The Super Basketball League’s (SBL) annual All-Star weekend commences at the National Taiwan University of Physical Education and Sport in Taichung this afternoon with a skills challenge to jumpstart the mid-season gala that will bring in fans from around the nation.
Aside from the usual slam dunk contest, three-point shootout and All-Star Game, this year’s event will feature players from the Women’s Super Basketball League (WSBL) in a ladies-only three-point shootout, as well as a Battle of the Rising Stars and the first-ever mixed shooting contest featuring teams with a current SBL coach, an SBL player and a WSBL player.
ENTERTAINMENT
“We are certain that with interest in basketball continuing to grow in Taiwan, [the All-Star weekend] will bring every fan some fun and entertainment this year,” renowned sports promoter and this year’s event coordinator Eric Chang of Bros Sports Marketing said earlier this week.
Over the last month or so fans have voted for the players they want to see start this year’s game with the Dacin Tigers, the Yulon Luxgens, Kinmen Liquor and Bank of Taiwan providing players for the Red Team and players from Pure Youth Construction, the Taiwan Mobile Cloud Leopards and Taiwan Beer making up the Blue Team.
The vote-winners by position are:
Guards: Red Team — Chen Chih-chung (Luxgens) and Wang Chih-chuin (Tigers); Blue Team — Chen Shih-jeh (Pure Youth) and Chen Shih-nian (Leopards).
Forwards: Red Team — Tien Lei (Tigers), Lu Cheng-rue (Luxgens) and Chou Bo-chen (Luxgens); Blue Team — Liu Chan (Taiwan Beer), Doug Creighton (Pure Youth) and Cheng Ren-wei (Leopards).
DUNK CONTEST
Also worth noting are the slam dunk contest that has Kinmen Liquor rookie Soong Yu-hsuan eying the winner’s trophy, with the young 185cm leaper offering to remove his top should he win the event.
In the three point shootout, defending champ Creighton boasted of a repeat performance in a press conference earlier this week, while last year’s runner-up Lu Cheng-rue will look to avenge his one-point loss to Creighton in a highly anticipated rematch.
In an effort to include other local sports celebrities in the all-star weekend, players from the newly formed Eda Rhinos (formerly the Sinon Bulls) of the Chinese Professional Baseball League will also make a guest appearance in the 24-second shootout during the All-Star Game.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping