Written by: Kam Keng Han
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: SMC Publicity
You reading this article is a reminder than a month has past since our previous article featuring our basketball captains. Just like TIME, our basketball freshies Peng Hao and Nicole fly by really quickly on the court. From the interview with them, it is evident that they were selected to be featured not only because of their skillset but also their humility. Maybe our ‘next door neighbors’ need some of that heh. Everyone has their own unique story and how these 2 started basketball is no different. Let’s dive a little deeper.
Peng Hao started playing Basketball competitively in JC. To him, bball is more than just throwing balls to each other and into the basket. What I love about it is that it is a sport that can turn strangers into brothers and sisters in just one game.
For him, he has clearly enjoyed every moment in EHBB as he regards them as his family. The seniors are perhaps like parents, naggy and annoying at times with tons of scolding and torturing that are inevitable for every training. For many o(TH)ers, such an environment might be too much for them to handle and cause them to falter but for Eusoffians, we see it as the grind and mental fortitude that we need to win.
Of course I’m not going to ignore the positives he said about the seniors. To give full justice, here’s the full quote ‘damnn after training they turn into one of the most heart-warming and inspirational speakers in the world. Deep down they really just want to make us stronger, better and to be the best version of ourselves’. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Such was the interview, filled with humility and appreciation. Even though the spotlight was on him, Peng Hao shifted the attention to what was important to him, his teammates, his friends, his family. To wrap things up, I asked him what his playing philosophy was and what he said perfectly embodies what he has been saying about his bball seniors.
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do” - Kobe RIP
I hope you have wiped your tears.
Next up we have Nicole, a freshie that has been tearing up the court since she was 13. What merely started off as a hobby has evolved into something that has truly shaped who she is today. In her 6 years of playing, she has fostered many close relationships. On and off the court, the friendships formed are lifelong and meaningful.
But just like in any other sport, on top of the camaraderie and bonds forged, there is also the competitiveness on the court. That’s one clear aspect that Nicole loves about bball: the rivalry between schools and halls and even among individuals as well. Let’s also not forget the trash talk that comes along with such competitiveness to which Nicole herself loves engaging in.
Nicole also credits the sport for making her a strong person from the tough trainings and firmly believes that there is no secret to success. The only way is to put in the work on the court and off the court.
‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’. - Nicole
And she clearly walks the talk, putting in her 100% for every training and only striving for the best for herself and the team. Although she suffered a torn ACL during one of her self-conducted trainings, she was not discouraged and worked her way back to the court. From the way she plays, you cannot tell that she went through such an ordeal before.
Preach that people. Inspired by the likes of Kobe Bryant, Breanna Stewart and Luke Doncic for their gameplay on the court, lets support Nicole, Peng Hao and the rest of the EHBB team as they continue to train and grind to bring glory to EH once again.
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