Ballin’ by the Beach

Tayah Lee

For the first time in the history of the Asian Christian Schools Conference, the varsity girls’ basketball tournament was held here at Dalat.

The excitement started brewing in November of last year during the first tournament planning meeting, and the hard work and stress over intricate details and logistics finally paid off as the teams from Korea, Guam, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong started to arrive on Wednesday, February 17th.

The school’s neighbor, Paradise Hotel, officially sponsored the tournament and hosted all of the teams, making their journey from their lodgings to the school a leisurely one. Once on campus, the teams gathered for an opening ceremony, enjoying a meal under twinkling lights before roasting S’mores on the beach, lighting sparklers, and experiencing the Chinese New Year styled welcome of bangin’ fireworks.

The following days consisted of the intense competition of teamwork and skill on the court, but also showing selflessness and Christ-like character through the annual service project. This year, teams visited Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjung Tokong (SKTT), a local school in Tanjung Tokong, to assist in English lessons and to teach the students how to play basketball. The ACSC committee also donated a new basketball hoop and several new basketballs to the school, a gesture that led to the school’s inspiration and desire to start an official basketball team. “I loved playing with the kids, teaching them how to dribble and shoot, and just seeing their smiles and laughter. I hope that we inspired them to join basketball, and I can't wait to see their new basketball team!” exclaimed Dalat’s Felicia Teoh (11).

One of the few nights all the teams spent together was enjoyed in the night market of Batu Ferringhi. After experiencing a few of the Malaysian delicacies, such as Char Koay Teow, Teh Ais, and Satay at Long Beach Cafe, teams strolled the night market to experience henna tattoos, the fish spas, and the tropical beachside Starbucks. “It was amazing how we could try actual local food at the night market, because that is something we can’t really do in Seoul… The milk tea in a bag was pretty cool, too. Those comfy pants from a store were really nice and it was really fun to bargain,” said Top Defender, Hana Ikeda (12) from Yongsan International School in Seoul.

After four days packed with tough competition and Malaysian experiences, the tournament eventually came to a close on Saturday night. The teams gathered at Paradise’s outdoor seating area to honor a variety of the week’s achievement, including the tournament’s final ranking of Faith, Dalat, and ICS Hong Kong, respectively, and individual awards, including Ikeda (12) as top defender and Dalat’s Charlotte Combrink (12) as All Tournament Most Valuable Player. Tayah Lee (12) and Kassy Steinkamp (12) also earned spots on the tournament’s All-Conference team. After lighting paper lanterns and taking a multitude of photos, the teams said their goodbyes and parted. Dalat’s senior Sarah Tan said “It was really fun to be able to give the other teams a taste of life in Penang by bringing them to the beach for bonfires, S’mores, fireworks, and lighting lanterns, all of our favorite things to do and what makes living in Penang so special.”

Photo credits to Lucinda Ramos Lee and tournament photographers Jonathan Steffen, Lydia Roberts, and Jacki Steinkamp.