Inside the 2025 Men's Intercollegiate Basketball Championship
The Lingnan University Men's Basketball Team is first runner-up in the Intercollegiate Basketball Competition.
Lingnan University's men's basketball team marked a milestone, reaching the final of Intercollegiate Basketball Competition on 6 April when they faced off against the University of Hong Kong at the Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai. With enthusiastic support from alumni and fans, the Lingnan team played with great spirit and intensity, ultimately securing the first runner-up position with a score of 68-73, their best performance in the history of the team.
Seasoned coach Mr Lee Tat-shing, team captain Lee Pak-ko (Sports Coaching and Event Management, Year 3), and key player Chung Chi-wing (Higher Diploma in Sports Coaching and Leadership, Year 1) discussed the match afterwards:
Q: Congratulations on being the first runner-up in the Intercollegiate Basketball Competition, and achieving the best result in the team's history. How do you feel about it?
Coach Tat (Tat): I'm very happy. Reaching the semi-finals was already beyond our expectations, and making it to the final was even better. We came really close to winning. Our players are good, but perhaps we were short on numbers, which affected our endurance.
Lee Pak-ko (Lee): As a member of the team, I'm very happy to contributing to the school achieving its best result ever. Many schools in the competition have strong sports traditions, so winning against them and doing as well as we did was not easy. It is also a recompense for our determined efforts.
Chung Chi-wing (Chung): I'm very happy too. I told many people that in my first year at Lingnan, I wanted to reach the final at Southorn - which meant competing for first or second place. Attaining this goal is very satisfying.
Q: The final scores on both sides were very close. How did the team prepare and strategise for the game? How would you evaluate the team's performance?
Tat: Before the game, we analysed the opposition and formulated our tactics. But the most important thing was the team's performance and fighting spirit during the game. They were incredible! They pushed themselves to the limit, never gave up, although almost the entire main lineup cramped up, with some players even being carried off the court. There were not many backup players, and some lacked experience in major competitions. If we had had more experience, we might have won the championship.
Lee: I always encourage all the players, including those on the bench, to be ready at any moment. Here the coach respected the players' opinions, and allowed them to try different tactics.
Chung: Before the game, everyone in the locker room was very enthusiastic, wanting to give their all and maximise their potential and physical strength. We were confident after scoring the first point, but our opponents guessed our tactics, and pulled ahead. Fortunately, we caught up, and in the third quarter, our defence was strong, and our shooting accuracy high, allowing us to take the lead briefly. However, many key players cramped up towards the end, and we couldn't maintain the same force as in the first half, so the others overtook us. Everyone performed very well that day; it was just a matter of luck and perhaps a slight difference in strength that we didn't win the championship in the end.
Seasoned coach Mr Lee Tat-shing hopes the team will be more consistent next year, and that if conditions are favourable we shall win the championship.
Q: Tat, you have been coaching the Lingnan basketball team for 25 years. What makes you continue? How has the team changed over the years?
Tat: First of all, I am grateful to Lingnan for letting me play a role in the Intercollegiate Basketball Competition - a very fine opportunity. I live in Yuen Long, and many players study in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun, some of whom have played basketball with me since primary school. I encourage them to study hard so that they can have regular practice time in university and more opportunities to play basketball. In recent years, Lingnan has introduced various programmes, such as associate degrees and bachelor's degrees, including sports-related courses, attracting more sports enthusiasts, and their performance has improved not only in basketball but also in other sports.
Q: Chung, although this is your first year on the school team, you are already a member of the top-tier team and the U22 Hong Kong team. How do these experiences differ?
Chung: Lingnan's basketball team may not be as technically strong as professional teams and those of other institutions, but we are not timid, and we strive to improve and support each other. We help each other on the court and eat together after practices. This sense of brotherhood and joy is something unique to Lingnan.
Q: Whom would you like to thank?
Tat: I am very grateful to our assistant volunteer coaches who even arrange matches for us. In the past two or three years, we have been able to compete in Mainland China, which has helped improve the players, as high-quality training needs to be complemented by high-quality matches to achieve good results. I also thank Lingnan for supporting us, and forming a cheering squad on match days to enhance the atmosphere. The staff has always helped us a lot, and without Lingnan's assistance, we couldn't have played in so many competitions.
Lee: I thank Lingnan for supporting our team and solving many of our problems. For example, the staff at the Office of Student Affairs helped us with many arrangements during the semi-final and final, including securing venues for extra practice.
Chung: I am very grateful to my teammates as I am only a newcomer, and many senior players have been playing for two, three, or four years. When I joined this year, I said I wanted to get to Southorn, and they thought I was dreaming, but despite their initial doubts they practised seriously and showed great enthusiasm, which made a great difference.
Q: What are your future goals?
Tat: I hope the team will be more consistent next year, and that if conditions are favourable we shall win the championship. I also hope more players can take part in more competitions and training camps, which would benefit the whole team.
Lee: Of course, we aim to reach Southorn again and win the championship. We hope to gain more experience in different competitions and challenge top-tier teams.
Chung: Besides preparing for the top-tier league, I am fully committed to training with the U22 Hong Kong team for the National Games at the end of the year, and hope to achieve good results for the team. In terms of school competitions, I hope we can regroup and strengthen our lineup for the championship next year.
