers. They learnt to play aggressively against bigger opponents.  Hopefully they would not be scared when facing aggressive opponents in the future.

Photos will be posted later.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Year End Camp pics


The Cagers enjoying themselves at the New Year Dinner @ Benteng

The Cagers sharing the New Year's resolutions


The Cagers reminiscing the 2009

The Honourable Member of MCOBA gets his MCOBA tie

Sunday, January 03, 2010

I Remember When...

I Remember When...

The all-Malay basketball team was a crowd favourite

NST 2010/01/03

Liew Yong Choon is the first Chinese to be inducted into the Malay College Old Boys Association (MCOBA) and with it, the privilege to wear the college tie. Why? The police officer spent a lifetime training the MCKK boys play basketball. ARMAN AHMAD finds out what drove him

MY story begins back in 1974 when I met a boy in Kuala Kangsar. He was desperately trying to make a phone call to his hometown. His name was Abdul Aziz Salleh. He was a first former at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar.

I was waiting to use the phone as well. But Aziz was in a bit of a hurry. He told me that he needed to be back at school before 4pm.

Since he was running late, I told him that I would send him over on my Vespa.

On the way to the college, we chatted a bit. I knew some of his teachers, who were my friends. I asked him what sports he played. He mentioned basketball.

At the time, I was 26, and teaching economics and accounting at a school in Taiping. I had graduated from University of Malaya with a degree in economics a few years earlier.



Liew Yong Choon reading his letter of acceptance into MCOBA

My friend Tan Chan Thaing, a physics teacher, was in charge of the basketball team. He knew I was a state player. When I asked him for permission to train the boys, he readily agreed.

Together with Tan, I selected a team and put them on a regimented training programme. The boys in the 1974 Cagers included Riza Amarullah Beg, Aznir Malek, Raja Azman Shah, Samsuri Sawari, Hasnol, Halim Hussain, Hasman Yusri, Ikmal Hakimi, Ramlan Aziz, Rozlan, Md Johari, Wahid Tahir and Burhanuddin.

I started training the first formers but as time went on, the senior team joined in.

I soon realised that many of them had talent. They picked up the game fast, even though they were at a disadvantage compared with their Chinese counterparts who began playing from primary school. In those days, basketball was rarely played by Malay boys.

Despite their lack of experience, the MCKK boys were disciplined, dedicated and outstandingly committed. They were obedient and willing to learn.

I was intrigued. At first, I taught them on a voluntary basis, but later I became deeply involved with the team.

In 1975, I joined the police force, as an ASP cadet officer.

Although I was stationed in Kuala Lumpur, I still coached the team, returning to Kuala Kangsar during my days off .

Almost all of my holidays were spent training the boys. I was a familiar sight at the east wing basketball court in those days, although I was not a teacher or officially engaged by anybody to coach the Cagers.

It took me three years to get them up to mark, but they finally became champions -- winning the Tun Hamdan Tahir Cup in 1977.


The MCKK Cagers in action during a match in Kluang in 1988.

From then on, the MCKK Cagers became a formidable force. They were respected and feared by the teams not only from boarding schools but also from other schools in Perak.

The boys were a crowd favourite as well. We organised a lot of friendly matches with the locals to get them well prepared.

I would bring the boys into Chinese areas in Perak. Places like Liman Kati and Kampung Station in Kuala Kangsar, Jelapang, Menglembu, Setiawan, Bercham, Pulau Pangkor, Pokok Asam and Manjung.

Wherever they went, the team attracted crowds. The Chinese residents would wonder whether the Malay boys could play good basketball. There were a lot of Malay boys playing football those days. But basketball?

Through basketball, the MCKK players started to interact with other races. There were days when local Chinese players would visit our players in their apartments after matches. They would talk about basketball, and soon enough they became friends.

You know, it is true what they say about sports being one way to make friends.

From my own experience, I saw how this game promoted racial integration and harmony.

This was what sustained me all these years -- watching how the game built ties between the races.

I took pride in bringing an all-Malay basketball team to play in predominantly Chinese areas, and watch the team become a crowd favourite.

In 1988, I was the vice-president of the Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) and was selected as the team manager of the national team.

During this time, I had to focus all my time on training the team for the 1989 Sea Games but was rewarded when Malaysia won the gold medal. (The team won its first and only gold medal at the Sea Games.)

But when it was over, I went back to my hometown and the east wing where the basketball court was, and continued to train players.

We won again in 1992.

The MCKK Cagers have won the Tun Hamdan Tahir Cup 13 times -- in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and last year.

Last month, I was inducted as an honorary member of the Malay College Old Boys Association (MCOBA). (He is the second honorary member, and the first Chinese to be honoured and given the right to wear the college tie.)

I have a high regard for these boys, having spent three decades with them.

While their names and faces change each year, one thing doesn't change. And that is their spirit.

All the boys who have been trained by me thus far are well disciplined, committed and obedient. These qualities have given me the strength to continue coaching them for the last 30 years. They not only performed well on the court, but also excelled in their studies. I am truly proud of these budak Koleq.


Liew Yong Choon (far left) with the 1978 Cagers.

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Cagers in the semifinal

Cagers made it to the semifinal of Piala Dato Seri Nazri despite losing their final game to Sauk.  Sauk team dominated the inside game due to absence of Am, Cagers' Center.  However the Cagers managed to hit 14 3-pointers.  Sauk led 40 - 32 at the half.

The Cagers changed their defensive strategy back to tight 2-1-2 zone defence to counter Sauk inside game.  The strategy worked and Sauk found it difficult to break the zone defence. The Cagers led 52 - 51 after the third quarter.  Cagers failed to keep the defensive intensity and they hurried their shots in the final quarter and surrender the lead in the last minute. Final score 66 - 70

Am was injured in the previous game and couldn't play tonight.  His absence really affected the Cagers.  Sauk team make full use of the size advantage and scored 32 points inside the paint in the first half.  The tight zone defence by the Cagers managed to nullify the size disadvantage but they could keep the intensity at the end of the game.

The Cagers will be playing in the semifinal in Sunday 27 Dec, at 7:45 pm

UPDATES:

Cagers lost their semifinal game against KK District 53 - 54.  Thay trailed by 10 points at the end of the 3rd quarter and ran out of time in the 4th quarter.  They had the ball and trailed by 1 point with 13 secs to go.  They failed to score and the whistle blew.  It was good game and the locals were impressed with the fighting spirit of the Cagers.  It was a good experience for the Cagers to play in a close game.  They will play for 3rd placing.

UPDATES 2:


Cagers won third placing in the Piala Dato Seri Nazri (KK U18 Open) beating KK team 58 - 45.  They managed to hit 10 3-pointers in the game.