Below is an article from https://mckk.edu.my/, written by Cikgu Ng Wei Lun
North Zone Fully Residential School Basketball Tournament
2025
25 May 2025
What makes a team exceptional? Is it the scoreboard, the
accolades, the roaring final whistle? Or is it the relentless discipline,
unshakable unity, and mental resilience forged across three grueling days?
The North Zone Fully Residential School Basketball
Tournament returned to SM Sains Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin for its second
consecutive year, With high expectations and a legacy to uphold, the MCKK
Cagers stepped onto familiar ground—not to relive the past, but to defend the
present.
The Cagers announced their arrival on Day One with
resounding clarity: a 48–5 triumph over SAKURA,
followed swiftly by a 47–0 shutout against SAKBA.
Dominant. Focused. Unrelenting.
But Day Two demanded something more. Three matches in one
day was undeniably a test of endurance, adaptability, and strategic discipline.
We opened with a 30–10 win against SMSAH, then
dispatched SERATAS with a commanding 46–14 scoreline.
By evening, we met SAINA in the quarter-finals, where the
Cagers executed a precise and punishing 53–6 victory. Fatigue
was real, but the mission was louder.
On Day Three, the semi-final against KUPSIS saw
no drop in form—MCKK advanced with a confident 63–12 performance.
The momentum was ours. But as we approached the final, we knew this would be
more than just a game.
We faced STAR in the final, energised and backed by a
thunderous cheering squad that shook the court. We had no banners, no ultras,
no drumbeat. What we carried was conviction—quiet, burning, unshakable.
In the first quarter, the effect was visible. The crowd
noise disrupted communication, the mood shifted, and STAR pulled ahead by a
narrow margin. For a brief moment, doubt flirted with the sideline. But the
Cagers did what they’ve been trained to do; they recalibrated, regrouped, and
reignited.
Then, in the final quarter, the breakthrough came. Several
back-to-back baskets, a sudden five-point lead—and the floodgates opened. The
court came alive with purpose, every play executed with hunger, precision, and
belief. The game ended MCKK 55 – 42 STAR. The cheers may not have
been ours—but the game, the grit, and the glory most certainly were.
And yes, we emerged champions.
Yes, our team captain was named Best Player of the Tournament.
But more than anything else, what we witnessed was the evolution of
character—of composure under pressure, of unity when it mattered most, of grace
even in dominance.
They shook hands. They bowed to their rivals. They
acknowledged every challenge with respect. This is what it means to be a
Cager—open-hearted, gracious, and proud to represent Koleq.
I’ve never been prouder to write these words—not merely as a
reporter of events, but as the team manager privileged to walk this journey
with the Cagers.
To Coach, whose tireless leadership carved the path.
To the parents, the Old Boys, the Senior Assistant of Co-curriculum, and the
teachers who travelled, who stayed, who cheered their hearts out; we felt your
presence in every pass, every point, every push to the end. You were part of
this fight. Part of this win.
This championship belongs to all of you.
By Ng Wei Lun
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