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.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Aaron Civale got a little wild in the right-hander’s first start for the Chicago White Sox two days after he was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers. Civale on Sunday walked four of the first seven hitters he faced in a 2-1 loss to the Texas Rangers. The 30-year-old finished with four walks, one off his career high, while allowing six hits and two runs in five innings. He threw 65 strikes and 39 balls. Chicago trailed 2-1 when he was replaced by Dan Altavilla to start the sixth. “Not the cleanest,” Civale said. “It’s been a whirlwind of a week. First couple
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
DOMINANT JUVENTUS: Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored braces as Juventus made a statement in their opener with a big win over Al-Ain Phil Foden on Wednesday scored two minutes into the match and later had an assist to lead Premier League powerhouse Manchester City past Moroccan club Wydad AC 2-0 at the FIFA Club World Cup. City broke Wydad’s five-man defensive line early when Foden scored on a deflected cross by goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid. Jeremy Doku doubled City’s lead in the 42nd minute off a corner-kick from Foden. Shortly afterward, an animal-rights advocate ran onto the field to protest Morocco’s treatment of stray dogs and cats. The man was tackled by security workers and escorted out of Lincoln Financial Field, which was just over
RSS